Europe Unlocked Research
The day you book barely matters: in our 2026 fare tracking it changed fares by 0.3% or less, Tuesday included. Here's what really moves the price.
Written By Rick Blyth
Happiest at 36,000ft as the sun rises above the clouds
6 min read
Published on 11th November 2026
It makes almost no difference. In our 2026 fare tracking, the day of the week you book changed the price by 0.3% or less, Tuesday included.
So if you've been waiting for a Tuesday to book, you don't need to. What really moves the price is how far ahead you book and the day you fly.
The day of the week you book made almost no difference: 0.3% or less.
7,151,170 daily prices
Ryanair fares were cheapest 4 to 8 weeks before departure, typically just under £38 one way.
33,973 flights, March to November 2026
Tuesday was the cheapest day to fly out and Wednesday the cheapest to fly home, both about a fifth below average. Friday out and Sunday home cost the most.
Ryanair and easyJet, booked 6 to 8 weeks ahead
You'll often hear that flights are cheaper if you book on a Tuesday. We checked: we priced the same flights day after day and compared each day of the week with the days either side.
The same flights, priced on each day of the week against the day before and after.
| Booked on a | Ryanair | easyJet |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | +0.2% | +0.2% |
| Tuesday | 0.0% | -0.3% |
| Wednesday | 0.0% | +0.1% |
| Thursday | -0.1% | -0.2% |
| Friday | -0.1% | 0.0% |
| Saturday | -0.1% | 0.0% |
| Sunday | -0.1% | -0.1% |
The same flights, priced on one day against the days either side. 7,151,170 daily prices.
Booking on a Tuesday was 0.0% with Ryanair, so no difference you could measure, and 0.3% lower with easyJet. That was easyJet's lowest day, but it's pennies on a typical £77 easyJet fare. Every day of the week landed within 0.3% of the days either side.
Some advice says booking on a Sunday is much cheaper. In our data, a Sunday was 0.1% lower for both Ryanair and easyJet. That's a rounding error, not a saving.
The dearest day to book was Monday, at 0.2% higher for both airlines. Again, too small to plan around.
Fares do move a lot. They just don't move in a way that favours one day of the week.
| Airline | Different from the day before | Lower | Higher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryanair | 48% | 27% | 21% |
| easyJet | 30% | 13% | 16% |
The same flights, priced one day and again the next. 7,151,170 daily prices.
On an average day, 48% of Ryanair fares were different from the day before: 27% lower and 21% higher. easyJet's moved less often, 30% of the time. So a fare you saw yesterday can easily be different today, whatever day it is.
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Two things matter far more than the day you book.
✈️ How far ahead you book. Ryanair fares were cheapest 4 to 8 weeks before departure, typically just under £38 one way. Booking 6 months early cost over a third more, and the last 2 to 3 days more than doubled the fare. easyJet was cheapest 6 to 12 weeks out. There's more in the best time to book flights to Europe.
✈️ The day you fly. Tuesday was the cheapest day to fly out of the UK and Wednesday the cheapest to fly home, both about a fifth below the week's average. Friday out and Sunday home cost the most. See the cheapest day to fly to Europe for the day by day detail.
📌 Key points
- The day of the week you book changed fares by 0.3% or less.
- Booking on a Tuesday made no measurable difference with Ryanair.
- Booking on a Sunday was 0.1% lower: a rounding error.
- Fares do change from day to day, almost half of Ryanair's on an average day, but not by day of the week.
- How far ahead you book and the day you fly matter far more.
None, really. In our 2026 fare tracking, the day of the week you book changed fares by 0.3% or less. How far ahead you book matters far more: Ryanair fares were cheapest 4 to 8 weeks before departure.
Booking on a Tuesday made no measurable difference with Ryanair and was 0.3% lower with easyJet, which is pennies. Flying on a Tuesday is different: it was the cheapest day to fly out of the UK, about a fifth below the week's average.
There isn't one worth waiting for. Every day of the week was within 0.3% of the days either side. Book when the price is right, ideally 4 to 8 weeks ahead for Ryanair and 6 to 12 weeks ahead for easyJet.
The day of the week barely matters, and we can't name a best time of day. What matters is how far ahead you book and the day you fly: Tuesday out and Wednesday home were the cheapest.
Barely. Booking on a Sunday was 0.1% lower for both Ryanair and easyJet in our data. That's far too small to make a difference.
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We've done the searching, so you don't have to. Find city breaks from your airport, with lots under £100, and you can book them whatever day it is.
