This is why I travelled to the UK in November and not December because one week later and the prices had risen 30%. Hotels raise their prices along with car hire everything is just more expensive. When we went to Paris we were there 1 week before the start of the Olympics and it turned out to be good timing before the prices doubled. When travelling you have to plan ahead and check each day of the week for price fluctuations.
RE: The unholy rise in airfares for the holidays