Already in need of a holiday? You're not alone.
As the January blues spreads across Greater Manchester - many of us are hopping online to plan our 2020 escapes.
And whether you're after a cultural city break or a luxury beach retreat - we all want to bag our dream holiday without the hefty prices.
Popular online booking websites often offer users top deals on hotels, flights and holiday packages - but there are other ways to get the price down if you want to maximise your savings.
From secret hotels to knowing the perfect time to book - if you're in the know you could save yourself a fortune.
Here's our round up of clever holiday booking hacks that could save you money when booking your 2020 holiday online.
Learn the best time to book
Cheap flight website Momondo analysed more than 100 million fares on thousands of routes to find out the best time to book, the best day to travel on and the best time to travel if you want to maximise your savings.
Here's what they found:
Flights from Europe to Europe
Save 30pc when booking 60 days before departure
Save 12pc when travelling on a Tuesday
Save 8pc when travelling in the evening
Flights from Europe to North America
Save 26pc when booking 60 days before departure
Save 10pc when travelling on a Tuesday
Save 11pc when travelling in the evening
Flights from Europe to South America
Save 25pc when booking 50 days before departure
Save 7pc when travelling on a Tuesday
Save 6pc when travelling at noon
Flights from Europe to Africa
Save 29pc when booking 60 days before departure
Save 9pc when travelling on a Tuesday
Save 11pc when travelling in the evening
Flights from Europe to Asia
Save 24pc when booking 60 days before departure
Save 8pc when travelling on a Tuesday
Save 8pc when travelling in the morning
Flights from Europe to Oceania
Save 21pc when booking 59 days before travel
Save 7pc when travelling on a Tuesday
Save 6pc when travelling in the morning
Click here to view Momondo's full list.
Do the cheapest month hack
If you're after a cheap flight and you're flexible with your holiday destination and travel dates - use the cheapest month hack.
Here's how you do it:
- Visit skyscanner.net
- Enter the city you're travelling from
- In the 'to' box select 'everywhere'
- In the 'depart' box, select 'whole month' and then 'cheapest month' from the drop down menu
- Search for your flight
- The results will bring up a list of countries and their cheapest flight prices for you to browse in one go.
Search in incognito
Always search for flights and hotels in incognito mode.
As cookies track your activity online, prices of things you repeatedly search for can go up.
Searching in private mode can prevent this.
Always compare hotel prices
So, you've found a hotel you like and you think you've got a pretty good deal.
Before you book - compare.
If you have the time try and run the same hotel deal through 3-5 other holiday websites - including the hotel's own website.
You might find that booking through the hotel's own website is usually the cheapest option.
Below is a comparison price search for the Rocks Basic room at Ibiza Rocks Hotel checking in on Friday, May 29 and checking out on Monday, June 1 (three nights):
- booking.com - £485
- loveholidays.com - £311
- expedia.co.uk - £353
- travelrepublic.co.uk - £321
- ibizarocks.com - £309
Know when to choose a package holiday
According to moneysavingexpert.com , if you're going away for specifically seven, 10 or 14 days - package holidays are often cheaper than booking a hotel and flights seperately.
Package holidays can even work out cheaper than the price of flights alone.
The moneysavingexpert.com writes that they found flights for a seven-day trip to Florida for £689 per person and a package holiday for the same dates cost just £682 per person.
Book secret hotel
OK, if you're not a risk-taker this hack is certainly not for you.
But if you're after a BIG discount on hotel rooms across the globe - you might reconsider.
When you opt for a 'secret' booking, you'll find out everything about the hotel you will be staying at - apart from the hotel name.
You could save up to 40 per cent off room prices with secret hotel deals on lastminute.com and up to 60pc off room prices on hotwire.com .
Previous prices have included £58.56 for a five-star hotel room in Las Vegas on lastminute.com.
