A New Year of Travel in September?

September always feels like a new year to me. Of course, my Jewish friends just celebrated the new year,  Rosh Hashanah on September 6-8. But September always feels like a new year even to those of us who don’t celebrate Rosh Hashanah. 

Maybe it’s because it’s that back-to-school feeling and starting a new school year that feels like my year begins in September.

Even if you don’t have kids in school, I don’t think we ever outgrow that feeling from our own school years.

That’s one of the reasons why I get an undated planner and start planning our year and our travels in September.

One, because I do have kids in school, I start getting their activities and obligations down in the calendar. Especially as kids get older and they have more things to do, it’s important to carve out the space when you can get away. Even weekend getaways or staycations count.

Two, now that summer is done, we can set goals for what we want to do next year. It’s a good time to reflect on what worked, what we enjoyed, and where we want to go. Those popular destinations could book up six months to a year in advance. By knowing what your travel goals are for next summer, you can get a jump start on making reservations. Even if it is a popular destination, you can keep an eye out for cancellations. (That is how we got 4 nights in the very popular Custer State Park in South Dakota.)

Finally, booking early can save you money. Often, you don’t have to pay everything upfront. And while, yes, there can be last-minute deals, hotels, airlines, and tours can’t predict the future right now and don’t know what the demand will be. Booking almost a year in advance can save you money. That’s why cruising has an early booking discount. And, if prices drop, even more, you can usually take advantage of the savings.

However, those last-minute deals could work for a slower fall travel season too!

I also find that by doing this in September, I can plan more travel for the future months. While some of us are good at planning ahead for summer, we also forget to plan anything around the holidays. September is a good time to get those last-minute plans in for December too.