Regular vacations are important for our mental and physical health. If you have some time off owed to you, you should start planning straight away.
No matter what your idea of a dream vacation entails, the process is the same.
Here are 5 steps on how to plan a vacation that ticks all the boxes.
1. Budget For Your Trip
You don’t need massive amounts of money for a memorable vacation, but you aren’t going anywhere without knowing what you can afford.
Creating a realistic budget at the start will determine the entire course of your journey.
Apart from travel and accommodation, you need cash for food, entertainment, and excursions. Other things you can’t get away from include travel insurance, airport taxes, visa and passport costs.
Keep your budget alongside you while you plan your vacation. This way, you can make adjustments as you go along.
2. Choose a Dream Vacation Destination
Your ideal vacation could be a particular place you’d like to see or it could be something you’d like to experience.
If you hanker after an African safari or a European beach getaway, you’ve got plenty of destinations to choose from. Do you want to visit a specific place like Paris? You’ve still got some decisions to make.
When traveling abroad, the exchange rate will have an enormous impact on your budget, so keep this in mind when planning.
Narrow your options down to 3 places before you go any further with your planning.
3. Do the Research
This part is almost as fun as the vacation itself. Get online and start weighing up these destinations against one another. Compare the following criteria while keeping your budget in mind:
– summer or winter, off-season or high-season
– Package tours vs self-guided travel
– Fully-inclusive, bed and breakfast, or self-catering accommodation
Most places have special rates and inclusions during the off-season. Unfortunately, seasonal attractions shut down during these quiet times. This limits your options for enjoyment.
Remember to factor in items like bus tickets, entry fees to sites, car hire, tour guides and anything else you can think of. Travel agents like this Luxury Travel Agency in Turkey are good sources of travel-related information.
4. Book the Necessities
After weeks of trawling the internet, and speaking to tour operators and friends about how to plan a vacation trip it’s time to take action. Move as fast as you can, the best deals don’t last forever.
The main items that you should book in advance include flights, car hire, and accommodation.
If you’ve decided on a package deal, make sure that there aren’t any extras that you need to book yourself. These could include flights and car hire.
5. Complete the Paperwork
Pay everything you can in advance and make copies of all your tickets, confirmation letters and itineraries. Make sure you apply for travel documents such as visas and passports well in advance.
Administrative delays can wreak havoc with your travel plans. Some countries, like South Africa, have stringent requirements for traveling with children. You can’t get on an airplane bound for this country unless you have all your paperwork in order.
Get Away More
Keep reading our blog for more travel inspiration and advice. We have plenty of tips and hacks to share.
Awesome ideas for your dream vacation could be just a few clicks away.
