What We’re Booking Right Now
Summer in Europe is always popular!
January is when serious travel planning goes into high gear.
While 2026 planning technically begins before the ball drops on New Year’s Eve, once January arrives, travel moves to the top of many clients’ priority lists. Within the industry, it’s often called “Plan-uary”—a season packed with new inquiries, consultation calls, and custom itinerary requests.
This January has been especially busy.
When we’re not speaking with new clients, we’re deep in proposal development with our preferred partners, holding cruise and hotel space, recommending travel protection, and making sure those currently traveling have every detail handled—so they can focus on enjoying the journey, not managing logistics.
So what, exactly, are our clients planning right now? And where are we seeing the most demand?
What’s Lighting Up My Inbox
Here’s what’s coming across my desk daily:
European summer itineraries — Italy and the UK are particularly popular this year
U.S. summer and fall escapes — National Parks, coastal road trips, and Alaska cruises
Fall break family travel (yes, already!)
Milestone celebrations — big birthdays, anniversaries, and multi-generation adventures (sometimes all at once!)
January is ideal for getting ahead of summer travel—and starting to map out fall plans. When clients reach out six months or more in advance, we have far more flexibility to design something exceptional: better hotel options, preferred cruise cabins, top-tier guides, and coveted experiences that simply won’t exist later in the year.
What We’re Securing Early (So Clients Don’t Miss Out)
Behind the scenes, early planning allows us to lock in the details that make a trip extraordinary:
Limited-inventory yacht charters
We’re securing September yacht charters now so clients can choose their preferred vessel and sailing dates before availability tightens. Planning actually began in late December to get ahead of the January surge.
Peak-season accommodations and private guides
This is especially critical for U.S. National Park trips, where summer lodging, expert guides, and top excursions sell out far earlier than most travelers expect.
Cruise cabins and hotel rooms
Planning early gives us the widest range of options—and, in some cases, the ability to hold space through our partners before deposit deadlines so clients don’t miss out.
Premium rail journeys
We’ve already secured highly coveted window seats on the Alaska Railroad between Anchorage and Denali. These go quickly, and coordinating rail schedules with cruise dates requires moving fast when the right inventory appears.
The Summer Planning Reality Check
While we’re working on trips across multiple seasons, summer 2026 is a major focus right now—and we’re not the only advisors racing to secure the best options for clients.
Waiting often means compromising—not upgrading.
When travelers delay, the first things to disappear aren’t just flights. It’s the balcony cabins overlooking the Adriatic, the best-located hotel rooms, the prime train departures, and the private guides who bring destinations to life.
We frequently see disappointment set in when availability narrows: suddenly the room you envisioned is gone, flight schedules are limited, or train routes no longer align neatly with your itinerary—and plans have to adjust around what’s left rather than what you truly wanted.
What This Means for You
If summer travel is even a possibility, now is the time to turn ideas into action.
If you have specific hotels, cruise cabins, or experiences in mind, start earlier than you think. Some clients are already shifting 2026 plans to 2027 simply to secure exactly what they want.
If you’re flexible, that’s a gift—we can use shoulder seasons, alternate routing, or destination swaps to elevate your experience and maximize value.
If the logistics feel overwhelming, that’s where we come in.
No matter your plans for 2026 and beyond, we specialize in transforming complex itineraries into seamless, luxurious journeys—every detail thoughtfully handled.
Curious what this could look like for your summer travels? Let’s start designing something unforgettable.