🎄🎄🎄 This is Day 27 of the 100 Days to Christmas challenge. Sept 16–Dec 25, we’re taking one small step a day to a lighter, happier holiday season. Join the free community 🎄🎄🎄
Once October hits, time does that weird thing where it speeds up. One minute you’re buying candy corn, and the next it’s the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and you’re paying $1000 for a middle seat.
Whether you’re heading home to see family, hosting the whole crew, or staying put in your pajamas, today is about holiday travel planning. Not packing, not itineraries, just three simple steps: know where you’re going, know what you can spend, and book at the right time.
And the timing couldn’t be better. Travel experts usually say early to mid-October is the sweet spot for booking domestic Thanksgiving flights, and Halloween is the target for Christmas. So yes, this week is the week.
Step 1: Map Out Your Holiday Season
Before you look at a single flight, get the big picture. Write each holiday down the left side of a page: Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s. Then decide which one it is for each:
- Traveling: you’re going somewhere
- Hosting: people are coming to you
- Visitors coming: someone’s staying in your guest room
- Staying home: just your crew, cozy and low-key
- Undecided: totally fine, but give it a “decide by” date
For anything marked “traveling,” jot down the basics: where you’re going, where you’re staying, your rough dates, and who’s going (adults, kids, and pets).
“Staying home” is a perfectly good answer, by the way. So is “we’ll go for Thanksgiving, but Christmas morning happens in our own living room.”
Still undecided? Start the conversation with family now, while everyone’s schedules are still flexible, and before someone else claims the good air mattress.
Step 2: Set Your Travel Budget
Do this before you start shopping flights. It’s so much easier to compare options when you already know your number, and it keeps a “great deal” from talking you into more than you meant to spend.
Travel is sneaky because it’s never just the plane tickets. Give each of these a rough number:
- Flights
- Lodging
- Rental car and gas
- Food on the road (those drive-thru stops add up)
- Gifts and host gifts
- Pet care
- A little “miscellaneous” cushion, because airport coffee is $7 now
Add your travel total to your holiday budget so it has its own line and doesn’t sneak up on you in December.
Step 3: Compare Your Options and Book at the Right Time
Write down two or three options side by side, like a few flights, or a hotel versus staying with family. Note the price, the times, and anything that matters (“nonstop!” or “lands at 11 p.m., no thank you”). Check each one against your budget from Step 2, then decide.
When to Book
- Thanksgiving (Thursday, Nov 26): Book domestic flights in early to mid-October. That’s now.
- Christmas (Friday, Dec 25): Aim to book by Halloween.
Holiday fares are running higher than last year, so travel experts are saying to book sooner rather than later. Also watch out for price jumps at 21, 14, and 7 days before you fly. If you’re leaving the Sunday before Thanksgiving, book before about November 1.
Pick the Cheapest Days to Fly
Forget the old “buy on a Tuesday” advice. The day you fly matters way more than the day you book. Monday through Wednesday is usually about 13% cheaper than the weekend. Thanksgiving week, the Wednesday before and the Sunday after are the priciest (and most crowded) days. And flying on the holiday itself is often cheaper and calmer, if your family can swing it.
Two Quick Hacks
- Set a price alert: In Google Flights, search your route and dates, then flip on Track prices. Google emails you when the price changes. (Same idea as the gift alerts from Day 20.) Track two or three date combos, not twenty.
- Use the 24-hour rule: For U.S. flights, airlines have to let you cancel within 24 hours for a full refund, as long as you book at least seven days out. Find a good fare? Grab it, then keep shopping for a day, risk-free.
Driving instead? Skip the Wednesday afternoon before Thanksgiving if you can. Leaving early in the morning or on Tuesday can save you hours. And with Christmas on a Friday this year, expect the busiest roads from Wednesday, Dec 23 on.
One more thing to book now: pet sitters and boarding fill up fast for the holidays. If you’ll need one, reserve it the same day you book your travel. Once anything’s booked, write the confirmation number right next to it.
Where to Keep Your Travel Plans
Grab a sheet of paper and tuck it into the Christmas planning section of your binder: your season map at the top, your budget in the middle, and your options and confirmation numbers at the bottom. Future you, standing at the airline counter, will be very grateful.
Rather Not DIY?
Today’s three steps match the first few tabs of my Holiday Travel Planning Spreadsheet (available only in the Complete Holiday Collection): Holiday Season Plan, Trip Overview, Budget, and Bookings. Mark a booking “Yes” and it lands in your budget automatically. When your trip gets closer, the Gifts to Bring, Checklist, and Packing List tabs are ready and waiting, already filled in.
Don’t have it yet? The Complete Holiday Collection ($27) includes the Holiday Travel Planner, plus 150 other printables for the whole season.
Your Holiday Planning Tools Work Together
- 📅 Holiday Calendar (Day 2): Block out your travel days so nothing else gets scheduled on top of them.
- 💰 Holiday Budget (Day 6): Give travel its own line.
- 🏷️ Track Early Deals & Set Price Alerts (Day 20): Same alert tricks, different shopping list.
Today’s To-Dos
- Map out your holiday season: traveling, hosting, visitors coming, or staying home
- Set a rough travel budget before you start shopping
- Compare a few options and set price alerts on two or three date combos
- Book pet care if you’ll need it
- Add confirmed or likely travel days to your holiday calendar
Packing lists and itineraries can wait. Today, just know where you’re headed and what it’ll cost. ✈️🎄
You’re Not Late — Jump In Anytime
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