Your Timeline for Planning a Trip One Year in Advance

It’s also the time to start tracking flights for any international trip. According to CheapAir.com, the best summer fares from the U.S. to Europe can be found five or six months ahead; flights to Africa are usually cheapest three to six months out; and flights to Asia are usually lowest four months in advance. If nothing else, eyeing airfares now means you'll have plenty of options, for your main flights and local transfer, to choose from.

The last three months is when you’ll fill out your itinerary. “The relatively easier restaurant reservations, museum and special entries, specific vehicles, etc., all follow,” says Daunt. After-hours entry to a historical building of significance may need to be booked months ahead, but even for the toughest restaurants, you usually only need to make reservations a month in advance. If you do work with a specialist like Daunt, they’ll be able to sort out the timeline for you. Otherwise, get to work at the three month mark, and know that some places may ask you to circle back closer to your travel dates.

If you did book anything earlier on that you might want to shift or cancel, keep an eye on those change cut-offs as well.

All of the experts are offering the same advice to travelers booking right now: Know every cancellation policy before putting down any money—just in case—and take comfort in the newfound flexibility in the travel space, even as we enter uncharted territory. Most importantly, only spend money with those you trust (or make sure a specialist, credit card company, or insurance policy has your back).

"Many travel operators offer free consultation and markedly flexible travel options," says Marchant. "If you don’t enlist a travel specialist, book directly with hotel properties, airlines, both international and internal, and on the ground suppliers who are accredited and respected. Be wary of using third-party booking sites that can you exposed, as they are laced with hidden clauses, and conditions."

And though many travelers are craving returns to old favorites, Epstein says to temper that nostalgia with needed reality checks as you book—but don't let it deter you altogether. "Don't judge a hotel or destination based on how it was a few years ago, and do your best to project how it will be next year based on everything that is happening in the world," says Epstein. Destination news, and a specialist, can help with that. Despite it all, Epstein says his team is on pace to have more itineraries booked one year out than at any time in the company's 30-year history, with one obvious, evergreen upside: Travelers get to spend the next year looking forward to a trip.

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