Family holiday planning: The price difference between peak and off-peak seasons

If you’re planning on taking the kids to a famous family holiday destination, there can be a big difference in the price you’ll pay based on when you travel. Different locales will be experiencing different busy tourist seasons, known as peak seasons, depending on a variety of factors like the weather and school holiday periods.

It’s important to plan your family getaway in advance for several reasons. It gives you a better idea of what to expect when it comes to local crowds at popular events. It can help you avoid the most expensive peak seasons and look for cheaper off-season rates. Also, it helps you secure tickets for popular attractions that may sell out if you wait to plan your itinerary and make bookings.

Just as it’s crucial to plan your trip ahead of time so you can avoid paying peak season prices, its beneficial to buy travel cover early. Travel insurance covers you from the day you buy the policy, so you can be covered for cancellations, the cost of overseas healthcare if a family member is injured, delays outside the airlines’ control, lost or stolen belongings, and more.

For special events like music concerts, sports games, tours and activities, travel insurance can cover the cost of your tickets if something derails your family’s holiday plans and forces you to miss out on these experiences or spend more to ensure you get there on time.

When purchasing travel cover it’s best to get coverage early. If you had to battle just to get all the kids and suitcases in the car only to be held up in bad traffic caused by a storm which makes you miss your flight, your travel insurance policy could cover any additional travel expenses or cancellation costs . If you’d planned any special activities like skiing, going on a cruise or other sport activities, you might need a travel insurance add-on to be properly covered (subject to the terms and conditions of the policy).

Your coverage and the amount of money you can claim will depend on your policy. You should always read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) before you purchase to make sure the policy is a good fit for your family.

It can be hard for families to travel during the cheaper off-peak periods, whether its school term and holiday dates not lining up, a lack of annual leave hours, or the fact that a chosen destination may just simply be more enjoyable during peak season (they’re more popular at certain times of year for a reason).

There are a few things to keep in mind if you’re planning an international holiday for the family:

1. Peak periods are dependent on a variety of factors, namely the season and when local school holidays are running (tourists may also be competing with local families taking the kids to a local holiday hotspot). Australian school holidays are not the same as those in other nations – especially destinations in the Northern Hemisphere. It pays to research your chosen destination to figure out if there is an off-peak season that works for you.
2. Prices for accommodation and activities can vary depending on the day of the week, with weekends typically being more expensive than working weekdays. It may be cheaper to head to a big-ticket attraction like a theme park during the week instead of the weekend.
3. If peak period prices are unavoidable, there are other ways to save, such as preparing your own lunches with local groceries instead of paying for food at the theme park or zoo, or comparing flights, hotel bookings and travel insurance to find good deals.
4. Prices are always changing, and not every hotel or attraction will be taking bookings for the same time period, depending on how far ahead you’re planning to book. This can potentially make it a bit tricky to plan exactly what you want if you’re booking well ahead of your trip, but most popular attractions will clearly display prices for each day and whether tickets are available, helping you to plan ahead.