GUIDE: Earlybird Europe

It's a question we're often asked - whether it is cheaper to book package tours, airfares or cruises early, or wait until much closer to departure and hope for a last-minute deal.

While the timing of sales and special deals can be hard to predict, the earlybird Europe specials, when travellers can save thousands and receive heavily reduced or even free airfares for northern summer trips to the UK and Europe, are released like clockwork at this time of year, every year.

Like the spring, they've been a few weeks early this year but not only will the early bird catch the worm; travellers booking now will have the security of having their plans in place - not always the case if you wait until the last minute and risk missing the boat. One thing's for sure, the clock is ticking - some of the offers expire at the end of the month, others at the end of the year.

Act quickly to book deals for destinations such as Burano, with its Leaning Tower, on the Venetian Lagoon. Picture: Niall McIlroy

AIRFARES

There are now more airlines than ever linking Perth to more cities in Europe and the UK, meaning travellers can fish for dates, times, and, most importantly, prices. Some tour packages come bundled with airfare deals but there are also fare-only offers.

Singapore Airlines has return flights from Perth to London from $1769, to Paris from $1582 and to Istanbul from $1518, with stopovers in Singapore from $1 including transfers and free entry to attractions such as Universal Studios and Gardens by the Bay. The fares are on sale until November 17 and are for travel from March 1 to September 30.

Until December 31, Cathay Pacific has return fares via Hong Kong from Perth to London from $1830 and to Manchester from $1762. Premium economy includes extra space and baggage allowance, separate check-in, amenity kits, and more meal options; return fares to Manchester are from $3472. Fares are valid from March 1 to November 30.

Fly from Perth via Kuala Lumpur to many European cities on Malaysia Airlines with return economy-class fares to London from $1617, to Paris from $1478, to Amsterdam from $1443, to Istanbul from $1422 and to Frankfurt from $1522. These fares are for bookings made by December 20 and for travel between April 1 and October 31.

Emirates flies to more than 35 European destinations via Dubai and, until November 19, has return fares to Dublin from $1521. Fares to Barcelona are from $1536, to Amsterdam from $1547, to Rome from $1557, to Athens from $1565, to Paris from $1583, to Munich from $1604 and to London from $1721. Flights to new destinations on Emirates' network include Oslo from $1522, Brussels from $1545 and Budapest from $1543 when flights begin on October 27. Bookings must be completed by November 19 with fares for travel during selected periods between March 1 and September 15.

China Southern Airlines flies to Perth three times a week and has earlybird fares to Europe via its Guangzhou hub for sale until December 31. These include economy fares to Frankfurt from $1348, to London from $1412 and to Paris from $1274. Return business-class fares are from $4418 to Frankfurt, from $4648 to London and $4436 to Paris. The fares are for selected periods between March 1 and October 31.

China Southern Airlines offers flights to Europe through its Guangzhou airport hub. Picture: Stephen Scourfield

Etihad Airways began flying to Perth from its Abu Dhabi hub this year and, until October 31, flights to Dublin and Madrid are from $1491, to Paris from $1531, to Rome from $1505, to Amsterdam from $1497 and to London from $1725. Fares are for travel from February 1 to September 26.

Qatar Airways links Perth to Europe through Doha. Until October 31, fly return to London from $1725, to Edinburgh from $1665, to Paris from $1535, to Barcelona from $1490, to Rome from $1505 in economy; or return business class for $6800 to London or $6490 to Paris. Fares are for selected dates between February 1 and October 31.

TOURING

Globus has escorted travellers through Europe for 87 years and has more than 80 packages available in 2015. Until December 15, there's the option of bundling a Cathay Pacific airfare with a tour package to save as much as $200 per person. Return airfares from Perth to Milan cost from $1450, to Paris from $1490 and to London from $1630. In addition, travellers who book and pay 12 months in advance receive a 10 per cent discount. There are additional savings for repeat travellers, second tours and groups of five or more. Among Globus' six new itineraries in 2015 is the nine-day Spectacular Spain itinerary which explores the country round trip from Madrid and visits Toledo, Granada, Costa del Sol and Cordoba from $2989.

Globus has reduced airfares to cities such as Paris. Picture: Niall McIlroy

Cosmos is part of the Globus group and caters for those on a tighter budget, with most tours working out at a bit more than $100 per day. The same Cathay Pacific airfare deal applies to Cosmos itineraries such as the 24-day British Isles in Depth tour, which is round-trip from London from $3541, and The Best of Europe, an 18-day package from London to Paris through the UK, Belgium, Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and France, from $3006.

There are seven new itineraries next year, including Iberian Tapestry, a nine-day trip through Spain and Portugal from $2249, a nine-day Italian Sampler package from $1939 and the Warsaw, the Baltics and Helsinki holiday, which visits Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Helsinki, and costs from $2039 for nine days with extensions to St Petersburg and Moscow available.

The Travel Corporation's luxury touring specialist Insight Vacations has followed the same pattern as in previous years, offering discounts according to date. Tours paid for by December 18 qualify for a 10 per cent discount per person, those paid for by February 26 can get 7.5 per cent off, while those settled by April 30 receive savings of 5 per cent. In 2015, Insight has more than 100 European itineraries across five categories: discovery journeys, regional experiences, country roads, easy pace and inside gold, which is the group's luxury collection. The eight-day Irish Elegance tour is a country roads vacation and is discounted by up to $274 per person, while the 12-day Road to Rome tour, which begins in London, is a discovery journey and eligible for a discount of up to $480 per person.

Coach touring expert Trafalgar has similar percentage-based earlybird specials to sibling company Insight. The Europe & Britain program has 117 guided itineraries with savings of up to $1735 per couple available if paid by December 18.

And Trafalgar has teamed up with Tourism Ireland to offer Etihad airfares between Perth and Dublin from $1299 per person when combined with any of its 14 guided holidays through the Emerald Isle. The deal can be combined with the 10 per cent earlybird discount and is valid for bookings until October 31 and for selected travel periods between February 1 and October 31. Other Trafalgar earlybird offers include Perth to Rome from $1419.

Some of Trafalgar Tours' Ireland itineraries visit Ashford Castle.

Itineraries range from the 21-day Grand European itinerary, which visits 11 countries round-trip from London and costs from $5785 per person, to an eight-day Wonders of St Petersburg and Moscow tour, which costs from $2395.

There's also a 5 per cent discount for Trafalgar's autumn, winter and spring tours if booked by October 31. Included is the 13-day Best of Italy tour, round-trip from Rome, on which travellers could save up to $326 per couple on the December 20 and 27 departures.

Contiki Holidays organises travel for 18-35 year-olds and again follows the three-date format. Travellers who pay by December 18 can save as much as $715, those who pay by February 26 can save up to $535 and payments made by April 30 can attract savings of up to $359. Savings are based on a 33-day European Explorer with Mykonos package, which costs from $5963. Beginning in London and ending in Amsterdam, it travels through France, Spain, Monaco, Italy, the Vatican City, Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Belgium.

Escape Travel has fly-stay packages including return airfares to Paris and four nights at the three-star Pavilion Nation with breakfast from $1875, for travel between February 20 and March 24. Flights to London, plus four nights at the three-star Ibis London Earls Court with breakfast, cost from $1825 for travel between February 1 and March 14. Both packages are available until October 31.

Active holidays involving walking or cycling are becoming more popular and UTracks has a special offer on a trek that is attracting many travellers. The Camino pilgrimage trails stretch across France and Spain, converging in the Galician city of Santiago de Compostela where the tomb of Jesus' apostle James is said to be housed in the cathedral. The Camino has been followed by pilgrims for more than 1000 years but it's not just for the devout and is now one of the most popular walking holidays in the world.

Until October 31, UTracks is offering savings of up to $369 per person off the price of its 13-day Best of the Camino guided walk from Bilbao to Santiago de Compostela via the pilgrimage cities of Leon and Pamplona. The reduced price is $3321 and includes 12 breakfasts and dinners, 12 nights in two and three-star hotels, a guide, a support vehicle and luggage transfers.

Camino packages such as those from UTracks are increasingly popular.

Departures are scheduled throughout the 2015 season and there are other Camino variations from Portugal and France. UTracks has just released its 2015 Active Europe brochure and is taking 10 per cent off more than 340 itineraries, including 30 new packages such as a cycling trip around Norway's third-largest fjord.

Peregrine Adventures' small-group tours and treks span the continent from Ireland to Turkey, and for deposits paid until October 31 travellers will receive 10 per cent off the price. The discount is valid for tours departing until September 30, including packages such as the 15-day Jewels of the Adriatic itinerary from Venice to Dubrovnik from $5520. Sibling group Intrepid Travel also has 10 per cent off European tours for deposits made by November 16 for travel between April 1 and September 30. Examples include the 15-day Paris to Madrid tour which costs from $3635.

Among Albatross Travel's 2015 Europe selections is An Alpine Adventure, a new 17-day tour from Paris to Milan with visits to a host of locations such as Grindelwald and Zermatt. Until January 15, there's $300 per person off the land-only price of any European tour of at least 10 days duration.

Bunnik Tours' earlybird Europe saving is $250 per person and is valid for deposits paid by December 19 on packages from April onwards. The 21-day Treasures of Eastern Europe package includes return flights and visits Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia, from $7940.

ON THE WATER

The sheer number of European cities now just one stop from Perth has made it easier for travellers to fly in, embark on a river cruise, and leave again from the city where the voyage ends. And many of the river-cruising companies have taken advantage of this by bundling return flights with the cruise fare to release earlybird packages.

There are plenty of European river-cruising specials available for those quick off the mark. Until October 15, Scenic Tours has free return flights to Europe, including taxes of up to $950 per person, on cruises in Europe, where it will launch Scenic Jasper and Scenic Opal. This amounts to savings of up to $5560 per couple and applies to itineraries such as the 15-day Jewels of Europe river cruise between Amsterdam and Budapest, and the 14-day South of France River Cruise from Paris to Nice. Priced from $7195, the Jewels of Europe cruise on the Rhine, Main and Danube includes private butler service, drinks, six dining venues, the use of electronically assisted bicycles and wi-fi, with stops or excursions at Dusseldorf, Cologne, Marksburg, the Rhine Gorge, Rudesheim, Miltenberg, Wurzburg, Bamberg, Nuremburg, Regensburg, Passau, Linz, Melk, Durnstein and Vienna before arriving in Budapest.

Budapest is a great sight from the Danube.

The South of France cruise has the same onboard inclusions and costs from $7395. It starts in Paris before travellers catch the TGV to board the ship in Chalon- sur-Saone. The ship cruises the Saone through Tournus and Macon before joining the Rhone in Lyon and heading south through Tournon, Viviers, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Avignon, the Camargue and Tarrascon.

Until October 15, there's up to $1690 per couple off the price of some departure dates on selected Avalon Waterways' cruises. These include an eight-day Tulip Time cruise, round-trip from Amsterdam on some dates in March, April and May, from $2186, and a 10-day Balkan Discovery cruise from Budapest to Bucharest cruise on April 15, from $3353.

APT has a swag of earlybird deals, all available until October 31. Fly free to Europe, including savings on taxes of up to $6400 per couple, when booking cruises including the 15-day Magnificent Europe voyage from Amsterdam to Budapest, from $7795 per person. Or fly free, just paying taxes of approximately $950 per person (saving up to $4500 per couple), when booking cruises including the eight-day Highlights of the Danube itinerary from Regensburg to Budapest, which costs from $4895. The companion-flies-free deal can save $3200 per couple on eligible cruises including the 21-day Spain and Portugal Delights itinerary, round-trip from Madrid and visiting cities such as Cordoba, Porto and Lisbon, from $12,890 per person. Solo travellers don't miss out, with a no-single-supplement (saving up to $4250) offer on cruises. Two other deals include air credit of up to $3600 per couple or $2000 per couple.

Viking River Cruises' earlybird discount is $300 per person for bookings up to October 31. Eligible cruises include the 11-day Passport to Europe itinerary from Bucharest to Budapest along the Danube, from $4095, and the 13-day Waterways of the Tsars voyage from Moscow to St Petersburg, from $6795.

Be your own captain on a Le Boat trip. Picture: Stuart Pearce

If you'd rather be your own captain, Le Boat has a fleet of self-drive canal boats in which travellers can cruise at their own pace in Ireland, Scotland, England, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany and Poland. No experience is needed to skipper the boats, which sleep three to eight people and are rated between one and five stars. For bookings made by November 30, there's 12 per cent off one to four-star boats, and 5 per cent off five-star boats. Cruises must be for a minimum of seven nights.

French Travel Connection has the same offer for new bookings made by November 30.

There are a few options on the ocean with MSC offering savings of up to $450 per person on selected departures on its 12-ship fleet. Until November 30, a seven-night Mediterranean cruise costs from $729, 14-night Grand Mediterranean voyages from $1588, a seven-night European cruise from $1189 and a 14-night northern European cruise from $2278.

Until November 30, Royal Caribbean is offering up to $US500 ($570) per cabin onboard credit for cruises departing from and returning to a European port between April 1 and November 30, excluding Anthem of the Seas. Cruises of five to seven nights are worth $US250 credit, cruises between eight and 11 nights, $US350 credit, and voyages of 12 nights or longer qualify for $US500 credit. A seven-night Greek Isles & Turkey cruise on Splendour of the Seas, round-trip from Venice departing on October 10, 2015, and visiting Kotor, Corfu, Piraeus for Athens, Mykonos and Argostoli costs from $999 per person. Royal Caribbean will have eight ships cruising Europe next year, including the world's biggest ships Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas.

Bicton Travel has a number of fly-stay-cruise choices. For payment made by January 30, a 21-night package, flying from Perth to Paris and returning from Barcelona with Singapore Airlines with nine nights in four-star hotels in France, England and Spain, and a 12-night Norwegian Spirit Grand Mediterranean cruise from Venice costs from $5495. Upgrade to an ocean-view cabin from $275 per person or $1095 for a balcony cabin.

The package departs Perth on April 30.

The 21-night Baltic & Norwegian Fjords premium journey includes return business-class flights with Qatar Airways, transfers, two nights accommodation in Copenhagen and a 19-night cruise onboard MS Eurodam in a veranda cabin, round trip from the Danish capital and visiting Germany, Estonia, Russia, Sweden and Denmark, from $12,395 - or fly economy and stay in an inside cabin from $6795. The package departs Perth on July 16. Book by October 31 and receive a bottle of sparkling wine, a 100-minute internet package and two dinners for two at Pinnacle Grill.

ON TRACK

Back on dry land, Europe's extensive train system allows a less frenetic glimpse at vistas we may miss from the road.

Take one of Railbookers' packages or construct your own bespoke train trip through Europe, seeing all the sights while staying in centrally located hotels that can be tailored to any budget. Until October 31, Railbookers has 12.5 per cent discounts on trips booked for travel in 2015. Packages must be a minimum of three nights and include itineraries such as the 10-night Essential Europe package from Amsterdam to Rome which costs from $1965 and visits Paris, Zurich and Venice along the way.

Many rail journeys head through Zurich. Picture: Niall McIlroy

For more on these offers, see your travel agent and contact:

singaporeair.com and 13 10 11

cathaypacific.com.au and 13 17 47

malaysiaairlines.com and 13 26 27

emirates.com/au and 1300 303 777

csair.com/au/en and 1300 889 628

etihad.com

qatarairways.com/au

globus.com.au and 1300 230 234

cosmostours.com.au and 1300 230 234

insightvacations.com/au and 1300 237 886

trafalgar.com and 1300 663 043

contiki.com and 1300 266 845

escapetravel.com.au and 1300 556 855

utracks.com and 1300 303 368

peregrineadventures.com and 1300 854 445

intrepidtravel.com/au and 1300 797 010

albatrosstours.com.au and 1300 135 015

bunniktours.com.au and 1800 286 645

scenictours.com.au and 1300 723 642

avalonwaterways.com.au and 1300 230 234

aptouring.com.au and 1300 336 932

vikingrivercruises.com.au and 1800 131 744

leboat.com.au and 1800 118 940

frenchtravel.com.au and 1300 858 304

msccruises.com.au and 1300 028 502

royalcaribbean.com.au and 1800 754 500

bictontravel.com.au, cruisefinder.com.au and 9339 5199

railbookers.com and 1300 938 534