When the chill of winter is in full force, thoughts of warm summer vacations seem like a distant dream. However, booking a summer holiday in January offers a variety of advantages that can make it one of the best decisions for planning your perfect getaway. Here are the key reasons why you should consider booking your summer vacation early.
1. More Availability and Choice
Summer destinations, especially popular ones, can book up quickly as the season approaches. By booking in January, you have access to a wider range of flights, hotels, and resorts. Whether you're after a luxury beach resort, a charming countryside retreat, or a lively city break, securing your booking early increases the likelihood of getting exactly what you want, right down to the exact room view.
Moreover, popular travel dates such as school holiday periods or weekends tend to fill up first. Early booking allows you to reserve your spot at the time that works best for you, avoiding the disappointment of finding limited availability and higher costs later in the year.
2. Psychological Benefits: More Time to Look Forward to It
While many people focus on the excitement and relaxation of the holiday itself, there’s something uniquely uplifting about the anticipation leading up to it. In fact, for some, the act of planning and looking forward to a trip can provide more happiness than the holiday itself.
Research consistently shows that the anticipation of an event can increase happiness levels, often more than the event itself. This phenomenon is rooted in the psychology of "anticipatory happiness." When you book a holiday months in advance, your brain begins to experience a sense of joy and excitement well before you even set foot on the plane or arrive at your destination.
The process of anticipating a fun, relaxing experience releases dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward. In fact, studies have shown that people experience increased levels of dopamine when they anticipate something pleasurable, such as a holiday, in the future. The longer the lead time between booking and departure, the more time you have to savour the joyful anticipation.
3. Lower Prices and Better Deals
One of the most significant advantages of booking in January is the opportunity to lock in lower prices for every budget. Many airlines and hotels offer early-bird discounts to encourage customers to commit to their summer bookings months ahead of time.
By securing your trip early, you can take advantage of these discounted rates before prices begin to rise closer to the summer months. As the months progress, demand increases, leading to higher prices and fewer available options, perhaps there are only suites available, rather than rooms. January, with its quieter travel period, allows you to access the best bargains.
Early booking also provides the flexibility to adjust your plans if necessary. Changes, cancellations, or modifications are typically easier and less costly to manage the earlier you book. It’s much more challenging to adjust travel arrangements during peak times when demand is at its highest.
4. Time to Personalize and Tailor the Experience
When you book early, you give yourself time to plan the holiday to your exact preferences. Whether it’s choosing the perfect accommodations, researching unique experiences, or simply deciding where to dine, early booking means you can customize your itinerary and make the trip truly yours.
Personalizing your vacation enhances your attachment to the experience, creating a stronger sense of anticipation. The more effort you put into planning, the more satisfying the build-up can be. The excitement of a well-thought-out trip can create lasting memories even before you embark.
6. Reduced Anxiety and Stress Closer to Departure
Leaving your holiday planning to the last minute can cause anxiety, particularly if availability is limited or prices have increased. By booking well in advance, you reduce the stress that comes with last-minute scrambling. Knowing that your holiday is already arranged months before departure allows you to enjoy the lead-up to the trip without the worry of what-ifs.
Looking for Travel Inspiration?
While it is literally my business to know where to go, it is a big world out there and I understand that deciding where to go can be difficult. Even I have a hard time trying to narrow down plans for my own holidays.
While getting inspired by friends, family, colleagues and acquaintance’s own previous holidays gives one a certain level of confidence, there is something more exciting about going to lands “unknown” in your circle. It sparks an adventure inside of you and rewards you with exciting new stories to tell.
My travel wish list is out of control. It grows seemingly every day, but when planning and booking trips for me or my clients, personally I look to the following resources for inspiration....
Of course for expertise and guidance speak to an Independent Travel consultant, like me, we live and breathe travel everyday – if I haven’t been there personally I guarantee I know someone who has. You can also subscribe to my newsletter by registering your interest via "Join the Club".
Newspapers (printed or online) travel sections, I particularly love The Telegraph and their online Hotel Reviews. I also love Forbes for their hotel reviews.
Travel focused magazines, such as Conde Nast Traveller, Travel + Leisure, Fodors, National Geographic, Lonely Planet, Virtuoso Life.
Virtuoso.com is a wealth of articles and inspiration. You can even book hotels directly via my page here. I then receive a notification and follow-up with the hotel to ensure you get the VIP treatment, together with some bonus benefits, such as room upgrades, early check-in/late check-out and a US$100 room credit.
Skyscanner.net is a great resource for checking flight prices, by entering your origin airport and selecting “Everywhere” as your destination, it will show you which countries have the lowest cost fares for your specific dates or even a whole month, this is often my starting point for holiday planning.
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