“Plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.”—Dwight D. Eisenhower
When it comes to family vacations, parents tend to vary widely in the amount of planning they are willing to undertake. Some families fly by the seat of their pants and do things like purchase their plane tickets upon arrival at the airline’s ticket counter. (Gah!)
Others (cough, me, cough) enjoy the planning of the vacation to such an extent, the actual vacation becomes the delicious icing on top of an already enjoyable adventure. I assume normal people fall somewhere in between these two extremes.
While spontaneity is great and we all need to just get up and go sometimes, there are a number of advantages—some you may not have thought of—to planning your next few family vacations well in advance of your departure date.
The Early Bird
The most obvious reason to plan your family’s next getaway with plenty of time to spare is so that you can enjoy the prime reservation opportunities available. Whether you want the best room at the best resort, the best table at the best restaurant, tickets to the brand new, popular show, and so on, only the early birds are going to catch those worms.
If there is a high demand for an experience at your destination, obviously, your family will be more likely to get in if you start your planning process early.
The advantages of early bird planning go far beyond beating out the crowds, though.
Anticipation Is a Joy in Itself
“To me travel is a triple delight: anticipation, performance, and recollection.”–Ilka Chase
Once you’ve got a trip on the calendar, you and your family can immediately dive into the joys of anticipating the adventure ahead. Bathe in the possibilities, count down the days, read about your destination, and talk to others who’ve gone before you.
