I am making my first two tier cake next month (the party is on the 14th). To complicate things, my mom has decided to visit from the 12th to the 17th. I've read a bit about letting the cake sit, etc, but I don't know how long before the big day I should start doing everything. I have to:

bake the cakes (both tiers will be at least two layers)
maybe torte them
make the filling and fill them
cover in buttercream
make fondant accents
make candy clay figures (monkeys)
dowel them and put them together

The icing will be pretty simple - just smoothed buttercream with fondant polka dots on them. Can I bake the cakes then freeze them? Can I do anything else ahead of time? What timeline would you give yourself?

Also, I forgot to add that this will be the first time I'm going to be transporting a cake. How do I pack it so that it will be okay?

You can bake the cake any time you want and freeze it. Wrap it well in plastic wrap, then in foil.
If you have room in the fzr, you can put the layers togeter w/filling & curmb coat before fzing, then all you will have to do is ice & decorate.
Making the figures can also be done now & stored out of the way in a cool, dark place.
You can make your icing now & fz or keep in the frig; just rebeat it when ready to use.
Don't make the fondant decos until you are ready to put them on the cake.