When there is still snow on the ground and the temperature stays below zero more often than not, it’s difficult to remember that such a thing as summer even exists. As Canadians, our summers don’t last nearly as long as we want them to so we’re used to the cold, even if we might not love it. The winter blues affect a lot of us and there are many ways to battle it but one way that will work just as well is to start planning your summer vacation. March is the best time to start planning your summer vacation because you’re so close to escaping winter but not close enough that you are experiencing the spring/summer bliss just yet. So here are five very good reasons why you should start planning your summer vacation in March.

1. No rush

Starting your vacation plans early means that there is no stress to go along with it. You’re in no rush to get plans together because summer is still quite a bit of time away, so you can take your time, relax, and even enjoy making your plans.

2. Time to save

Unless you have a specific travel savings account, most people take the time to save up money for a trip they want to take. Starting your summer plans in March gives you more than enough time to comfortably save up enough (or maybe even a little more than enough) money so you can plan and go on the vacation of your dreams.

3. Find travel buddies

Starting to plan your summer vacation in March gives you the early bird opportunity to find travel buddies to go with you. Summer is far enough away that people are seeing it in the far distance but are not making plans yet. This means that you’ll have a wider variety of friends or family to choose from to go with you before they have already filled up their calendar with other events.

4. Catch a Deal

Planning early and planning at the last minute have one (and only one) benefit in common: you have a better chance of finding a great deal on hotels and/or flights. Many hotels and airlines offer great deals if you book way ahead of time and that can really work in your favour. Booking early also means you have that payment out of the way early so you can focus on saving up money for all the fun stuff you’ll be doing on your trip.

5. Something to look forward to

My favourite thing about travelling is the period of time before it: being excited for my awesome trip. Planning your summer trip in March gives you something super exciting and fun to look forward to. You’ll notice a smile creep up on your face every morning and a little extra spring in your step at work when you know that in just a few short weeks, you’ll be on your amazing vacation.

Planning your trip early has many benefits but the biggest one of all is that it takes your mind off of the gloomy weather outside your window. So start planning your summer vacation in March and start looking forward to something great.