How Far In Advance Do You Plan Trips?

[ctechbob]

Sitting at work tonight working REAL hard.....planning a future trip.

Not sure if we're going to do it in 2024 or 2025, but it will be a big one by our standards. From Athens to the Badlands in SD (1700 miles one way). This will be a 2-week trip for us. I'd like to take more time, but the job makes it difficult for me to take more than that amount of time off (Plus, we're paid on a 'unique' plan that really screws up my pay if I scatter vacation over a pay period.)

I know there are some more traveled people out there, but how far out do you start thinking about and planning what you would consider a 'big' trip?

We're going to go by way of the Field of Dreams and Wall Drug, the second, just because tourist.

Any rate, have you ever planned a trip potentially 2 years ahead of time?

Or on the flip side, do you just take off in a direction and go with no or minimal planning?

 

[Wayne]

Badlands in SD

One word of caution, do not go any time around the Sturgis bike rally. We did because we didn't realize it was smack in the middle of the rally. Picture an extra 500,000 people and 300,000 motorcycles. I think those numbers are pretty close. It was very crowded at the tourist sites including the national parks. The next stop was Devil's Tower, WY about 75 miles from Sturgis. Because of the distance, we didn't think there would be many bikes there. Oh my goodness was that a naive thought. We had a spot reserved in the KOA, but there were hundreds of bikes and crowds of people. We left without even checking in.

how far out do you start thinking about and planning what you would consider a 'big' trip?

For big trips, a minimum of 1 year in advance. Plan it and reserve your sites as soon as you can. Do some research on each stop and figure out which sites are 'good' sites, because those will go fast. You don't want to be by the entrance or other highly trafficked areas, the dumpsters, or sites that are packed together. The demand for sites has been very high. We have had a couple occasions where our plans changed and we had to find sites for that night. It can be really tough.

Most national park sites can only be reserved a maximum of 6 months in advance. For hot parks like Rocky Mountain or Yosemite, you'd better be up at midnight getting ready to click the "reserve" button.

Wall Drug

Yes, you gotta see it at least once. Don't get your hopes up too much.

Any rate, have you ever planned a trip potentially 2 years ahead of time?

Yes, I've tried. Places like the Florida Keys in the winter season are almost impossible to get sites. So if you are going to get a site, it's going to be way in advance. It just depends on the location. I would imagine sites in North Dakota during the winter are pretty easy to get.

Or on the flip side, do you just take off in a direction and go with no or minimal planning?

I don't recommend it. Our experience is that the person not driving spends a lot of time and makes a lot of phone calls to find a site during the summer travel season. We've had to go 50 miles out of our way to get a site for the night and have had to accept some pretty awful sites.

 

[ctechbob]

One word of caution, do not go any time around the Sturgis bike rally. We did because we didn't realize it was smack in the middle of the rally. Picture an extra 500,000 people and 300,000 motorcycles. I think those numbers are pretty close. It was very crowded at the tourist sites including the national parks. The next stop was Devil's Tower, WY about 75 miles from Sturgis. Because of the distance, we didn't think there would be many bikes there. Oh my goodness was that a naive thought. We had a spot reserved in the KOA, but there were hundreds of bikes and crowds of people. We left without even checking in.

Yea, during Sturgis is a big no-go for me. Even though I used to ride, it certainly wasn't with anyone from that crowd. I prefer my vacations to be as 'people free' as possible.

For big trips, a minimum of 1 year in advance. Plan it and reserve your sites as soon as you can. Do some research on each stop and figure out which sites are 'good' sites, because those will go fast. You don't want to be by the entrance or other highly trafficked areas, the dumpsters, or sites that are packed together. The demand for sites has been very high. We have had a couple occasions where our plans changed and we had to find sites for that night. It can be really tough.

Most national park sites can only be reserved a maximum of 6 months in advance. For hot parks like Rocky Mountain or Yosemite, you'd better be up at midnight getting ready to click the "reserve" button.

I was planning on sticking to commercial parks for this trip. I intend to find one to base camp out of and then day-trip for 5-6 days.

Yes, you gotta see it at least once. Don't get your hopes up too much.

I'm pretty sure my aunt has told me the same thing from when they went a handful of years ago. Their trip was even longer. Two months out and back to somewhere in Alaska from Pennsylvania. No RV, just them and their truck and a motorcycle.

Yes, I've tried. Places like the Florida Keys in the winter season are almost impossible to get sites. So if you are going to get a site, it's going to be way in advance. It just depends on the location. I would imagine sites in North Dakota during the winter are pretty easy to get.

Yea, I prefer that as well. I want to hammer down as many variables as possible before leaving. I'm not the world's most inflexible person, but on a vacation I want the stress level to be as low as possible.

I don't recommend it. Our experience is that the person not driving spends a lot of time and makes a lot of phone calls to find a site during the summer travel season. We've had to go 50 miles out of our way to get a site for the night and have had to accept some pretty awful sites.

I suppose this method is reserved for the 'van lyfe' wanderers. They can keep it!

 

[AutoMechanic]

I start planning as soon as my previous one ends lol . Always excited for trips. I have to know when to take off work, plan the hotel and trip. Have to reserve vacation time at work early only one person on vacation at a time is a policy. If we are doing something like camping usually it’s decided a couple weeks before and we just get a spot when we get there with our tent. My family isn’t necessarily the best at planning things so we have done on the spot trips too. That’s why now that I can actually pay for vacation I plan it and pay for it as long as it’s something I want to do. I’ll be honest I’m young but i would never want to do a long trip unless it was strictly baseball or car related and driving would be required I will not travel any other way. I’m already planning the trip for the summer of 2024 deciding which stadium to visit and what teams to see. Now that I have credit cards it’s easy to plan ahead and easy to get in trouble if I’m not careful which is why I have to be careful cause me and $3500 possible worth of credit isn’t necessarily the best lol.

 

[Azjeff]

Post-Covid RVing hasn't gotten any easier as was being predicted. Traveling without advance reservations is sketchy and you're likely to be hunting a landing spot for the night. We had our big spring trip planned the whole way 6 months or more early and while that removes any thought of staying somewhere a day longer I'd rather know after a day of driving we have a spot.

A month ago wife decided she'd like to go visit dad in Fla on his birthday in February, we can't find a camping spot anywhere at all near Brooksville. She might have to fly in and stay with him and I stay at home with the dogs.

We've noticed things are different at private campgrounds all across the country, more (most?) are catering to long term renters with relatively few sites open for overnighters. Saw this at every private campground we stayed at.