Why February isn’t too early to start planning your summer
It might seem strange to start planning your summer holidays at the turn of the year while winter is still at its height, but there are plenty of advantages to getting ahead of the rush. There is a certain excitement that comes with booking a week off last minute and heading to your nearest travel agent or browsing a budget airline online and seeing where that may take you, but you’re not guaranteed to get the trip you’re hoping for if you do take that risk.
With holidays far from an insignificant cost, it’s probably for the best that you do what you can to ensure that you’re going to have the best possible time away — we aren’t afforded that many breaks from work each year, so it’d be terrible if when one did come along it didn’t end up feeling worthwhile. Here are a few tips that could help you get the most out of your holiday the next time you do come to plan some time away.
Get better deals
While it’s true that there’s an entire subsection of the holiday industry built off the concept of last-minute deals, they’re not always the greatest in terms of choice and quality. You can — should you book in good time — get an equally cost-effective deal while tailoring the entire trip to your exact needs and wants, which will massively enhance the odds of you enjoying your time away.
Flights, hotels and tickets for attractions, museums or events while you’re away will be substantially more affordable when booked far in advance, and this will afford you the time to spread the cost of paying for those and actually going away. Rather than having one large lump sum leave your account, you will be able to better manage expenditure over time.
Start saving and planning
Going away doesn’t just cost money in the booking stages, but also your level of spending will be higher than usual while you’re on holiday. By giving yourself a break in time between booking and when you go, there’s a window of time to put money aside and save. This will allow you to maximise the budget you’ll have available to you for your trip, and minimise any worry about how much you’re spending, making for a much better holiday over all.
Additionally, you can also book the time you need off work with plenty of notice, and have more time to organise your itinerary, ensuring you make the most of your time away. Time flies when you have something to look forward to, and planning in advance will give you chance to do just that.