When to book your summer holiday – should you book it early or leave it late? 

This is the most discussed question on many forums and platforms which offer travel advice and we are eager to raise this question once again to give better insights to the future visitors of the mesmerizing island of Hvar. Of course a lot of us will make spur of the moment decisions to get away and that’s part of the fun of going on holiday but early booking has so many advantages. Everyone knows you can save money by going to a budget hotel, but sometimes you just want to splurge and be pampered by a first class experience. Thankfully, there are ways to stretch your vacation budget without sacrificing your choice in accommodations.

In recent years, there has been a gradual change in the way travelers now book their holiday. The travel agency usually sold the package holiday which included accommodation as its most popular product. However, in recent years, with the introduction of online booking solutions, there has been a big increase in the number of travelers now booking online, avoiding the middle man and hence saving on costs.

Booking online is a safe and secure option, especially with the added insurance cover associated with the use of major credit cards. 

The best and easiest online travel reservation websites to use are Booking.com and Expedia but you have to take in consideration that there is a margin that the online booking sites have to play around with. Some will offer 5% to the customer others 10%, so it is well worth taking the time to check around and compare prices.

This is the time when direct bookings with hotel companies come into play. 

Consider that Hvar is quite busy in its peak season during the months of June, July and August so to ensure a good room and a good hotel book early and book well in advance, as the island is full to capacity for obvious reasons (may we just remind you of the feeling of enjoying dinner on the water pontoon watching the yachts roll in while the bay paints itself of thousand beautiful shades of orange to deep red while the sun sets in…)

Check for the early booking promotions by which many hotels offer their best discounts on their best rooms, additionally early booking helps you to achieve better probability your special wishes will be accommodated (e.g. sea view, secluded, quiet, top floor, close to pool, close to reception) and as well you will have a wide range of options as to where and when to go when instead leaving it late may drastically reduce these options.

As well it is a good idea to sign up to hotel chains e-mailing list so that special offers can be sent direct to the customer when they first become available.

And of course there are additional benefits to booking early when possible and save when booking well in advance. Did you hear about the “330” airfare booking secret?

By law, airlines can book flights for travel up to 330 days in advance. 

How do fares price out 330 days in advance? Mainly because there is a very high availability of affordable seats on direct flights across several airlines and considerable uniformity of pricing among airlines -- all this because everyone's planes are pretty much empty at this point. The prices tend neither to be rock bottom, nor to be very high -- but are always competitive in the market.

As for refundable flights - most booking engines make it very easy to search on fully refundable fares; it is worth the time to check these out, but don't expect miracles. 

(Note: not all airlines allow booking 330 days out, the most important date to note is your return date; if your departure date is inside the 330 days, but your return date is not, you can't purchase the itinerary.)

So what are you waiting for? One of the best ways to beat the winter blues is to research and book your summer holiday. The beginning of the year will be a lot more bearable when you’re counting down the days to your dream holiday.