ANYONE who’s looked at holiday prices over the last few years will know one thing: summer getaways haven’t exactly been getting cheaper.
But this year, a big change in booking habits has completely blown the market wide open.
Because British holidaymakers are playing chicken with the calendar and leaving bookings later than ever, airlines and hotels are staring down a reduced summer capacity.
So, rather than flying empty seats and leaving hotel rooms vacant, some airlines and hotel operators are aggressively cutting prices across the board to get bookings in and holidays shifted.
Before we start, though, I should say that not EVERY destination is seeing price drops like this.
But when I crunched the numbers on package data for a family of four, I noticed that some of the year-on-year drops are massive.
So here’s where the prices are falling fastest for summer 2026…
Menorca: £536 cheaper than last year
If you’ve never been to Menorca, imagine everything people love about Majorca and Ibiza… but with the volume turned down.
It has always been a major winner for families because it’s incredibly safe, relaxed, and completely skips the club-heavy energy of its neighbours.
The big news is the pricing: our data shows family holidays here are trending noticeably down compared to last summer.
I flagged a seven-night stay at the Minura Sur Menorca on an all-inclusive basis, flying from Manchester on 22 August, from £858pp – which is a massive £536 cheaper than this exact package last year.
For a destination that traditionally sells out and hikes its rates in August, finding an all-inclusive setup under these numbers is a serious win against the usual school-holiday tax.
The hotel itself is a brilliant family workhorse on the outskirts of Punta Prima with massive pools and a splash park that will easily keep the kids occupied for hours.
If you’ve got a young family like me, my favourite thing about this property is that they run a free, regular shuttle bus straight down to the beach throughout the summer.
It saves you from dragging hot, tired kids and a mountain of beach gear on a 15-minute trek in the August heat.
Paphos, Cyprus: £246 cheaper than last year
Paphos is a super-reliable destination that absolutely nails the holiday basics.
You get guaranteed scorching weather, great beaches, and a vibrant harbour front packed with tavernas and bars, without feeling overcommercialised.
And when I took a look, I noticed that prices are down sharply across the resort, making it an ideal window for a bargain.
You can lock in seven nights at the Kefalos Damon Hotel Apartments on an all-inclusive basis, flying from Glasgow on 22 August, from £623pp, saving £246 compared to last summer.
Cyprus has some of the longest, most reliable sunshine windows in Europe, which usually means paying a massive premium to secure an August departure.
Snagging this deal lets you bypass that peak-season markup while keeping food and drinks entirely off the daily spreadsheet.
What makes this place stand out for me is the quality of the recent modern room upgrades.
They’ve kitted the apartments out with brilliant, fully functioning kitchenettes, which means you have a high-spec, contemporary space to retreat to.
This is a massive step up from the dated, basic apartments you usually get saddled with on a budget European getaway.
Crete, Greece: £172 cheaper than last year
Crete is a massive island that handles every type of holidaymaker, but for families, it’s a brilliant choice because you can have completely different holiday experiences depending on where you pitch up.
The great news for the budget, though, is that pricing across the island seems to have headed south for late bookings.
I spotted a seven-night stay at the Bali Beach & Sofia Village hotel on an all-inclusive basis, flying from Bristol on 22 August, from £468pp – knocking £172 off last year’s price.
Greece in peak August for under £500 per person with all your food and beer thrown in is an absolute gift, by the way.
What I loved about this place was that they run free, weekly Greek cooking lessons hosted directly by the hotel’s executive kitchen chef.
It’s a brilliant, authentic touch where you can actually learn how to whip up proper local specialities, which is exactly the kind of genuine, cultural insight you never expect to get from a standard all-inclusive package property.
Gran Canaria: £179 cheaper than last year
Gran Canaria is perfect for Brits because the weather is spot on all year round.
As a destination, it handles families, couples, and groups effortlessly, and right now the value across the island is dropping back into our favour for this summer.
One standout deal I saw in the data was seven nights at the Maspalomas Oasis Club on an all inclusive basis, flying from Dublin on 22 August, from £410pp – making it £179 cheaper than last year.
The Canary Islands usually command a massive premium in August because they are a safe bet for sun, but this price point lets you dodge that summer-holiday markup.
The real winner at this hotel is the food quality at the buffet, which you’ll be delighted to learn, completely dodges the lukewarm, processed repetitive food sometimes associated with cheaper all-inclusives.
Instead, they have live show-cooking stations at dinner, where the chefs grill fresh meats and fish directly to your order, right in front of you.
Getting proper, freshly seared food on an all-inclusive budget under £450 is an absolute steal.
Dubai: £135 cheaper than last year
Dubai probably isn’t the first spot you associate with price drops, which is exactly why the numbers caught my eye straight away.
Yes, August in the UAE is hot, but that’s exactly why the luxury hotels open up the discount books, with summer family packages dropping well below their usual rates.
Plus, they have some of the best air conditioning in the world.
I clocked seven nights at the Jumeira Rotana on an all-inclusive basis, flying from London Gatwick on 22 August, from £720pp – a drop of £135 against last year.
For Dubai, getting a full all-inclusive package at this price point is a total anomaly.
It means you can indulge in the city’s notoriously expensive dining scene without worrying about a massive bill at check-out.
My pick of features at this hotel though is its rooftop pool – it’s a corker.
It gives you a fantastic, elevated view of the Dubai skyline while you cool off.
And because the hotel is a smaller, more boutique property by Dubai standards, the staff actually bring chilled towels and refreshments straight to your lounger.
It feels incredibly attentive without the chaotic, impersonal hustle of the massive beachfront mega resorts.
Hurghada, Egypt: £107 cheaper than last year
If your absolute main priority, like me, is stretching your cash as far as humanly possible, Hurghada is incredibly tough to beat.
The Red Sea is legendary for its crystal-clear water, and the resorts here offer far more facilities per pound spent than almost anywhere else in the Med, with prices sliding down again this season.
So imagine my face when I saw this deal: seven nights at the El Karma Aqua Beach Resort on an all-inclusive basis, flying from Belfast on 22 August, from £578pp, saving you £107 on last year’s price tag.
The value loop here is simple: you get a massive beachfront resort with its own massive on-site waterpark thrown in for under £600, keeping the kids entertained all week without you ever needing to pull out your wallet.
What I love about this specific place is that they offer swim-up rooms where you can literally step out of your patio doors and straight into a crystal-clear pool channel.
It gives you that premium, luxury resort privilege where you can entirely skip the morning sunbed race and slide straight into the water from your own terrace.