The key facts

  • Cheapest flights: from France to Milan from €126, from Germany to Milan from €116, from the UK to Dublin from £127
  • Hotel prices fell in Rovaniemi (-22%, €275/night), Istanbul (-12%, €76), Koh Samui (-21%, €115) and the Maldives (-10%, €916)
  • Cheapest departure dates: December 23 for the French and the British, December 21 for the Germans; New Year's Eve is the cheapest day in all three countries

Cheapest flight destinations

The KAYAK service has published Christmas travel trends based on flight and hotel searches made from April 1 to September 1, 2026 for trips between December 19, 2026 and January 9, 2027, compared with the same period last year. The best-value destinations depend on the country of departure. For France, the cheapest return tickets are: Milan from €126, Brussels from €153, Venice or Berlin from €161, and London from €169. From Germany, Milan also leads with an average price of €116, followed by Rome (from €169), Vienna (from €170), Paris (from €190) and London (from €192). For the British, the cheapest flights are to Dublin (from £127/€151), Barcelona (from £131/€155), Milan (from £142/€169), as well as Prague or Madrid (from £143/€170).

Where hotels are getting cheaper

Unexpectedly, the cost of accommodation has dropped in Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland, known as the home of Santa Claus: prices fell by 22% compared with last year and now average €275 per night. In Europe, prices also fell in Istanbul (-12%, averaging €76 per night), Paris (-5%, €140), Adeje in Spain (-8%, €235) and York in the UK (-8%, £96/€114). Outside Europe, prices dropped on the island of Koh Samui in Thailand (-21%, €115), in Bangkok (-20%, €76), Tokyo (-19%, €110), Singapore (-13%, €164), the Maldives (-10%, €916), New York (-11%, €273) and Fort-de-France in Martinique (-10%, €123).

When to book and when to fly

According to Expedia data published earlier this year, the optimal time to book international flights is 15–30 days before the trip. For Christmas flights from Germany, prices drop in December; the French have to wait until about a week before Christmas, while in the UK tickets are best bought roughly six weeks before the holiday. The cheapest departure day for the French and the British is December 23, and for the Germans December 21, according to KAYAK data. New Year's Eve is the cheapest departure day in all three countries. For hotels: in France, domestic prices are about 18% lower in the week before Christmas compared with October, and about 7% lower on international destinations from late November into December. In Germany, two weeks before Christmas brings prices roughly 9% below the mid-November peaks; in the UK, waiting until two weeks before December 25 saves up to 16% on international and up to 20% on domestic trips. The best-value check-in day in France is December 21; in Germany, Christmas Day domestically and December 21 abroad; for the British, December 22 domestically and December 23 abroad.

Winter sun has got cheaper

Although the cheapest destinations overall are closer to home, for those seeking winter sun, KAYAK notes price drops on long-haul routes. For the French, flights to Casablanca and Rabat in Morocco fell by 19%, to Agadir by 12%, to Koh Samui by 17%, and to Sri Lanka by 11% compared with 2025. Germans can fly to Lima (Peru) 29% cheaper, to Cairo 18% cheaper, and to Port Louis in Mauritius 14% cheaper; prices for Cancun in Mexico and Marrakesh in Morocco fell by 8%. For the British, flights to Agadir dropped by 26%, and to Kingston and Montego Bay in Jamaica by 21% and 18% respectively.