I have never booked reservations for a trip longer then a week ahead of time. Then again, the farthest I went was 6 hours one way. I didn't see a need for a year ahead reservation. Now, my family is talking about two trips for summer 2015. They are to Disney World in Florida and Myrtle Beach in the Carolina's. These two trips are costly. Are there tips on when to book ahead of time? How far ahead should I make my reservations? Any help of any kind will be appreciated.
Usually a busy and famous place like Disney World will get fully booked so fast so I think it's best to make the reservations as early as possible. Though I think it'd be too early to book right now and they probably won't accept a reservation for 2015 yet but keep an eye on the date or try and find out when they are starting to accept a reservation for next year.
I reserve months before in everything from plane tickets to hotel bookings. Because often I am a fickle-minded and quite a freak, I always make sure I won't be able to step back when the vacation time is already coming close. Also, I am able to save by doing this. I really don't like cramming and have things piled up in my head, so I make it appoint to settle things even if they are still far due, so I can already free them from my head. Sad for me is that I don't have a secretary and I am just all by myself to do thing all on my own.
I think if your holiday schedule is fixed anyway, it's really better to book ahead of time. 2-3 months prior is a good amount of time for you to be able to find the best deals for your trip. You may need to make it 4-5 months if you are considering to take a holiday during peak season. Overall, it's really better to plan and book early because not only will you be able to save a bit, you will also be able to plan the smaller details of your trip better.
I always want my first place assured no one wants to wander around a foreign country not sure after that I arrange each one before I leave if possible sometimes I will stay one night at a fancy place and then find a cheaper one after the first night.
It depends. It's rare that I know what I'm going to do even a few weeks in advance. Every so often, though, there's an event that I know I'll be attending and I try to book various things at least 2 months in advance. I don't think I've ever booked anything 3 or more events in a row, though.
I was lucky to escape a big scam recently by opting out of an early reservation. It has taught me a big lesson. I tried to organise a place to stay in Spain while I was still in Australia. I looked on airbnb, as they tend to have a good reputation. And I found just the right place for the right price and started the process of booking it, when a little voice in my head said: "Don't do it!" So I listened to that voice and postponed my booking which caused a lot of tension with the other party. They immediately tried to bring the price down. That made me even more suspicious. I then asked my friend in Spain to go around the mentioned area and road to see what it looks like. He called me, informing me that it doesn't exist at all. I now don't book ahead at all any more. I like to inspect a place before I hand over any money.