Cheap Christmas holiday travel deals for 2024
You can still bag a last-minute Christmas bargain with these travel deals.
Christmas travel deals
With 2 public holidays to take advantage of, you shouldn't let the last-minute rush stand between you and your holiday.
There are still ways to have a cheap Christmas getaway.
Don't need to travel over Christmas? Save by catching a January travel deal instead.
Deal
Up to 10% off Melbourne stays
Available on select stay dates until December 2024, including Christmas and New Year's Eve. Destinations include Northern Suburbs, Southbank and more.
Deal
Up to 25% off selected experiences
Get up to 25% off and enjoy unforgettable experiences with your loved ones at RedBalloon. It includes free shipping + a gift-wrapped voucher (Christmas-themed), for all orders in November with a minimum spend of $100. T&Cs apply.
Deal
Up to 41% off domestic stays + free cancellations
Available until December 2024. Destinations include Broome, Mackay, Launceston, Darwin, Perth, Cairns, Sydney and Gold Coast. T&Cs apply.
Deal
Up to 26% off Gold Coast hotels
Available on stays until December 2024. Destinations include Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach and more. T&Cs apply.
Deal
Editor's pick
Up to 15% off Sydney getaways
Available on select travel dates until December 2024. Destinations include Coogee, Bondi Beach, Surry Hills and more.
Deal
Up to 10% off Hobart stays
Available on select dates until December 2024. Sample accommodation is at Vintage Cuddle Guest House.
Deal
Perth stays from $20/night
Available on select stay dates until December 2024. Sample rate is for a stay at The Hive Hostel. Destinations include Northbridge, Fremantle and more.
Deal
Up to 25% off Darwin stays
Available for booking on select dates until December 2024. T&Cs apply.
Deal
Busselton holiday rentals from $190 per night
Available on stays until December 2024. Sample stay is for a 3-bedroom Driftwood Cottage.
Deal
Up to 26% off Perth stays
Available on select hotels and select dates until December 2024. Sample accommodation is for Pan Pacific Perth.
Deal
Up to 10% off Melbourne stays
Available on select stay dates until December 2024, including Christmas and New Year's Eve. Destinations include Northern Suburbs, Southbank and more.
Deal
Australia stays from $30 per night
Available on select stay dates until December 2024 in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Darwin, Canberra and more. The sample rate is for a stay at Gilligan's Backpackers Hotel & Resort in Cairns.
Deal
Up to 73% off Singapore Riverside Sophistication within Robertson Quay
Available for booking until 31 December 2024. It includes daily breakfast, nightly cocktails & gourmet two-course dinner. T&Cs apply.
Deal
Up to 46% off Central Coast Beachside Escape 90 Minutes from Sydney
Available for booking until 31 December 2024. It includes daily breakfast & dining credit. T&Cs apply.
Deal
Up to 74% off Koh Samui Beachfront Paradise
Available for booking until 31 December 2024. It includes daily breakfast, nightly diner, nightly cocktails & massages. T&Cs apply.
Deal
Up to 16% off Philippines stays
Booking period is valid from 1st September 2024 to 15th December 2024 with a check-in date on or before 31st March 2025. Destinations include Manila, Cebu, Boracay, Palawan and more.
Deal
Vibe Hotel Adelaide $709
Available for booking until 31 December 2024. Minimum 1-night stay required. T&Cs apply.
Deal
Stay at A by Adina Sydney from $389
Available for booking until 31 December 2024. Minimum 1-night stay required T&Cs apply.
Deal
Up to 10% off Sydney getaways
Available on select stay dates until December 2023. Destinations include Woolloomooloo and Coogee.
Deal
Byron Bay stays from $64/night
Available on stays until December 2024. Sample accommodation is at Backpackers Inn On The Beach.
Deal
International tours + flights from $1999
Available for travel until 15 December 2025. Destinations include Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, and more. T&Cs apply.
Deal
Up to 25% off selected experiences
Get up to 25% off and enjoy unforgettable experiences with your loved ones at RedBalloon. It includes free shipping + a gift-wrapped voucher (Christmas-themed), for all orders in November with a minimum spend of $100. T&Cs apply.
Deal
Up to 73% off Singapore Riverside Sophistication within Robertson Quay
Available for booking until 31 December 2024. It includes daily breakfast, nightly cocktails & gourmet two-course dinner. T&Cs apply.
Deal
Up to 46% off Central Coast Beachside Escape 90 Minutes from Sydney
Available for booking until 31 December 2024. It includes daily breakfast & dining credit. T&Cs apply.
Deal
Up to 74% off Koh Samui Beachfront Paradise
Available for booking until 31 December 2024. It includes daily breakfast, nightly diner, nightly cocktails & massages. T&Cs apply.
Deal
Hong Kong hotel stay plus return flights for two from $2589
Available for booking on select dates until 31 December 2024. T&Cs apply.
Deal
Get 3 Universal Parks for the Price of 2
Available for booking until 31 December 2024 unless sold out. Limited time only. See the website for full terms and conditions.
Deal
International tours + flights from $1999
Available for travel until 15 December 2025. Destinations include Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, and more. T&Cs apply.
Deal
Royal Caribbean Cruises: Up to 60% off your 2nd guest plus kids sail FREE
Available for travel on select dates until 31 December 2025. Destinations include the Bahamas, Alaska, the South Pacific, and more. T&Cs apply.
Deal
Royal Caribbean Cruises: Up to 30% off plus kids sail FREE
Available for travel on select dates until 31 December 2023. Destination includes the Bahamas, Alaska, South Pacific, and more. T&Cs apply.
Looking for more travel deals over Christmas? Check out all of our promo codes and discounts.
11 tips to get the cheapest Christmas flights and holidays
1. Fly on Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and/or New Year’s Day
Flights during the week before Christmas Day tend to be the most expensive for the month as everyone who's searching for a Christmas getaway will want to be at their destination on the 25th.
According to 2022 Air New Zealand data, 23 December is one of the busiest days that week to fly.
If you're not that picky, avoid flying a few days before Christmas and fly on Christmas Day instead.
If you're travelling somewhere that's only an hour or two away, you may still be able to get to your celebrations before lunch.
It may not be the best thing celebration-wise but it could save you hundreds.
Just be wary of transport to your hotel when you arrive as some cities shut down or limit public transport on Christmas Day (e.g. London) or charge a public holiday surcharge.
2. Fly back mid-January
Those people flying out before Christmas Day will most likely be flying back just after New Year's.
Try to avoid flights in the week following New Year's Day to cash in on the cheaper fares that follow.
3. Holiday in a country that doesn't celebrate Christmas
Where there will be Christmas celebrations, tourists will flock. Instead, choose places that don't really celebrate such as China, Cambodia, Japan and Morocco. You might find less of a fluctuation in airfares compared to other destinations.
4. Pick destinations that are generally more affordable
Shave costs by choosing destinations that are either closer to home or are more affordable.
While places like Southeast Asia are cheap anytime and will be a bit more expensive during the holidays, prices won't bloat as much as big cities or pricier destinations.
In 2022, KAYAK found some of the most affordable popular destinations for the season were the Gold Coast, Sydney, Sunshine Coast, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Internationally, the cheapest destinations to visit over Christmas were Bali, Hanoi, Bangkok, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur. This is based on the 50 most searched-for destinations for Christmas travel.
5. Stay in destinations that have price drops over the silly season
We know what you're thinking: nowhere has price drops over Christmas!
Contrary to popular belief, there are some destinations where you can score a bargain over Christmas.
In the past, Expedia found Belfast in Ireland almost 30% cheaper to stay in over the peak season based on the average daily room rate, compared to the average for the year.
This was followed by Toronto and Seattle, which were both 25% cheaper.
For somewhere more local, Western Australia and the Northern Territory are often cheaper alternatives to the eastern states.
Bear in mind that weather conditions may be playing a part in these drops with Belfast, Toronto and Seattle experiencing cold winters and Western Australia and the NT a hot summer.
6. Keep it local
Don't rule out short flights within your own country for a Christmas break.
It's still a break after all and you won’t have to worry about passports, visas and currency exchanges to boot.
We took a look to see how much a return flight was over the holiday period using Skyscanner's fly everywhere tool. We chose flights departing Saturday 24 December 2024 and returning 2 January 2025 and here are some sample fares we found:
- Launceston to Melbourne for $145 return (Jetstar)
- Launceston to Sydney for $459 return (Jetstar)
- Melbourne to Adelaide for $248 return (Jetstar)
- Sydney to Gold Coast return for $351 return (Jetstar)
These prices are accurate as of 10 December 2024.
Check out what other flights are available here
7. Ditch the flight altogether and take a road trip
If you're keeping it local, why not make it a road trip instead? Big families can benefit from this the most as you’ll only have to pay a set price for the car hire instead of purchasing separate seats for each member of the brood on the plane. Or, use your own vehicle.
According to our car hire tool, hiring a car from Sydney CBD for 24 December 2024 to 2 January 2025 (9-day trip) starts at $682, which is less than $75.81 a day.
These prices are accurate as of 10 December 2024.
Key in your dates below for a quote.
Another alternative is car rental service KINTO which charges a set price per kilometre and time and includes fuel costs. Daily rentals start at $69.64 and $487.49 for 7 days rental.
8. Once you arrive, don't stay in hotels
We don't have to tell you twice that booking through a short-term or vacation rental service like Stayz or Vrbo can save you heaps.
Christmas is no exception.
Prices are set by the renters and accommodation can vary from anything from a room in an apartment to a whole house. If in doubt, you can compare it against current hotel prices via Hotels Finder below.
9. Camp it
Bring down the holiday splurge a little more by opting to go camping instead of booking accommodation. Family tents can cost less than $300 and can be reused on your next trip.
Sites are much cheaper than hotels or Airbnb-style accommodations and are sometimes even free if you're willing to forfeit facilities.
For an idea of where to go, check out our top picks of campervan sites in Australia.
10. Opt for a package
Bundled packages that include flights, accommodation and sometimes activities can be a godsend during the peak period. To be fair, prices per package do go up according to the season but with everything sorted for you, it's a time-saver – especially for the budget-savvy of us who have to research and compare every different option.
Check out the packages sections of Luxury Escapes or My Travel Experience to see how much you can save on your holiday.
11. Fly without extras
If you're not having any luck with the price of your actual flight, consider forgoing extras such as checked baggage (or share luggage to cut costs in half), in-flight meals and drinks.
We find these perks on budget airlines significantly increase the price of your flight – sometimes even doubling it. It may not seem like much, but if you're travelling with a family of 4, these extras can easily add up to an extra night's hotel stay. Think of it as a bonus vacation.
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