Why I book Next Year's Holidays In September (While Everyone Else is Just Surviving)
September is survival mode for most families. New term, new routine, forms coming out of nowhere, everyone readjusting. The last thing on your mind is next year's holiday.
Which is exactly why now is the smartest time to book one.
The Counterintuitive Bit
Everyone books holidays when they're thinking about holidays — January in the post-Christmas slump, or spring when the sun appears. Which means everyone's competing for the same trips at the same time, and prices reflect it.
September is quiet. The summer rush is over, the January rush hasn't started, and the early-release deals for next year are quietly appearing. You're booking in the calm, not the scramble. And for anything tied to fixed school-holiday dates, booking in the calm is how you get the good stuff before it goes.
What's Actually Worth Booking Now
October half-term, if you haven't already. It's weeks away, and the family resorts are going fast. If it's on your list at all, this is genuinely your last comfortable window.
Christmas and New Year trips. These book up further ahead than people expect, especially anywhere with a bit of winter sun or a proper festive setup. If you're thinking about it, think about it now.
Next summer. This is the one people find mad, but hear me out. The very early-release deals for next July and August come out around now, and for peak weeks with school-age kids, early almost always wins. You lock in the price, you get the choice, and you've got something to look forward to through the darker months.
The mindset shift that actually helps
Booking ahead isn't about being ultra-organised. It's about not being at the mercy of everyone else's timing.
When you book in the quiet months, you're choosing from everything. When you book in the rush, you're choosing from what's left, at the price the rush has pushed up.
I'm not saying spend your September evenings glued to travel sites. I'm saying: if there's a trip you know you want next year, the calm of now beats the scramble of later. Every time.
The One Thing To Check First
Before you book anything, check the whole family's passports. Expiry dates, six months' validity, a lot.
September is far enough ahead that a problem is completely fixable. Discover it in half-term week, and it's a disaster. It's the least exciting advice I give, and it saves the most tears.
The Takeaway
While everyone else is just getting through September, you can quietly sort the thing that gives you something to look forward to - at a better price, with better choice, and none of the panic.
Survival mode is real. But five minutes booking ahead now is a gift to the version of you who'd otherwise be scrambling in January.
Not sure what's worth booking now versus later? That's genuinely one of my favourite things to help with - knowing when to move and when to wait. Come find me. I've usually already worked it out.
Get in touch at www.letsgo-travel.co.uk
*Jenny Willcock is a luxury family travel specialist and founder of Lets Go Travel. She travels regularly with her three children and books family holidays across Europe, the Middle East and beyond.*
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