Is it worth skipping school for summer holiday savings?

When is the summer savings sweet spot?

We analysed the price of seven-night family holidays and found that departing three school days before the summer holidays begin is the "sweet spot", saving families an average of £113 per person compared to travelling once term has ended. Leaving just one day early saves an average of £101 per person.

But for parents tempted to push it further, the maths quickly turns. Departing five school days early cuts the average saving to just £58 per person — and it's also the point at which absence fines must be considered. In England, that happens once a child clocks up ten sessions of unauthorised absence, the equivalent of five full school days. Fines are issued to each parent, for each child, starting at £80 and rising to £160 if not paid within 21 days.

When do fines wipe out savings?

At five days, most two-parent families would end up worse off than if they'd simply waited for the term to finish. As penalty notices are issued per parent, per child, the fines multiply quickly.

As an example, a two-parent family of four (with two school-aged children) would save an average of £232 on a holiday but face £320 in fines — so they’d end up £88 worse off than waiting.

A two-parent family of five (with three school-aged children) would save an average of £289 but face £480 in fines — so they’d make a loss of £191.

A single parent with two school-aged children would save an average of £174 with £160 in fines — so making a saving of just £14.

On average, the only families who save money after five days of fines are single parents with one or two children.

However, savings vary hugely by destination. A two-parent family of four heading to Crete five days early would save £1,243 on the holiday, still leaving them more than £900 ahead even after £320 in fines.

Which destinations offer the biggest savings?

Crete stood out in our research as a destination with savings for those who travel before schools have broken up. Families save money at every point in the final week of term with the peak being three days early when savings are £357 per person.

Fuerteventura also rewards early birds, with savings of £192 per person one day early and £253 per person five days early.

On the other hand, you’re not likely to make savings by travelling to Costa Blanca early. Our research showed that families leaving three days early would pay an average of £146 per person more, and those leaving five days early £28 per person more, before any fines are even counted.

Kos strikes a fine balance. Leaving three days early saves £217 per person, but stretching to five days early costs families a hefty £277 per person extra.

Average saving per person by destination — departing before the summer holidays

Seven ways to make savings in the school summer holidays

1. Travel at the end of the school summer holidays

The cheapest holiday prices in the school summer holidays tend to be in the final couple of weeks of August. Why? Because families are keen to get away for a break as soon as the schools have broken up so there’s often better deals later.

2. Swap airports

As different parts of the UK have different school holiday dates, you could make savings by travelling from an airport where the schools have gone back – or are still in.

As an example, in Edinburgh, many schools break up on 26 June whereas in Newcastle it’s 18 July. So Scottish families could look at the prices of holidays from Newcastle airport early on in summer. In reverse, Edinburgh schools generally go back on 12 August whereas in Newcastle it’s 2 September – so Newcastle families could look for deals from Edinburgh at the end of the break.

3. Go to where’s offering value for money

As we’re passionate about saving our customers money, we keep a close eye on the destinations that are offering value each year. If you remain flexible on your destination, you can take advantage of these trends.

In April, we revealed that the Neapolitan Riviera – which includes Sorrento and Naples – is the top destination where prices are falling this summer while Bulgaria is the place to head for an all-inclusive bargain. Sign up to the TravelSupermarket newsletter for expert insight like this each week.

4. Compare prices

To make sure you’ve found the best deal for you, it’s worth comparing prices from a number of travel companies side-by-side to see the package that best meets your needs at the lowest price. To take the hassle out of having multiple tabs open, TravelSupermarket allows you to do this in one place – and our customers save an average of £350 per holiday by comparing prices with us.

5. Look for deals with free child places

While many are snapped up early on in the year, there are still free child places available on holidays with companies such as Jet2 and TUI – so look out for these offers as they can slash the cost of a family holiday significantly.

6. Don’t forget about the extras that soon add up

Your flights and hotel are just two elements of a family holiday so don’t wipe out your good work finding a deal by paying over the odds for car hire, travel insurance and airport parking. You can compare prices on every element of your holiday on TravelSupermarket and the savings from doing so can be hefty.

7. Think differently this year

It’s easy to form holiday habits but, this year, consider looking at different types of accommodation to save. Always stay in four-star hotels or above? Consider staying in a two or three-star hotel with excellent customer reviews to pocket savings of up to £285pp on average. Travelling as a group? Compare the price of splitting the cost of a villa rather than staying in a hotel.

Please note: Our research analysed prices of seven-night family holidays clicked on via TravelSupermarket between 1 January and 8 June 2026, comparing average per-person prices for departures during the school summer holidays (18 July – 23 August) against departures one, three and five school days before term ends (17, 15 and 13 July respectively). Destinations were selected from among the most-searched summer holiday destinations and included only where search volumes were sufficient across all comparison points. Fine calculations are based on the national framework for penalty notices in England: £80 per parent, per child if paid within 21 days, applicable once a child has ten sessions (five school days) of unauthorised absence within a rolling ten-school-week period.