Aloha Reader!

If you've been casually thinking "we should do Hawaii this summer," this is your sign to stop thinking and start booking.

I know that sounds dramatic, but I hear from families every year who waited too long and ended up with fewer options, worse rooms, and higher prices than they expected. Summer is genuinely the most competitive time to visit Hawaii, and the window for getting the good stuff is closing faster than most people realize.

Here's why: when school lets out on the mainland, everyone heads to Hawaii at the same time. And Hawaii's hotels, rental cars, tours, and activities are not unlimited. The islands are still islands. There's only so much to go around.

So if your trip is July or August, March is not early. March is right on time, and for some things, you're already a little behind.

Here's what I'd lock in right now, in order:

Flights first. If you don't have airfare yet, this is the most important thing to do this week. Summer flights to Hawaii get expensive quickly, and your dates are going to drive everything else.

Lodging second. And I mean right after flights, not a few weeks later. Oceanfront rooms, ocean-view suites, anything with a good location or a split bedroom setup — those go first. On Maui and Kauai especially, the rooms families actually want are limited. If you're looking at late June through mid-August, availability is already tightening.

Rental car third. Hawaii is not a place where you can just show up and grab whatever's available, especially if you need an SUV or a minivan. Book it when you book your flights if you can.

Inter-island flights if applicable. These fill up too, particularly on Sundays and around the start and end of popular travel windows.

Once those four things are locked in, you can breathe a little and move on to activities and restaurants. Popular luaus and tours like the Haleakala sunrise or Molokini snorkel trips book out several months ahead too, so don't sit on those forever either.

If you're not sure where to start with the bigger planning picture (which island, how long to stay, whether to do one island or two), I have resources for that depending on how you like to learn. If you're a podcast person, start here. If you'd rather read through it, this guide walks you through the whole process.

And if you want someone to just think through it with you so you're not making expensive decisions by yourself, that's what my consultations are for. Families come to me when they're overwhelmed by the options and want a clear direction. I help them figure out exactly what makes sense for their family and their trip. You can learn more HERE.

Either way, don't wait on the flights and the room. That part really does matter.

Talk soon,

Marcie