Get on a f lexible road to freedom
EVERY week our Holiday Hero NEIL SIMPSON takes an in-depth look at a brilliant holiday topic, doing all the legwork so you don’t have to. This week: Low deposit holidays for the end of lockdown.
LOW- deposit summer holidays with ultra-flexible terms are set to be the perfect ‘road map to freedom’ breaks.
Book now and for a small downpayment you lock into today’s rockbottom prices (important if demand and prices subsequently rise) while being able to change the date or destination if things go wrong.
Better still, there are plenty to choose from.
If the sunshine, shopping and swimming pools of Dubai appeal, then a £75pp deposit reserves a £419 pp mini-break including flights and three nights at Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort and Spa with British Airways Holidays.
The same amount will also reserve a £ 489pp long weekend in New York in the autumn, including flights and three nights in the heart of Manhattan at the sleek new Pod Times Square Hotel.
Or pay £75 now to reserve a £499pp break including flights and seven nights at the beachside Blue Ivy Hotel and Suites in Cyprus.
With all three of these deals, you have until three weeks before departure to pay the balance or to change or cancel the holiday for free. Get more information at ba.com/holidays.
If travel restrictions are lifted according to the Government’s roadmap, then Greece and Turkey are expected to be popular and £60 will fix the price and reserve a £696 half-board break on Kos, including flights with Tui and seven nights at the stylish, adults-only Atlantica Belvedere Resort.
Alternatively, pay £ 60 now to reserve a £916 all-inclusive week at Tui’s sporty, child- friendly Sarigerme Park overlooking one of Turkey’s top Blue Flag beaches.
With Tui you pay the balance between four and 12 weeks before departure, depending on the deal. Or go to tui. co. uk for details of zero-deposit holidays where direct debits are set up to clear the balance in instalments.
Luxury for less is also on offer from upmarket Abercrombie & Kent and its long-established sister company Cox & Kings. Abercrombie & Kent led the way by cutting the deposits required to reserve a selection of its most stunning villas, including the rustic Villa Barbet set amidst the rolling hills of Provence in France. The lovingly restored home has extensive gardens and a private pool, and sleeps eight.
If you plan a full house, then just pay £137pp today and your balance of £550 will be due 60 days before arrival. The flexible terms on offer at abercrombiekent.co.uk allow for a refund or fee-free postponement if quarantine or other coronavirus- r el at ed problems mean you have to cancel.
Other stunning, low deposit villas are in Portugal, Spain, Croatia and across the world.
At Cox & Kings you can reserve a place on a holiday such as the new £1,395pp Spotlight On Malta tour with a deposit of just £100. The small-group holiday is led by expert guides and digs deep into the history of the capital, Valletta, the ancient Hagar Qim temple complex and the neighbouring island of Gozo (coxandkings.co.uk).
Back in Britain, Shearings has cut its deposits to just £1 to attract people to its UK-based tours. A popular choice is the three-night Windermere Weekend from £ 289 with multiple departures in June, July, August and September and refunds promised within seven days if we face travel restrictions and the trip cannot go ahead (shearings.com).