Popular summer holiday accommodations are being snapped up fast and people are being warned to get in before they miss out.

Last summer Northland and the Coromandel Peninsula saw the highest number of holidaymakers, with 1.2 million overnight trips taken in Northland during December and January and more than a million overnight trips in the Coromandel during this period alone, numbers largely made up by Aucklanders.

The Coromandel Peninsula is one of the most popular places people like to spend their summer holidays. File photo.

'Our research shows steady and significant increases in AA Traveller bookings from October onwards, peaking in January. If you're planning to get your pick of holiday accommodation, now is the time to book it,” says AA Traveller marketing manager Jodie Fitzgerald.

'We see a lot of places reach capacity over the November to February period, it's not just over Christmas and New Year,” she says. 'Some regions holding large events during summer are already fully booked.”

The good news is many of the AA's 1.4 million members tend to look for accommodation in less populated places, preferring to steer clear of the crowds.

In recent AA Traveller research, 69 per cent of AA Members surveyed listed great scenery as a key ingredient to a weekend getaway, with 52 per cent looking for great food and 45 per cent hoping to get away from the crowd.

Two places that tick many of these boxes are Fiordland and Clutha, which last year both made up less than one per cent of the domestic tourism market.

'Fiordland is one of those places you won't find many domestic travellers in the summer, but it offers up a truly memorable holiday experience - from incredible views through both Milford and Doubtful Sound, to numerous hiking tracks suited to all abilities,” says Jodie.

'Not to mention the food and wine tours on offer.”