IF YOU’RE dreaming of a late summer holiday but holding off until the Three Lions finish their World Cup run, let me give you some free advice: stop playing chicken with the booking button.
Because I work in travel, my screen is constantly locked onto live booking data, and I’ve been crunching the numbers from Euro 2024 and the last World Cup, comparing tournament months against normal years, and the trend is identical.
The second England gets knocked out (or in this year’s case, hopefully lifts the trophy) the market goes completely mental.
Millions of Brits who put their summer plans on ice to watch the football suddenly rush to the package holiday sites at the exact same time.
And according to the data, this massive surge forces package prices to spike five to eight per cent above normal seasonal baselines within hours.
Whether we lose to Argentina on Wednesday or go all the way, demand is going to flood the market.
So if you still fancy a summer holiday this year but haven’t yet booked, you need to beat the post-tournament rush.
And here’s exactly where the data suggests prices are about to climb fastest.
5. Antalya, Turkey
Turkey always reacts aggressively after a major tournament, especially around the Antalya coast where all-inclusive packages dominate.
Our data shows that the moment football fever breaks, resorts like Alanya experience an immediate eight per cent price hike above the normal baseline.
You could stay at the Lemas Suites Hotel Side, which is a cracking value base right near the harbour, but my favourite thing about this hotel is its private river-boat shuttle.
The property sits slightly back from the coast on the side of the Manavgat river, and they run a free, regular boat service that drops you directly onto their private sandy beach lot, completely cutting out the sweaty August coastal walk.
On the Beach offers a five-night stay from August 22 at Lemas Suites Hotel Side, including return flights from Manchester Airport, from £355pp.
4. Canary Islands, Spain
The Canaries are Britain’s ultimate safety net for guaranteed summer sun, which makes them prime targets for the post-football booking surge.
The data shows that Fuerteventura’s Caleta de Fuste climbs a massive 17 per cent above normal rates post-tournament, while Matagorda in Lanzarote jumps by 13 per cent.
But, fear not, because you can check in to Club Tenerife in Los Cristianos.
And because the hotel’s built directly into a sheltered hillside, the main sun terraces are entirely shielded from the standard high-summer Atlantic winds that plague the flat beachfront hotels, giving you a proper, peaceful sunbathing setup.
On the Beach offers a five-night stay from August 22 at Club Tenerife in Los Cristianos, including return flights from Liverpool Airport, for £318pp.
3. Crete, Greece
Crete is another major mover in our holiday tracking, with the family-heavy resort of Kato Gouves seeing a massive 24 per cent price surge the second England exits a tournament.
You could stay at Ourania Apartments in Kato Gouves – this hotel’s an absolute peach of a pick too.
Every week, the family hosts an incredible local souvlaki night where they cook everything over open coals right in the central courtyard, serving up an elite, authentic Cretan feast for a fraction of what you’d pay at the beachfront tourist spots.
Where do I sign?
On the Beach offers a five-night stay from August 22 at Ourania Apartments in Kato Gouves, including return flights from Manchester Airport, from £383pp.
2. Costa Brava, Spain
As you’d expect, Spain always runs hot after the football finishes – but the Costa Brava sees some of the steepest climbs on the board, specifically, the resort of Calella routinely records package prices sitting 25 per cent higher than normal once the tournament wraps up.
You could head to MedPlaya Esmeraldas Aparthotel in Tossa de Mar, for example.
These apartments are exceptionally modern, but the best feature here is the private underground walkway that links the complex directly to the beachfront avenue.
It means you can wander from your living room to the sand in about two minutes without ever having to cross the busy main resort traffic.
On the Beach offers a five-night stay from August 22 at MedPlaya Esmeraldas Aparthotel in Tossa de Mar, including return flights from London Gatwick, for £283pp.
1. Costa Blanca, Spain
The undisputed heavyweight of post-tournament price surges is the Costa Blanca.
Cala de Finestrat routinely explodes by 32 per cent above normal rates, while Albir climbs by 18 per cent.
Even Benidorm, despite its massive hotel capacity, jumps five per cent overnight.
You could opt for five-nights to the Jardin Milenio Hotel in Elche for under £300pp and for peak August, that is an unbelievable data loophole.
The standout feature here is that the hotel is located directly inside the famous Palmeral of Elche – a massive, UNESCO-protected tropical palm grove.
It means the entire pool area is surrounded by thousands of ancient palm trees, giving you a lush, high-end Caribbean resort aesthetic for less than three hundred quid.