13
Nov
Hi everyone, happy Monday and welcome back to the blog. WHEWWWW we made it! This is my first blog post after Halloween and oh my goodness, what a crazy October season that was. I am so excited to begin getting into holiday event info and creating content around cozy Salem in the winter vibes. However, today’s blog post is for those who are experiencing the post Salem blues, as I have coined it. If you’re back home from Salem and missing the witch city or if you’ve never been and you want to begin looking at planning for October 2024, today’s blog post is for you.
Planning for your October 2024 visit to Salem, MA
Pick your travel dates or come up with a rough time frame
First and foremost, you need to pick out your travel dates. Some fall events have specific dates that they occur each year, some don’t. An example of this is the Salem Chamber of Commerce Haunted Happenings Grant Parade. This parade is considered the kick off to the Halloween season here and always happens on the first Thursday of October. So if you are wanting to visit us for a certain event or occasion like that, make note of those time frames. If you’re flexible, then consider weekend versus weekday visits. Weekends will always be busier than weekdays, though the entire month of October is busy overall. Once you have some dates picked or at least rough time frames down, the next thing you need to do is book your hotel.
Book your accommodations
Book your hotel first thing! I can’t say this enough. If you want to stay in downtown Salem or close by, book your hotel now. Most hotels in Salem book for the fall one year out. So this means that by the time you read this blog post in November, most hotels will have opened up October 2024 availability. If they haven’t, be sure to follow them on social media for updates or get signed up for their newsletter so you’re kept updated.
Do you need to stay in downtown Salem? I see this question a lot on my platforms and honestly, I think it does make a huge difference. If you can afford to stay in a hotel in the middle of the action in Salem (preferrable one that has parking!) then you’re doing your future self a huge favor. Having access to your room to drop off any purchases, rest, store some drinks and snacks, nap, use the restrooms, etc. is a game changer. Not to mention the biggest factor – you won’t have to drive! Driving in and out of Salem each day of your trip (if you aren’t staying here) is absolutely doable but also presents hurdles in the form of traffic and parking. You need to get here early each day to land a spot and keep up with the parking fees through the day. Again, this is doable. However, if you can afford to stay in downtown Salem then you won’t have to worry about that. You don’t have to rush out the door in the morning to get into Salem, you won’t have to worry about traffic, etc. I highly suggest staying here if you can.
Set alerts for airfare
If you need to fly to visit us here in Salem, set up alerts as soon as you can. Airfare rates go up and down all of the time, so set up notifications and alerts with your favorite airlines or with Google Flights. This way you’ll be notified when flights become available and when they are cheapest.
Make note of events
Considering it’s November of 2023, the event info for the fall of 2024 is not anywhere near ready. We are all still collectively recovering from the season we just had here. However, what you can do while you wait is make notes. Are there 2023 events that you attended and want to attend again? Maybe there’s an event you saw on social media that caught your eye that you want to try out in the future? Make notes, sign up for those businesses’ newsletters, set alerts, etc. This way when 2024 tickets become available you can secure yours and know you’re good to go.
Keep an eye for my fall 2024 guide
I redo my fall guide to Salem every single year. This way it has the most up to date information, event info, travel details and more for you guys. It becomes available in early August each year and runs through October 31st. Make sure you’re following me on social media and subscribed to my newsletter so you know when it’s ready for the season.
There you have it! I hope these simple tips help get you started and give you excitement for your upcoming fall travel plans. Enjoy!! <3