Family Vacations: When to Book
Those of us who tend to be, ahem, last-minute in making travel plans won't like to hear the answer to this question...
How far in advance should families plan their holidays, if they're traveling during a peak time of year? I sent this question to family travel veteran Sally Black -- founder of Vacationkids.com travel agency, with years of hands-on experience booking family vacations, in addition to being a mom of three herself.
She replied first with a saying: "Planning a family vacation is like planning a family....you need to work about 9 months in advance!"
The travel industry, at least, is set up for long-term planning, even if some of us --with unpredictable schedules-- aren't.
- Airlines usually post flight availability and fares about 330 days in advance
- many resorts post rates 9 months in advance, for December holiday and Easter/spring break weeks
- cruise lines post about 1.5 years in advance
- expect to pay 65% to 100% more than high season rates
- most resorts/hotels require a minimum 7 night stay during peak travel weeks like Xmas and Easter
- "smart parents start planning as soon as they receive their school calendars in September. This way, they get the best pick of direct flights and their choice of hotel rooms."
And if you find you're not able to get anything acceptable during spring or Easter break, here's another possibility. "If your school district gives kids time off for teachers meetings or has long weekends -- say around Martin Luther King weekend or Memorial Day weekend-- consider letting the kids miss a day or two of school in order to take advantage of travel savings and avoid peak travel times."
Comments
Gread advice in this article!
It was a surprise to see Vacationkids and Sally’s name in this article. We booked our last family vacation with her and they took great care of us. They really seem to know what they’re doing at Vacationkids…glad you included them in your article