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It’s never too late to book a last-minute escape during the upcoming February half-term, even more so as an expert has revealed the exact time to secure the best deal – and it’s this week

The February half-term is just around the corner, with mere weeks until schools across the country have the first break since Christmas. Ahead of the week off, many families will be looking to book an escape to catch some winter sun, and an expert has revealed it’s not too late to book, as one upcoming date will offer the best savings.

When it comes to booking a getaway, whether that’s a last-minute escape or planned in advance, many of us search for the most affordable flights available, and if any package holidays are on offer. A vast number of airlines and travel booking sites offer excellent deals, helping us save even more cash without sacrificing a holiday.

Yet another efficient way to save money is by booking a getaway on a specific date.

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Ahead of the half-term, from February 16 to 20, travel booking expert Chris Bradshaw at AttractionTickets.com has revealed the exact date and time to book a last-minute holiday that will maximise savings. The expert predicted that Sunday, 8 February, at around 6am will be the best day to book.

Chris Bradshaw, director and travel bookings expert at AttractionTickets.com, explained: “It’s a common misconception that earlier always equals cheaper. In reality, airlines continuously adjust fares based on demand, and savvy travellers can benefit from those fluctuations, even just one or two weeks ahead. There’s still time to save on last-minute half-term travel if you know when to book.

“Our analysis of historical pricing patterns, alongside industry travel reports, shows that Sunday is likely to be the most cost-effective day of the week to book. Airlines typically release discounted fares and adjust inventory over the weekend, and booking on a Sunday has been known to save travellers up to 23% versus Fridays.”

He continued: “Industry data also suggests that booking flights within a window of 8 to 23 days before departure can offer some of the most competitive prices for international travel, especially when it comes to places like Florida, so this timeline is essential to consider.

“Alongside this, we see a consistent trend that early morning is likely to be the best time for snagging low fares. Flights booked around 6:00 a.m. (your local time) tend to be more affordable, as it’s often when airlines drop fresh fares before the day’s search traffic spikes.

“Taking all these factors into consideration, Sunday, 8 February, falls perfectly in alignment, making this the optimal date to give you the best chance of securing those last-minute affordable family holiday bookings ahead of this half-term.”

The expert’s tips for booking a last-minute escape during the February half-term:

Best day to book: Sunday, 8 February

Best time to book: Around 6:00 am (local time)

Avoid: Booking on Fridays, when prices typically spike due to business travel and higher demand

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

An ambitious transatlantic tunnel connecting London and New York could see travellers make the journey in just 54 minutes, though the project carries an estimated £15.6 trillion price tag.

Travelling from London to New York in less than an hour might one day become reality. Bold proposals could materialise following suggestions for a tunnel linking the two cities across the Atlantic.

The concept isn’t fresh, as countless visionaries have imagined such an achievement, though it’s long been deemed unfeasible. Nevertheless, Elon Musk weighed in on the notion, claiming his firm, The Boring Company, could turn it into reality.

Technological advances have progressed significantly, thanks to vacuum tubes and pressurised vehicles.

Despite carrying an eye-watering price tag, the journey could potentially come to fruition. Estimates for excavating beneath the Atlantic Ocean have exceeded £15trillion.

However, Musk insisted he could deliver it for considerably less. In 2024, he posted on X: “The @boringcompany could do it for 1000X less money,” responding to the cost projections, reports the Express.

The proposals might appear outlandish, but vacuum technology could be edging it towards reality. Newsweek reported that a vacuum within the tunnel could enable trains to achieve speeds exceeding 3,000 mph.

This would slash the London to New York journey time to just under an hour. The train could prove more environmentally sound as it may reduce air pollution from aviation.

The technology behind a vacuum tunnel resembles superloop trains, which Swiss engineers believe will “change the future of travel”. Yet, numerous companies have attempted and struggled to perfect the hyperloop technology.

Plans for the tunnel have prompted some engineers to suggest it should be constructed below the seabed, whilst others argue that suspending it using cables or supports would prove superior.

The Channel Tunnel serves as the closest comparison to the Transatlantic proposals, linking Britain to France.

It spans merely 40 miles in contrast to the 3,000 miles separating Britain from New York.

Moreover, it required six years to build. Should the proposed tunnel connecting Britain and America proceed at an identical pace, it would demand an extraordinary 782 years to finish.

FROM playing music out loud to putting your feet on the seats – travelling by train in the UK can be an infuriating experience.

But I’ve found a new frustrating trend – reserved carriages for school groups.

As someone who regularly commutes to London by train, I already have the daily battle of finding a seat, especially one with a table.

But I’ve noticed a recent surge in entire carriages being booked by teachers ahead of taking entire classes into London for the day.

According to Southeastern: “If your group is at least 30 people, we can look into reserving a carriage for you, although it may not always be possible during busier periods.

“Reserved carriages will generally be at the rear of a train, and will be marked with labels in the windows and on the doors stating that the carriage is reserved for your group.

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“There isn’t a charge for reserving a carriage.”

While this may sound grumpy at first – after all, who wants to try and find 30 seats for school kids – my complaint comes with both the timing and space.

My train is regularly a four-carriage train until later in the journey.

Not only that, but as a commuter train, seats cannot be reserved until other train operators, so most seats are find-as-you-get-on.

So with a whole carriage taken up by a school, it ends up making these other busy carriages already a lot more chaotic.

A poor train conductor had the awkward task of kicking everyone already sitting in the carriage before the reserved time out onto the platform as they waited for an attachment

Not only that, but many of them are being booked for the morning commute, often around 9am.

In my opinion, there should be blocked out times to allow weary office-dwellers their last chance of respite before having to be stuck staring at a computer for nine hours.

At least there is one upside – I know which carriage to actively avoid unless I want to be subjected to streams of TikTok videos being played out loud next to me.

However, the Sun’s Head of Travel (Digital) Caroline McGuire backs reserved carriages.

She said: “As a school mum who has been on a lot of class trips in recent years, I think this decision by the train company to reserve an entire carriage for the kids is genius. 

“Herding a group of children on and off transport through London – one of the world’s busiest cities – is a nightmare. 

“Will you get them all in one carriage? Will one get left behind? Will they all get seats?

“Will the ‘other’ members of the public get annoyed with the exceptionally loud noise that accompanies 30-plus kids on a day out? 

“This allows them to make sure all of the children travel safely, while causing minimal issues for other passengers. 

“It’s so smart, I’m considering suggesting it to my child’s school next time that I accompany them on a trip.”

A train company recently launched adult-only carriages.

And here’s a converted train carriage you can spend the night in.