Plan in advance and reap the rewards: 8 reasons to start your travel planning early
Planning a trip in advance has its advantages, from affordability to access to the joy of anticipation. We’re sharing eight advantages of booking future travel now.
A new year has arrived. And with it, come endless and exciting possibilities for the months ahead—plus hundreds of new 2026 tour dates to choose from! So, if your New Year’s resolution includes getting out and seeing the world, there’s no better time than now to start travel planning.
We know that 2026 might sound like a long way off when you’re eagerly awaiting a long-dreamed-about adventure, but getting your vacation on your calendar early has its advantages—and plenty of them. Here are eight benefits of planning a trip in advance.
1. It makes travel more affordable
The memories you’ll make on tour are priceless. Think: exploring temples on our Egypt and Nile River Cruise or sipping vino in the Tuscan countryside on our Florence, Tuscany & the Italian Riviera tour. But making those memories—not to mention staying in those comfy hotels, trying out all those cozy restaurants, and enjoying all those authentic, local experiences—requires a financial investment.
One of the major perks of planning a trip in advance is having time to save up for it—and one of the many benefits of going guided with us is choosing from our different payment options. Our interest-free AutoPay plan, for example, automatically takes smaller, more manageable payments. Take your choice of monthly or bi-weekly installments, made straight from your checking account or debit card up to your tour date. (One fewer thing to remember every month? Yes, please.)
“I always plan one to two years out,” said Group Coordinator Janet about traveling with Go Ahead. “It gives me time to get things completely organized, as well as a longer time to have participants pay for the trip. Many use AutoPay, so it makes the payments smaller.”
2. You can pick your perfect destination—and travel dates
It’s a big world out there, with endless things to see and do. (Toucan-spotting on our Costa Rica: Rainforests, Volcanoes & Wildlife tour, island-hopping on our A Week in Greece: Athens, Mykonos & Santorini tour, soaking in holiday cheer on our Christmas Markets of Germany, Switzerland & Austria tour? Whew! And that’s just to name a few.) Whether your planned travels include one companion, a few friends, or 10 members of your extended family, finding a tour that’s perfect for everyone can take a little while.
When you plan in advance, everyone has time to thoughtfully consider where they’d like to go and what they’d like to experience, as well as when their ideal window is for traveling. The same applies even if you’re planning a Solo Tour for just yourself.
Want some help from our experts? Review our guide on finding a trip that suits your pacing preferences to find trips just your speed.
3. You can get to know your destination—and decide what to do during your free time
Planned your travels in advance? Great, now you can spend the time leading up to your trip diving into novels, movies, maps, cookbooks, destination guides, and other resources that will not only familiarize you with the places you’re headed to, but help you decide how to spend your free time there, too.
For example: Want to see the facade of the Bridgerton family’s lavish home on one of our London tours? Check out our guide to “Bridgerton” filming locations to visit in England and you’ll know just where to go. Or, if regency romance isn’t your thing, we also have guides for “The White Lotus,” “House of Gucci,” and “Ted Lasso” filming locations—choose your favorite!
And, if you’re looking to fill your free time with optional outings planned by our travel experts, you can also check our list of top excursions to add to your trip.
4. You can plan for a longer trip
If you’re travel planning for the future and dreaming of taking a longer tour, like our 15-day Grand Tour of Italy, putting PTO on your work team’s radar will give you plenty of time to coordinate with your co-workers.
And whether you’ll be requesting time off from work or not, a longer countdown will give you ample time to line up babysitters, dog-walkers, plant-waterers, and other essential support so you don’t have to hurry back home. (Want to get all your travel ducks in a row? Learn six ways to prepare for your next trip.)
5. You can score cheaper flights
We’ve all been there: booking a flight just weeks ahead of our departure date only to find that airline ticket prices are, well, sky high. On the other hand, have you ever planned travel well in advance? If so, then you know that when you book early, you’re more likely to snag flights at lower prices. Even better? Adding our convenient airfare package to your tour. Not only does it ensure a locked-in price for your flights, but it also includes airport transfers in your arrival and departure destinations—and assistance with rebooking in the event of flight cancelations or delays on the standard arrival and departure days.
6. You can get access to special events
Traveling to experience a special, limited-time, or seasonal event is tons of fun and can put a unique spin on a destination for first-time and repeat visitors alike. It can also pose challenges, such as sold-out hotels, fully booked restaurants, and almost-impossible-to-get event tickets. Unless you planned well in advance, that is.
Booking our Special Events Tours ahead makes joining festivities seamless. Want to peep peak autumnal scenery on our Fall Foliage Tour: Vermont to Massachusetts or embrace the spooky season on our Haunted Halloween Tour: Dublin, Edinburgh & London? How about a toast with your fellow travelers over a giant stein of beer on our Oktoberfest: Germany, Switzerland & Austria tour? Among the many benefits of traveling on a 2026 tour for these events is that our expert travel planners can reserve rooms at conveniently located hotels and snag limited-supply tickets when they’re needed. Bonus: Travel planning for the future means that, for your free time on tour, you’ll also have plenty of time to reserve a table at that in-demand restaurant you’ve read so much about. (Psst! Here are some suggestions of restaurants that are worth crossing the globe to visit.)
7. You can savor the anticipation
Although nothing quite compares to actually taking in the sights, sounds, flavors, and traditions of a destination while on tour, one of the benefits of traveling in 2026 is having more time to enjoy the anticipation. “It almost goes without saying, but having a plan gives us all something to look forward to,” said Group Coordinator Carol. “Much of the journey is in the excitement of what is to come!”
Group Coordinator Debbie agrees. “The dreaming and anticipation are as much fun as the tours!” she said. “It also gives me lots of time and opportunity to post tidbits and pictures of our destinations, so everyone can visualize themselves in those beautiful pictures!”
8. You can bond with your fellow travelers before you even leave town
One of the many advantages of group travel is exploring alongside equally curious and adventurous tourmates—and possibly even making new, lifelong friends along the way. And, another bonus of planning a trip in advance is spending time before the tour getting to know your fellow travelers. Group Coordinators Diana and Michael typically plan their groups’ trips one year to 18 months in advance. “This allows for our travelers to do some research about where we are going, and to get to know each other ahead of the tour,” they said. “We have a meeting with a potluck lunch once a month.”
Another way to connect with tourmates before your trip is via our free mobile app, where you can introduce yourself, exchange messages, and share photos all before you even depart.
Thinking about travel planning for the future? Browse our 2026 tours today. →
