A quiet terrace above the sea on the Amalfi coast
If you're wondering whether November is too early to be thinking about next summer in Europe, it isn't. For a family, it's about right.
I know that can sound a bit much when the Thanksgiving plans are just finalized. But a European summer for a family runs on a much smaller pool of options than most people expect, and the good ones are spoken for long before spring.
Why it fills up so early
A hotel might have a couple of hundred rooms, but only a handful that properly sleep four. Fewer still connect. Villas with enough bedrooms for three generations, a pool you'd trust with a six year old and a cook who'll do lunch are rarer again. I wrote about the hotel side of this in European hotel rooms for a family of four, and it's the same story every year.
One thing I learnt working in luxury hotels in Europe early in my career is that the best family rooms for July are rarely sitting there in March. Regular guests hold on to them, and the rest go to the families who ask first.
So the question isn't really how far ahead you can book. It's how much choice you want to have.
The order I book things in
When I'm planning a family summer in Europe, I work in this order:
1. The stays that anchor the trip. Wherever you'll spend the longest, especially a villa or a family suite. This is the piece with the least flexibility, so it comes first.
2. Flights. Most airlines open their schedules roughly a year out. For a family flying long haul from Los Angeles in July, seats together in the cabin you want go early, and points seats go earliest of all.
3. The days that matter most. The private guide in Rome, the boat day, the early entry before the crowds, the lunch everyone will talk about. The best guides are booked by families who plan ahead.
4. Everything that joins it all up. Transfers, trains, the second base, the restaurants. Important, but much easier to place once the big pieces are fixed.
If you do it the other way round and book flights before you know where you're sleeping, you can end up building the trip around whatever room was left.
A rough timeline for summer 2027
• Now to December: decide where, who's coming and roughly when. Hold the main stays.
• January and February: flights, and the second base if there is one.
• March and April: guides, experiences and anything with limited places.
• May and June: final details, documents, and the little things that make arrival easy.
It doesn't have to be rigid. But if the first step happens before Christmas, everything after it is calmer.
What's different about summer 2027
A few things are worth knowing before you choose dates.
The Tour de France starts in Britain next year. The Grand Départ is in Edinburgh on 2 July 2027, and Stage 2 finishes in Liverpool on 3 July before the race heads to Cardiff. As a Liverpool girl I'm thrilled, but if you're planning the UK in early July, hotels along the route will be busier than usual.
2027 is also a holy year in Santiago de Compostela, which means more visitors in Galicia, particularly around the summer.
Then there's paperwork. Right now, Americans don't need anything extra for a holiday in Europe beyond a valid passport, and I keep an eye on any changes for the families I'm working with. What I'd do now is check everyone's passports. Children's passports only last five years, and many European countries want at least three months left beyond your return date. I always suggest six.
If you're already later than you'd like
It isn't hopeless. A trip booked in February or March can still be lovely. It just means being a little more open: shifting by a week, choosing a beautiful hotel rather than a specific one, or looking at late June or the end of August, when Europe is still warm and noticeably calmer.
What gets harder later on is the very specific wish. The one villa. The four connecting rooms. The guide everyone recommends. If there's something like that on your list, now is the time to ask.
The short version
Start the conversation in November or December. Hold the stays first, flights second, the special days third. Check passports now. And if it's a multigenerational trip, give yourself even more time, because every extra person narrows the options. My guide to planning a trip for three generations goes into that side of it.
If Europe is on the cards for next summer, work directly with me here.
Quick answers
How far ahead should a family book a summer trip to Europe? Ideally six to nine months ahead, so November to January for the following July or August. Villas and family rooms go first.
What should I book first for a European family holiday? The main place you'll stay, then flights, then guides and experiences. Booking flights first can leave you working around whatever rooms are left.
Is it too late to book Europe in February or March? No, but expect less choice. Being flexible on dates, the exact hotel, or travelling in late June or late August makes a big difference.
