Travel experts have issued a warning to Brits, advising them to avoid taking to the skies on three specific dates in July due to exorbitant prices, overcrowded airports, and "limited choices". Expedia, the travel giant, has pinpointed these dates as the most expensive for travel, coinciding with the start of the school summer holidays when parents face a "short window" to take their breaks.

Wild Packs American Summer Camp's travel guru, Jamie Fraser, pointed out that airlines are clued into this holiday rush and "tend to bump up prices" during these peak times, despite the fact that two-thirds (66 per cent) of Britons struggle with the cost of foreign travel. Moreover, flight costs have surged by 4.2 per cent (or £50 per person), with July 22, 23, or 29 singled out as the costliest days to fly, a period when demand "takes off", according to Jamie. Jamie explained: "July marks the start of the school summer holidays, which is when demand for flights takes off. Parents with school-aged children are mostly limited to this short window, which makes it one of the busiest times to travel. Airlines know this and tend to bump up prices during these peak dates."

He added: "This not only hits your wallet, but can make the travel experience more stressful. With so many people flying at once, terminals are at max capacity, and you're more likely to face long queues at each stage of the airport, causing more delays.

"With the school summer holidays, you're likely faced with limited choices when it comes to flight times, baggage options, and where you sit. It's much harder to find convenient flight times, especially if you've booked late."

Jamie also shared four tips to help you save cash when you're flying in July, the first of which is setting up flight alerts using sites like Skyscanner or Google Flights. These sites will send you a notification when the price drops.

Secondly, he suggested flying on a Saturday, highlighting how Friday and Sunday are often the most expensive days to fly, with Tuesday usually being the cheapest.

If you're planning a weekend trip, flying on Saturday and coming home on Monday means you will miss one work day. However, you will probably pay "much less" when compared to a Friday-to-Sunday journey.

Jamie also said it's worth checking out other school holidays, saying: "Even if you're tied to school holidays, it's worth looking at when schools are off in other parts of the country.

"For instance, London schools might break up at a different time to those in the Midlands or the North, which could mean cheaper flights from a London airport if their term hasn't finished yet."

Finally, he recommended comparing the prices of smaller airports, explaining that the larger hubs, such as Heathrow, Gatwick, and Manchester, often have the most significant price rises during peak times.