Come fly with me

HARD facts first.

To get a good deal, you have to look outside the peak season. “You just aren’t going to find a bargain in July and August,” asserts independent travel agent, Pádraig O’Driscoll. “May, early June, there are excellent bargains to be had, but come that last weekend in June, you’ve had it.”

Last-minute cancellations do occur during the high season, but they are scarce, and not necessarily a bargain. “If you do get one, it isn’t likely to be the place you want, the kind of accommodation you need, and in the end nobody’s happy.” When it comes to family summer holidays, he says, you have to consider the kids first of all. “That’s because if they’re happy, mum and dad can relax too. That’s something you have to keep in mind.”