When the world is your oyster and the possibilities are endless, deciding on where to travel can be overwhelming! Here are some things to consider.
Budget:
Decide how much you have to spend on a vacation and that will help you narrow things down—a lot. Is this the trip of a lifetime where budget is no object (um, take me with you) or is this a trip that definitely needs to stay within a certain dollar amount. Think about how much you can spend and stick to that number.
Length of the Trip:
For most of us in the United States, vacation time is limited and precious, so how long you can travel is an important question to ask yourself when deciding where to go. If you want to travel internationally know that it can take up to two days to and from your destination—that eats into your vacation time. If I’m going overseas I like to spend at least a week at my destination. Domestic travel, however, is a little different. In a matter of hours you can be at your destination without losing much time on a plane, after you take into account any time zone changes. And don’t forget about the road trip option, you can always make travel a part of the destination!
Type of Trip:
Let’s do some visualization, shall we? Picture yourself on a beach the waves crashing in the background, the warm sun on your face, a waiter coming to get you another beverage while you do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING but feel the sand between your toes. Now, picture yourself in a museum, standing in front of a beautiful painting, taking in every brush stroke, as you move to the next masterpiece you hear your enthusiastic tour guide beckoning you to gather at the tour bus, for another adventure an hour away, the ancient ruins are calling your name.
Now everyone’s different. If you pictured yourself in the first beach scenario and you thought to yourself, “that sounds like pure paradise” then you need a relaxing vacation. Think about beach destinations and spa trips to really relax. If you pictured yourself in the first scene and thought, “ok, well I’d be bored to death after 10 minutes” then you need a vacation with a little more activity. Maybe you pictured yourself in the second museum scenario and thought, “yes, I love taking in culture and maximizing every minute of my vacation” then focus on cities with history and activities to keep you entertained all day.
Time of Year:
What time of year will you be traveling? Do you want to go to an island but it’s during hurricane season? Do you want to visit the rain forest during the rainy season? Is it the peak of winter and your destination gets 20 inches of snow on average every week? Is it the middle of summer and temperatures tend to reach an average of 105 degrees—even at night? Now this is extreme, but do some research on the best times to go to your destination so you can enjoy your vacation. That being said you do not have to visit at the perfect time for your location. You can get some great deals by planning your vacation off-peak seasons, which can save you a lot of money. Bringing me back to the first thing to consider when going on a trip—your budget!
After considering all your options, it’s time to start researching destinations that fit your criteria! Google and Pinterest are now your best friends! Search for destinations that have everything your looking for, “Best beach getaways in the US” or “Best museums in Europe” for example and save all of your ideas to your Pinterest boards. After a little research look at everything you’ve saved and choose a destination. It’s important not to get to intimidated by the weight of the choice. This will not be the last trip you ever go on and you can always go back to your destination if you don’t have time or money to get to everything on your wish list.
Happy planning!
APB
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