The last-chance summer holidays to book now
One tour operator told us that Italian villas hadn't sold as well as usual – so, with a bit of research, there are retreats between the olive groves and seaside pads under shady pines to be found.
Summer can also be the best time to head long-haul, because many travellers save these destinations for winter sun.
Elsewhere, think laterally. Avoid the most touristy spots (swapping the best-known Greek islands for a lesser-visited atoll, or a Balearic beach town for Asturias's empty sand, for example) and you might have a better experience too.
Below, we've found 20 of the best holidays still with availability for summer 2025 – from France to Florida and beyond.
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- Daily Mail
From spending when you're abroad to absolutely smashing the preparation and packing, we reveal how to holiday like a pro
The phrase 'seasoned traveller' says it all - you really can improve your approach to travel over time. There are lots of ways to make the process of going on holiday easier and less stressful, many of which you pick up through experience. But rather than learning through your mistakes, why not discover the secrets to acing your holiday all at once? From avoiding money worries to perfecting the art of packing, we've done all the legwork for you - with the help of the friendly experts at Post Office Travel Money Card. We'll also reveal some tips to slash the cost of your getaway, from bagging cheaper airport parking to dodging unexpected roaming charges. Get a currency card for spending abroad Heading overseas? Then you'll need to arrange some travel money. But with many providers charging high exchange rates and rip-off fees, it's easy to get stung. And while you could withdraw a large bundle of cash, this opens the risk of it being lost or stolen. It's also inconvenient if you need money in several different currencies. A far better approach is to take out a Post Office Money Card, which lets you spend abroad with no charges* across all 22 supported currencies. Getting started is quick and easy. It's simply a question of ordering your card online or in-branch and loading it with your chosen currency - then off you go! The card allows you to use contactless, Apple Pay and Google Pay™ at any of the more than 36million locations worldwide that take Mastercard®, while you can also use it to withdraw cash at ATMs. Out of funds? Then you can top up any time in your app or online account - which stays completely separate from your main bank account. Consider taking cash too Cards are a convenient way to pay. But there's a role for cash as well, particularly in countries that have not adopted digital payments as widely as the UK has. 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Try packing cubes Continuing on a strictly practical note, lets go from one p, parking, to another, packing. Lots of people have never heard of packing cubes, so if this applies to you it could be time to check them out! At their most basic, packing cubes are small fabric pouches secured by a zip - allowing you to group similar items, like pants and socks, making them easier to find. A fancier option are compression packing cubes, which are designed to maximise all available space by removing the air. Clever! Book your flight for a Monday ... or a Tuesday... or a Wednesday. The first three days of the week can be up to 20 per cent cheaper than Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays for international trips¹. So if you are able to be flexible with dates, it could be worth running through the various options before you book. Avoid being left with cash you can't spend One of the trickier parts of travelling before digital payments was calculating exactly how much cash you'd need for each trip. 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Daily Mail
an hour ago
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Major UK airport's scheme to skip the queues this summer - but there's a catch
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Daily Mail
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Resorts across Europe are now employing security to tackle sunbed fights - and they're even removing towels
As holidaymakers jet off on their travels abroad this summer, some hotels are having to find different ways to handle sunbed shortages, and tensions. Gone are the days of waking up early and putting your towel down on a sunbed to secure a good spot by the pool. Now, some hotels are employing security to help keep things under control after several videos have gone viral of people battling it out for sun loungers. Another tourist, @grantsimpson10, posted a video on TikTok of a security guard opening gates to the pool area at Spring Bitacora hotel in Tenerife and dozens of tourists flooding in with their towels at hand. A viewer commented on the clip, revealing they had holidayed there previously and said: 'Stayed there two years ago great hotel but the sun lounger situation was an absolute joke do they still have a security guard?' The poster replied, confirming the establishment had staff 'patrolling' the area still. 'Yeah still got two patrolling it until 8am for opening the gates,' they wrote. Spring Bitacora isn't the only hotel to employ such methods to help tackle the increasingly common sun bed battles. Someone else, @seejonj, posted on TikTok a clip sharing that their hotel in Turkey employed security guards to remove towels from 'unaccompanied' sun loungers before 7am. They captioned the video: 'Sun lounger etiquette, no unaccompanied towels allowed before 7am. 'In all fairness there is plenty and plenty of loungers. always a space and the staff a super friendly and will find you a linger and set it up for you. 'No need to be out at 0630. We've seen the same few people out at 0530!! putting their towels down.' The video, taken at 6.30am, showed dozens of sun beds positioned neatly, most of them with towels already spread across them. The holidaymaker revealed the 'majority of loungers taken with towels'. In a caption over the video, they added: 'The security guard removes them unless you stay with the towels. 'No unaccompanied towels before 7am.' @seejonj Sun lounger etiquette 😩 no unaccompanied towels allowed before 7am. in all fairness there is plenty and plenty of loungers. always a space and the staff a super friendly and will find you a linger and set it up for you. no need to be out at 0630. We've seen the same few people out at 0530!! putting their towels down. #fyp #eftaliaaquaresort #towelchallenge #summer2025 #turkeytiktok #eftalia #sunlounger #loungerwars ♬ original sound - HeyZeusGetLoose Footage at Spring Bitacora hotel showing how security have been employed to help keep things under control after several videos have gone viral of people battling it out for sun loungers abroad It comes after holidaymakers were left shocked as they watched a 'stampede' unfold for prime sunbed spots at a popular five-star hotel in Crete - sparked by influencers who wanted to take selfies 'all day' on them. Chaotic scenes unfolded at Akasha Beach Hotel & Spa, located in Hersonissos, which saw dozens of guests charging towards available loungers as the pool opened for the day. The luxury hotel has become a hit on social media in recent months thanks to its modern and 'clean' aesthetic, providing visually appealing backdrops for photos and videos, which is a key factor for content creators. The hotel's multiple pools, private beach, and spa facilities also offer a range of opportunities for influencers to create engaging content and share unique experiences with their followers.
