Nancy Aronson is already thinking about traveling in 2023. She and her husband, Jules, have their sights on a Danube River cruise in April, with stops in Passau, Germany, along with Vienna and Budapest, to see the spring blossoms.
“We may meet up with relatives,” says Aronson, a retired manager for a nonprofit who lives in Bethesda, Md. “So we’ll also rent a car.”
Planning a trip beyond winter in 2023 may seem a little premature, but it’s not. Flights are filling up fast. Some hotels are close to sold out, travel experts say. Next year, the travel industry is supposed to return to normal after three pandemic years, and demand is high, despite economic worries.
People planning to go abroad face a minefield of possible mistakes. Take Aronson’s spring trip. It’s a popular time for a river cruise, so fares will be pricey. And even though the car rental shortage is easing, rates remain high, particularly in Europe. You’re almost always better off taking the train.
So what do you need to know about traveling in 2023? This is the year everything is supposed to go back to “normal” — which most experts say will look a lot like 2019. Most importantly, don’t expect to get a last-minute deal (or maybe any deal) for next year’s trip.
“Demand remains high,” says Pam Young, executive vice president at Internova Travel Group. “I don’t expect prices will drop in 2023.”
