There really is no limit on when you should plan a vacation. If you wanted to, you could plan it today and leave for your trip tomorrow. Or, alternatively, plan it a year or more in advance. However, when it comes to getting the best deals, there will be ideal times to buy, which should affect when you finalize certain parts of your vacation plans.

 

Domestic Flights

Domestic flights tend to be their cheapest 2-4 months in advance of the flight. So, to get the best deal on a domestic flight, you should have your destination and date decided at least four months in advance. This way, you can be on alert for the perfect flight during the times when they are the cheapest.

 

International Flights

Unlike domestic flights, these fares never really drop in price, so you can start booking them from the moment they go on sale. However, they do start to rise once you are in the 90-day window of the date of the flight. With that in mind, four to six months in advance of your trip would be the right time to start planning.

 

Hotels

Unlike flights, hotels tend to get cheaper the closer you are to your stay. If you are willing to risk not staying in your favorite hotel, you might do best by waiting until you are about a week out to book your rooms. And if you are driving instead of flying, you can wait until the last minute to make your reservations.

 

Where are you planning on going this year?