Is it cheaper to travel last minute?

Organising a last-minute trip can feel stressful, but this way of travelling often comes with great opportunities—especially financially.

Between discounted transport tickets, heavily reduced accommodation, and activities on special offer, it’s possible to travel smart if you adopt the right strategy.

In this guide, we share all our tips for organising a last-minute getaway, snapping up the best deals, and enjoying your trip without any unpleasant surprises.

 

Key takeaways:

• Travelling last minute can mean securing great fares on transport—especially flights—provided you stay flexible with your destination and travel dates. Online comparison sites and price alerts are essential tools for quickly spotting the best deals.
• Train and coach tickets generally offer fewer last-minute discounts, making early booking the better option for these types of transport. It’s important to adjust your strategy depending on the journey you’re planning.
• When it comes to accommodation, late bookings can be very cost-effective thanks to platforms looking to fill empty rooms. Hotels, short-term rentals and hostels regularly promote attractive deals.
• Exchanging currency is best organised in advance—even for an imminent departure—to avoid unfavourable rates. Reserving currency online allows you to benefit from preferential rates and zero commission while staying flexible.
• Good organisation relies on flexibility, comparing offers, and planning ahead for administrative requirements. Travelling light and choosing off-peak periods or less touristy destinations significantly increases your chances of scoring a bargain.

 

Organising a last-minute trip can be advantageous for transport, as some airlines reduce fares to fill empty seats. However, on highly popular routes and during peak season, prices can skyrocket as departure approaches.

In other words, you may be able to access cheaper fares—but you’ll need to stay flexible with your destination. To keep costs down, you may need to choose based on the best available deal. Similarly, be prepared to adjust your departure and return dates to avoid paying premium prices.

To easily identify the cheapest routes, use online comparison platforms such as Skyscanner, Google Flights or Kayak. You can also activate price alerts a few days before travelling to automatically receive notifications when fares match your budget.

It’s also worth checking last-minute deals listed directly on low-cost airline websites.

Prices for train and coach tickets tend to fluctuate less, and it’s therefore less common to find preferential fares close to departure.

For these types of transport, booking well in advance is usually recommended to secure better prices.

You can also benefit from preferential rates on accommodation when booking last minute.

Platforms such as Booking.com or Expedia often offer more attractive prices to fill empty rooms. Likewise, short-term rental platforms like Airbnb regularly promote last-minute discounts.

Hostels are also a great option for travelling on a budget. You can usually find affordable accommodation—sometimes even without booking in advance.

If you prefer to book ahead, you can filter listings to show only those offering free cancellation in case your plans change. It’s also worth checking hotel websites directly or even calling them to discuss their best available rates.

It’s generally advisable to organise your currency exchange before travelling overseas to secure more favourable exchange rates. However, our online currency reservation service at Prosegur Change is a preferred solution for exchanging your money at lower cost: we apply a preferential rate and 0% commission.

This allows you to maximise your travel budget in just a few clicks.

Once your reservation is confirmed, simply collect it free of charge from one of our Prosegur Change branches. If you order a major currency Monday to Friday, it will be ready at your selected exchange office within 24 hours.

Booking activities at the last minute can also allow you to take advantage of promotional rates. Here again, platforms aim to fill unsold spots, and you’ll generally find a section dedicated to last-minute deals.

In all cases, take the time to read reviews before booking any activity to avoid disappointment. For the most popular experiences, don’t wait too long to book to ensure availability.

Organising a last-minute trip is absolutely possible—and can even be financially rewarding, as we’ve seen. However, the specific nature of this type of travel requires slightly different planning to avoid unpleasant surprises and enjoy your stay stress-free:

• Be flexible: Unlike a traditional trip, last-minute travel requires adapting to available deals. A willingness to go with the flow is essential to fully enjoy the experience. If you love adventure and surprises, this option is perfect for you.
• Compare offers: Online comparison platforms will be your best allies. Websites such as Skyscanner, Kayak or GetYourGuide are ideal for identifying the best prices in just a few clicks.
• Aim for quieter periods and less touristy destinations: This significantly increases your chances of finding great deals.
• Plan essential formalities ahead of time: While flights and accommodation can be booked at the last minute, certain administrative steps cannot. Make sure your passport is valid, you have travel insurance, any required vaccinations, and suitable payment methods before confirming bookings.
• Travel light: If you’re planning to travel for several weeks, you may need to improvise part of your itinerary along the way. To stay flexible and minimise costs, keep your luggage to a minimum.

Travelling last minute can be particularly rewarding if you’re well organised. Flights, accommodation and travel activities are sometimes heavily discounted when booked at the last minute.

Exchanging currency at the last minute is certainly possible—but you may end up paying a premium. Planning your currency exchange just a few days before departure can be enough to access better rates. Reserving your currency online is an ideal solution to benefit from competitive exchange rates and 0% commission.

We hope this guide helps you organise your last-minute trip under the best possible conditions and take advantage of great deals!