Everyone wants a way to make the holiday season easier. Many families choose to take this time to travel together to make incredible memories (and make someone else do the dishes). Holiday travel is a gift in itself. There are fantastic resorts, cruises, and activities that can keep everyone in the holiday spirit. It’s a pretty incredible memory to ring in the New Year in New Zealand, share a kiss on Christmas in front of the Eiffel Tower, or have Christmas Eve dinner at a luau in Hawaii. But holiday travel can also be tricky. There are some unique things you should know about traveling over the holiday season.
The Holidays are THE most busy weeks of the year in travel.
“Really?!?!?”
Yep. We hear this from clients all the time. Many people assume that the holidays are not that busy for vacation traveling to resorts or cruises because they think people are at home with their families celebrating.
Nope. They are the busiest weeks of the year in travel. Many families use the holidays as a chance to vacation, especially those that have designated time off this year. Some businesses are always closed the week between Christmas and New Years, making this a favorite time to plan a big family vacation. Compared to other busy times like Spring Break which have different dates for different areas, the holidays have very common travel dates for everyone before and after, which means flight prices can skyrocket. Many popular attractions also see increase visits from locals, who use this time to celebrate in their cities too.
Many hotels have a minimum night requirements over the holiday season.
With it being so busy, many hotels have minimum night or stay length requirements. It’s not uncommon to see 5-7 night minimum stay requirements during this time period. This may make it difficult for those considering just a long weekend for their travel.
Flights book early. Way early.
It’s not uncommon to book holiday travel 7-12 months in advance. Many vacationers are not used to planning this far out and find themselves looking for travel arrangements mid-Fall, only to find that prices are high and availability is low. While the internet is full of “last minute deal” the truth is that real deals on the best itineraries were often had way ahead of time.
There are often special events and hours at hotels and cruises.
Resorts and cruises work hard to make the holidays special for those on vacation. There are usually special dinners, cocktail parties, shopping opportunities, brunches, cookie decorating, meet-and-greets (Hello Santa!), teas, and events. Many of these events require special reservations during defined hours and book up early. Planning early ensures that even large groups can get all the holiday magic they want. Because of special events, normal events may be a bit different during the holiday season. It’s best to check restaurant, museum, activity, and shop hours ahead of time as there can be special closures.
We have some fantastic ideas for your holiday travel and are ready to get you set up in style.
About The Traveling Compass:
The Traveling Compass is a full-service luxury travel agency. Our success is built on a foundation of unmatched expertise and outstanding customer service. Our travel agents specialize in international travel, corporate incentive trips, destination weddings & honeymoons, multigenerational travel, luxury leisure, and family travel. We are also Authorized Disney Vacation Planners with experience assisting families that have children with special needs or large families or groups with complicated dining reservations for over 20 guests. Our personalized travel itineraries are designed to help discerning, time-pressed travelers plan the most elaborate vacations, down to the smallest detail. As luxury travel agents, we are dedicated to creating and facilitating travel experiences that expand awareness and give each person a real sense of the country and culture they are visiting. It is our mission to make sure you have the travel experience of a lifetime, every time.
