When I get the urge to travel and are planning on heading out for more than a few days there a few key steps I follow to help narrow down my travel plans:
1. Review group travel brochures
One of the first things I do is either go on-line or drop by a travel agency to check out tour groups like Contiki, Gap, and Intrepid. I am not necessarily looking to join a group, but I like to examine the different proposed itinerary to see what would be feasible and the highlights of a country or region. You can even follow a similar prepared itinerary sans group, and save a lot of the work.
2. Consult travel guide books
If you’ve been following my blog than you know I am still a huge fan of travel guide books (check out my post here). They are such an awesome resource for summarizing the most important details of a destination. In the early planning steps I like to use the book to examine the relative cost of travel in a particular area by checking out the price of hotels, restaurants, and attractions. I also find it handy to start planning travel between cities or countries.
3. Check the airport (and trains) arrivals/departure list
One of the most important trick I’ve discovered in planning trips with multiple destinations is to check out the arrivals/departure lists of airports. By looking through the the list it gives you a quick overview of what destinations you can easily precede, or move to next. For example, you want to go to Rome after a stay in Paris but not sure which carriers have that route available. By checking out the airport list you can easily get that information as well as the rough departure times and spot potential other destinations that could be of interest.
4. Use Google
For very specific details, such as cheese tasting in Northern Germany, than the internet is the way to go. This is where local blogs can offer such a wealth of information and provide unique insights and tips for your trip. Take advantage of these resources and never feel shy to email the blogger directly for additional information or questions.
5. Consult a UNESCO heritage site list
While it’s my last point, I think it’s the most important especially if you have no specific destination in mind. As a birthday present a few years ago I received a book that contains all the sites and it opened my eyes to so many magical places in the world that were not even on my travel radar. A UNESCO heritage site can inspire an entire trip and it can also make for a fun detour in a place you are already visiting. Either way take a moment to consult the list and I guarantee that you will find something fascinating to add to your travel bucket list.
How do you go about planning a trip? What inspires you to travel?
