How to Plan Your 2025 Holidays in Advance to Avoid Disappointment

With the Summer holidays behind us and thoughts turning to this year’s travel plans, Stayz® has examined Aussie holidaymakers’ booking habits and released its first-ever 2025 Holiday Planning Guide.

Packed with intel on top holiday home trends alongside tips to beat the booking rush – and make savvy savings – this is the one-stop shop for booking holiday homes in 2025. 

 

"It’s a mistake to treat holiday homes like hotels. With space for only one group at a time, there’s more competition to book homes, especially those with standout amenities in top locations,” says Sarah King, Stayz Travel Expert.

 

"When you find that dream house – beachfront, game room, bunk beds and a pool steps from the ocean – don’t wait. A week or two can make the difference between being just steps from the beach or on the other side of town.”   

•Limited Availability: popular destinations like Forster and Port Macquarie in NSW, Gold Coast in Qld and Margaret River in WA are seeing homes booked up quickly. Data suggests less than 50% of Stayz properties in Australia will be available to book by the end of February. Consider staying in other top destinations such as Ulladulla in NSW or Phillip Island and Geelong in Vic which may have more availability for Easter. 

•Booking Advice: the recommendation is to book by early March when less than 30% of Stayz holiday homes in Australia are expected to be available for the Easter break.  

 

•Busiest Travel Week of the Year: Stayz data shows Summer holiday home bookings can peak up to a year in advance and the last week of 2025 is predicted to be the busiest of the year for booking a holiday home. Consider travelling mid-January 2026 for more Summer holiday home options when availability is usually better at top destinations including Jervis Bay in NSW, Rye and Sorrento in Vic or Noosa and the Gold Coast in Qld. 

•Booking Advice: By mid-June, nearly 50% of Aussie homes available on Stayz in popular spots like Gold Coast, Port Stephens, Phillip Island and Magaret River may be booked. While demand usually accelerates by mid-August in these popular locations.  

Whether dreaming of beaches, slopes, or an inland escape, here are some top destinations we predict travellers will head to during peak travel seasons throughout the year on Stayz: 

 

•Easter: Noosa in Qld; Batemans Bay and Jervis Bay in NSW. 

•Winter School Holidays: Jindabyne, Thredbo and Coffs Harbour in NSW; Falls Creek in Vic; Surfers Paradise, Hervey Bay and Port Douglas in Qld.  

•Spring School Holidays: Noosa in Qld; Forster and Port Stephens in NSW.  

•Summer Holidays: Ulladulla and Port Stephens in NSW; Surfers Paradise in Qld; Phillip Island, Vic; Margaret River, WA. 

Planning ahead is key to securing your dream holiday home, especially during peak travel seasons. 

"Holiday homes are one-of-a-kind, and once they’re booked, they’re gone. But don’t worry—there are simple ways to lock in the perfect home before someone else does,” Sarah says. 

 

•Beach stays go fast: Coastal holiday homes can book up faster than inland countryside stays or other properties, particularly during peak periods like school holidays. "If you want to be by the water, competition can be fierce,” Sarah says. "Use Stayz’s flexible date search to find rates and availability to suit your needs and consider nearby beaches — you might discover a hidden gem.” 

•Dreaming of a longer escape? Book early: "The more days you plan to stay during peak travel periods, the sooner you need to lock it in.” 

•Stay ahead of demand: Reserve your holiday home two months before travel dates. Booking early can put you among the first 50% of travellers for some destinations, giving you a better selection. Although, we recommend booking at least three months out for the Summer holidays.  

•Take advantage of seasonal dips: May is the sweet spot for potential great value before Winter officially begins with some of the year’s lowest average daily rates on select holiday homes in destinations such as Phillip Island or Gold Coast. 

Saving on a holiday home-stay doesn’t have to mean compromising on your dream stay. Follow these simple tips can help you get more value out of your booking: 

 

•Travel during a ‘dead week’: dead weeks are short and specific periods when there's a lull in travel which typically precede or follow peak travel dates when demand and average nightly rates tend to drop. According to Stayz, some dead weeks to keep in mind include mid-March before the Easter and Autumn school holidays begin, mid-June before the Winter school holidays start and the last week of October after the Spring school holiday peak. 

•Score discounts for longer stays: Enjoy discounts for stays of 7+ nights or more by simply selecting the ‘Weekly discount’ and ‘Monthly discount’ filters on Stayz to find homes offering these savings.  

•Search for new listings: Be one of the first three bookings to stay at select newly listed holiday homes to get a discount. Look for homes with the ‘New listing discount’ filter to check out these deals.