When’s the best time to travel?

Knowing when to travel can be a rather tough decision. While travelling is all about unwinding and relaxing, there are various factors you’ll have to consider before you take your plans and put them into action. With a whole 365 days in a year, most people would think you could surely take off a mere 14 days to enjoy by the beach or in a destination you’ve always dreamed about. While most of the time this is true, actually knowing when the best time to pack your bags and travel is a whole different story. For those that work or have children in school, your travel plans will most likely work around dates that fit in for all those that will be travelling with you. Is the date you want to travel a good time for you to be away from work, do your kids have an important test during the time you plan to be away? Making sure you plan ahead of time always contributes to making your holiday go as smoothly as possible; however, there are also other important factors you should consider researching and investigating before you start booking time off work and, most importantly, your tickets. We’ve listed down below a few tips you should run through before you make your final decision. All the below tips can play a big part in making your holiday a successful one, plus financially it could also make things a whole lot cheaper. Your destination Once you’ve decided where you want to go, have a look at researching when it’s the best time to travel to your destination of choice. Depending on what you’re seeking to do while on holiday can make a big difference on when you travel to. If you’re looking for a summer getaway where the sun will be shining all day long and late into the evening, then you won’t want to travel during the rainy or winter season. If you’re looking to do a lot of water sports, then consider searching for the best time of the year to travel when the waters are calm and suitable for the type of activities you’re looking to enjoy. Planning out what you hope to do, or what you’re looking to enjoy during your holiday will help you decide the time of the year to travel to your holiday destination weather-wise. Cost Certain periods of the year can be rather expensive, just as other occasions can be incredibly cheap. If you’re flying on a strict budget consider looking into the cheapest time of the year to fly to your destination. Hotels may also vary, checking whether it’s peak season at your holiday destination could either help you save, or mean you spend a whole lot more money on hotels due to the particular time of the year. While the time of the year you hope to travel to may depend on you and your families schedule, making sure you plan way ahead of time could help you save mega money. If you’re organised enough you should be able to get the time off during the time it’s cheapest to be away. Work and school If you’re travelling with a partner and you’re both working, or you’re travelling with your children that will have school, making sure you get all the necessary details for when you want to be away is a must. While travelling during the school holidays is known as a much more expensive time to travel, there are various factors you need to consider and carefully think through if you plan on taking your kids out of school during the school term. Make sure you talk to the teachers and headteacher of the school your children go to. Will there be a major test taking place during the time you’re hoping to be away? Can your child make up for the time they’ll be gone? Ensure you run by these questions with the school before you start booking anything. Some schools don’t allow students to go on holiday during school terms, while some will even fine you. Get as much info as you need before making our final decision. Regarding work, depending on how far into the future you plan on going away can affect whether it’ll be a good time to travel or not. Most of the time, and if you’ve got paid leave or holiday time, your employer should agree to your desired time away. Make sure you give enough notice and in the rare event your company isn’t happy with the dates you’re planning on travelling, try and see if you can work together to come up with a decision you can both agree on. Events Depending on where you’re travelling to, there may be various events or festivals taking place near the time you plan on travelling. Make sure you do your research to see whether anything is happening during the time you plan on travelling as you may want to work it that you’re able to enjoy and take part in the said events. Finding out you just flew home a few days before a big event took place at your holiday destination choice can be a rather frustrating and annoying situation. Religion If you’re travelling to a country that is known for being religious and having religious holidays, then we recommend you seek advice on the best time to visit. Some countries that celebrate religious holidays may mean certain attractions won’t be open, or people may be expected to lay low during the said period as a sign of respect. While you may be on holiday, you must remember that you are a guest to the country of your choice and you must respect their religious holidays and the ways they celebrate them. At the end of the day, the best time to travel will depend on a lot of things that you can easily sort out beforehand if you plan ahead of time. Make sure you consider the above factors as they will contribute to making your holiday the unforgettable one you’ve been longing to enjoy. If money and your personal schedule isn’t a problem then you’re definitely one of the lucky ones, however for those that do have to consider the above, make sure you allow enough time before you plan to travel. The ultimate way to save financially is by planning and being organised ahead of time. Wherever you decide to travel to, and whatever time of the year it is, we hope you enjoy your much-deserved break, and return ready and energised to face another busy year. Nabeel Shariff is the Owner of Luxury Halal Travel. Luxury Halal Travel brings together some of the world’s leading hotel brands to offer Muslim travellers incredible experiences whilst observing their Muslim faith. If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.