Summer vacations are eagerly awaited by people across age groups. After all, it is the best time to unwind with the family and get geared up for the rest of the hectic year! But many people out there still fail to make the most of this popular school holiday season. Reason? Because they either don’t know when to start planning for their summer holidays or even if they do decide a destination in advance, they end up booking at the wrong time, paying a hefty amount for that much-needed vacation! Then there are last-minute travelers as well who end up paying the highest for their bookings due to the peak season.

To avoid such similar scenarios, you must book your summer vacations way in advance, which is what we are going to discuss about in this article.

The ideal booking season

Usually, people are at their leisure best when it comes to planning their summer holidays, leaving it until the last moment. That only leaves them with limited choices and higher rates. Therefore, if you don’t want to lose out on visiting your favorite destination, it is ideal that you book your trip at least 3 to 5 months in advance. Although the advance booking largely depends on your choice of holiday destination, a booking of minimum 3 to 5 months in advance can save a significant percentage of your money - anywhere between 20 to 30 percent to be precise.

January is considered as the ideal month to lock your bookings if you are planning your summer trip based on the school vacations. Even September is popular to book for your next year’s summer trip. But if you feel making such an early commitment can make you lose out on future discounted rates, think twice. After the Christmas holiday season ends, demand hits an all-time low and the hotels and tourism industries are relatively desperate to supply their offerings. That’s when an early-bird booking can get you cheap flights, low deposits, free child space as well as exciting accommodation deals. It’s a simple dynamic, you bring them business and they bring you attractive discounts!

In fact, most of the popular hotels and villas around the globe get a full house by the first week of April itself. Hence, you must confirm your bookings months in advance for a pleasant memorable experience.

Flight bookings for summer vacations

Airfares are directly proportional with holiday season and travel dates. The ticket rates skyrocket when the departure date approaches and goes down considerably during off-season. For example, just a week or two before Christmas, you would find it hard to fly to Europe or the States, as they are already full and the ones which are available are too costly for non-business travelers. The same theory applies with summer holidays as well.

Therefore, if you are planning to go for an overseas summer vacation, say to Europe, book your flight tickets at least three months in advance. Almost all the airlines announce special holiday discount rates that run for a couple of days for such advance bookings. You can avail attractive deals on your flight with savings close to few hundred dollars per ticket on your round trip. Moreover, booking a midweek flight for both your journeys can save a few more dollars too.

Hotel bookings for summer vacations

Booking a good hotel is necessary while vacationing. After all, a comfortable and rejuvenating stay is all you want during your holidays. However, you may have to compromise on your luxurious stay or shed more money for it if you book hotels at the very last minute. As with greater demands of peak holiday periods such as summer, hotels increase their rentals too. Although hotel fares depend on the region you are planning to visit and their peak tourist season, that should not keep you from making an early-bird booking.

An ideal time to book hotels for your summer vacations is minimum three months before you plan to depart for your trip irrespective of the destination. There are also people who confirm their favorite hotels, rental holiday homes or villas six to eight months in advance. It can greatly help you save on your summer trips across the globe.

For example, if you are heading to the US for summer, booking prior to three months of your departure can help you save up to 9% while booking Budapest hotels for summer 3 to 5 months in advance can save up to 35%. If Middle East is your summer holiday destination then booking a hotel 2 months in advance can get you up to 19% savings, as per the research done.

When you can stay at one of the best hotels with such enticing advance booking offers, then waiting for the last-minute discounts doesn’t make sense at all!

Cruise bookings for summer vacations

There is nothing better than spending your summer holidays than cruising along the sea. In fact, summer is the peak season when people of all ages set their eyes on a wonderful cruise trip on the Caribbean, Alaska, Northern Europe or the Mediterranean region. But as with other vacation options, cruises also get full and costly as the holiday season approaches. That’s why you must decide and confirm your cruise bookings way in advance.

While booking for a cruise summer vacation trip, timing is everything. The ideal time to book for cruise trips is at least nine months in advance. That gets you the best possible deals for your summer holidays which can save you hundreds of dollars. In fact, most cruise lines also provide exciting early-bird offers such as low introductory rates, cabin or suit preference, special dining packages, free air tickets, onboard credit points, cabin upgrades or even refundable bookings in case you change your mind to cancel the trip later.

You can avail such discounts during wave season which falls between January to March. However, different cruise lines have their own discount season as well, so it’s better to research and look out for the best. At the end, it all depends on your destination and the best time to sail.

Now that you have all this essential information, don’t wait and start booking for your summer vacations right away to grab the best deals.