Why January Is the Best Time to Start Planning Your Holiday Travel
The winter holiday season may be the most wonderful time of the year - but it’s also consistently the busiest and most expensive time to travel.
Whether you’re dreaming of an exhilarating theme park vacation, a relaxing cruise, sunshine at an all-inclusive resort, a festive ski lodge getaway, or something entirely different, there’s one important rule when it comes to holiday travel:
If you want to travel during the holidays, you need to start planning early.
Every year, travelers are surprised to learn just how quickly holiday availability disappears and how fast prices increase. January is actually the ideal time to start thinking ahead- sometimes even one or two years in advance - especially for families, groups, and multi-generational trips.
Here’s why planning your holiday travel early makes such a big difference.
More Time to Coordinate With Family and Friends
Holiday travel often involves more people - and more schedules.
Between work commitments, school calendars, sports, extracurricular activities, and family obligations, finding dates that work for everyone can be challenging. Planning early allows everyone involved to review schedules before calendars fill up, making it far easier to choose dates that work for the entire group.
For multi-generational trips or group travel, early coordination is especially important. Villas, connecting rooms, and adjacent cruise cabins are limited and often sell out well in advance.
Better Availability for Flights, Resorts, and Cruises
The peak holiday travel period typically runs from Thanksgiving through New Year’s, and demand during this time is extremely high.
Booking early gives you a much better chance of securing:
Your preferred destination
Your first-choice resort or cruise ship
The room category or stateroom type you actually want
It also matters when it comes to airfare. Airlines have a limited number of seats at each price point, and for families or groups traveling together, securing seats on the same flight - and often seated together - becomes increasingly difficult the longer you wait.
Once popular resorts, cruise categories, or flight routes sell out, options become limited quickly.
Better Pricing Through Early Planning
One of the biggest misconceptions about travel pricing is that rates stay the same no matter when you book. In reality, most airlines, cruise lines, and resorts use dynamic pricing.
This means prices increase as availability decreases.
Holiday travel is especially sensitive to demand, and pricing can rise significantly as space fills. Planning early often allows you to:
Lock in lower rates before demand peaks
Access better promotions when they are first released
Spread out payments instead of paying everything at once
Waiting to book almost always results in higher prices and fewer choices.
Why Working With a Travel Advisor Matters for Holiday Travel
Holiday vacations require more strategy than travel at other times of the year—especially when flights, room categories, and group logistics are involved.
When you work with Royal Treatment Travel, you gain an experienced travel advisor who helps guide you through the planning process from the very beginning. Our clients benefit from:
Guidance on the best destinations for families, groups, and multi-generational trips
Help choosing resorts or staterooms that truly fit your needs
Strategic advice on flights, seating considerations, transfers, and add-ons
Monitoring for potential promotions and pricing changes
Support before, during, and after your vacation
Holiday travel can absolutely be magical—but it’s also competitive. While it’s often more expensive overall, booking early gives you the best opportunity to save money, secure your first choices, and reduce unnecessary stress.
If holiday travel is on your wish list, January is the perfect time to start the conversation.
Ready to make your holiday travel plans? Contact your Travel Advisor or submit a quote request today to start planning your vacation today!
