19/05/2026
✈️🌍 Travel Tip Tuesday: How Far in Advance Should You Book Your Holiday? 🌍✈️
One of the most common questions travellers ask is:
“When is the best time to book a holiday?” 👀
The truth is — booking at the right time can make a huge difference when it comes to pricing, flight availability, accommodation choices, visa preparation, and overall travel experience.
While last-minute specials do occasionally appear, booking early usually gives you the best combination of value, flexibility, and peace of mind. ✨
Here’s a helpful guide on how far in advance you should ideally book different types of holidays:
🏝️ Island Holidays
(Mauritius, Maldives, Zanzibar, Seychelles, Bali)
📅 Recommended booking time:
4–8 months in advance
Island destinations remain extremely popular with South African travellers, especially during school holidays and winter when everyone is chasing warmer weather. Resorts and flights can fill up quickly.
Booking early helps secure:
✔ Better flight prices
✔ More resort availability
✔ Better room categories
✔ Family room options
✔ Early booking specials
Mauritius and Seychelles are especially convenient for South Africans due to shorter flight times and easy visa requirements.
🏛️ Europe Holidays
(Italy, Greece, France, Portugal, Croatia, Spain)
📅 Recommended booking time:
6–10 months in advance
Europe’s summer season between June and September is one of the busiest travel periods in the world. Flights, hotels, cruises, and tours increase in price closer to departure.
Booking early gives you enough time for:
🛂 Schengen visa applications
✈️ Better flight options
🏨 Centrally located accommodation
🚆 Train bookings
🚢 Mediterranean cruises
🌴 Island hopping plans
Popular destinations like Greece, Italy, and Croatia sell out quickly during peak summer.
❄️ Lapland & Northern Lights Holidays
(Finland, Norway, Arctic Europe)
📅 Recommended booking time:
8–12 months in advance
Lapland holidays are bucket-list experiences and one of the fastest-selling winter holidays globally. Glass igloos, snow hotels, festive packages, and Northern Lights experience often book out nearly a year in advance.
Booking early is essential for:
🎅 Santa Claus Village stays
🌌 Northern Lights tours
🦌 Husky & reindeer safaris
❄️ Glass igloo accommodation
🎄 Festive season travel
If you want to travel during December, booking early is highly recommended.
🦁 Safari Holidays
(Botswana, Kruger National Park, Kenya, Tanzania)
📅 Recommended booking time:
4–8 months in advance
Safari travel is extremely seasonal, especially during peak wildlife viewing periods like the Great Migration in Kenya and Tanzania.
Booking early helps secure:
🌿 Luxury safari lodges
🚙 Prime game viewing experiences
✈️ Convenient flight connections
📸 Peak wildlife season availability
Luxury lodges in Botswana and East Africa often have limited rooms and can fill quickly.
🚢 Cruises
📅 Recommended booking time:
6–12 months in advance
Cruises are usually cheapest when first released. The earlier you book, the more cabin choices and promotional offers are available.
Booking early helps with:
🛳 Balcony cabin availability
🍹Promotional packages
🌊Better cabin locations
💰Flexible payment plans
🚢Popular cruise itineraries
This is especially important for:
🇪🇺 Mediterranean cruises
❄️Norwegian Fjord cruises
🌴Island cruises
🎄Festive cruises
👨👩👧 School Holiday & Festive Travel
📅 Recommended booking time:
6–12 months in advance
This is one of the busiest travel periods for South Africans. Flights and accommodation become limited very quickly — especially for:
☀️ Mauritius
🏝️ Zanzibar
🇪🇺 Europe
🎄 Lapland
🚢 Cruises
🌴 Bali & Maldives
Booking early during festive periods can save travellers a significant amount of money.
🇺🇸 USA Holidays
📅 Recommended booking time:
6–10 months in advance
The USA requires additional planning because of visa appointments, internal flights, accommodation, and often complex itineraries.
Booking early allows enough time for:
🛂 USA visa applications
🎢 Theme Park planning
✈️ Multi-city itineraries
🚗 Car hire reservations
🏨 Better hotel availability
Popular destinations include:
🗽 New York
🎰 Las Vegas
🌴 Miami
🎢 Orlando
🌉 California
🇦🇺🇳🇿 Australia & New Zealand Holidays
📅 Recommended booking time:
8–12 months in advance
These are long-haul destinations that require careful planning, especially for family holidays and multi-city itineraries.
Booking early helps with:
✈️ Better long-haul flight pricing
🚗 Campervan & car hire bookings
🏔 Scenic tours
🛂 Visa processing
🏨 Accommodation during peak seasons
These destinations are particularly popular over South African festive periods.
🌆 Middle East Holidays
(Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Oman)
📅 Recommended booking time:
3–6 months in advance
The Middle East is perfect for shorter luxury getaways, shopping trips, family holidays, and stopover experiences.
Booking early is recommended for:
☀️ Winter sun escapes
🏨 Luxury resorts
🎡 Theme parks
🛍 Shopping festivals
🏎 Formula 1 events
Dubai remains one of the top quick international getaways for South Africans.
🧳 Guided Tours
(Contiki, Cost saver, Trafalgar, Insight Vacations & more)
📅 Recommended booking time:
6–12 months in advance
Guided tours are becoming increasingly popular because they make travel easier and more stress-free.
Booking early helps secure:
✔ Guaranteed departures
✔ Better room options
✔ Early booking discounts
✔ Popular itineraries
✔ Seasonal tours
These tours are especially popular for:
🇪🇺 Europe
🇺🇸 USA
🇯🇵 Japan
🇦🇺 Australia
🌍 Multi-country adventures
✨ Why Booking Early Is Usually Better:
✔ Better pricing
✔ More flight choices
✔ Easier visa preparation
✔ Better accommodation options
✔ Flexible payment plans
✔ Less travel stress
✔ More time to plan activities & experiences
While spontaneous travel can sometimes be exciting, early planning almost always creates a smoother, more affordable, and more enjoyable travel experience. 🌍✈️
So, tell me… are you an early planner or a last-minute traveller? 👀
📧 [email protected]
📞 072 804 9541
🌐 https://www.travelcounsellors.co.za/maryke.boshoff/
