January, with its unmistakable mix of discipline and impatience, arrives every year as a two-faced month, suspended between the desire to get back in line and the equally powerful desire to escape at the first available opportunity, and so we return to the desk with new agendas and bright resolutions, but very little is enough – the first batch of emails that multiply with surprising rapidity, a badly arranged meeting, a coffee drunk in a hurry that doesn’t have time to be truly comforting – to awaken the most instinctive and democratic impulse at the beginning of every year, the one that pushes you to open a travel website, compulsively scroll through the destinations and imagine, even if just for a moment, an impulse-purchased ticket that allows you to leave again before you’ve even really gotten used to the routine again.
And, in an almost surreal game of puzzles, this impulse is not just a quirk of inveterate travelers who struggle to accept the end of the holidays: according to the new eDreams Best Time to Book 2026 Reportit is also one of the most convenient moments of the year to transform that temptation into a concrete gesture.
The report, built by observing the bookings made from 1 January to 31 December 2025, becomes a sort of annual compass that does not limit itself to listing the most advantageous periods, but tells in detail how Italians move, dream, anticipate and pursue the trip, confirming that the geography of travel is not only made up of coordinates, but also of collective moods and of that eternal oscillation between order and escape that makes January an irresistible month for those who already want to leave again.
From Italy to Asia, passing through Africa: when observing the calendar becomes strategy
Looking carefully at the data collected by eDreams, a map of convenience emerges that explains with almost surgical precision how to move during the year, starting from the assumption that each destination has its own invisible seasonality, a hidden window in which the price drops and the booking becomes an only apparent stroke of luck.
For domestic flights, for example, January and February were the most favorable months, with average rates respectively of 100 and 119 eurosalmost an invitation to extend the holidays with a short but regenerating trip.
On the European front, January led the league with an average of 130 eurosWhile September — a month traditionally linked to the return — revealed a surprising side with flights to 139 eurosfollowed by a May than with his 152 euros showed that spring is not only a climatic awakening, but also a tariff one.
As regards intercontinental routes, the undisputed protagonist was Septemberwith an average of 400 euroswhile January maintained an emotional and practical record also towards America, with return flights to 648 euros.
And the analysis, broadening its gaze to other continents, confirms a precise trend: September it was the cheapest month to reach both Africa (267 euros) than Asia (359 euros), transforming the beginning of autumn into a sort of second summer, at least for those who choose to fly far away.
Metropolises love winter, the sea loves summer: the seasonal map of the most popular destinations
For those in the cities looking for the first excuse to breathe air different from that of returning home, January it was the perfect month to book flights to Italy, France, the UK and Spain, showing how the urban heart of Europe opens up generously just when the days are shorter and the suitcases less heavy.
Spring and summer, however, have reserved surprises on routes particularly loved by travellers: la Croatia reached 127 euros in Maywhile theAustria offered fares around 126 euros in Junethey United States surprised with an August of 517 eurosa rare combination for a destination traditionally more expensive in the warmer months.
There Greecewith its double soul of tourist dedication and elegiac melancholy, recorded favorable prices both in May (184 euros) and in September (160 euros), showing that those who really love it have two ideal seasons to experience it without the summer pressure.
Finally, autumn proved to be fertile territory for recovery opportunities: Spain at 121 euros, Morocco at 193 euros (compared to 187 in January) and Tunisia at 171 euros (compared to 168 in January)confirming that September and October represent not only a “second chance”, but a real alternative of value.
And exactly September gave away the best rates towards Egypt (197 euros) And Türkiye (208 euros)two destinations that find a particular, intense and cinematic light in the heart of autumn.
The perfect day exists, but it is not just one: the theory of the “long weekend” as the new grammar of flights
Theories on the right day to book have become a sort of modern mythology over the years, with advice handed down as if they were esoteric secrets, yet the eDreams data tells a more complex story, almost a symphony of conveniences distributed along a “long weekend” which runs from Friday to Monday and follows a seemingly natural rhythm, as if the skies aligned to accompany travelers towards the most suitable ticket.
The Friday proved to be perfect for Africa, with an average of 317 euroswhile the Saturday rewarded those looking for Europe with flights to 146 eurosa slow day, dedicated to thoughtful but not too much decision-making, typical of those who browse destinations between a commitment and a brunch.
There Sundaysacred to budgets and dreams of new departures, offered the best fares to America (687 euros) and Oceania (922 euros), while the Monday — paradoxically the most hated by lovers of routine — offered the most competitive price towards Asia (441 euros), almost a consolatory gesture towards those who have to start the week again but dream of already being out of it.
Even the perfect time exists: night as a secret window, January as a great exception
Always a subject of discussion between experts and travellers, the most suitable time to book finally seems to have a defined profile: according to eDreams, the most convenient hours are in the night time slot, when the world sleeps, notifications are silent and the algorithms almost seem more lenient.
At 2 in the morning the best fares to Asia were recorded (402 euros), at 3 those towards Europe (138 euros) and Oceania (795 euros), while at 4 flights to Africa dropped to 285 euros.
America, on the other hand, found its ideal window at 7 in the morningwith an average of 636 eurosas if Western Europe is responding just as Europe is starting to wake up.
But it is January to overturn the rules: this month the most convenient time was 8pmevening time in which the thought of the journey becomes a natural balm against the tiredness of the return.
And not only that: between 1pm and 2pmin the suspension of the lunch break, and between 9pm and 10pmat the turn of the evening, prices moved with minimal variations between 150 and 159 eurosconfirming that in certain periods of the year the desire to travel synchronizes perfectly with fares.
Book in advance, yes, but with discernment: Oceania rewards planning, Africa rewards audacity
On the topic of advance payment, perhaps the most divisive among travellers, eDreams data offers a clear summary: planning is often useful, but it does not represent a universal rule.
For America, for example, the cheapest range is between 91 and 100 days before departurewith an average of 657 euroswhile Oceania requires an even more decisive advance payment, rewarding those who book beyond that 90 days in advance with rates around 981 euros.
Europe and Asia, on the other hand, suggest more moderate planning, with the best offers located between 31 and 60 days before, and average rates respectively of 130 and 415 euros.
Then there is Africa, a continent that subverts every pattern and which has shown the best rates with a relatively short advance notice, among the 16 and 30 dayswith an average of 298 eurosconfirming that in some cases last-minute intuition can be surprisingly rewarding.
Curiosities that tell more than expected: France, Egypt and Tunisia rewrite the art of anticipation
Alongside the major trends, the report also contains details that reveal subtle dynamics: some medium and short-haul destinations, such as Francethey achieved the best rates by booking with over 100 days in advance (140 euros), while theEgypt he touched the 244 euros booking with more than 90 days in advance, demonstrating that Europe and the Mediterranean do not always follow the linear logic one would expect.
And for the latecomers, the Tunisiawith its best price (195 euros) between 16 and 30 days before departureconfirms that it is never too late to find a real and not just presumed opportunity.
