I think this was in a thread somewhere, but heck if I can find it. I normally travel in the fall but am considering a trip to Poland this July. I wouldn't get airfares until 3 or 4 months beforehand in case flights start changing, but when does everyone start reserving hotels? (Working sets my dates in stone and I usually max out vacation days, so picking hotels first and flights later works for me. I can sleep when I get home- don't tell the boss). I started looking at hotels for fun- yes, it's fun- and some already show being booked. They are the ones in the RS books so may be more popular, but do things fill up this soon for summer travel? I assume Krakow and Gdansk book sooner than big-city Warsaw, but how soon (generally)? Thoughts for someone who usually avoids big summer vacations?
Posted by
SE Pennsylvania
2367 posts
If they are available to book, and you can cancel without penalty, sure! I booked a hotel for a March 2019 trip to Spain months ago.
Posted by
Milwaukie, Oregon
1056 posts
Book now, so long as you can cancel without penalty. I have already been booked as of two months ago for next summer.
Posted by
Fort Myers, FL
1658 posts
Ditto...If it is a reservation you can cancel, by all means book it. I have done that and actually booked again in the same hotel when the price dropped, then cancelled the original. I think it is a little early for next July, but if there is someplace you want to be, then a bird in the hand.....Enjoy. Krakow is a great city that I think gets slighted because all anyone talks about is the tour of Auschwitz.
Posted by
Schaumburg, IL
262 posts
I booked Lauterbrunnen and Zermat for late June already on booking
.com and can cancel up to a week or two before arrival at no cost and
got a great deal at the Hotels I wanted. So go ahead and hold some until
you finalize your plans.
Posted by
Tennessee
41 posts
I booked all my late May/early June 2019 hotels last month. I can cancel them all without penalty up to 3-7 days before arrival. Two of my 4 are already sold out for my dates.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA ☔️
6788 posts
In the past month or two I've been planning a trip to Ireland for June-July 2019. I have found some places are already booked up. The best places sometimes fill up a full year ahead. (I now have everything for that trip booked expect one last stay.)
Europe is more crowded and popular with tourists than ever. More than most people realize (until they find they can't get in to something they had their heart set on).
If you have your dates set, and you have worked out the details of your itinerary, there's no reason to wait. Early bird gets the worm and all that.
Posted by
Vacaville, Ca
1368 posts
I did the same as Melissa for the same time in Murren & Lucerne. The place I want in Paris only accepts booking 6 months out, so I have a few weeks until I can book with them.
Enjoy your trip.
Posted by
OP
West Coast
400 posts
Looks like I have a project for the next couple weeks! Thanks everyone.
Posted by
1221 posts
June 2019 is a family river cruise with time on our own before and after. I booked 4 nights in Amsterdam after the cruise back in August because I found a screaming deal using my IHG/Holiday Inn points for free nights, and hotels only have to make something like 5% of rooms available for award stays so if I didn't book then, I'd lose the points option. Booked Lauterbrunnen shortly after that (fully cancellable) because I'm picky, it's a small area, and it looked like the better sub-200 CHF options were already filling up.
Without special circumstances and with lots of inventory, I'll typically book hotels somewhere between late January and early March for a June vacation.
Posted by
Knoxville, TN, USA
7209 posts
What do you mean "flights start changing"? I purchased my airfare months ago at a great price for June 2019 and have all my hotels booked as well. It's never too early if you're sure you're going.
Posted by
OP
West Coast
400 posts
Tim- I've had issues when airlines change flight times a few months out after I've bought a ticket, and it's usually not in my favor. Not that it always happens, but something to look out for. But still need to get on the hotel reservations, at least. And asking the boss for the time off. :)
Posted by
Vacaville, Ca
1368 posts
So far I've been lucky on not having my flights change. I did go through the headache and concerns in 2014 with the AF pilot strike. Lucked out and it ended 2 days before my departure. In 2016 the SNCF strikes were going on as well, but I lucked out on that again with it not affecting my dates.