Our guide to booking last-minute holidays
- By Simpson Travel
- 26 May 2025
- Views and reviews
Who doesn’t love a bit of spontaneous sunshine? If you’re lucky enough to be able to travel at short notice then a last-minute villa holiday is fantastic fun. Here’s everything you need to know about getting the best last-minute holiday…
Five key facts about booking last-minute holidays
FACT 1: Flights get more expensive the later you leave it
If you've found your perfect last-minute villa but the flights are pushing the price too high, consider flying via another destination, or adding a couple of hotel nights at the start or end of your villa week. This works well in Greece, where you can fly to Crete or the Peloponnese via Athens. Other easy options are via Paris to Corsica or Rome to Bari for Puglia. Alternatively, why not try a self-drive holiday to France – with so many options to cross the channel, you’ll have more choice and a lot more flexibility to plan a journey that works for you.
FACT 2: Most villas are one-offs, and they book up early
The simple truth is that the most popular properties do get booked up months and months ahead of time, and some of our guests even book for next year while on holiday. This means it’s best to start by checking all late availability before deciding on a specific destination or villa. If you’re travelling outside the peak season and there are just two of you, it’s worth looking at bigger villas which might have reduced rates for lower occupancy, so don’t set your search filters too narrow!
"We experienced exemplary customer service from the moment we booked the villa to the moment we arrived back home... the overall holiday was so fabulous, that we have paid a refundable deposit to secure the same villa at the same time in 2026!" Mr Ian Andrew, Can Pericas, Mallorca
FACT 3: You must have your passport in order
If it’s been a while since you travelled outside the country, check your passport! Remember that for Schengen destinations, your passport needs to be valid for at least 3 months after your planned return date, and must have been issued no more than 10 years before your departure from the UK. For Turkey, you need to have 150 days or more left on your passport beyond your return date. Airlines show no mercy if you can’t comply, you simply won’t be able to board.
FACT 4: We can usually book your holiday as little as 24 hours ahead
How last minute to you want to go? We always recommend booking as far ahead as you can to maximise options and minimise stress, but if cutting it fine is all part of the fun for you, we can usually get your trip confirmed and documents emailed to you up to 48 or even 24 hours before you travel.
FACT 5: Flexibility is your friend
Destinations wax and wane in popularity just like everything else, with online influencers sometimes having a huge impact on where’s ‘hot’ - not. Our advice is to start with an open mind – the landscapes, cuisine, beaches and people of a country don’t just change like the wind because no-one’s doing TikToks about it, so if your top choice is not available, we can often guide you to somewhere just as nice, and possibly much less crowded. Wherever you go, it's reassuring to know that you'll have the services of our friendly, knowledgeable local staff to help you get the most from your stay, however late you book.
