We’re last minute people, maybe a week in advance without air travel, a month with. A family friend just invited us to join them on a vacation NOVEMBER 2025. That seems bonkers to me!
How far in advance do you plan a small trip like a road trip or visiting family, and how far in advance for a big trip like international travel, a cruise, or Disney?
My wife and I usually plan big vacations about a year in advance so that we can follow flight prices and whatnot to get a good deal. We also book a few days at a cabin for our anniversary every year, so we just book the next year’s reservation while we’re there, since reservations can fill up even several months in advance.
Only planning a week in advance seems stressful to me - we planned a last-minute (for us) road trip vacation earlier this month for the long 4th of July weekend, and it was tough to find cheap places to stay that weren’t super grungy.
We usually know what city/countries we want to visit this year, but actually looking for hotels or airfare is like a month out. We’re pretty chill vacationers, and we have our style worked out so it’s not usually stressful for us. YMMV!