by Tanya Dennis
The longer I work in travel planning, the more myths I find in popular circulation.
One is that using a travel agent costs you more money. WRONG! Travel agents often SAVE you money! Anyone who has worked with our fabulous team knows the tremendous value a good travel agent brings to your vacation investment.
Here’s another big one:
MYTH: You’ll get a better deal if you book at the last minute.
TRUTH: If you book at the last minute, you’ll have fewer choices and may spend thousands of dollars more than necessary.
A little planning goes a LONG way! If you don’t start your planning at the right time, you may miss the boat.
When should you book your vacation?
As soon as you’re ready.
That may sound like a cop-out, but it’s true. Vacations are just as personal as the people who take them. Time-frames may vary, but the best guideline is this:
Book as soon as you’ve decided where and when you want to go!
If you’re not picky, you don’t have a tight budget, and you’re flexible on dates, well … you can successfully book any time.
The more limitations you have, the more time you may need to plan the vacation that best meets your requirements.
Consider:
- Value accommodations fill up quicker than deluxe accommodations, so value shoppers need to book earlier than those with larger or flexible budgets.
- Peak season dates fill up quicker than low season dates, so holiday travelers need to book earlier than non-peak travelers.
- Large groups require greater availabilities, so the sooner they book, the better.
Here’s something often forgotten: School breaks are peak season. A lot of people think vacationing over Spring Break or Presidents’ Week will grant them lower prices and smaller crowds. It could, but … Surprise! You’re not the only person to have this idea. 🙂 A LOT of people want to avoid summer crowds by booking family vacations during those shorter mid-year school breaks.
Here are a few new “seasons” that continue to grow in popularity:
- Presidents’ Week
- Easter Week
- Spring Break
- Fall Break
- Teacher Convention Weeks
And, of course, holidays are always peak season. If you want to be at Magic Kingdom on Christmas Day, you need to book well in advance.
This graphic offers some general ideas of when to book, but know that these are not hard and fast rules! Again, every vacation is unique. The earlier you plan, the better. The only real rule is this: As soon as you know you want to go, BOOK IT. 🙂
Every vacation is unique.
The earlier you plan, the better.
As soon as you know you want to go, book it!
Talk with one of our agents for the best, most personal advice.