When and how to book
Flights can be booked up to around 11 months in advance. This often means
that if you are planning on going away for a year that you won't be able
to book seats on any projected dates at the end of your trip meaning that
'dummy' dates may have to be booked for some legs. This isn't usually
a problem as these dates can be changed later on.
You don't need to book everything in one go. We are happy for you to
book the first couple of flights initially and then add the onward flights
nearer to your departure time. We are also happy (within reason of course)
to make alterations to your flight dates and route for free when your
booking is at deposit stage (i.e. prior to the balance due date).
Major sporting or cultural events will have an impact on airline seat
availability as well as hotel prices of course. Here are some examples
- Flights to / from and around the whole of Asia are very busy around
Chinese New Year (of the Cow) : 26 Jan 2009.
- Seats to Brazil can be hard to find around Rio Carnival time and
accommodation prices at least double their normal rates : 21 - 24
Feb 2009.
- Forget trying to get Melbourne during the Australian Grand Prix
: 13-16 March 2008
- Hong Kong Sevens : Every March
- Any predominately Muslim country or area during Ramadan : 01 - 29
September 2008
- Beijing 2008 Olympic games : 08 - 24 August 2008
Cheapest time to go
The best bargains are to be had if you avoid departures from the U.K.
in July, early August, Easter and Christmas. If you do have to leave
in the busy season, you should book as far ahead as possible (up to
11 months). Probably the hardest flights to find availability on are
those returning to the UK from anywhere warm in early January
Your departure date from the U.K. will normally also have a large bearing
on the cost of your ticket. An identical ticket in all other respects
that costs £1,500 if you depart on 20 December, can cost a few
hundred pounds less if leave 2 weeks earlier or later..
The cheapest round the world ticket prices apply to departures in April,
May & June. Lucky you if this is when you happen to want to set
off. Don't spend the winter shivering while you wait for the cheapest
prices though. Fares in for departures form the UK in January / February
/ March or in September / October November are are only usually between
£50 - £150 higher.
Follow the sun ?
It is natural of course to want to have nice weather when you go away.
We would advise however to avoid being 'over scientific' when planning
where you will be when and consider the following :
Weather is much less predictable nowadays. Summer 2007 in the UK was
a write off, but in April of that year we had great weather.
If you are planning to be away for a long time, lots of stuff can happen
and you may simply end up changing your travel dates.
The phrase 'rainy season' touches on a British nerve, it just sounds
too close to home ! Whilst there are some rainy seasons to avoid. e.g.
June in much of India is not particularly pleasant, there are other
places where travelling in the 'rainy season' can be very pleasant.
Classic examples of this are in Vietnam in May-September, though it
may rain every day, it won't rain all day. When it does, it is very
dramatic and when it stops everything feels fresh and verdant.
Another is the wet season in the Northern Territory of Australia in
January - March. Again, there will be a lot less tourists around, this
can be a very pleasant time to visit.
Some may like it hot, but how hot ? There are plenty of places out
there where the temperature will regularly be in the high 30's or hotter
in the middle of their summers. This won't be everyone's cup of tea.
I have worked out my route, how do I book my ticket ?
Booking your ticket is a the fun bit. Every member of staff at Travel
Nation has booked thousands of round the world trips, so you will we
in safe hands as we guide you through the process. Click here
for full details of the booking procedure.
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