How far in advance do you plan a "Big" trip?

[shark girl]

Depends on where I'm going and where I want to stay; sorted my Thailand trip out about 6 months before hand including diving because the schedule was tight and I was doing a liveaboard, booked Fiji accommodation 9 months before because I knew where I wanted to stay but booked diving on a day by day basis whilst I was there. At the moment I'm trying to sort out Tonga accommodation for a trip in 3 months time but will probably leave the diving til I get there so I can check out shops; am requesting prices for multi dive packages though and getting glossy eyed looking at all the photo galleries on the dive company web sites.... For me, one of the pleasures of travelling is spending hours on the web/ reading brochures/ guidebooks and dreaming about where I am going. I don't like to over-plan minutae but love getting excited about where I will go and what I will do. And if there is somewhere very specific I want to be or something I particularly want to do then I will prebook so I won't miss out. I book flights at least 6 months in advance because they tend to be cheaper then and after that I just want to explore!

 

[shark girl]

What's scary is booking the resort or boat without being able to book airfare that far out.

I agree!

 

[1_T_Submariner]

Define "Big"

To me is a trip that takes more effort planning than a trip that I make frequently.


Google defines it as follows:
Big =
"large: above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent; "a large city"; "set out for the big city"; "a large sum"; "a big (or ...
significant; "graduation was a big day in his life"
conspicuous in position or importance; "a big figure in the movement"; "big man on campus"; "he's very large in financial circles"; "a prominent citizen"
bad: very intense; "a bad headache"; "in a big rage"; "had a big (or bad) shock"; "a bad earthquake"; "a bad storm"
loud and firm; "a big voice"; "big bold piano sounds"
big(a): prodigious; "big spender"; "big eater"; "heavy investor"
adult: (of animals) fully developed; "an adult animal"; "a grown woman"
marked by intense physical force; "a big wind"
feeling self-importance; "too big for his britches"; "had a swelled head"; "he was swelled with pride"
boastful: exhibiting self-importance; "big talk"
extremely well; "his performance went over big"
boastfully: in a boastful manner; "he talked big all evening"
generous and understanding and tolerant; "a heart big enough to hold no grudges"; "that's very big of you to be so forgiving"; "a large and generous spirit"; "a large heart"; "magnanimous toward his enemies"
on a grand scale; "think big"
given or giving freely; "was a big tipper"; "the bounteous goodness of God"; "bountiful compliments"; "a freehanded host"; "a handsome allowance"; "Saturday's child is loving and giving"; "a liberal backer of the arts"; "a munificent gift"; "her fond and openhanded grandfather"
big(p): in an advanced stage of pregnancy; "was big with child"; "was great with child"
in a major way; "the play failed big at the box office"

 

[1_T_Submariner]

You learned this because you just booked into the most popular Caribbean resort (that only has 50 spaces per week).

Other places you can be a little more spontaneous.

Why yes this is the case. I also would like to add that I have recieved great advice in that thread.

 

[sasscuba]

All of the above.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I started working on our Indonesia trip in January 2007 ... 14 months before the trip. Had the trip all planned out by April 2007. Booked the airfare in September ... then "tweaked" the itinerary to accommodate the air schedule.

Probably put almost as many hours into the planning as we did into the trip ... and our trip was 23 days ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[shark girl]

Tweaking! That's all part of the fun! Suddenly have lots of that to do as my boyfriend is pulling out of the first week of our tonga trip to go sailing instead :whack:

Ah well, all the more time for me to go diving.... now where is that list of dive sites again?

 

[vladimir]

My Cocos trip was planned 3 weeks ahead of departure. My last Bali/Komodo/Lembeh trip had a lot of moving parts, but I still managed to put it together with 4 weeks lead time. I planned a Galapagos trip 2 weeks ahead of time--and still had to cancel 2 days before departure. When I was self-employed work was more likely to intrude on my plans, but it still does sometimes. So I still wait as long as possible before committing.

 

[Zeeman]

Most trips in the last few years have been sorted out in about 30 minutes, usually less thana week before the trip. But I'm very susceptible to spur of the moment decision - especially with overseas skiing/diving trips...

Z..

 

[dhunteriii]

I dream and look for ideas all of the time. But because I never know how my work schedule with be I only plan the trips 2 or 3 months in advance.