Christmas travel isn’t necessarily more expensive everywhere, with some destinations and dates offering better value than others. KAYAK analysed its 2026 travel search data for the festive period to uncover where prices are lower than last year right now, which travel dates deliver better value and when prices have historically dipped. Check out where Christmas savings could be found, and how to spot them before the most appealing savings are booked up.
Christmas travel 2026: Key takeaways.
Where the deals are.
Destinations further afield for less.
If a far-flung trip has been sitting on your wish list, this Christmas could be the time to make it happen.
Some of the biggest festive season flight price drops are on long-haul routes, with return-ticket prices across the US, Caribbean and Asia currently cheaper to find than last year.
European bargains.
With flights to several European destinations costing less than last Christmas at the moment, your shortlist might be getting a little longer. Whether you fancy escaping to the Canaries or Madeira, or wrapping up for a festive city break in Romania, Switzerland or Greece, there are plenty of better-value options to choose from right now.
Lanzarote, Spain
£376 avg. flight price
13% price drop*
Bucharest, Romania
£222 avg. flight price
10% price drop*
Zurich, Switzerland
£156 avg. flight price
9% price drop*
Madeira, Portugal
£389 avg. flight price
8% price drop*
Tenerife, Spain
£384 avg. flight price
6% price drop*
Madrid, Spain
£143 avg. flight price
6% price drop*
Athens, Greece
£233 avg. flight price
6% price drop*
*Percentage drop in average flight price for Christmas travel 2026 vs. 2025
Best-priced destinations to fly this Christmas.
How far can a smaller flight budget take you this Christmas? Quite far, actually. Six destinations currently average under £150 return, covering everything from Barcelona and Madrid to Prague and Amsterdam. Dublin starts the list at £127, while £208 could get you to the winter sun in Agadir.
When to book: Prices are high. Is it worth waiting?
The age-old question. But we have some good news, with a caveat. Christmas flight prices are higher, but prices all year have followed similar patterns to 2025. That makes last year a useful guide, not a crystal ball.
International flight prices for the festive period historically eased from their September highs, with the lowest prices previously found around six weeks before Christmas. But then they could climb quickly, last year up to 15% in the week before Christmas. There’s no guarantee the pattern will repeat this year, but it could give travellers a useful steer on what to watch out for.
Set a KAYAK Price Alert and be notified when fares drop.
When to travel: Let the calendar do some of the saving.
Shifting your trip by just a few days could be a little Christmas present to your wallet. For a good balance of price and timing, 23 December looks like the sweet spot for international departures. For travellers who are happy to risk cutting it fine, Christmas Eve is expected to be the cheapest day to leave, while 19 December is looking to be the busiest and most expensive day.
| When to travel | Avg. flight price 2026 return, economy |
Saving vs. most expensive date | Expected most expensive day to fly out | |
| International flights | 23 Dec | £615 | -36% | 19 Dec |
If your trip abroad is planned for after Christmas celebrations, it could pay off to depart on New Year’s Eve (31 Dec) which is expected to be the cheapest day to fly out with flight prices averaging at £275.
Christmas trending destinations? Brits are chasing the sun.
What’s moving up this Christmas holiday wish list? Sunshine, mostly. Nine out of ten of the UK’s most trending destinations offer a warmer escape, led by Orlando, with Mauritius, Los Angeles, Miami, Rio and Cancún all gaining ground. Krakow stands alone as the only European destination, in the ranking.
Christmas splurge? It might start on the plane.
More Brits seem to be looking for a little Christmas journey treat, with business-class flight searches up 33% year-on-year.
Where travellers are actually heading this Christmas.
British travel plans are a real mixed bag this year: Christmas pudding and jumpers are being swapped for palm trees and big-city Christmases. The end-of-year break is also taking plenty of travellers further afield. Bangkok tops KAYAK’s most-searched list, followed by Lagos and Dubai, with New York, Manila, Cape Town and Tokyo also making the cut.
Your hotel could be your holiday treat.
If the stay is your 2026 holiday splurge, your budget could go further this year. Hotel prices are currently down year-on-year in some tempting places, from paradise escapes like Ko Samui and the Maldives, to a trip to see Santa in Rovaniemi, Finland. And you don’t have to go far to find a cheaper stay for the holidays right now: Blackpool, York and Llandudno all have lower hotel prices than last Christmas at the moment.
Ko Samui, Thailand
£97 avg. accommodation price
21% price drop*
Malé, Maldives
£722 avg. accommodation price
10% price drop*
Blackpool, United Kingdom
£52 avg. accommodation price
10% price drop*
Adeje, Spain
£198 avg. accommodation price
8% price drop*
York, United Kingdom
£96 avg. accommodation price
8% price drop*
Llandudno, United Kingdom
£81 avg. accommodation price
8% price drop*
Rovaniemi, Finland
£295 avg. accommodation price
5% price drop*
*Percentage drop in average accommodation price for Christmas travel 2026 vs. 2025
Staying in the UK? Make it a road trip.
With UK hotel searches up 18% year-on-year and car hire searches up 16%, Brits spending Christmas on home soil aren’t skipping the getaway, they’re driving to it.
When to book: Good value stay may come to those who wait.
Hotels can turn the usual flight-booking logic on its head: Based on historic data, waiting to press the book button until closer to Christmas and New Year’s could mean a better value. Last year, travellers searching for stays in the two weeks leading up to, and including Christmas found nightly rates up to 20% lower than in earlier periods in the UK, and 16% lower abroad.
The tradeoff could be choice. If you’re flexible on the hotel, room or neighbourhood, waiting could work in your favour. But if you’ve got your heart set on somewhere particular, especially in a popular destination, it may be worth booking sooner.
When to check-in.
Christmas Day has a gift up its sleeve: 25 December is currently the cheapest day to check in abroad, averaging £114 a night. For travellers who prefer to arrive before the festivities get going, 22 December offers good value in the UK, and 23 December abroad at the moment.
| When to check-in | Avg. accommodation price 2026 per night |
Saving vs. most expensive date | Expected most expensive day to check-in | |
| Stays in the UK | 22 Dec | £83 | -11% | 24 Dec |
| Stays abroad | 23 Dec | £126 | -13% | 22 Dec |
New Year’s trip needs its own date planning. For UK stays, checking in on 28 December could save you up to 12% compared with the priciest 30 December. Abroad, it’s the other way round, with 30–31 December offering better value than the days straight after Christmas.
Frequently asked questions: Christmas travel 2026.
Historically, some of the best value for international Christmas flights has appeared around six weeks before Christmas, with prices typically rising again from mid-December.
For travellers heading abroad before Christmas, 23 December currently offers better value than the peak on 19 December. For post-Christmas departures, New Year’s Eve is expected to be one of the lowest-priced dates.
Atlanta has the biggest year-on-year flight price drop in KAYAK’s data at 39% right now, followed by Washington at 27% and Agadir at 26%.
Europe is the place to look for the lowest Christmas flight prices. Dublin comes in cheapest at £127 return at the moment, followed by Barcelona at £131, with Milan, Prague, Madrid and Amsterdam all averaging under £150.
For a shorter trip, look to the Canaries, Madeira or Agadir, where average flight prices are lower than last Christmas. If you’re happy to go further, the Caribbean and parts of Asia also offer better value this year.
Ko Samui has the biggest hotel price drop in KAYAK’s data at 21% lower than last Christmas, followed by the Maldives and Blackpool at 10% lower.
It can be. Last year, travellers searching closer to Christmas found average nightly prices up to 20% lower for UK stays and 16% lower for stays abroad, although waiting can mean less choice.
Methodology
Christmas and New Year’s travel data is based on flight and hotel searches made on KAYAK.co.uk and its associated brands between 01/04/2026 and 01/09/2026 for travel between 19/12/2026 and 09/01/2027, compared to searches made between 01/04/2025 and 01/09/2025 for travel between 20/12/2025 and 10/01/2026. All flight prices are average prices for round-trip, economy tickets. All hotel prices are average nightly rates. Prices may vary and savings cannot be guaranteed. Percentages for changes in pricing are approximate.
Business class insights are based on searches for business class flights made on KAYAK between 01/04/2026 and 01/09/2026 for travel between 19/12/2026 and 09/01/2027, compared to searches made between 01/04/2025 and 01/09/2025 for travel between 20/12/2025 and 10/01/2026. Prices are average prices for round-trip, business class tickets. Prices may vary and savings cannot be guaranteed. Percentages for changes in pricing are approximate.
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