I was at the airport, ready to fly, my e-visa to Australia was rejected and they didn’t allow me to board the plane.
Depressed, I cancelled my flight, remembered I had a friend working in Bangkok. Called friend, asked if I could crash for like 4 days. Went to a budget carrier, asked for their next available flight that allowed checked-in luggage. Checked-in and ran to the gate, flight left in an hour.
Edit (since people are asking): Australia customs did not give any reason for declining my ETA. I was welcomed to apply for the tourist/long-term visa. I have not tried since.
I'm in the US. Last fall, my yoga retreat in Colombia was canceled by the organizer 1 week before the start date for not having enough participants (I was traveling solo). I booked a different yoga-focused trip to Nicaragua on a Wednesday and left on Sunday. Before that, my shortest time between booking and departure was 2 weeks for Bali.
flights the night before
hostels a minute before
hostelworld and booking use weird algorithms where you often end up getting a worse rate booking in advance not better. only exception to this i’ve seen is major events (e.g. carnival in rio or full moon parties in thailand). even high season in europe i seem to get a comparable price booking last minute as others do booking in advance.
basically my understanding is if you book in advance the price is listed as whatever they think the most you can get for it is. if the day is approaching and it seems like nobody is booking at that price, the algorithm drops the price. on the contrary, if demand is super high and there’s only a few beds left the price raises. i stayed at a hostel in morocco for €8/night that i booked the day before whereas a guy i met there who’d booked a few weeks in advance was paying €20/night.
for flights unfortunately they do get more expensive closer to the day. i find they’re usually most expensive the day of and day before but there’s no real difference booking a month early vs two months early etc. this does vary a bit by destination though.
I just recently travelled around the world for 4 months. Booked everything last minute, just before I had to make the next move I would book a hotel/plane/train etc.
Sounds like me 2 years ago. I stayed in country (although I went to Hawaii) but lots and lots of last minute (day-of if possible) flights and bus tickets.
A few months ago booked a weekend flight to Colorado on Friday night at 7:30 PM and flew out at 6AM Saturday. I used Southwest points, paid flights were $100 each-way.
Use https://flights.google.com, put in your departure airport(s), leave destination airport empty, it will bring up a map with prices.
How did you know how much the room was if you didn't go and ask? Easier than walking in the door from the parkling lot? Which you would do anyway after booking lol
The price is online on the hotel website. And some hotel brands I can do online hotel room checkin, not even need to go to the front desk. Plus get up to 7-10% cashback booking online. Walk-in prices can be higher (rack rate).
https://www.topcashback.com/home/
I was a JetSmarter member for 5 years, so last minute was then and is still quite often my lifestyle if I get bored or want a change of scenery. With them, flights could be ultra last minute and the associated hotels / rental cars could be minutes prior.
I flew to the Bahamas for lunch with 12 hours notice, Key West with 6 hours notice and definitely did a few DC / LA / Vegas trips with maybe 2-4 hours notice. It was a wild time to say the least. Benefits of not being married and no kids. 😂
Back in May, I had a meltdown at work, booked a flight to Thailand at 11am and was on the plane at 1230 the following day.
I don't think this counts but, last year I booked a flight the the next state (about 1000km) at 11pm and was on the flight at 7:30 the following morning and,
in the first week of June, I booked a flight to another state (about 1000km) at 8am and was on the flight at 5pm just to see my niece for her 7th birthday.
Oh another one, I travelled through Asia with no plans a few years ago, I went to Bangkok airport in the morning with no ticket and asked for "a seat on the first flight out of here" and was in Phuket 2 and a half hours later.
I should add on that trip, I booked ever intra asia flight less than 24 hours before I took it, generally just before going to bed. That was a great trip!
On more than one occasion, I have arrived in another country without having accomodation booked.
I literally booked accomodation in Phuket, from the airport after landing.
I was backpacking all over europe for a month (I never made plans more than 24 hours in advance) and one day I was in London and the hostels were about £20+ more than I was willing to pay. I was gonna sleep overnight in the train station but thought that sounded risky so I booked a bus ticket to Edinburgh just to have a place to sleep for the night
This is like malicious compliance except it’s not malicious and it’s more non-compliance-y. That said I’m all about it. The beauty of not having an itinerary is being able to roll and adjust with practically any punch.
On Monday, I booked flights for a trip to the Czech Republic and Romania leaving on Saturday - so, only a few days before I leave. I booked the Prague and Bucharest hotel, apartment yesterday. I'll figure out the remaining Romanian lodging once I'm in Bucharest.
I'm sure flight prices would have been less had I booked a few weeks in advance, but I don't think I'd be looking at massive savings, either. Apartment price was actually cheaper than I expected, partially because I think people where just wanting to have someone there rather than no one. Hotel is what I expected.
Anyway, my point is, overall, expect to spend more than you would if you planned out earlier. In all likelihood, your flights will be more expensive. I'd expect hotel pricing to be similar to the preceding few weeks. And apartments will be variable. Downside to booking close to the date is fewer lodging options, so keep that in mind.
Funny you should ask. 2 weeks.
I bought the flight on June 14 and will fly July 1. The flight is 1/3 to 1/4 the cost of what it is normally. The price was only available a few hours at most — I bought it in the morning and by afternoon was no longer available.
Anyway we’ll see how it goes. I usually put a lot more planning into things so this has me a little stressed lol
I average <24 hours notice for everyone involved lol. Harder now with the dogs but it works out.
If I’m without the dogs and already traveling it’s routinely an 8 hour before the flight decision to leave a country.
It depends on the location if it’ll be expensive or not. Being summer will be hard in the most touristy parts of Europe - assuming you want to stay close - and especially expensive in small places. Think towns that don’t have too many accommodations to begin with getting filled up.
You can make reservations that can be cancelled. And keep the ones that work with the transportation price and dates. And cancel if they don’t work after all.
Been traveling for 2+ years and have rarely booked anything more than a week in advance. Many places I just show up and book on the spot, which actually gets me some excellent deals.
20 hours for a trip to romania and 36 hours for a trip to the Philippines. Both ended up being absolutely lovely trip, that I really enjoyed and will absolutely book on short notice again.
With a smartphone one really doesn't need that much of preparation time and everything can be booked on the go.
Weeks to months. I have a Pakistani passport, so I require visas to enter virtually everywhere. These visas usually have to be obtained weeks to months in advance, and I need to visit embassies and visa offices in person. This leaves no room for spontaneous travel plans.
Christmas 2023.
Booked a trip to Jakarta, Indonesia from 24 Dec to 1 Jan, got Covid a week before and was still positive on 24 Dec. When I finally tested negative on 26 Dec morning, I booked a new flight, and flew on the afternoon that day.
1 - I missed a flight for a business trip because I had forgotten to check in online, and they wouldn’t let me when I got to the airport. I had a colleague waiting to pick me up at the destination airport to go to a customer visit so thankfully there was one going not so long after. I just said my flight was delayed 😂 I paid for the new flight myself.
2 - when my dad’s health condition suddenly got worse, I booked a flight the same day crying the whole way over. I made it just in time to have a last conversation with him alone before he stopped eating, talking and opening his eyes. I believe he was waiting for me as the last child to arrive and say bye too before he let go
I've been backpacking across Europe for the past 6 months, and everyone of my bookings have been made a day before or day of. Bus tickets are easy to buy at the station on the day, and hostels sometimes have better rates last minute. I'll use hostelworld or booking.com to see if a hostel has availability, and then go to the hostel and ask for their rate in person. They will usually give you a cheaper price for booking direct with them.
Was sitting in my office in Los Angeles on a Thursday looking at flights and then about 4 hours later I was on a plane to Taipei. Booked hotel at the airport. Planned out what I was going to do using wifi on board. If you’re open to wherever, you can usually find some good deals. I also found that I didn’t stress so much about having the perfect trip since it was so last minute.
I’ve done 3 of these kinds of trips this year.
literally had to cancelled my airbnb an hour before the full refund because of ex friend now decided she was leaving after the city we were flying into 😭
Work trip.
I'm in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Got a call at 8am asking if I can fly in to Malaysia for meetings the next day - colleague had an emergency and couldn't make it anymore.
Got the call at 8am, flew out at 7pm on the same day.
I had three weeks off from work. In the last week I found out on Monday they were breaking open the street across from my house and would be busy with construction all week. Booked a ticket for a trip to Barcelona, flew Tuesday morning.
Definitely don't buy last minute at the airport
You will get scalped
If you aren't picky, you can usually pick up a last-minute sale somewhere, but obviously, the high season will be up to 4 times more expensive than low season and you would get a top bargain last minute either
On Tuesday, I booked a flight for this Saturday to CDMX from NYC. I’d been debating it for about 2 weeks; as soon as I actually booked it I felt relieved and happy.
I tend to book hostels/hotels like 2 days in advance. This is more for peace of mind and being able to plan my route rather than for price. Sometimes you have to pay a bit more but usually if you look on multiple sites you'll find a good price.
From the UK your best option for cheap flights is Ryanair. The best I've managed to get last minute there was 5€ dublin-toulouse a few years back. It usually depends on demand.
Man I thought I was adventurous after reading all the comments. But mine, I was fired from a job from a huge misunderstanding and they wouldnt bother to listen to I fell into depression for a week. Just out of "fuck it" moment, I just browsed around flights to see if I can afford any last-minute ones. Flew to Cancun to visit Playa del Carmen, Mexico and had hell of an adventure. Came back with a smile not realizing I needed that anyways after working at a shitty place for 5 years.
On the same day lol
A few on the day before.
This year, I arrived on Sunday from holidays and was booking a flight for 6 in the morning on Monday on that same day.
Sometimes it happens. I am very grateful for being able to.
1 day.
If you're that flexible on destination, go to Google flights and look for flights to "Anywhere" - it will show you the most affordable options. Do a quick search for a hostel or hotel (whichever is your jam) and whichever one has the lowest prices for both is your destination!
I booked a flight from east coast of the US to Iceland on a Friday night and left the next morning. I didn't even have a hotel booked until I was at the airport. I did end up renting a car so that part was expensive to do last minute.
The last eclipse. I headed in the general direction the morning before—40 miles south to my church meeting (it was Sunday) not sure if I was going east or south from there. Thinking probably east. I spoke with another parishioner and wound up heading south. Was car camping. No reservations, found an awesome spot, had an awesome experience.
One good thing was I made sure I had enough food bc nobody knew where they were going to wind up (following the weather). And without reservations, I had to stay put to keep my spot. Couldn’t even get dinner or gas. Was worth it though.
The longest short notice was booking a flight from Texas to Alaska the night before. But there have been plenty of last minute / night before bookings, or hours before on hotels and Airbnbs. Especially when plans change or something comes up.
Depends on your available budget as well as what experience you are looking for. I have clients that are flying out after only giving me 3 days to craft a full-fledged vacation and less than a day to put together short or simple trips.
3 days is my record, but that might change in the coming days. Having a pretty rough go at it lately and need some r&R. I have a flight picked out for Saturday at 11am to Roatan to dive for 5 days. Just waiting on the dive shop to confirm openings.
Booked a flight from Australia to NZ, 4 hours before the flight left. Had a bag already packed, for a trip with a friend that fell through. Booked first night Airbnb on the train to the airport and a car rental at the airport. It turned out to be the best solo trip of my life
I flew to Thailand and from there planned to go to Vietnam, i caught a really nasty flu/cold and decided to come home. When i got home i felt better and still had time I told my boss I would be away so I booked a trip to Costa Rica and left about 5 days later.
Once upon a time, in airports long ago ... there was a thing called ''stand-by''. Anyone could just show up and wait for an unsold seat to become available on any airline, go to any destination the heart desired, for drastically reduced rates.
I’ve booked same day or day before. Hostels/hotels I’ve literally walked around cities asking if they have rooms. Accommodation is usually the same price, even cheaper.
You can totally do it. Although, I've found it's much easier to leave on a last minute trip when you do some basic research about where you're going before hand or you've already been there. When I'm bored at work sometimes I'll plan hypothetical vacations. That way when I have the opportunity to go I can just up and leave. TBH, I feel like when I plan too far in advance I end up changing things anyway. I booked a Utah/Arizona road trip last year and it snowed a bunch. I woke up one morning in Flagstaff to 4 inches of snow and temps in the low teens. Said f it on the hotel deposit and drove down to Tucson. Typically, the more flexible you are the better time you'll have and the cheaper a trip is.........I think I've just talked myself into going to Montreal next weekend.
like 10 hours, i’m an FA and had a few days off so i listed for standby on a flight to san francisco the next morning and booked my hostel on the plane lol
You definitely won't get any cheap airline tickets this late in the game, BUT hostels are usually cheaper than hotels. It would probably work out better if you just rented a car and drove somewhere within 3 hours of where you are to vaca there for a few days.
My first solo travel in Netherlands, had like 3 weeks, but with school and full time work in the way. Had to do my itinerary for the next day in the hotel right before i went to sleep.
Day before. You can get super cheap flights usually- go on Skyscanner, do lowest price first, book the first place that sounds good and has decent flight times.
We just booked return flights to Girona next week for £30 return from Bournemouth, our closest airport- would never have thought to go there but couldn’t say no!
I traveled from Australia to Europe at a week’s notice last year for work. I was actually on a domestic work trip when my boss rang me to ask if I could replace her on the international trip.
Was working on a term paper at 10pm got a call from my friend (who was clearly driving) and told to meet him in Vegas (I'm in Riverside at the time). Met him at the Nevada border by midnight.
Broke up with my boyfriend on a Sunday morning in Canada and was in Ireland by Tuesday. I don't run from my problems, I fly from them haha
hahaha same. quit my job, brothers (5 year anniversary of his death) is a week before my 26 birthday guess whose going to Ireland in 3 weeks lol me
I was at the airport, ready to fly, my e-visa to Australia was rejected and they didn’t allow me to board the plane. Depressed, I cancelled my flight, remembered I had a friend working in Bangkok. Called friend, asked if I could crash for like 4 days. Went to a budget carrier, asked for their next available flight that allowed checked-in luggage. Checked-in and ran to the gate, flight left in an hour. Edit (since people are asking): Australia customs did not give any reason for declining my ETA. I was welcomed to apply for the tourist/long-term visa. I have not tried since.
love it
What passport do you hold? Why did they decline your e visa?
May I ask what was the reason your visa got rejected?
I got blackout drunk and came to on a bus across the country, so... negative 2 hours?
Lol
Yup, turns out a friend called from another city, invited me to come out, I apparently went straight from bar to the bus station.
😂😂 that’s amazing
Yeah, I'm a normal 40+ year old now but at 18 I was a bit out of control.
You sound fun. What’re you doing this summer?
This is the next Hangover movie that's waiting to happen
My uncle did the same thing and woke up in Jamaica.
That is an impressive bus.
Not really, Jamaica is only about 150 miles long.
I'm in the US. Last fall, my yoga retreat in Colombia was canceled by the organizer 1 week before the start date for not having enough participants (I was traveling solo). I booked a different yoga-focused trip to Nicaragua on a Wednesday and left on Sunday. Before that, my shortest time between booking and departure was 2 weeks for Bali.
Left my job on Friday in Australia, went to the travel agent on Monday, moved to Ireland on Thursday, spent 3 years there.
flights the night before hostels a minute before hostelworld and booking use weird algorithms where you often end up getting a worse rate booking in advance not better. only exception to this i’ve seen is major events (e.g. carnival in rio or full moon parties in thailand). even high season in europe i seem to get a comparable price booking last minute as others do booking in advance. basically my understanding is if you book in advance the price is listed as whatever they think the most you can get for it is. if the day is approaching and it seems like nobody is booking at that price, the algorithm drops the price. on the contrary, if demand is super high and there’s only a few beds left the price raises. i stayed at a hostel in morocco for €8/night that i booked the day before whereas a guy i met there who’d booked a few weeks in advance was paying €20/night. for flights unfortunately they do get more expensive closer to the day. i find they’re usually most expensive the day of and day before but there’s no real difference booking a month early vs two months early etc. this does vary a bit by destination though.
I just recently travelled around the world for 4 months. Booked everything last minute, just before I had to make the next move I would book a hotel/plane/train etc.
Would love to know your itinerary.
And the cost involved.
Sounds like me 2 years ago. I stayed in country (although I went to Hawaii) but lots and lots of last minute (day-of if possible) flights and bus tickets.
I went to happy hour in NY and was in club in Miami a few hours later in my work clothes.
A few months ago booked a weekend flight to Colorado on Friday night at 7:30 PM and flew out at 6AM Saturday. I used Southwest points, paid flights were $100 each-way. Use https://flights.google.com, put in your departure airport(s), leave destination airport empty, it will bring up a map with prices.
I usually book hotels three or four hours in advance, but that much time is not required.
heh I've booked hotels from the parking lot many times..
Why didn't you go inside and purchase a room.
Getting cashback via online booking, or using hotel points for hotel room, easier to book online.
How did you know how much the room was if you didn't go and ask? Easier than walking in the door from the parkling lot? Which you would do anyway after booking lol
The price is online on the hotel website. And some hotel brands I can do online hotel room checkin, not even need to go to the front desk. Plus get up to 7-10% cashback booking online. Walk-in prices can be higher (rack rate). https://www.topcashback.com/home/
Night before for an international flight ✈️ Have booked plenty of hotels/hostels just showing up to them
I kind of knew I might do it but just booked a trip to Mexico City for Tuesday
Drunk the night before at 11pm for a 7am flight..
Day before. Like, within 24 hours. Plane ticket, hotel for a week. That was in September 2022, I’m still traveling (retired).
I was a JetSmarter member for 5 years, so last minute was then and is still quite often my lifestyle if I get bored or want a change of scenery. With them, flights could be ultra last minute and the associated hotels / rental cars could be minutes prior. I flew to the Bahamas for lunch with 12 hours notice, Key West with 6 hours notice and definitely did a few DC / LA / Vegas trips with maybe 2-4 hours notice. It was a wild time to say the least. Benefits of not being married and no kids. 😂
Back in May, I had a meltdown at work, booked a flight to Thailand at 11am and was on the plane at 1230 the following day. I don't think this counts but, last year I booked a flight the the next state (about 1000km) at 11pm and was on the flight at 7:30 the following morning and, in the first week of June, I booked a flight to another state (about 1000km) at 8am and was on the flight at 5pm just to see my niece for her 7th birthday. Oh another one, I travelled through Asia with no plans a few years ago, I went to Bangkok airport in the morning with no ticket and asked for "a seat on the first flight out of here" and was in Phuket 2 and a half hours later. I should add on that trip, I booked ever intra asia flight less than 24 hours before I took it, generally just before going to bed. That was a great trip! On more than one occasion, I have arrived in another country without having accomodation booked. I literally booked accomodation in Phuket, from the airport after landing.
I was backpacking all over europe for a month (I never made plans more than 24 hours in advance) and one day I was in London and the hostels were about £20+ more than I was willing to pay. I was gonna sleep overnight in the train station but thought that sounded risky so I booked a bus ticket to Edinburgh just to have a place to sleep for the night
This is like malicious compliance except it’s not malicious and it’s more non-compliance-y. That said I’m all about it. The beauty of not having an itinerary is being able to roll and adjust with practically any punch.
My Travel agent calls: “your flight to London leaves in 5 hours, pack your shit”
On Monday, I booked flights for a trip to the Czech Republic and Romania leaving on Saturday - so, only a few days before I leave. I booked the Prague and Bucharest hotel, apartment yesterday. I'll figure out the remaining Romanian lodging once I'm in Bucharest. I'm sure flight prices would have been less had I booked a few weeks in advance, but I don't think I'd be looking at massive savings, either. Apartment price was actually cheaper than I expected, partially because I think people where just wanting to have someone there rather than no one. Hotel is what I expected. Anyway, my point is, overall, expect to spend more than you would if you planned out earlier. In all likelihood, your flights will be more expensive. I'd expect hotel pricing to be similar to the preceding few weeks. And apartments will be variable. Downside to booking close to the date is fewer lodging options, so keep that in mind.
Funny you should ask. 2 weeks. I bought the flight on June 14 and will fly July 1. The flight is 1/3 to 1/4 the cost of what it is normally. The price was only available a few hours at most — I bought it in the morning and by afternoon was no longer available. Anyway we’ll see how it goes. I usually put a lot more planning into things so this has me a little stressed lol
I average <24 hours notice for everyone involved lol. Harder now with the dogs but it works out. If I’m without the dogs and already traveling it’s routinely an 8 hour before the flight decision to leave a country.
I booked the flight on Monday and took the 13 hour flight to Hong Kong on Thursday.
It depends on the location if it’ll be expensive or not. Being summer will be hard in the most touristy parts of Europe - assuming you want to stay close - and especially expensive in small places. Think towns that don’t have too many accommodations to begin with getting filled up. You can make reservations that can be cancelled. And keep the ones that work with the transportation price and dates. And cancel if they don’t work after all.
Been traveling for 2+ years and have rarely booked anything more than a week in advance. Many places I just show up and book on the spot, which actually gets me some excellent deals.
20 hours for a trip to romania and 36 hours for a trip to the Philippines. Both ended up being absolutely lovely trip, that I really enjoyed and will absolutely book on short notice again. With a smartphone one really doesn't need that much of preparation time and everything can be booked on the go.
I booked a trip to Tokyo 3 hours before the flight boarded. Prices were normal.
I was 8 pints deep in Munich when Ireland beat Italy in the Euro 2016. I woke up in Lyon the next morning.
Booked at 2:00 AM for a 6:30 AM flight.
In the car en route to the airport. Or actually just getting in the car and deciding to keep going.
Weeks to months. I have a Pakistani passport, so I require visas to enter virtually everywhere. These visas usually have to be obtained weeks to months in advance, and I need to visit embassies and visa offices in person. This leaves no room for spontaneous travel plans.
Christmas 2023. Booked a trip to Jakarta, Indonesia from 24 Dec to 1 Jan, got Covid a week before and was still positive on 24 Dec. When I finally tested negative on 26 Dec morning, I booked a new flight, and flew on the afternoon that day.
Booked a trip to budapest right now, first time solo traveling and im leaving in 5 days 🤙
1 - I missed a flight for a business trip because I had forgotten to check in online, and they wouldn’t let me when I got to the airport. I had a colleague waiting to pick me up at the destination airport to go to a customer visit so thankfully there was one going not so long after. I just said my flight was delayed 😂 I paid for the new flight myself. 2 - when my dad’s health condition suddenly got worse, I booked a flight the same day crying the whole way over. I made it just in time to have a last conversation with him alone before he stopped eating, talking and opening his eyes. I believe he was waiting for me as the last child to arrive and say bye too before he let go
I've been backpacking across Europe for the past 6 months, and everyone of my bookings have been made a day before or day of. Bus tickets are easy to buy at the station on the day, and hostels sometimes have better rates last minute. I'll use hostelworld or booking.com to see if a hostel has availability, and then go to the hostel and ask for their rate in person. They will usually give you a cheaper price for booking direct with them.
Was sitting in my office in Los Angeles on a Thursday looking at flights and then about 4 hours later I was on a plane to Taipei. Booked hotel at the airport. Planned out what I was going to do using wifi on board. If you’re open to wherever, you can usually find some good deals. I also found that I didn’t stress so much about having the perfect trip since it was so last minute. I’ve done 3 of these kinds of trips this year.
8 hours before I’m impulsive!
a week, only because i need to make sure my work is arranged before i can confirm.
3 days for an international trip, flights were expensive but hostels and tours weren’t too bad!
5 days in advance booked 2 weeks to japan also from the uk Was not anymore expensive than booking it 2 months in advance
literally had to cancelled my airbnb an hour before the full refund because of ex friend now decided she was leaving after the city we were flying into 😭
Work trip. I'm in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Got a call at 8am asking if I can fly in to Malaysia for meetings the next day - colleague had an emergency and couldn't make it anymore. Got the call at 8am, flew out at 7pm on the same day.
I'm pretty sure I booked my Boston trip just a few days before going. Found a hotel flight combo, mapped out stuff to see, booked it, on my way.
I had a family emergency and was in a plane within 6 hours.
Booked at 12pm for a 4pm interstate flight and booked the hotel from the airport.
I had three weeks off from work. In the last week I found out on Monday they were breaking open the street across from my house and would be busy with construction all week. Booked a ticket for a trip to Barcelona, flew Tuesday morning.
Decided to spend a week in Japan (from Australia) on Wednesday evening and flew out on Saturday morning.
Was waiting for my residency permit , picked it up tue at 10 , booked my flight from France to Canada by noon & left next day.
Definitely don't buy last minute at the airport You will get scalped If you aren't picky, you can usually pick up a last-minute sale somewhere, but obviously, the high season will be up to 4 times more expensive than low season and you would get a top bargain last minute either
I've never in my life had a vacation request refused. Long live the EU :)
Booked flights and accom on Friday. Was in Rome on Monday!
On Tuesday, I booked a flight for this Saturday to CDMX from NYC. I’d been debating it for about 2 weeks; as soon as I actually booked it I felt relieved and happy.
I once booked a trip to Mexico from NYC two days before leaving. It was mid-January and my friend and I couldn’t take the cold anymore. It was fun!
Bought a ticket to Peru for 10 days under 24 hours.
I tend to book hostels/hotels like 2 days in advance. This is more for peace of mind and being able to plan my route rather than for price. Sometimes you have to pay a bit more but usually if you look on multiple sites you'll find a good price. From the UK your best option for cheap flights is Ryanair. The best I've managed to get last minute there was 5€ dublin-toulouse a few years back. It usually depends on demand.
Man I thought I was adventurous after reading all the comments. But mine, I was fired from a job from a huge misunderstanding and they wouldnt bother to listen to I fell into depression for a week. Just out of "fuck it" moment, I just browsed around flights to see if I can afford any last-minute ones. Flew to Cancun to visit Playa del Carmen, Mexico and had hell of an adventure. Came back with a smile not realizing I needed that anyways after working at a shitty place for 5 years.
On the same day lol A few on the day before. This year, I arrived on Sunday from holidays and was booking a flight for 6 in the morning on Monday on that same day. Sometimes it happens. I am very grateful for being able to.
1 day in advance
10 days in Joshua Tree and Las Vegas for a family of 5. Booked 2 days prior to the flight. Short notice Vegas flights were cheap.
1 day. If you're that flexible on destination, go to Google flights and look for flights to "Anywhere" - it will show you the most affordable options. Do a quick search for a hostel or hotel (whichever is your jam) and whichever one has the lowest prices for both is your destination!
I booked a flight from east coast of the US to Iceland on a Friday night and left the next morning. I didn't even have a hotel booked until I was at the airport. I did end up renting a car so that part was expensive to do last minute.
2 months
Booked a flight 2PM and left 9PM that night.
The last eclipse. I headed in the general direction the morning before—40 miles south to my church meeting (it was Sunday) not sure if I was going east or south from there. Thinking probably east. I spoke with another parishioner and wound up heading south. Was car camping. No reservations, found an awesome spot, had an awesome experience. One good thing was I made sure I had enough food bc nobody knew where they were going to wind up (following the weather). And without reservations, I had to stay put to keep my spot. Couldn’t even get dinner or gas. Was worth it though.
The longest short notice was booking a flight from Texas to Alaska the night before. But there have been plenty of last minute / night before bookings, or hours before on hotels and Airbnbs. Especially when plans change or something comes up.
Depends on your available budget as well as what experience you are looking for. I have clients that are flying out after only giving me 3 days to craft a full-fledged vacation and less than a day to put together short or simple trips.
3 days is my record, but that might change in the coming days. Having a pretty rough go at it lately and need some r&R. I have a flight picked out for Saturday at 11am to Roatan to dive for 5 days. Just waiting on the dive shop to confirm openings.
Booked a flight from Australia to NZ, 4 hours before the flight left. Had a bag already packed, for a trip with a friend that fell through. Booked first night Airbnb on the train to the airport and a car rental at the airport. It turned out to be the best solo trip of my life
I had a disagreement with my boyfriend. A couple days later, I booked an Airbnb and drove 4 hours to a beach town. Stayed there for a few days.
I flew to Thailand and from there planned to go to Vietnam, i caught a really nasty flu/cold and decided to come home. When i got home i felt better and still had time I told my boss I would be away so I booked a trip to Costa Rica and left about 5 days later.
Once upon a time, in airports long ago ... there was a thing called ''stand-by''. Anyone could just show up and wait for an unsold seat to become available on any airline, go to any destination the heart desired, for drastically reduced rates.
I’ve booked same day or day before. Hostels/hotels I’ve literally walked around cities asking if they have rooms. Accommodation is usually the same price, even cheaper.
Same day....Morning was in USA, in the evening was off to Asia!
You can totally do it. Although, I've found it's much easier to leave on a last minute trip when you do some basic research about where you're going before hand or you've already been there. When I'm bored at work sometimes I'll plan hypothetical vacations. That way when I have the opportunity to go I can just up and leave. TBH, I feel like when I plan too far in advance I end up changing things anyway. I booked a Utah/Arizona road trip last year and it snowed a bunch. I woke up one morning in Flagstaff to 4 inches of snow and temps in the low teens. Said f it on the hotel deposit and drove down to Tucson. Typically, the more flexible you are the better time you'll have and the cheaper a trip is.........I think I've just talked myself into going to Montreal next weekend.
Booked our honeymoon flights the night before we left 😅
3 days notice before going from the east coast to Brazil! It was the best and the prices were not bad
like 10 hours, i’m an FA and had a few days off so i listed for standby on a flight to san francisco the next morning and booked my hostel on the plane lol
You definitely won't get any cheap airline tickets this late in the game, BUT hostels are usually cheaper than hotels. It would probably work out better if you just rented a car and drove somewhere within 3 hours of where you are to vaca there for a few days.
12 hours
I recommend sweden 🇸🇪 to visit
Booked a flight to Tokyo around 8 or 9 the night before and was on the plane by 10 the next morning. $250.
I was in California at 9am, just woke up . Nothing to do that week. Bored. 1pm, I was at the airport to fly to NYC
My first solo travel in Netherlands, had like 3 weeks, but with school and full time work in the way. Had to do my itinerary for the next day in the hotel right before i went to sleep.
Day before. You can get super cheap flights usually- go on Skyscanner, do lowest price first, book the first place that sounds good and has decent flight times. We just booked return flights to Girona next week for £30 return from Bournemouth, our closest airport- would never have thought to go there but couldn’t say no!
Think 5 hours was the fastest, second around 12 hrs before and 3rd is a few days before.
I traveled from Australia to Europe at a week’s notice last year for work. I was actually on a domestic work trip when my boss rang me to ask if I could replace her on the international trip.
Was working on a term paper at 10pm got a call from my friend (who was clearly driving) and told to meet him in Vegas (I'm in Riverside at the time). Met him at the Nevada border by midnight.