Planning and booking your dream trip involves more than choosing the destination and packing your bags. Timing plays a crucial role in securing the best deals, accommodations, and overall experience. Here’s a breakdown to help you decide when to book your trip of a lifetime.
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Things to Consider
There is a lot to consider when getting ready to book your trip. You want to time your booking to maximize your chance of getting the best price and value. While last minute bookings can result in some great travel deals, these are only helpful if you can drop everything and leave at a moment’s notice.
The Early Bird Gets the Worm
For popular destinations or during peak travel seasons, booking early often ensures better deals and availability. Specialty tours and cruises start booking more than two years in advance. And, contrary to popular belief, the best deals are typically found early in the booking season. Unless you are footloose and carefree enough to travel on last minute deals, you will find the best value when you book your trip early.
Flexibility and Last-Minute Deals
If your schedule allows for spontaneity, keep an eye out for last-minute deals. Certain airlines, hotels, and travel agencies offer discounted rates closer to departure dates, particularly for unsold inventory. This strategy works well for flexible travelers willing to embrace unexpected opportunities. At the same time, you have to make sure all the components can come together. After all, a great rate on a cruise is only helpful if you can find a flight to get you there before it departs!
When to Book Each Type of Trip
With the demand for travel on the rise, you need to plan and book your cruises, tours, and hotels early to get the experiences you desire. Your Travel Agent can advise you if you are unsure about when to start the booking process.
Domestic Travel
For domestic travel, aim to book flights and accommodations at least 4-8 months in advance, especially for holidays, festivals, or sought-after destinations. This approach not only secures your preferred options but also often offers early bird discounts. For hot spots with limited availability, you may need to book accommodations as far out as 18 months in advance.
Caribbean Cruises
Caribbean cruises are one of the easiest trips to plan and book. But, if you want the best pricing, and to make sure you score the stateroom you want on the date you want, you should start 4-12 months out. You will find that some staterooms and suites fill early leaving you with fewer options. Also, as you draw closer to the cruise date, the various shore excursions start filling up. For the widest selection of tours in port, be sure to book early.
Before you call your Travel Agent, check out these posts to learn more about the major cruise lines sailing the Caribbean!
- Top 5 Reasons to Cruise and Top 5 Myths
- Get Cruising A Comparison of the Major Ocean Cruise Lines
- Virgin Voyages Really the Right Cruise Line for You
Summer Vacations
Start planning that summer vacation with the kids no later than January! In fact, start even earlier if you plan to travel internationally or to go to a popular destination. Planning and booking 6-8 months in advance is a safe bet for most family road trips and domestic getaways. If you plan to include National Parks in your itinerary, you may need to book lodging as much as one year in advance.
International Travel
It takes a bit more planning to travel internationally. Not only does everyone need a passport, but hotels and tours start filling fast. Be sure to start about a year in advance to find tours in the locations you want to visit most.
Trips on Points
Travelling on points is a wonderful way to maximize your travel budget. If you aren’t sure how to do this, check out our travel hacking posts to learn to travel for free. While free (or nearly free) is nice, it does add a few steps to the planning process. So, get started 11-13 months in advance to ensure you have all your ducks in a row.
Alaskan Cruises
Yes, you can generally find a stateroom on an Alaskan cruise booking just a few months in advance. But that stateroom is likely to be on the interior and without a view. If you are fortunate enough to find a balcony stateroom it is not likely to be on the correct side of the ship. If traveling north through the Inside Passage, you want to be on the Starboard side of the ship for the best views. When traveling south you want the Port side. If the view doesn’t matter, you can book your trip within a year or less of the sailing.
If the view from your stateroom balcony and location on the ship does matter, then book your Alaskan cruise 12-18 months in advance! Before you book, check out this post on Alaska: Which Cruise Line is Best.
Specialty European River Cruises
European river cruises have become very popular and fill well in advance. These ships typically have fewer than 100 staterooms each so it doesn’t take much for the ship to fill. Sometimes you will get lucky and find a space within the year of the sailing. But if you want to take a specialty cruise such a Tulip Time or Christmas Market cruises then you need to secure your spot as early as two years in advance. Yes, these cruises are THAT popular! Check out these posts:
- 12 Reasons to Take a European River Cruise at Christmas
- Cruising Amsterdam to Belgium in Tantalizing Tulip Time
- A Beginners Guide to European River Cruising
Group Travel
You need to start even earlier when traveling with a group to secure adequate space in hotels and cruise ships. Depending upon the trip, you may need to reserve space as far as two years in advance on tours and cruises.
A Few Important Tips to Consider
Utilize the services of a trained Travel Agent. It does not cost you a penny more to use a Travel Agent to book your cruises and tours. In fact, it often saves you money. Travel Agents have access to all the sales and promotions you get booking online, but they also have special promos and booking codes that will often save you money! Plus, a Travel Agent has the skills and tools to research and compare prices across multiple platforms to get you the best value for your dollar. And they are trained in various destinations to ensure you dot all your i’s and cross your t’s. There are several Excellent Reasons to Use a Travel Agent instead of DIY!
Consider the benefits of traveling during shoulder seasons, the periods just before or after peak seasons. Booking during these times often provides a balance between favorable weather and fewer crowds, all while offering better prices on flights and accommodations.
Booking flights midweek, particularly on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, is a known strategy to potentially secure better deals. Airlines tend to release new fares and discounts early in the week, so booking during these days might offer cost savings.
Book your flights DIRECTLY with the airline. I don’t ever recommend using a Travel Agent for booking your air. While a Travel Agent can simplify booking a cruise, report, hotel, tours, and even travel insurance, you do not want anyone or anything standing between you and the airline. I know it is tempting to use online air consolidators to save a few dollars, but you will pay for that savings later. In the event of a flight change or delay you will have to communicate through the consolidator instead of directly with the airline. This does not make for the best service or the happiest of experiences.
Utilize fare tracking tools or set up alerts for your desired destinations. This allows you to monitor fare fluctuations and pounce when prices drop, ensuring you snag the best deals.
Buy travel insurance to safeguard your investment in case of unforeseen changes to your travel plans. Your Travel Agent can give you options regarding insurance.
Are You Ready to Book Your Dream Vacation?
Look no further! I can help you plan almost any trip your heart desires. I have completed extensive training and am a Certified Specialist in Ocean Cruising, River Cruising, All-Inclusive Vacations, and Group Travel. Also, I am also a Certified Destination Specialist for Alaska, Hawaii, and Mexico.
I am ready to book your cruise, create your rail trip across Europe, send you on safari, or any number of amazing vacations. Please check out my website, send me your info to receive my weekly email, and/or send me information about the next trip you want to plan. I would love to be your partner in planning an unforgettable experience. Connect with me to plan your trip!
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