Welcome to 2025! I hope everyone was able to enjoy the last few weeks of 2024 and you feel rejuvenated for the new year. I have been spending time with my family and new puppy, unpacking our new house and fixing up our old house to sell.
As I slowly step out of my holiday cocoon, I’m starting to get excited about some trips I have planned for 2025.
Spring Break Cruise
My family is sailing on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas ship for spring break. I’m most excited to see the Wizard of Oz musical on board and visit Perfect Day at CocoCay private island again.
I used miles and points to pay for some flights and the pre-cruise hotel.
Japan and China
When the school year is over, my extended family of 6 is traveling to Japan. We’re splitting our time between Tokyo and Kyoto. My daughter and I will then continue to mainland China to visit Shanghai Disneyland.
I used miles and points for all of our flights, most of which are in Premium Economy. For lodging, I’m using Hyatt points for a few nights combined with a townhome rental.
Anniversary Trip to Lake Louise/Banff
Later in the summer, my husband and I are traveling to Calgary, Canada to visit the Lake Louise/Banff area. This is a re-do of a 20th anniversary trip from last summer that we had to cancel.
We likely won’t utilize miles and points for this trip at all. We’re splurging on a 3-night stay at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.
2025 Award Redemptions for 2026 Travel
In my experience, the best time to book award flights using miles and points is as soon as the flight schedules are released. For most airlines, that is 11-12 months prior to departure. So, this year, I’ll be looking for award flights for 2026 travel.
My main priority is getting flights to Europe for my family of 5 for Summer 2026 travel. Our preliminary plans include stops in London and Wengen, Switzerland.
We’re also still weighing our options for Spring Break 2026. However, I’m prioritizing flights for our summer trip. We can always do a road trip for spring break, but we can’t drive to Wimbledon in the summer.
What trips do you have planned in 2025? What award flights are you planning to book for 2026 travel?
Author: Nancy
Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney.
Hey Nancy,
2025 travel plans are: WDW soon for Festival of the Arts, a late March trip to Washington DC for Cherry Blossoms, a May trip to Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka in Japan, and an August trip to London and Accra, Ghana.
I took the family to Banff/Lake Louise in 2018, even stayed at Fairmont Lake Louise (winter) and 2022 (summer) and it was wonderful.
@Nat Sounds like a great year of travel in store for you!
Happy New Year!
Seems like you’re all set for 2025 travel – nice going.
Your Japan trip looks nice, I’d like to visit that country myself another time: Kyoto is my favorite city. I would advise to use taxis there (or 2 taxis if your big group can’t fit into one) – saves you time and money. Although Kyoto is not a huge city by Japanese standards, it’s spread over a large area with landmarks situated at various part of town – so plan your day in one area to cover nearby attractions. Anyway it’s impossible to see everything even in one week!))
Banff park looks lovely – this part of Canada I have yet to see. Reminds me of Chilean Patagonia.
As for cruising, I’m putting it off for a while. They better taken in moderation. It’s OK to do it once in few years to get a different mode of transportation and style of leisure travel, but it has many limitations and cruise crowd could be discouraging. But enjoy your time onboard the Icon!
Happy travels!!
@Aleks I understand about cruising. I’ve over-done it a bit with cruises in the past 2 years, and after this upcoming cruise, I don’t have anymore on the books. I hope you have some exciting trips planned this year!