In the skies

Fancy a trip? Here's when to hunt for the cheapest flight

The edreams Best Time to Book Report analyses how prices vary for flights from Italy to abroad and which ways to save on tickets

by Lucilla Incorvati

14 January 2026

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

From Italy to Asia and up to Africa the best months to put the alert on
The most auspicious days are the weekends
The X Hour is in the morning

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

For those who wish to travel and plan their holidays, January has a not inconsiderable advantage: it is among the cheapest months for airline bookings. Of course strategic moments for booking can be seized in all seasons if you follow the right tips, but January offers the first opportunities to plan your next trip.

These are some of the findings of the Best Time to Book 2026 Report by eDreams, the world leader in online travel (founded in 1999 in Silicon Valley and part of the listed eDreams ODIGEO group), which looks at round-trip flight bookings on its sites made from 1 January to 31 December 2025 to analyse price trends over the course of the year, identifying the cheapest month, day and time to book a flight depending on the destination desired.

From Italy to Asia and as far as Africa the best months to set the alert

Starting from Italy, the best time to book a domestic flight was in January and February (EUR 100 and EUR 119 respectively), January also stood out for the best fares at continental level (EUR 130), followed by September (EUR 139) and May (EUR 152). For intercontinental routes, on the other hand, the best month was September (400 euros). Taking a closer look at other continents, last January a flight to America cost an average of 648 euros, while September proved to be the cheapest time for flights to Africa (267 euros) and Asia (359 euros).

Metropolis in January, sea and US in summer, Middle East in autumn

While the start of the year was favourable for fares to Italy (€100), France (€148), the UK (€135) and Spain (€117), the spring and summer brought travellers the cheapest prices for booking a flight from Italy to Croatia (€127 in May), to Austria (€126 in June) and to the USA (€517 in August). And that's not all: May ranked second in terms of the cheapness of flights to Greece (€184), just behind September's prices (€160). A month, the latter, which paved the way for autumn bargains. In fact, some of the cheapest fares, and many 'second bargains' with prices very close to those at the start of the year, were concentrated in the same period. This is the case for flights to Spain (€121), Morocco (€193 compared to €187 in January), and Tunisia (€171 compared to €168 in January). September, on the other hand, was the undisputed star for bookings to Egypt (197 euros, best average fare) and Turkey (208 euros).

The most auspicious days are the weekends

There are many theories about the most propitious day on which to click to book your next flight. The 'long weekend' beats the others . Starting with Friday, the day that recorded the lowest average prices for flying from Italy to Africa (317 euros), Saturday was the best day for those heading to Europe (146 euros). Sunday was dedicated to discovering (flights) to the 'new worlds', with the best average price to America (€687) and Oceania (€922). Monday, on the other hand, was dedicated to Asia lovers: cheapest average price to fly from Italy €441.

The X Hour is in the morning

Looking at the time with the cheapest average price per air ticket, for all continents the very early hours of the morning were the most strategic. In particular, the alarm clock was set at 2 a.m. to intercept the best fare to Asia (€402), 'derogation' until 3 a.m. to book flights to Europe (€138) and Oceania (€795). Those who managed to wake up by 4 a.m. blocked flights at the lowest average price to Africa (€285), while for America the X hour averaged 7 a.m. (€636). Interesting then to note the monthly variations. Considering January itself, the time with the absolute cheapest flight prices was 8 p.m. (€140), followed by 1 a.m. (€147). A minimal variation (from 150 to 159 euros) was, however, noted at the turn of the lunch break (from 13.00 to 14.00) and from 21.00 to 22.00.

Book in advance if you dream of the Land of the Kangaroos

Booking in advance proves useful, but not compulsory. Definitely recommended for those wishing to book for America (the cheapest average rate was recorded by booking 91 to 100 days before departure, €657), or Oceania (€981 by booking more than 90 days before departure). An advance of 31 to 60 days was enough to tick off the best fares to Europe (€130) and Asia (€415). On the other hand, the best average price for flying from Italy to Africa was found 16 to 30 days before departure (€298).

Not only the most distant destinations, but also some of the medium- and short-haul ones are particularly convenient if booked well in advance. This was the case for flights from Italy to France (EUR 140 best price by booking more than 100 days in advance) and to Egypt (EUR 244 by booking more than 90 days before departure). From 16 to 30 days before departure, it was possible to secure the cheapest fare to fly, for example, from Italy to Tunisia (€195).

Lucilla Incorvatiredattore
Luogo: milano
Lingue parlate: inglese
Argomenti: finanza personale, wealth and asset management, viaggi e tempo libero
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