Travelers should research, plan ahead before summer trips

Mar. 26—While most people are still trying to get back in the groove from spring break trips, some have already begun searching for flights for summer vacations.

Nick Chabarria, public affairs specialist for AAA, said he has seen an increase in travel for 2024, citing the most popular domestic locations as Las Vegas; New York; Denver; Orlando, Florida; and Anaheim, California.

"There's lots to do in those areas. Orlando and Anaheim, of course, have the theme parks, Disney World, Disneyland," Chabarria said. "Las Vegas, always a popular destination for entertainment. New York, of course, just tons of things to do in New York, Denver as well for more of the outdoorsy kind of vacation."

Internationally, Cancun, Mexico, and Cozumel, Mexico, are high on the list as well as the Bahamas and Jamaica.

"So people love going to the beach during the summer. Hitting the sand. Great destinations there," Chabarria said.

"Also very popular over in Europe, the Netherlands, Amsterdam, going to Barcelona, Dublin and Italy," he added.

The pandemic might be to blame for this travel increase. Chabarria said since 2021 when travel started to see an. uptick, you can see people making up for lost trips that were scheduled for 2020.

"They're not taking travel for granted as much as they were before and really wanting to do those multigenerational family trips," he said.

When it comes to cruises, AAA has seen a 30% increase in cruise bookings since last year, and they're filling up fast.

"If you're serious about taking a trip, now's the time that you want to be researching, even booking your flights (and) hotels to make sure that the availability is there," Chabarria said.

Local residents Shane and Madison Euler plan on taking a cruise this summer to the Bahamas. They said they're most looking forward to the change of scenery.

"We actually were in the Middle East all of last year on a deployment ... Instead of desert, it's going to be some water, hopefully," Shane Euler said.

The first-time cruise passengers said they've been learning a lot during their planning process.

"For a cruise, if you don't have your passport, you have to bring your birth certificate and a form of government ID. So definitely bringing some sort of like a fireproof binder to put that into," Shane Euler said. "And also you need your cruise itinerary (and name) labeled on the outside of your bag so they can load your bag onto the ship."

Madison Euler said her biggest concern when planning a cruise trip was the possibility of storms.

"I felt pretty safe after knowing all the features that they have. If there was anything to happen, there's like safe spots on the cruise," she said.

She also heard on social media about a high crime rate in the Bahamas. However, she's not worried.

"But with the cruises specifically, they have an island that's just for the cruise, so no one else is allowed on there except the people for the cruise."

Whether you're traveling domestically or internationally, planning a trip can be hard, especially in today's climate when you have to worry about your safety even when on a relaxing vacation.

AAA suggests checking with the U.S. state department website for travel advisories.

"They even break it down by, you know, specific cities," Chabarria said.

"Of course, using good common sense, making sure you stay in groups, have a good layout of where you're going, where you're wanting to go."

Another tip would be to invest in travel insurance. It protects you in case something happens on your trip or if you have to cancel last minute. Travel insurance is offered by AAA and other companies as well.

Chabarria also offered some tips for planning trips, such as booking flights as early in the morning as possible.

"That's going to help mitigate possibilities of delays or cancellations. The longer the day goes on, the more chances for weather or other delays," he said.

"If you're traveling with a family, (it) will make sure that you all have a chance to sit together," he added.

He also recommends booking your hotel first. This ensures that your hotel isn't booked out after you book the flight.

AAA is also offering a new resource called AAA Trip Canva, which is a planning website that can give insights into popular travel destinations and possibly hidden gem attractions.