people floating in a boat in bright blue water in Ponta de Piedade in Lagos in portugal

Planning summer travel? Here are 5 reasons why you should book a trip in March

Feb 27, 2023 by Alejandro López

Peak season. High season. No matter what you call it, summer travel has earned its busy reputation for good reason. Warm weather and steady sunshine guarantee that most attractions remain open—and stoke wanderlust that goes dormant during the cold months. But with more people than ever buying up plane tickets and hotel stays, how can you book a trip this summer?

Our secret: Start now! March is the best time to book summer travel with us, whether you’re flying to France or jetting to Japan. If you need convincing, we’ve laid out five reasons why below. And if you’re still wondering where to travel this summer, our deals on tours serve up some food for fantasy.

a women walking through Santorini's cobblestone alleys as the sun beams over white houses with blue painted roofs

1. Unlock sweet savings

Say you want to visit Greece, but don’t want to shell out for the summer surge. Not only will booking travel in March get you ahead of the rush, but it will also put you in the best position to score a deal. During our Summer & Fall Sale, you can shave up to $500 off 2023 tours, just by booking before March 30. That sunbathing session on Paros (and the other Aegean escapades on our Greek Islands Adventure tour) is a lot closer than you think!

What’s more? The sale applies across seasons and destinations, not just to summers in Europe. Australia, Africa, South America—they’re all within reach.

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three women sightseeing from a gondola floating on light blue water in Venice

2. Supply > demand

Another advantage of booking travel early? There’s still travel to be booked. Summer inventory—like our guided tours of Italy—sells quickly in normal circumstances. Add the record-high demand of the post-pandemic era, and those summer travel opportunities practically vanish.

By planning your adventures months in advance, you have a better chance of finding a favorite tour and bringing friends along with you. If the destination matters less than the journey, browse our deals with your crew and see what catches your eye.

Check out these summer travel deals

A Week in Greece: Athens, Mykonos & Santorini

with Rome extension

9 or 12 days

from $3,269*

A Week in Italy: Venice, Florence & Rome

with Sorrento Peninsula extension

9 or 11 days

from $2,869*

London, Paris & Rome

with Madrid extension

11 or 14 days

from $3,319*

Highlights of England, Scotland & Ireland

with London extension

12 or 14 days

from $3,489*

The Greek Islands: Mykonos, Santorini & Crete

with Athens extension

14 or 16 days

from $4,129*

See all

a stairway built into peach colored rock stacks leading to the turquoise water with boats in the background

3. Plan comfortably

Between transit, lodging, activities, and more, coordinating a summer in Europe can quickly get complicated. Wait until May or June to book travel, and that headache will turn into a migraine. To cut down on stress and strain, start thinking about where to travel this summer in March, without a time crunch weighing you down.

With enough buffer, you can calmly plan your big trip and everything it entails—but if you’d rather focus on packing, let Go Ahead Tours handle the details. “Everything is taken care of effortlessly,” traveler Jamilah said. “All one has to do is decide which tour to take, pay the fare, and sit back and relax.”

Portugal, anyone?

a man posing for a picture as he sits on a mosaic tile bench at Park Güell in Barcelona

4. Travel confidently

Life happens. Even if you’ve triple-checked your itinerary, cleared your schedule, and accounted for every eventuality, something could still derail your summer travels. We know how aggravating that can be, so we do our part to help you have a worry-free vacation.

Booking travel with Go Ahead Tours means flexibility. We offer interest-free installment plans and the option to book for only $99 down, and if you enroll in AutoPay, you’ll have 60 days before your first payment comes due. Need to reschedule that trip to Spain? Change your tour date or destination, free of charge, right up until your Final Payment Date. If you need anything while on your travels in the summer, our 24/7 global support team will happily assist you.

“They do all the worrying, booking, and reservations that you do not have time to arrange,” said traveler Maria. “Even if there is a mishap, they step up and step in to help in every manner.”

wild flowers growing on the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland, looking out over the bright blue water

5. Daydreams, now departing

For some, March can feel like an in-between month: not quite warm enough for spring, not quite cold enough for winter, not really anything going on. But waiting out the weather’s a perfect excuse to fantasize about where to travel this summer. Let your imagination take off and see where it lands. Once you wind up in a dreamy destination—maybe Ireland?—look to book travel. You might just find a Last-Minute Special to the Emerald Isle, or whatever locale calls to you. We’ll handle the rest!

“My trip to Ireland was everything I hoped it would be and more,” traveler Lisa said. “The awesome service begins the moment you talk with someone about the tours. All I had to do was show up, and EF took care of everything.”

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About the author | Alejandro López

Alejandro thinks some of life’s enduring moments begin with travel—whether that’s slurping water from a falling brook on the Schlossberg in Freiburg, Germany, or taking silly Polaroid selfies with his wife on a six-hour train to Budapest. Beyond the keyboard, he loves a lunch-break soccer game; at home, he enjoys throwing on some lo-fi beats and cuddling with his six-year-old Wheaten Terrier, Piper.