Mona

We are thinking about visiting Alaska next July-August and I feel that I am ready to start reading about it and make choices where to go and what to see, where to stay and for how long but some of our friends are saying that I am crazy because we just returned from our vacation and we are talking about 10 or 11 months in advance. I am not talking about making reservations but about mentally preparing myself for the trip. I would like to know when do you start planning your next trip. Thanks

Jim Rosenberg

But you've always been different than your friends that way, right? For a high-demand summer destination, I think you've got the right idea and I wouldn't even feel it is too soon to lock in some reservations (cancellation policy permitting). When we're booking FF tickets or popular summer events, we're often working 10-11 months out. Dig in and enjoy! Who cares what anyone else thinks of it?! Happy trails!

Rose

We think it is never too early. We are in a process of booking our accommodations for May 2002 in Athens

traveler

Because we own timeshares, we have to reserve early to get in where we want. We have next summers reservations already made @ 3 different resorts in the NW. We are retired so have great flexiblity in taking our vacations. Even when we were younger we would plan a year in advance. My husbands job required that he put down in Oct. when he wanted to go the following year. I don't think your crazy for planning ahead. It's something to look forward to and plan.

steve

Already been planning usmmer 2002 for 2-3 months. Have also started on summer 2003.

Linda

Steve, I think I've got you beat, but just by a bit. We're actively planning 2002 (autumn, not spring), doing research on 2003 (Paris and Tuscany), and, last night, decided where we will go in 2004 (England) and did a bit of talking about it. We also kind of decided on Greece and Istanbul in 2005. So we're way out there. Planning a vacation is half the fun we think, so spend a lot of time on them, for 2 to 3 years in advance.

Sal

I've just starting doing my research on a family trip to Africa we're planning for the summer of 2002. To tell you the truth, I wish I'd started earlier!

Trish

Hi Mona,
Isn't the planning half the fun of travel? I purchased books on the Southwest just as soon as we decided that would be our next summer vacation.
I've booked my cabin at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and bought my airline tickets for next June. I couldn't pass up the great deal I was able to get on airfare, so why not get some of the trip payed for now?
Researching your destination thoroughly only makes for a better trip! Have fun with it!!

xxxxx

Mona
We are planning our trip in June 2002 to Kenya and it is not too early and you are not crazy. Check prices of airfares often and if you see one that you think is too good to last just get it. Also you should thaink about booking your accommodations soon. Alaska has very short season and some places are booked well in advance. Or maybe you are thinking about traveling with a group then start talking to different tour operatos soon and get what you want. I would strongly suggest you travel on your own. It is so much fun planning and making your own arrangements. I think there are many people on this board who are addicted to travel and they always plan the next trip even if it is many, many months (or a few years)in advance Do you consider yourself hooked on travel? I do!

Marie

Mona - I agree with Trish. Truth be known, I can't tolerate not planning for my next trip soon as the bags are unpacked from the previous one. Reading, planning, getting info, dreaming, all part of the fun. Your friends are missing half the enjoyment of travel.

Donna F

yeegads, definitely plan Alaska as soon as possible. The last 2 weeks of July are the busiest. The Alaska State Ferry starts taking reservations in early Dec and one travel agency I talked with said they take reservations even sooner such as Sept. We went this year and probably didn't plan enough. According to the news places like Glacier Bay are getting too crowded and the govt will cut back on the number of boats allowed in. There may be less cruises next year. Since Alaska is so big, you really have to decide where you will spend your time and what you will be doing. If you like to fish, you will want to time your visit to the best weeks for fishing. We decided to skip Denali this trip but we tried to cover too many miles and got road weary. Mentally preparing for a trip? I don't think anytime is too soon.

sandy

Lets see, April 2002 (hawaii) was booked in late May 2001, July 2002 to Hilton Head was booked last week, and I am now researching for a big summer trip to France 2003. (we did Italy July 2001, which started on the wishlist in January 2000) I generally dream and research far ahead, and then book about 10 months out to take advantage of FF miles on the dates I want or need. I get my first pick of hotels, and usually at great rates. With Hawaii, my hotel is free using hotel points. Planning is half the fun. I use the internet, browse the travel book sections at Borders (I sometimes sit there for hours!) and request brochures from every tourist agency in the region I want to visit. My family makes fun of me, but I do get some great deals, and always know tons of stuff about the area that we are visiting.

Cornelia

Next March we are going to Maldives and we booked our two resorts in June. Thank you for asking

Also we are planning our trip to Alaska as well but in August and are in a process of deciding where to stay. Probably in the end of this month we will book our cabins there

bennie

I'm planning now for a trip to Arizona in April. Its never too early to start researching and planning. I agree with the majority of posters that planning is a big part of the fun. My husband on the other hand never plans, chucks out a wish or two and leaves the rest to me. To each his own.

Last minute Sue

Started searching labor day weekend for October 2001 (4 weeks away) vacation to Caribbean. Went to Ireland in June of this year and started the planning in March of this year. I have the opposite philosophy I guess. I always book last minute packages and airfares and usually get great prices. (Have seen Beaches grande Sport in Jamaica for $799 person for a week including airfare, hotel, and all meals for first week of October)

Its not that I don't do anything, I am always researching the net (example my love of Fodor's) and seeing places I would like to go and noting the attractions and nice hotels in those areas. I also have a list at least a mile long of all the places I want to see, I just don't plan on a specific destination or trip until the last minute. I too have one of those jobs where I have to schedule vacation tiem at the very least 6 months in advance so I shedule a certain week on the calendar and stick to it. For example, I scheduled the first week of October in the spring,to go "somewhere warm" labor day weekend I started seeing what kind of specials I could get with no specific island required!

Neil

Its reassuring to know that there are plenty of others out there who plan their vacations far in advance. It will make my wife's comments about my "sickness" easier to bear. As many of you other posters have noted, planning for a trip can become its own form of recreation.

Our next two trips? We are going on a family ski trip to Austria in February, which I started planning in April and booked in May. Next summer, we are touring the southwest (Bryce, Zion, Grand Canyon, etc.) I started researching in July and we are already 90% booked. Also doing some preliminary research for a summer 2003 trip to Italy.

wanda

Mona, we went to Alaska in Aug. 2000 and I started making reservations in Feb.of that year.
How are you going? We flew to Anchorage and then rented a car and drove around for 3 weeks.
I made our air line reseverations as soon as the flights were posted through a travel agent, then she watched and when there was a special she bought them.
We had to make some changes to our schedule once we were in Alaska and we had not problems getting rooms anywhere, but you are going at a busier time.
One of the first things that you have to do is get a copy of the Milepost and start looking at the map, decide where and what you want to see and go from there. I made all of our reservations over the internet, and called some of the places that had 800 numbers.
Contact me if you want more info.

stephanie

Just booked our same room for the same time next year at a hotel as we were checking out. We go to the same destination each Labor Day for a volleyball tournament.

You have to have SOMETHING to look forward to, it's never too soon! I feel that it's good to be really familiar with your destination and to exhaust your research on all the potential attractions and hotels so that you know exactly what you want.

Lisa

Me too. Next July (2002) in Glacier National Park booked on May 1st (2001) the day when reservations for the lodges there became available

Vicky

We are doing a family road through PA next year taking in a lot of history etc. Started booking reservations this week and found most of our 1st choices already booked!

Planning is half the fun, we enjoy the anticipation as much as the trip!!