Find out Peter’s advice on making your holiday travel plans as smooth as possible.

When is the best time to get plane tickets for Christmas in Phoenix? I plan to stay about a week and will fly Southwest out of Baltimore. Thanks for your help.
Marlene W.

Normally, you’d want to wait 45 days before your flight to book your ticket, but the rules change during the holidays.
Your first stop should be Farecast.com, which can predict whether ticket prices will rise or fall. You can sign up for a Farecast email alert that will let you know when the price has dropped.

We checked a few airlines against Southwest, traveling from December 22-29 and prices are comparable. Southwest is showing up at about $462 from Baltimore to Phoenix. Other online booking sites are suggesting AirTran, which is about $476 for those dates. According to Farecast, other tickets will drop about $50, (remember, Farecast doesn’t monitor Southwest) which isn’t hugely significant.

SO, bottom line, our advice is to grab your Southwest ticket now, because Southwest tickets (unlike most other airlines) only go up in price, not down.

I recently discovered your program again on the radio in L.A. VERY early in the morning. My husband and I are planning to go to the Big Island of Hawaii very soon. We like to explore and hike, etc., but we also want some of the Hawaii ambiance and an ocean view. Can you recommend a medium-priced hotel which meets these specifications? We don’t mind spending some money for a hotel, but the huge destination resorts don’t appeal to us since we would seldom be there.
Thanks for your help.

Evelyn Y.

One great alternative from the crowded beach resorts on the Big Island is to head to Hilo, a small city on the eastern side of the island. This part of the island is less touristed and tends to have a rainier, wetter climate, but you’ll find all the amenities and activities. Try the Shipman House Bed and Breakfast Inn, a renovated Victorian mansion that offers five private guest rooms. The inn is close to hiking trails, beaches, views of Hilo Bay and Hilo town. Rates are from $205 a night. 808-934-8002, www.hilo-hawaii.com

If you want to stay on the sunny Kona side of the island, a good alternative to the traditional hotels is the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort in South Kona. Although it’s a resort, it is adjacent to Kahaluu Beach Park which offers some of the best snorkeling and surfing on the island. Rooms start at about $259 a night. 808-322-3441, https://outrigger.com/

My family wants to take a China tour with smarTours. The trip is offered for a price we can afford. I would be happy to go with another company if we could get a similar trip at a similar cost. I have not found another one yet.

There are five adults and my granddaughter. She is 6 years old. She has traveled extensively including to Europe and Africa. She is very bright and very well behaved. She is an excellent traveler. She is so bright and so socially advanced that her school allowed her to skip kindergarten (which is almost unheard of at that school) and she is now in second grade. I am telling you these things so you can understand how mature she is. This company will not allow her to go because they say their minimum age is 8. It does not say that on their Web site or on the trip information and the woman I talked to had to ask someone else if a child could go on the trip.

I feel sure the reason for the age requirement is because many children are disruptive. That is not the case here. I also feel sure that exceptions can be made. I would like for you to advise me how to approach this situation without irritating anyone and with the best possible results. My family. including my granddaughter, was all looking forward to going to China and are all now very disappointed. Any suggestions you have will be greatly appreciated.

Diane T.

We called SmarTours on your behalf, and agent Ritu Khandelwal did verify that the outfitter does not allow children under 10 (they’ll make exceptions for kids 8 and older). She reiterated the statement that children can be “disruptive” and that they could not make any exceptions.

So, we checked around for a comparable tour that could accommodate you and your family. We spoke with Jason Matsui at China Discovery Tours, a California-based operator that hosts tours to China. The tours are open to children of all ages, and the company even offer a 25 percent discount for children who will be traveling with at least two adults.

A nine-day 9 tour of Beijing, Zhouzhuang, Suzhou, and Shanghai starts $1,199 including airfare. China Discovery Tours can also arrange a private tour for you and your family for an extra $100 per person. If your group is 10 or more people, they’ll waive that fee. And, as an added bonus, you’re not required to stay with the tour group on any given day if you’d like to enjoy another activity with your granddaughter (just give the guide a day’s notice). This company has an AA rating with the Better Business Bureau. 888-371-3228, www.chinadiscoverytours.com

My daughter lives and works in London, and I try to visit her once a year. I live in S. Florida, so I generally I try to leave from Miami, but am not married to that airport. Up to this point I have been able to use my airline miles, but have used the last of them, so I want to know the best time of year to get the best deals, to London or any where else on the continent that she and I could meet. Is there a better day of the week to leave the U.S. and head to London or other places in Europe?

Thanks from a Mom who likes to spend time with her daughter.

Kathleen J.

This is an ideal situation in which you can exercise your rights as a contrarian traveler.

Your best bet for low fares is to travel when everyone else isn’t. However, you probably don’t want to be wandering around London in the middle of a blustery winter. Late March, early April is a good time when the crowds haven’t shown up yet, but the weather is slowly, but surely, starting to improve.

Since you’re not married to leaving from Miami, this is also a case in which alternate airports can come in handy. Flights leaving from Ft. Lauderdale to Heathrow are coming up in the high $600s, which seems to be the best deal at the moment, according to Kayak.com. Try to schedule your trip so that you can depart and return midweek for lower prices.

You also mentioned meeting up in another city, which is an excellent idea. The euro is a little easier on the wallet than the pound, so even if you don’t save big on the flight, your dollar will stretch farther once you’re there. A flight from Miami to Madrid is showing up at under $600 on Iberia. Or head into Eastern Europe (flights to Istanbul are showing up at about $800 during that time)—you dollar will stretch farther, and you and your daughter can have a wonderful experience on the road less traveled.

Help, I am trying to find someplace warm between Christmas and New Year to take a family of five—mom and dad, boys 20 and 18, and a girl 11. Everything I have looked at just seems very expensive. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Dave Braden

Traveling to Mexico seems to be your best bet: It’s close enough that airline tickets won’t be overly expensive and the dollar goes a long way against the peso. If you don’t want your older kids heading out to the clubs at night, skip the crowded spots like Cancun and Cabo San Lucas.

One great option is Merida, on the eastern coast of Mexico. It’s the capital city of the Yucatan and not far from the coast, filled with Mayan flavors, its own unique dialect, and food that hotel prices around the holidays are a little pricier than in summertime, but you can find a good deal. The InterContinental in Merida, for example, is starting at just $100 a night. This is a family-friendly destination, with ruins and activities that should appeal to all ages: Mayan ruins, day trips to Chichen Itza and Uxmal, the Loltun Cave, plus the always-popular snorkeling, swimming and diving.

Or check out Off the Brochure: Cancun & the Riviera Maya for more ideas on Mexican destinations.

Want more info on traveling in China? Try Off the Brochure: Beijing or Bound for Beijing: a Guide to 2008 Olympic Travel as well as the Symbol of 21st Century China Travel: Demolish.

Get the answers to all of your travel questions in our “Ask Peter” section.