Already planning your summer Holiday, you are not alone many people plan holidays months in advance, but is this too early?
How early is too early to be booking a holiday really depends on the job you are in and the type of person you are, the length of the holiday and the distance to the destination.
In the case of a wedding, christening, special birthday or big event such a a family Christmas we find people tend to book the holiday early to guarantee not only the fact that they will be there, but also so they can plan their lives around it, especially if the destination is a long way from home or the trip is an extended period.
For the shorter trip we find majority of people book a couple of weeks to a month in advance, as being a shorter trip it is easier to be flexible
My cousin loves to book a big holiday the night before, whilst I like to plan and have it booked at least a month in advance. There are advantages and disadvantages to each of these
Booking early does mean you access to the early bird specials and you are able to fully research the trip and what to do whilst there, ask people their opinions, and you get the choice of not only the destination, but travel times and day to travel and you get the pick of the accommodation. It is easier to plan not only your life around the holiday with notice it is easier to get time off work, and if the holiday ties in with an event you are guaranteed that you will be there for the event.
Also you get to plan your finances, and in some cases you can pay bits off at a time so it is not one huge expense all in one go.
Disadvantages are the amount of choice can be daunting for people and with too much notice you can be over the whole trip prior to your arrival, and you have the risk of the holiday not living up to your expectations as you have thought about it for so long.
Booking last minute, yes there are hot deals to fill the gaps at the last minute, but you can have a limited choice for airlines, arrival times and limited accommodation choices as the rest can be unavailable for the dates you wish to travel. As it is spur of the moment you need to be a little flexible with not only the mode of travel, and the travel times as there could be limited stock, but you are guaranteed to know what the weather will be like, any unrest in the areas you are planning to travel and if necessary you can change your destination to something more suitable if need be.
Each has their advantages and disadvantages, but at the end of the day, there is no substitute for the bliss of sleeping in, being off the grid and unplugged from your routine and having time to “smell the roses.”
How far in advance do you book a holiday?