With Christmas just a couple of weeks away, families and individuals might want to put a hold on the shopping and planning and escape on a festive trip instead. With the countdown fully underway, holiday prices are already creeping up, but travel experts say there’s still time to book a holiday and save money at the same time.

Stacey Hamilton, a travel expert at Private Tours England, says a short window in early December offers the best chance of landing an affordable Christmas getaway. Even better, that window opens in just a matter of days. It’s a common misconception that December flights are hugely pricey, but new research shows a quick dip in the weeks running up to the big day. 

According to Stacey, the cheapest booking window for Christmas 2025 is between 2 December and 17 December, a period she says remains underused by most travellers. 

She said: “People tend to check prices very early or extremely last-minute, but they overlook this 8–23-day window where airlines often reduce fares to fill remaining seats. If you want Christmas savings, this is the period you need to keep your eye on.”

What is the cheapest day to book a Christmas holiday? 

Within this window, Stacey said there are two stand-out days: Sunday December 7 and 14 2025. She explained that Sundays repeatedly show lower-than-average fares for both domestic and international travel, and this trend is especially strong in the two weeks before Christmas. 

She said: “Booking on a Sunday is one of the simplest ways to save. In many cases, travellers can cut costs by up to 24 per cent without changing their destination or travel dates.”

After you lock in the booking, Stacey said the next step is choosing the right day to fly. For Christmas 2025, she recommended checking out Friday December 12 and 19, which are two days that consistently fall in a lower-demand zone. 

She said: “Flying on a Friday just before the peak Christmas travel week can cut your fare significantly. The 12th and 19th sit at that ideal point where demand hasn’t yet hit its highest level. They’re brilliant for keeping costs down without compromising on dates.”

However, she warned that the situation changes quickly after December 17. She said: “Once you get inside the final week before Christmas, most airlines increase fares in line with demand.”

“Christmas 2025 falls on a Thursday, so that final weekend is going to be extremely busy. If you wait until then, you’ll almost certainly pay more.”