New research from Which? that analysed 400 different packages from providers easyJet, Jet2, Love Holidays,  On The Beach and Tui, discovered that in 26 cases staying for eleven nights rather than ten worked out cheaper.

One example noted that two people taking an all-inclusive, four-star package holiday in Fuerteventura with Tui, could save £1,118 by extending their stay from ten to eleven nights.

In another case with Tui, two people who are staying in a twin room with a balcony or terrace in Corfu on bed and breakfast rate could save £292 per person by staying for an eleventh night.

Which? also found, in some instances, that staying an extra night would cost less than £5 per person. If two people extended a ten-night stay in Crete by a further night with easyJet, it would cost just £1 more per person.

There are a range of factors that decide prices. For example, because eleven-day holidays are less popular, they can be bought up for a relatively inexpensive price.

Tips for saving on holidays

Others ways to save money on a trip include not paying extra to sit together on a plane. For June this year, Which? found that it would cost £112 to reserve seats on a return ticket for a family of four.

Booking flights directly through an airline was also found to be cheaper than an online booking agent, which could inflate the airfare by over £100.

While headline prices may look good, there is a premium to pay on additional services such as luggage and other extras.

For example, researchers found that a return flight through eDreams from London to Orlando initially was the cheapest fare at £556, but that increased to £814 when seat reservation and luggage costs were added.

Staying in less obvious accommodation was also a proven way of saving money. For example, on average £59 a night was saved by staying in Dartmouth, just 11 miles down the road from Salcombe.

Using price comparison websites was also proven to be a useful tool in reducing the price of a holiday.

On the other hand, it may be worth calling and booking a hotel directly, even if a discount cannot be arranged some perks such as a bottle of wine or free room upgrade might be thrown in.

‘Small changes’ are the way forward

Jo Rhodes, Deputy Editor of Which? Travel, said: “If you’re booking a holiday, it’s worth checking if you can save money by making some small changes to your travel dates and duration of your stay. While it seems counterintuitive, occasionally there are substantial savings to be made by extending your trip.

“Of course, there are plenty of other ways to cut the cost of holidays. Shop around online to find the best price for accommodation and flights, using price comparison sites can be a good place to start.”

“You can also slash money off your airfare by opting out of added extras. For example, we’ve found that most airlines will seat you together even if you don’t pay for pre-selected seats.”