Experts advise: Book your holiday travel now

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - As September draws to a close we’re another day closer to the holidays, and for many, another day closer to a vacation!

That’s why Western Mass News reporter Tyler Beraldi spent the day with a local travel agent, to find out more about why if you want to get away, there’s no better time to book ...then now.

“You have to be resilient. You have to play the game too,” notes Doreen Coakley-Rodriguez, owner of Doreen’s Going Places Travel Services in Springfield.

With the holiday season a sleigh ride away at this point if you’re planning on a vacation, you should be thinking travel before turkey.

Or at least, that’s what Doreen tells us.

“Pretty much everybody’s booking Thanksgiving now. If they haven’t booked it. But if you’re flexible and you can make it in the day of Thanksgiving, believe it or not, either the Monday prior or Thanksgiving Day.”

And the Christmas story is similar.

“If you’re flexible again, Christmas Day or where it falls on. Again, any time you can travel that week prior, it’s always gonna be cost efficient,” Doreen notes.

If your destination gameplan is simply, ‘anywhere but here,’ Doreen says there are two relatively affordable options that come to mind...

“The Caribbean is huge this year. It’s funny, Europe is also big, but it’s settled down more so for the winter.”

And if you want the best ‘bang for your buck,’ you’ll opt for seas over skies.

“Cruising is amazing,” Doreen explains, “Certain cruise lines have now added on benefit packages for drinks. Zero alcoholic packages which people do like, but there’s a bunch of changes going on for the season.”

Even the day of the week you book can benefit your bank account.

“Your best time to buy a ticket is on a Tuesday or Wednesdays. Always. Because what do they do? They’re trying to fill the planes, right,” Doreen says.

But ultimately, she emphasizes the best way to travel for the holidays is with the help of an agent.

“Everybody thinks they’re a travel agent until they get in trouble,” Doreen explains.

“The season is now, everybody’s going somewhere. If not, you’ll be crying and staying home. Don’t be complaining when it’s snowing and you’re still here,” [ ]