Ok, it’s time to get going! You’ve been thinking about going to (Insert terrific destination here) and it looks like, vaccine distribution willing, you can start making plans. This post isn’t intended to help you decide where to go; that’s up to you. We want to share some of our tips on how to research and plan for your next big adventure.
After you decide where you’d like to go, figure out when and for how long. Is it a long weekend getaway? Or a week, maybe two, in a far-flung destination? Once you figure this out, get out the calendar and determine some timeframes that will work for you and your family. Having a couple of possible openings on the calendar will give you some flexibility once you learn more about your destination. You might learn that their biggest annual festival occurs in a certain month and you really want to see it. We did this with an Aruba trip a couple of years ago and experienced their Carnival. . .it was big fun!
We highly recommend you set up an account with TripIt (https://www.tripit.com/web) or a similar trip planning site/app. Get the free version and decide if you like it before considering the more advanced $49 annual upgrade. The thing we like best about TripIt is that it will monitor your email accounts and automatically pick up reservations (including flights, hotels and rental cars) and start a trip itinerary for you. It’s not perfect about the way it organizes things, but it’s pretty easy to rearrange things to your liking.
If you’re pretty definite about your timeframe, book your flights (assuming that’s your mode of transportation). Most airlines have relaxed their rules regarding changes as well as refunds if you must cancel your trip. Make sure you understand the details for your specific flights. If you can’t cancel without penalty, you may want to hold off on booking until you’re pretty certain that you’ll be able to go. Don’t forget about the option of using frequent flyer miles or converting other points to miles to get free flights.
Now it’s time to figure out what you want to see and do. We highly recommend that you sign up for an account on TripAdvisor (https://www.tripadvisor.com/). The site (and app) has an unbelievable amount of content about anyplace in the world, from things to do to where to stay to where to eat, and more. Lots of reviews here, too. . .many people will post a review of their entire trip once they return. And some of the site’s members volunteer as experts for a particular location and take the time to answer questions and make recommendations. This is a great planning tool, and we’ve found that the forums and reviews are pretty accurate. We usually ignore one or two negative reviews about something, but when there are multiple negatives, we pay attention and stay away. You can also save your research by creating a “trip” and bookmarking everything you feel is important.
More ways to research what you want to do and see:
- Get a guidebook for the specific area you want to visit. Whether it’s Rick Steves, Fodor’s, Lonely Planet, DK Eyewitness, or a host of others, find one you like and page through it.
- Go to a travel guide site online and see what they have to say. We like PlanetWare https://www.planetware.com/ and Voyage Tips https://www.voyagetips.com/en/.
- Do a Google search. Just type in your destination (“travel to Paris”) and check out the search results
- Check out Instagram. Do a search for your destination. . .IG will return relevant accounts by Top (most popular), Accounts, Tags and Places (within that locale). Start following some of the accounts that look interesting to you. Note that following different Tags will show you a variety of different accounts. You will connect with bloggers, official sites and much more that will give you terrific insights. While you’re on Instagram, be sure to follow us, too @TheExceptionalTraveler!
At some point, a plan will crystallize for you. . .where you want to stay and see, and in what order. Lay it out and figure out how many nights you want to stay in each area. Remember, don’t pack too much into a small timeframe. We recommend you stay in a particular place at least four nights so you can immerse yourself into the local scene.
Now it’s time to pick a place to stay. Whether you prefer an international hotel chain (make sure to consider using points for some or all of your lodging), a small boutique hotel (TripAdvisor is a big help here), an Airbnb or a camping site, now is the time to make your reservations. Again, check your provider’s policy on cancellations and changes, but most give you a fair amount of flexibility.
That’s all you really need to do in advance of your trip. When you’re a couple of weeks to a month out from your departure date, you should start booking specific tours, dinner reservations and on ground transportation, if needed. Those will be the subject of another post here at TET. For now, you’re ready to roll on your next adventure!