How Timeshare Weeks Work

What are timeshare weeks?

Timeshare weeks are the backbone of the timeshare industry, establishing specific vacation dates for fixed weeks, floating weeks and seasons of ownership that form the foundations of timeshare points programs.

Based on a traditional calendar, timeshare weeks provide a week of vacation time in a unit in a timeshare resort, often in a specific unit or a unit with a specific layout such as a two-bedroom unit, depending on the ownership.

Weeks are offered in a variety of ways, whether as a fixed week of vacation time or a floating or flex week to be booked during a specific season of a year.

Even timeshare points are sold in allotments that provide a week’s worth of vacation time for points owners, should they choose to use all of their points for one week.

Timeshare weeks are also essential for exchange programs, which provide amazing flexibility for owners looking to vacation beyond their home resorts. Owners place their week into an exchange program and swap it to vacation in a similar-type unit in a different resort.

Let’s look further into what are timeshare weeks and how they work.

How do timeshare weeks work on a timeshare calendar?

Timeshare calendars operate based on the starting date of your timeshare week. Using a traditional calendar, a timeshare calendar numbers each week of the 52-week year, beginning either on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday – depending on your check-in day.

For example, you may see an owner referring to their “week 6” ski week for their Colorado timeshare week, or a “week 26” summer week they may own in Orlando which could cover the 4th of July holiday period.

Timeshare owners, and specifically timeshare buyers looking for a specific week, would refer to a timeshare calendar to see how the week number corresponds to a specific date to know exactly when that timeshare week would take place.

Timeshare calendars are also quick reference tools for owners looking to secure a specific vacation week in relation to holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s Day.

You will see our timeshare calendar at BuyaTimeshare.com based on a Saturday check-in. If you own a timeshare week with a different check-in day, then please adjust your dates accordingly.

The Best Season for Timeshare Weeks

Timeshare calendars are also useful when it comes to defining seasons in order to choose the best timeshare weeks. Resorts and exchange companies will often categorize timeshare weeks into specific seasons, based on demand for a given resort and the popularity of certain weeks. These groups are then sorted into Color Coded Seasons based on highest demand.

Because the beginning and end of seasons can shift, depending on the traditional calendar, it is wise to refer to a timeshare calendar to make sure the seasons correspond to a particular timeshare week. This is also important when it comes to requesting floating or flex weeks.

Timeshare Week Types - What is a Fixed Week?

A fixed week timeshare is the use of a timeshare unit during a specific, seven night week of the year. Owners buy shared ownership of the unit which guarantees them the use of the unit at the same time every year. This is great for vacations at high demand times of the year, such as Christmas and New Years or July 4th, or during events like Daytona 500 week.

However, because timeshare weeks may fluctuate due to changes in the traditional calendar for specific days (such as July 4th landing on a Saturday one year or a Sunday the next), it is always important to refer to a timeshare calendar to plan for future vacations. 

Timeshare Week Types – What is a Floating Week?

An alternative to owning a Fixed Week is owning a Floating Week, where you’ll be given a defined period of time in which to use that week by the resort. Because the use of a Floating Week is dependent on a predetermined window of weeks from which to choose, such as a season, timeshare calendars are essential reference tools to pinpoint a timeshare week to request.

Timeshare Week Types – What is a Flex Week?

A Flex Week is similar to a floating week but can include some restrictions. A Flex Week may also refer to a particular season from which to request a week but may include a narrower choice of weeks in order to select a vacation. There also may be a rotation of eligible weeks which may be selected.  

Planning Your Timeshare Weeks in Advance

Regardless of the type of vacation ownership week owned, planning a vacation is an important part of the process. The earlier a request for a specific timeshare week can be made to a resort or an exchange company, the more likely the request will be fulfilled to the complete satisfaction of the owner.

Most resort request windows open 12 months or more prior to a scheduled week, which is why our timeshare calendar is created with dates so far into the future. Some timeshare exchange companies allow weeks to be rolled into future years, and for planning large group get-togethers, the more planning time, the better. Anyone who has organized a family reunion understands the benefit of extended planning time.

When using timeshare calendars to plan your next vacation, please remember to check the day of the week that your vacation week begins before referring to the calendar. As mentioned above, our calendar uses Saturday to begin the week but some calendars differ slightly depending on the day of check-in. If you are unsure of your start day, you may want to check with your resort just to make sure.

If you are considering buying or renting a timeshare from the selection of inventory here on our site, we also recommend that you confirm the check-in day with the owner as part of your research.

Your Questions About Timeshare Weeks, Answered

We at BuyaTimeshare.com understand all of the moving parts involved in planning a timeshare vacation. That’s why we’re here to answer your questions about timeshare weeks and make the timeshare resale and rental process as smooth as possible.

Our customer service team is available to take your calls and help guide you through the process, so please fill in the inquiry form on this page or call us on 800-640-6886 for more information.