Summer vacation is underway, but when it comes to vacations and trips, there’s no time to rest. Now is the time to book a holiday for the holiday season starting with the Jewish New Year - Rosh HaShanah, in October.
Although prices this year are about 15% lower compared to last year's holidays, industry experts emphasized that prices may rise as the date approaches.
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The best time to book a vacation is after you return from vacation
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"It’s important to remember that there is still a significant of options and dozens of routes have not resumed operations so I recommend booking flights as soon as possible," Yaniv Lenis, founder of the Israeli website Secret Flights said. "The lowest prices during the holidays can be found between the end of Rosh Hashanah and the beginning of Sukkot, between October 4 and October 16."
Lenis provided some examples of affordable flights: Flying to Paphos between October 5-9 with Ryanair will cost $103. Flying to Sofia between October 9-13 with Wizz Air will cost $106. Flying to Varna between October 9-16 with Wizz Air will cost $98 and flying to Athens with Ryanair between October 4-11 will cost $134.
According to Lenis, prices for more distant destinations during Sukkot are already expensive. For example, a round-trip ticket to London with Wizz Air costs $412, to Paris with Transavia costs $497, and to New York with United Airlines costs $1,276.
Rosh HaShanah occurs this year at the beginning of October, making September the perfect month for cheaper vacations. "September, known as the big opportunity month, is a great time to catch a more relaxed and cheaper vacation in Cyprus and Greece, as the summer vacation ends and the holidays happen in October," said Nir Mazor, VP of Aviation Links. "The period between the end of the July-August vacation and the holiday season is characterized every year by lower prices. This year the period is longer, so you can find a wide range of vacation options on various dates and enjoy the pleasant weather in Greece and Cyprus at comfortable prices."
Holiday vacation bundle prices
Rhodes (Greece) during Rosh Hashanah: Flying Carpet offers 3 nights at the Delfinia Resort Hotel, an all-included 4-star hotel. Price: $569 (approximately ₪2,100) per person in a double room + 2 children.
Rhodes during Yom Kippur: Arkia offers 4 nights at the bed and breakfast 4-star Dionysos Hotel between October 10-14. Price: starting at $508 (approximately ₪1,880) per person.
Kos (Greece) during Yom Kippur: Daka90 (Last Minute) offers 3 nights at the all-included Kipriotis Village Resort with a water park between October 10-13. Price: $409 (approximately ₪1,515) per person in a family bundle (2 adults + 2 children).
Kos during Rosh Hashanah: Aviation Links offers 3 nights at the all-included 5-star Kouros Palace hotel between October 3-6, Price: starting at $689 (approximately ₪2,550) per person in a double room + 2 children.
Crete (Greece) during Rosh Hashanah: Flying Carpet offers 3 nights at the 5-star Albatros Spa & Resort Hotel. Price: $599 (approximately ₪2,215) per person in a double room + 2 children.
Crete during Sukkot: Aviation Links offers 3 nights at the all-included 4-star Solimar Ruby Hotel between October 16-19. Price: starting at $659 (approximately ₪2,440) per person in a double room.
Ayia Napa (Cyprus) during Rosh Hashanah: Flying Carpet offers 3 nights at the all-included 4-star Atlantica Panthea Resort with a water park. Price: $589 (approximately ₪2,180) per person in a double room + 2 children.
Rome during Rosh Hashanah: Israir offers 3 nights at the 3-star bed and breakfast Hotel Paris between October 3-6. Price: starting at $731 (approximately ₪2,705) per person in a double room.
Rome during Sukkot: Israir offers 3 nights at the 3-star bed and breakfast Hotel Paris between October 13-16. Price: $801 (approximately ₪2,965) per person in a double room.
Batumi (Georgia) during Yom Kippur: Eshet Tours offers 3 nights at the 5-star bed and breakfast JRW Welmond Hotel between October 11-14. Price: starting at $759 (approximately ₪2,800) per person in a double room.
Budapest during Rosh Hashanah: Israir offers 4 nights at the 4-star bed and breakfast Leonardo Hotel between October 2-6. Price: starting at $617 (approximately ₪2,285) per person in a double room.
Montenegro during Rosh Hashanah: Flying Carpet offers 3 nights at the 4-star bed and breakfast Hotel Fagus by Aycon. Price: $589 (approximately ₪2,180) per person in a double room + 2 children.
Tbilisi before Yom Kippur: Israir offers 4 nights at the 4-star bed and breakfast Iberia Didube hotel between October 6-10, Price: starting at $360 (approximately ₪1,330) per person in a double room.
Burgas (Bulgaria): Ophir Tours offers an all-included stay at the 5-star Dreams Sunny Beach Resort & Spa hotel. Price: $603 (approximately ₪2,231) per person in a family room (2 adults + 3 children).
Seychelles during Rosh Hashanah: Spirit offers 6 nights at the Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa between October 3-9. Price: starting at $2,150 (approximately ₪7,955) per person in a King Beachfront Villa (family of 2 adults + 2 children).
Western Caribbean Cruise: Royal Caribbean offers 7 nights on the Wonder Of The Seas ship between September 8-15, departing from Port Canaveral, Florida. Price: starting at $880 (approximately ₪3,256) per person in a double room.
"Unlike the summer season, which was characterized by last-minute bookings and included new flights, we can say that the holiday flights are already starting to fill up. For those who haven’t booked for the holidays yet, it’s wise to do so as soon as possible, as there won’t be many last-minute opportunities left. The preferred destinations for holiday vacations are Greece and the Greek islands, Montenegro, Georgia, Romania, Hungary, Thailand, and the USA. The golden dates for holiday vacations are after Yom Kippur until Simchat Torah, allowing for a long vacation with a minimum amount of vacation days," said Shirley Cohen Orkaby, Vice President of Eshet Tours.
Tali Noy, VP of Marketing and Sales at Issta added, "We see high demand for Rosh Hashanah compared to last year. The reason is that the holiday occurs on a weekend at the beginning of October, still allowing for beach destinations. Additionally, prices are more attractive compared to last year, when the holidays were in September which was hotter. We see two main trends in Sukkot, especially among families. The first is a week-long vacation to destinations like Thailand and the U.S. There is no doubt they will get a lower price compared to last year, as it is not the peak of vacation season, making hotel prices lower. The second trend is booking vacations to nearby urban destinations and shorter vacations, avoiding checked luggage and using just a trolley, which saves on costs."
On the other hand, Asaf Daniel, VP of Marketing at Daka90, recommends a different strategy than booking now. "We still have a whole month ahead, and it’s quite likely that there will be a price dynamic in favor of the consumers, so it’s worth following and booking close to the departure date or booking spontaneously according to the most attractive price for the destination," said Daniel. "In September, prices drop immediately after the end of the summer vacation."
Flyeast, a travel agency that focuses on eastern destinations, notes that the period when prices are lowest for flights to Far East destinations such as Thailand is in September, after which prices rise significantly. Flyeast CEO Mazi Arazi explained, "In September, prices for all destinations, including the Far East such as Thailand, drop. The increase begins with Rosh Hashanah when most direct flights are already full. The peak of prices this year is actually around Yom Kippur, from October 7 to October 20, prices jump and nearly double, and most direct flights are already full by then. We only see a price drop towards the end of October and the beginning of November."