| name | booking-timeline |
| description | Use when constructing the Booking & reservation timeline section of a trip plan. Encodes the 4-month / 2-month / 6-week / 1-week reservation cascade and refund-window rules. Invoked by trip-planner. |
| type | reference |
booking-timeline
When to lock what. Reservations have hard deadlines: lodgings fill, scenic-train window seats sell out, fees lock. Get the order wrong and the trip falls apart.
The 4-tier cascade
Render this as a Markdown table in the trip body. Adjust the lead-times by trip type (international ≥ 4 months out; domestic ≥ 6 weeks; weekend ≥ 1 week).
## Booking & reservation timeline
| When | Action |
|---|---|
| **4–6 months out** | Lock dates, book flights, lodging |
| **2–3 months out** | Buy rail/transit pass; reserve scenic-train seats |
| **3–6 weeks out** | Reserve summit/peak attractions; travel insurance |
| **1–2 weeks out** | Confirm visa / ETIAS; download apps + offline maps |
| **Trip day** | Activate passes; check-in 24 hr ahead for flights |
What goes in each tier
4–6 months out (the lock-in window)
Things that fill up earliest:
- Flights — international flights are cheapest 4–6 months out; US domestic 2–3 months
- Peak-season lodging — Swiss alpine villages (May–June), US national park gateway towns, Greek/Italian summer islands
- Limited-capacity attractions: Alhambra, Vatican Museums (Friday-night), Yosemite NP campsites, Antelope Canyon tours
- Train passes can wait until 2 months — most are open-dated until activation
- Trip insurance — buy within 14 days of first deposit for pre-existing-condition coverage
For domestic / weekend trips: collapse this to "6 weeks out".
2–3 months out (the seat-selection window)
- Scenic-train seat reservations: Glacier Express opens 3 months ahead; Bernina Express same; Eurostar opens 6 months
- Restaurant reservations at hyped places (Michelin, OpenTable cult restaurants)
- Specific tour bookings: guided national park tours, snorkel/dive trips, Northern Lights chases
- Car rental if needed — book early for August / Christmas / Easter peaks; otherwise OK to wait
- Buy the rail pass if it's open-dated until activation
3–6 weeks out (the experience window)
- High-altitude / weather-dependent attractions: Jungfraujoch slot, Pikes Peak time-entry, Yosemite Half Dome permit
- Travel insurance — buy by this point even if you didn't earlier
- Cellular plan / SIM — order international SIM, set up eSIM, or call carrier for travel package
- Notify card issuers of travel dates (most banks no longer require this, but some still flag transactions)
1–2 weeks out (the prep window)
- Visa / ETIAS / ESTA — verify approval status; some take 72 hrs to process
- Download apps: transit (SBB Mobile, Citymapper, etc.), maps offline, lodging confirmations as PDFs
- Currency: order foreign cash if needed for arrival expenses (taxis, tips). Or plan ATM withdrawal at the airport
- Pack-list review: specific to destination (altitude jacket? snorkel? rain gear?)
- Pet / house sitter: confirm dates; leave keys
- Mail hold: USPS or Amazon vacation hold
Trip day & arrival
- Activate the rail pass on first travel day (most are app-validated, not paper)
- Flight check-in: 24 hrs ahead online to lock seat assignment
- Carry-on essentials: passport, prescriptions, charger, change-of-clothes, snack
- Save offline: lodging address + arrival instructions to phone
Refund-window rules
These are the cancellation windows to look for when booking. Aim for the most flexible option that fits the budget.
| Item | Free-cancellation window to look for |
|---|
| Hotels | ≥ 30 days out (most have this; some chains offer 24 hrs) |
| Airbnb / Vrbo | "Flexible" or "Moderate" cancellation policy; avoid "Strict" |
| Flights (refundable) | Premium fare class only — usually not worth the markup |
| Flights (non-refundable) | 24-hour cancel window per US DOT for tickets bought directly from airline |
| Trip insurance | "Cancel for any reason" rider — pricier but recovers ~75% |
| Tours / activities | Look for "free cancellation up to 24/48/72 hrs before" |
| Rail passes | Most are non-refundable once activated; refundable if not yet activated |
| Scenic-train seat reservations | Often non-refundable supplements; flexible base fare on pass |
The "what if dates change" rule
Build flexibility into the lock-in. If the trip dates might slip:
- Choose lodging with ≥ 30-day free-cancel
- Wait on non-refundable flights until dates are locked
- Hold the rail pass open-dated (don't activate)
- Postpone travel insurance until 14 days out (still within pre-existing coverage if you bought-then-canceled-and-rebought)
Region-specific timing nuances
| Region | Booking timing nuance |
|---|
| US national parks | Lottery-based permits open 6 months ahead (Half Dome, The Wave); regular campsites 5 months ahead; lodge stays 13 months ahead |
| Switzerland | Glacier Express opens 90 days; Jungfraujoch is same-day in shoulder season but slot-based in summer |
| Italy | Restaurants in Tuscany / Cinque Terre book 1 month ahead in summer; Vatican Museums Fri-eve 60 days ahead |
| Japan | JR Pass must be bought BEFORE arrival (cheaper) or in-country at premium; Shinkansen reservations open 30 days ahead |
| UK | Tower of London / Stonehenge timed entry; book 2 months ahead in summer |
| Iceland | Northern Lights tours weather-dependent; lodging in Reykjavík fills 4 months ahead Sept–Mar |
| Greek islands | Ferries fill in August; book ferry + island lodging together 2 months ahead |
Reference
- #41 Beavers Bend: cabins fill 6 months ahead in fall (peak); 2 months ahead in summer
- #68 Switzerland: full 4-tier timeline rendered in body; emphasizes Swiss Travel Pass open-dated flexibility + Glacier Express lock-in
