Spots where you can avoid the summer holiday price surge

PRICES always go up over the holidays. But if you know where to book, you can avoid those eye-watering surge prices.

IT’S almost time for the summer holidays and that means hotel prices are about to go up, for no other reason than it’s the summer holidays.

But when you’ve saved up all year for a December or January getaway, or you’ve got a family in tow, forking out extra just because of timing can be a bit tough to swallow.

“Unfortunately, when demand increases in high season, prices tend to skyrocket,” comparetravelinsurance.com.au director Natalie Ball told news.com.au.

“The average hotel room in Sydney throughout the year is around $200, however travellers can expect to pay 33 per cent more over the Christmas and New Year break.

“Similarly, in Melbourne, travellers typically look to pay around $170 [during the year], which snowballs to more than $290 in the school holidays.

Expect to see prices in Sydney skyrocket as the summer holidays approach.

“If you’re really looking to find some thrifty travel deals, it always pays to book early, midweek and off-season.”

But let’s face it, many of us don’t get the opportunity to travel far at other times of the year — summer holidays are what we’ve got, and we’re using them.

So it pays to avoid the major cities of Sydney and Melbourne and head to some more strategic locations to so you don’t feel as much of the sting of the summer surge.

And one of those locations is Perth.

Earlier this year hotel booking website Trivago revealed the average price for a hotel room in the West Australian capital had dropped to $165 a night, the lowest monthly average in more than five years.

You will, of course, have to factor in the cost of flying to Perth, if you’re not nearby.

According to data provided by comparetravelinsurance.com.au, Perth is also cheaper than other popularly searched destinations including Cairns (average of $171 a night), Margaret River ($214) and Surfers Paradise ($285).

Other bargains can be found in Darwin ($123), Brisbane ($158), Adelaide ($159) and Canberra ($183).

“If you’re looking for an ‘economical hidden gem’ in the holidays, it pays to do your research

and try to pick a destination away from the crowds,” Ms Ball said.

“For example, if you’re holidaying to Byron Bay, search for accommodation slightly out of town in Lennox Head. Or instead of searching for accommodation in the heart of Margaret River you could try looking for bargains in Dunsborough.”

Ms Ball said there were also new opportunities for bargain hunters prepared to go further afield, such as Jetstar’s direct flights between Australia and Vietnam, which launched in January.

The surfing mecca of Lennox Head may be a cheaper alternative to Byron Bay.

“If you are a cost-conscious traveller, a great tool to use to check on prices is Hotels.com’s Hotel Price Index,” Ms Ball said.

“It provides information on where hotel rooms are increasing and decreasing all over the world.”

Ms Ball said it also paid to sign up to airfare sites such as I Know the Pilot or daily emails from Travelzoo.

Bargain-hunters should also consider calling hotels directly, to see if they will offer a competitive rate — and keep in mind smaller guesthouses may be cheaper than huge resorts.

And consider booking options such as Airbnb for budget-friendly peak-season deals.

“There’s an abundance of options on Airbnb and a huge range in pricing,” Ms Ball said.

“Certainly being able to book an entire home for the same price as a hotel room is an appealing prospect for budget-focused families.”