9 Things I Always Check Before Booking Any Holiday in 2026

I've booked probably fifty holidays in the past several years. Some were brilliant. Some were expensive lessons. The expensive ones almost always had one thing in common: I was in a hurry, I clicked too fast, and I didn't do the basics. Here's my actual pre-booking checklist — not the stuff everyone already knows, but the things that genuinely make a difference.

1. Is That "Cheap" Flight Actually Cheap Once You Add Bags?

Ryanair's £29 return fare sounds incredible until you add a cabin bag (around £20–£28 each way), and suddenly you're at £100+ for what looked like a bargain. Before you celebrate any headline fare, figure out your actual baggage needs and build them in from the start. Ryanair's free bag is genuinely small — test it with your usual bag before you assume it qualifies. When comparing across airlines, always compare the total cost including one checked bag if you need one.

2. Have You Checked Regional Airports?

Flying from Leeds Bradford, Bristol, or East Midlands instead of Heathrow or Gatwick often saves serious money — not just on the airfare, but on parking, the drive, and your sanity. I flew to Lanzarote from Bristol last year, saved £38 on the fare, and spent nothing on parking (mate dropped me off). Skyscanner lets you tick 'nearby airports' when searching — it takes about ten extra seconds and can save you a lot more than that.

3. When Are You Actually Booking?

The 'book on a Tuesday' thing has been debunked to death, but timing does matter. For European short-hauls, 6–8 weeks out is usually the sweet spot. For summer holidays, January to March is when good availability and reasonable prices overlap. Book in August for the following August and you're competing with everyone else who left it too late. Google Flights' price graph is useful here — it shows you whether you're booking at a high point in the pricing cycle.

4. Does Your Destination Have a Tourist Tax in 2026?

Barcelona has had one for years. Amsterdam raised theirs to 12.5% in 2024. Venice now charges a day-tripper fee. More destinations are adding or increasing them. These aren't massive amounts, but they're worth knowing about before you budget — particularly if you're staying a week. A quick search for '[destination] tourist tax 2026' takes less than a minute.

5. Have You Actually Compared Travel Insurance?

Half the policies UK travellers buy are effectively useless for anything other than a cancelled flight. The excess on medical claims can be so high that small incidents aren't worth claiming. Pre-existing condition exclusions catch people out all the time. Use a comparison site, filter by the medical cover level you actually need, and read the activity exclusions — if you're going skiing, cycling, or doing anything active, check it's covered. The difference between a £15 and a £30 policy is usually significant.

6. Is the Hotel Where You Think It Is?

I once booked a 'Barcelona city centre' hotel that was technically in the city centre of a suburb, forty minutes by train from anything worth seeing. Before you confirm any accommodation, open Google Maps and check the actual location. Look up the nearest metro or bus stop. Check what neighbourhood it's in and whether that neighbourhood is what you think it is. 'Beachfront' can mean the beach is a 20-minute walk via a main road.

7. Have You Set Up a Price Alert?

Skyscanner and Google Flights both let you monitor specific routes and alert you when prices change. I set these up months before I'm ready to book — you see the normal price range, you know when something is genuinely good value, and you don't have to wonder whether it'll get cheaper or not. This is especially useful for long-haul flights where prices fluctuate more dramatically.

8. What Are the Entry Requirements Right Now?

UK passport holders have different rules in different places post-Brexit. Your passport needs to be valid for the duration of your stay in most EU countries, but rules vary elsewhere. ETIAS — the EU's new travel pre-registration system — is still expected to launch; always check before booking to any Schengen destination. Some countries outside Europe require visas that you can't get on arrival. The FCDO travel pages are the most reliable source; check them before you book, not before you fly.

9. Can You Actually Afford What You've Budgeted?

This is the one that gets people most often — including me, on my first solo trip, when I ended up eating supermarket sandwiches for the last two days because I'd been wildly optimistic about daily spending. Build your budget realistically: accommodation per night, two proper meals per day (not 'I'll just eat street food'), local transport, one paid activity or entrance fee, and at least one sit-down dinner where you have more than one course. Then add 20%. If the trip doesn't fit that budget comfortably, adjust something rather than hoping it works out.

None of this is revolutionary. But it's surprising how many people skip most of it and then wonder why the trip cost more than expected, or why the hotel was in the wrong place, or why the insurance didn't cover what they needed. Ten minutes before you click 'book' is worth a lot more than it sounds.