International travel with kids
How Far Ahead Should You Book an International Trip With Kids?
For summer, spring break or Christmas, book flights and hotels for an international trip with kids 9 to 12 months ahead. For other times of year, 4 to 6 months is usually enough, and passports should come before anything else.
The rooms that fit a family go first. A hotel can look wide open for two people and have nothing left for four or five. That surprises families more than the flights do.
Step by step
The order I book in
- 1
Passports
Or at least the appointment.
- 2
Flights
Before family fares and good seats disappear.
- 3
First and last hotel
Landing tired with kids and leaving early for the airport are the two nights you don’t want to gamble on.
- 4
Everything in the middle
Once the bookends are locked in.
- 5
Trains, tours and tickets
As soon as they open.
Book even earlier
When 9 months isn’t early enough
“When something is refundable, I book it early and keep watching the price. I hold the good stuff and swap it if something better comes up.”
Nicole Damiano, ASTA Verified Travel Advisor with FG Luxury Travel. Former social studies teacher, mom of three, 60+ countries.
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More answers
More for your first international trip
Quick answers
When should I book flights for an international trip with kids?
6 to 12 months ahead for summer and school holidays. 3 to 6 months is usually fine the rest of the year.
How early should I book hotels in Europe for a family?
9 to 12 months for summer, especially if you need a room for four or five. Family rooms go first.
Is it too late to plan a summer trip abroad in January?
No, but book flights and family rooms right away. By spring the choices get thin.
What should I book first for an international trip?
Passports, then flights, then your first and last hotel.
How far ahead should I book Japan with kids?
9 to 12 months for cherry blossom season or summer. Kyoto hotels fill first.
Keep planning: International travel with kids, step by step.
Nicole Damiano, ASTA Verified Travel Advisor with FG Luxury Travel. Adventures We Seek is my travel blog and planning resource. Trips are booked through Favorite Grampy Travels. Prices, fees and processing times last checked October 2026 and change often.
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