The autumn half-term of 2025 does not fall in the same week for everyone. Since the reform of the school calendar, Flanders and the Wallonia-Brussels Federation each follow their own rhythm. For you as an owner, that is good news. The period in which families plan a trip stretches over almost three weeks.
If you align your calendar with it now, you get more out of a period that is often seen as quiet. In this article you will read which dates are fixed, how to build up prices and minimum stay, and how to get the property ready for autumn guests.
Two holidays that overlap
In Wallonia and Brussels the autumn half-term, called Toussaint there, runs from 20 to 31 October 2025 inclusive. That holiday lasts two weeks. In Flanders the autumn half-term starts a week later. It runs from 27 October to 2 November 2025 inclusive.
Put those two calendars side by side and you see three blocks:
- The week of 20 October. Only Walloon and Brussels families are on holiday. They like to head to the coast, the Flemish cities and the Ardennes.
- The week of 27 October. Both communities are on holiday. This is the busiest week of the period.
- The weekend of 1 and 2 November. The Flemish holiday comes to an end. All Saints' Day falls on a Saturday in 2025, so there is no extra weekday off.
The demand window therefore opens as early as the weekend of 18 and 19 October. It only closes on Sunday 2 November. That is three weeks in which you should not work with one fixed autumn price.
A separate price for each week
A common mistake is to set one price for "the autumn" and leave it. The three blocks each have a different level of demand. Your price can follow that.
In the first week, demand comes mainly from Wallonia and Brussels. These guests often book a little later and compare carefully. A firm but realistic price works better here than a top price. In the overlap week you can go higher. There are then more families searching than properties available in popular regions. The final weekend sits in between: Friday and Saturday are in demand, Sunday less so.
Also look at the booking pace. If the overlap week is still completely open three weeks beforehand, your price is probably too high or your offer not visible enough. Then lower it in small steps, not all at once. Conversely, if your calendar fills quickly, you started too low. Then raise the remaining nights.
11 November: a bridge on a Tuesday
After the autumn half-term there is one more opportunity. Armistice Day, 11 November 2025, falls on a Tuesday. That day is a holiday in Flanders and in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. Anyone who takes the Monday off as well has a long weekend from Saturday 8 to Tuesday 11 November inclusive.
Such bridges are often booked late, but they do fill. Set the price for those nights separately now. Do not treat them as ordinary November nights. Also choose deliberately which combinations you allow. A stay from Saturday to Tuesday is ideal. A single Monday night is not.
A minimum stay that moves with demand
The minimum stay is just as important as the price. A good setting protects your busiest nights and lets the quiet nights sell as well.
A possible structure for this period:
- Week of 20 October: minimum two nights, midweek too.
- Overlap week of 27 October: minimum three or four nights. Families then like to stay longer.
- Weekend of 1 November: minimum two nights, with arrival on Friday.
- Bridge weekend around 11 November: minimum three nights, with arrival on Saturday.
Set these rules per period, not for the whole month. Most booking platforms and channel managers allow this. Remember to apply the same rules on every channel. Otherwise someone books a shorter stay through one platform than you allow on another.
Filling single nights
However well you plan, gaps appear. One family leaves on Wednesday, the next arrives on Friday. That one Thursday night will not sell with a minimum of three nights.
So go through your calendar every week. Look for single nights between two bookings. For exactly those nights, lower the minimum stay to one or two. A small price reduction is fine, but not always necessary. Often the minimum stay is the only barrier.
Also think about the week after the holiday. In early November demand is lower. There, a shorter minimum stay usually works better than a sharply lower price.
The property ready for autumn guests
Autumn guests are looking for something different from summer guests. They spend more time indoors. They come in with wet coats and muddy shoes. They want warmth and comfort.
Check the heating before the first booking. Have the boiler or heat pump serviced if that has not happened yet. Test every radiator and make sure thermostats are easy to use. If you have a wood stove or open fire, have the chimney swept and leave clear instructions in the house.
Small changes make a big difference:
- extra throws and a warm duvet in each bedroom;
- a drying rack and hooks for wet coats by the entrance;
- a sturdy doormat and a place for boots;
- board games and a few books for rainy days;
- warm lighting in the living area, with LED candles instead of real candles.
Also adapt your listing. Put an atmospheric interior photo first instead of a sunny terrace. Mention what guests can do nearby in bad weather. That way your offer appeals to the right guests.
Plan now, not during the holiday itself
If you wait until mid-October, you are adjusting while the best nights are already gone. Take an hour this week to set up the three blocks, price the bridge weekend separately and check over the property. Then plan a weekly review of your calendar until mid-November.
Rather not adjust it yourself
At YourDomi we adjust prices daily based on market data and monitor minimum stay and single nights per period. Would you like to know what that could mean for your property? Request a personal proposal.
