The cheapest time to travel during the school summer holidays

From England and Wales

For families in England and Wales, holidays departing in the first week of the school holidays (19-25 July) offer the best value, with average prices at £863pp compared to £982pp in the second week (26 July - 1 August). That’s a potential average saving of £476 for a family of four.

The third week of the summer holidays (2-8 August) also has potential savings, with average prices around £935pp.

For example, you can get a four-star all-inclusive holiday to Kos in Greece with flights from Manchester from £836pp in the first week of the holidays, compared to £888pp just a week later. Following the trend, prices drop back to £839pp in the third week of the holidays.

Holiday sweet spots can vary by destination too, so be sure to compare a range of departure dates if you’re set on a specific destination. For example, when we checked, we found a three-star self-catering holiday to Crete from Birmingham from £647pp in late August, compared to £709pp in mid-August – a £248 saving for a family of four.

From Scotland

The final half week of the holidays (2-6 August) offers the best deals for Scottish families. Average prices are £813pp – a significant drop from the peak prices of £966pp during the third week (12-18 July). It represents a potential average saving of £612 for a family of four.

The week of 26 July to 1 August is also particularly expensive in Scotland, as all schools in England and Wales have broken up by then. With much more competition for flights and hotels, the average prices push up to £948pp.

But it means you can score some fantastic savings if you pick the right week. For example, seven nights’ self-catering at the three-star ILUNION Miramar in the Costa del Sol departing from Aberdeen drops from £539pp to £383pp between the third and last weeks of the Scottish summer holidays – that's a £624 saving for a family of four.

From Northern Ireland

Schools in Northern Ireland don’t get the May half term break, so those missed-out days off are added to the school summer holidays.

Prices vary significantly across the eight-week break, and our data shows early August offers particularly good value. Average prices drop to £775pp for the sixth week of the holidays (2-8 August), compared to peak prices of £926pp in the fourth week (19-25 July) – a saving of £604 for a family of four.

For example, a seven-night B&B break at the four-star Dionysos Hotel in Rhodes departing from Belfast drops from £909pp to £699pp between the third week of the Northern Irish summer holidays on 19 July and the seventh week on 16 August. That’s a £840 saving for a family of four.

In fact, this early August period in Northern Ireland represents the best value week of the entire summer across all UK regions.

School summer holiday dates for 2025

Below are the school summer holiday dates for nine major cities in the UK, from the Friday schools break up to the Monday they return. Keep in mind that your child’s school may have different dates.

*Please note: The research looked at all clicks via TravelSupermarket from 1 January - 4 February 2025 for 7-night holidays during the school summer holidays. The cheapest departure weeks are based on the average price across the whole of that summer period. All deal prices correct as of 14 February 2024. Please note prices can fluctuate daily and may appear differently on provider site for this reason. Deals are subject to the partners' T&Cs.