Irish heatwave means deals to be done on last-minute sun holidays

While it might be too late to organise a house swap for this year, it is not too late to find a summer holiday somewhere sunny.

Because of the summer we have had, the numbers desperate to escape the island in search of some heat are lower than normal which means that there is some capacity to be found among tour operators and hotels overseas. By being canny and flexible you could easily find yourself a holiday for two for less than €1,000, a price which includes hotels, transfers and accommodation. Families, meanwhile could find accommodation in a lovely beachside location for less than €600.

TUI are offering €100 off holidays in August and September if you use the booking code SUMMER100 and spend at least €1,000. They are also promising an extra €400 off per couple in August and September. We had a look at some of their late deals for September and you can get a week in Ibiza, Majorca, Greece or Portugal for less than €400 per person. We have no idea what the accommodation on offer is like but it looks grand and when you consider that the prices include flights, they seem like great value to us.

If you are looking for a family-friendly option, eurocamp are promising 40 per cent off the cost of accommodation on campsites across Europe in August. Seven nights in two-bed mobile homes with decking and air conditioning in France, Italy and Spain were available at the time of writing for less than €600 to which you would have to add on the cost of flights.

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Random option

Another option for a cheap last-minute deals is the random option.

By using Skyscanner.ie and Hotwire. com you can find the cheapest flights out out Ireland and then find cheap hotels whenere the plane takes you. Skyscanner allows you to search for flights from Ireland to anywhere in the world over a set period and then rank them in price from cheapest to dearest. Pick the cheapest and then go on to hidden hotels website hotwire.com to find a cheap place to stay. The catch is you won't know the name of your hotel or what it even looks like until you pay. You will know the location and the number of stars it has.

If you are looking for a trip you will always pay more if your break starts at a weekend. On the other hand if you fly from a Monday to a Monday, you might see prices tumble by as much as 40 per cent. Oh, and remember that if you are staying in a hotel in a European city, do not pay for a hotel breakfast. You will get better food for less in a nearby cafe or bar.