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Tourists enjoy the mountain views in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Camilla Ferrari for Lonely Planet
In travel, the early bird truly does get the worm. While last-minute deals still exist, they often come at the cost of flexibility: fewer flight options, limited lodging and higher prices for whatever happens to be left. Increasingly, booking (way) ahead isn’t just smart, it’s necessary.
Many trips now book 9 months to a year in advance, particularly international destinations, places made famous by social media and travel tied to major events like the World Cup, a solar eclipse or Día de los Muertos festivals throughout Mexico.
At the same time, not everything is available to book that far out. Train and ferry schedules, for example, typically don’t release until three to 6 months before departure, and knowing when to wait is just as important as knowing when to book.
This month-by-month guide breaks down exactly when to plan – and when to buy – flights, hotels, tours and transportation, so you can travel smarter, with better options and fewer compromises.
Some travel planning basics to keep in mind:
Passports may take longer than you think. Standard processing runs 4 to 6 weeks (two to three expedited), but securing an appointment can add delays, especially in smaller markets.
Book early, but keep it flexible. When planning well in advance, prioritize refundable flights and accommodation wherever possible – and don’t skip travel insurance.
Theme park trips require time-sensitive extra steps. For Disney vacations, book hotels and ticket packages 6 to 12 months out for the best availability and pricing. Dining and special experiences open exactly 60 days in advance.
Spring break typically runs mid- to late March. If you want to avoid crowds and party destinations (or join them), plan accordingly.
Think about points before you book. If a big trip is on the horizon, opening a travel credit card a year or so out can help you hit welcome-bonus incentives to offset flights or hotel stays.
January
January is one of the most flexible booking months. With the holiday rush over and demand down, availability opens across flights, hotels and experiences. If you thrive on spontaneity, last-minute trips are easy to pull off without sacrificing quality or comfort. MLK Day and Presidents’ Day, which often overlaps with Valentine’s Day, make ideal long-weekend getaways in the US.
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This month is also crucial for planning the rest of the year. If you haven’t already booked spring break, it’s last call before prices skyrocket and choices narrow. The cruise industry’s “Wave Season” kicks off in January, with discounted fares and incentives including cabin upgrades, lower deposits, “kids sail free” promotions and complimentary drink packages or onboard credits.
Flights: Excellent availability for locking in summer and even fall plans, plus occasional last-minute price dips.
Accommodation: Post-holiday recovery is in full swing, but now is the time to book themed Christmas hotels for next season. They’re growing in popularity, particularly in cities like New York and Chicago, and many hotels have just a few rooms.
Tours and experiences: Take advantage of Wave Season for the year’s best cruise deals.
Restaurants: Lock in Valentine’s Day reservations this month.
February
Summer travel starts to take shape in February, especially for popular destinations and international plans. Actively plan core aspects of graduation trips, family vacations and Memorial Day weekend (in the US), even if specifics aren’t finalized.
February is an important booking window for European summer travel, especially Mediterranean hot spots like Italy, France or Spain, including cruises. Waiting until later in spring often means paying more for fewer options.
It’s also a good time to fine-tune that Alaska summer trip. Ideally (hint, hint), you booked your cruise or flights last summer, so focus on excursions and day-to-day logistics.
Flights: Prime booking window for summer travel to Europe before peak-season pricing kicks in.
Accommodation: Lock down lodging for peak summer dates.
Tours and experiences: Have a summer cruise or tour package booked? Narrow down excursions and add-ons while your itinerary is still flexible.
Other transportation: Watch for train and ferry summer schedules to release (generally 3 to 6 months in advance), and look for end of Wave Season cruise deals.
March
By March, major summer travel plans like flights and accommodation should be dialed in. Availability starts to narrow quickly after this month, particularly for family-friendly destinations like theme parks, beaches and national parks.
Keep outdoor-focused travel top of mind. Many US national parks release campsite reservations 6 months in advance – and sell out within seconds. (Washington State Parks releases reservations 9 months out.) If you don’t have summer campsites secured, you may not be too late. In addition to checking recreation.gov like it’s your job, set up availability alerts for your preferred sites.
In the US, make Fourth of July plans now, especially if you have a large group. Vacation rental homes, cabins and campsites in particular book out early and rental car prices climb fast.
Flights and accommodation: March is your last real chance to book summer travel before availability thins.
Tours and experiences: Epic and Ikon ski passes go on sale with early-bird pricing. However, any major changes aren’t typically announced until later in the spring; keep this in mind if you get a pass for specific mountains.
Other transportation: This is an ideal time to book fall European rail trips or river cruises. Autumn is a quieter season, and booking now ensures your pick of ship/train or itinerary.
April
If an African safari tops your bucket list, this marks the beginning of the planning sweet spot. Game lodges and tour outfitters book 12 to 18 months ahead, toward the longer end of the range for peak season (June and October). This window aligns with dry season in southern Africa, as well as prime wildlife viewing.
You can also start thinking ahead to next spring’s cherry blossom season. Although Mother Nature ultimately decides exact bloom dates, you can reliably plan for late March through early April in the US and Japan. Choose your (refundable) hotel now, although you can wait on flights until four to 6 months out.
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Flights: If you’re eyeing once-in-a-lifetime trips – Antarctica, trekking in Machu Picchu – start watching flights, even if you don’t book yet.
Accommodation: For remote regions or trips around natural phenomena like Northern Lights or cherry blossoms, securing a place to stay often matters more than flights. Take this month to prioritize location and logistics.
Tours and experiences: With summer fast approaching, review trips you already booked and finalize lingering details like day tours, rentals and completing deposits.
May
May’s focus shifts toward seasonal travel experiences. If wine harvest season, aka “Crush,” in Napa Valley or Tuscany is on your radar, start planning now for fall. Aside from being one of the most popular times of year to visit these regions, it also coincides with many festivals, and thus, limited hotel availability and higher prices.
It’s also an excellent time to begin planning European Christmas market trips. Accommodation in popular cities like Strasbourg and Nuremberg sells out well before flights, and early planning gives you far more flexibility.
Flights: Many people start thinking about holiday-season trips around the 6-month mark, so booking now gives you an advantage.
Accommodation: Decide where you want to be – in town versus outskirts, walkable versus rural and scenic – for fall and holiday trips, especially trips to Christmas markets or wine regions, where location shapes the entire experience.
Tours and experiences: Narrow down autumn tours now, especially any tied to harvest season. Get on mailing lists for your favorite wineries and farm-to-table restaurants for exclusive tasting and dinner invitations.
June and July
While many people are on the road and at the beach, peak summer is one of the most important stretches of the year for looking ahead. Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer in the US, should be a high priority, along with fall shoulder season getaways in September, early October and early November.
This is also the moment to firm up leaf-peeping trips. As summer winds down, prices climb quickly for flights, accommodation and rental cars in popular fall foliage destinations.
Summer is also when many families begin thinking seriously about holiday travel. “Christmas in July” promotions are kitschy, yes, but they signal that inventory is starting to move, especially for group-friendly vacation rentals and hotel blocks.
Flights: Use downtime to map out fall travel dates – especially for peak foliage – and book once you find compatible flights.
Accommodation: US national park lodges open reservations 13 months in advance, releasing rooms on the first day of the month one year prior. For example, if you want to stay in July 2027, you should book on July 1, 2026.
Tours and experiences: Holiday experiences, from Polar Express trains to winter festivals, generally release reservations now, often with early booking discounts.
August
August is strategically important, especially for trips tied to major holidays. If donning green and toasting with Guinness on St. Patrick’s Day appeals to you, start booking, particularly for Dublin. That said, it’s worth noting that US cities like Boston and Chicago host even bigger celebrations.
Halloween needs similar foresight. If you want to visit famously spooky destinations like Salem, Massachusetts, or Sleepy Hollow, New York in October, book in August for next year. It’s sometimes possible to cobble together a last-minute trip for this Halloween, but you’ll likely stay outside town, pay a premium and miss out on the best tours and experiences.
Flights: Booking now for spring holidays and New Year’s Eve typically means lower fares and far more choice in routes and timing.
Accommodation: If staying central matters, this is a key month to secure lodging for NYE, as well as next year’s spring festivals and Halloween hot spots.
Restaurant reservations: Snag dinner reservations or tickets for New Year’s Eve parties as soon as they become available.
September
September ushers in shoulder season, when demand drops and flexibility returns. In many destinations where the busy summer has just wrapped, this opens the door to last-minute travel deals.
Ski season planning ramps up as well. You can fully book domestic ski trips now, while international ski travel generally benefits from slightly earlier planning, in August or September.
This is also a fantastic month to plan warm winter getaways. Places like the Caribbean and Hawaii are especially appealing in February, and finalizing things now ensures solid availability and stable pricing before winter demand spikes.
Flights: Expect strong availability and competitive pricing for winter sun destinations, particularly January and February.
Accommodation: If an authentic Oktoberfest is on your calendar, lodging in Munich should be booked at least a year in advance. Once that’s secured, flights and the rest of the itinerary are easier to plan around.
Tours and experiences: This is a practical window to book ski lessons, equipment rentals and off-slope tours like dog sledding for the coming winter.
Other transportation: Rail routes for winter travel open booking windows around this time, making September the perfect month to lock in holiday train plans.
October
Focus on finalizing end-of-year plans this month. By October, flight schedules are set, accommodation availability is already picked over, and waiting longer only means fewer, more expensive choices.
If your heart is set on a spring shoulder-season trip to Hawaii, this is the ideal time to book – roughly 6 months out – after spring break crowds thin and before summer demand spikes.
October also works well for last-minute cozy getaways, provided you steer clear of holiday weekends and major leaf-peeping destinations like New England and the Great Smoky Mountains.
Flights: Book holiday flights before pricing increases and availability worsens later in the season.
Accommodation: Secure lodging for shoulder-season spring trips now, especially in destinations with limited inventory or high seasonal demand.
November
November is deal season, with some caveats. Black Friday and Cyber Monday offer real savings, especially on packages, but the best value comes when you already have a general destination and timing in mind (for example, Florida in January). It’s also a smart window for last-minute flights or hotel stays if you’re craving a low-key escape before holiday chaos begins.
This is also your last relatively calm moment to solidify New Year’s Eve plans. Once December hits, decision-making gets steadily more expensive.
Flights: Watch for Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions, especially for early next year and bundled packages.
Tours and experiences: This is the last chance to purchase Epic or Ikon ski passes.
Restaurant reservations: Finalize or confirm New Year’s Eve dining and party plans now.
December
Savvy travelers know this month goes a long way in setting yourself up for the year ahead. It’s an excellent time to plan a wellness-focused self-care getaway for early January, the lowest-demand travel period of the year for flights, especially.
December is also a major planning month for big outdoor trips. Alaska travel – namely cruises and lodging near national parks and ports – should be booked now, as options sell out shockingly quickly once we move into the new year. At the same time, camping season in US national parks quietly opens; most parks release reservations 6 months in advance, meaning summer trips start fully booking in December and January.
As soon as the calendar flips, spring break airfare jumps, so December is also a valuable month to book before price increases.
Flights: Lock in spring break airfare and book next summer’s Alaska cruise or flights.
Accommodation: Summer campsite reservations in US national parks open 6 months out to the day, on a rolling basis. If you miss the initial release, most parks hold sites for last-minute booking days or weeks before arrival (for example, Glacier releases sites 4 days out and Rocky Mountain releases some 2 weeks out), and tools like Campflare alert you in real time when cancellations appear.
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