No time to lose if you want to bag a brilliant break

Memories of your last holiday may still be fresh, but this is the time to start planning for 2019. Nick Trend picks the trips you need to sort – now

The art of travel is not just about knowing where to go and when, it is also about knowing when to book. And for many holidays, the answer is now. Every year, just after Christmas, there is a spectacular surge in the number of people researching and booking their holidays for the next year. The travel industry is well used to it, and each January it gears up for the demand. In contrast, however, November and the first weeks of December are the quietest time of all. People are focused on the build-up to the festive season and travel agents and tour operators are left drumming their fingers.

So, assuming you are able to commit, you would do well to forget about stirring the Christmas pudding mix for a while and set aside some time to think about planning your holidays for next year and, in some cases, beyond. Not only are you likely to be able to secure a better price, but you will have the most flexibility, the best choice of rooms, seats, cabins or departure dates. You will also find that consultants have more time and hopefully more inclination to help you find exactly what you want.

In short, you will much better holiday much better price.

To help you plan, we’ve picked out 50 examples of holidays that you would do well to book much sooner rather than later. Of course, there are exceptions. If you like to travel off-peak to places where there are lots of flights and plenty of accommodation, you will do well to wait. Otherwise, act now to beat the rush. get for a a

AHEAD OF THE GAMEFamilies can make huge savings by booking early