Anyone who has spent even a few nights away from home knows
how much it can suck. Leaving your family, friends, and hobbies behind is hard
enough, but travel can compound that feeling of anxiety tenfold. That’s why
planning your next vacation is the pits! Unfortunately, there are ways to make
planning your next getaway less stressful. Even if you’re not one for the whole
“organized” thing, a little planning goes a long way when it comes to making
sure your next trip is every bit as awesome as you want it to be. Here are some
great tips on how to plan the perfect travel itinerary that will make you want
to book your next trip right away.
When to travel
First things, first: when to travel. This may seem like a
silly thing to address, but planning your trip around when you naturally get
time off from work can have a big impact on how stressful traveling is for you.
For example, if you have a big project that’s due at work around your vacation
time, you may end up staying at home instead of traveling. That’s why it’s so
important to think about your travel schedule in advance. Start by figuring out
when you’d be able to go on vacation if you had your druthers. Then, see how
that schedule fits with your yearly schedule, like your birthday or the
beginning of a major season. You’ll want to make sure that you get some time
off when you need it most and that you’re not falling too far behind on
important projects while you’re gone.
Network
like a local
If you’re going somewhere new, a great way to make the most
of your trip is to make a few connections while you’re there. Make it a goal to
meet at least one new person who you can connect with back home (it’s always
good to have new friends in new places). If you have a local host family, you
can also ask if you can casually hang out with them while you’re there. Host
families are often more than happy to meet with visiting Americans, especially
if you offer to help them around their house or with something around their
neighborhood. Host families are a great way to make friends while traveling.
Often, you can stay with locals and help them around their houses for a few
hours per day, or a few days out of the week. This can be a great way to get to
know your hosts and make some temporary friends while you’re overseas.
Research before you research
Part of the fun of travel is experiencing something new,
but part of being prepared understanding what travel looks like. So before you
embark on a month-long vacation to Europe, spend some time researching the
country you’re going to. Try to find: A good article on travel tips for the
area A good website related to the area’s culture A good friend who has been to
the area before These kinds of resources can go a long way in helping you
prepare for your trip. Not only will you get a more well-rounded understanding
of the place you’re visiting, but you’ll also have helpful tips from people who
have been to the area before you.
Don’t be afraid to bend the rules (but follow some basics)
This one may seem obvious, but it’s so easy to forget when
you’re planning for your next trip! Don’t be afraid to bend the rules if you’re
traveling to a place that has a more lax stance on things like alcohol laws,
customs, or dress codes. This isn’t always the case, though. For example,
you’ll want to avoid visiting certain countries in places like the Middle East
or Africa if you’re a woman who doesn’t wear a headscarf. Things like this are
best left to your judgment, though. You don’t want to end up in a country that
you didn’t expect to be in, or that makes you feel unsafe in any way.
Look for activities and communities that interest you.
This one is more of a back-to-front tip, but it’s an important one. If you know you like meeting new people and exploring new places while you’re on vacation, try to plan your trip around events or groups that are similar. For example, if you love wine tours, but you plan to visit a city in Mexico that has a very different cultural palate, try looking for a wine tour that is similar to the one in your home area. This is a great way to make your trip as culturally enriching as possible while still enjoying some time off from your everyday life. You can even create a travel bucket list while you’re on vacation and plan your trips around it.
Stay
in touch with friends back home
This may seem obvious, but it’s one of the most important
things you can do while you’re on vacation. When you’re off on your trip, it’s
easy to fall into the trap of not staying in touch with your friends back home.
This is a mistake: you need to keep in touch with your friends when you’re on
vacation. You can accomplish this in a few different ways. You can use a quick message app
like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or Viber to chat with your friends and
family when you’re away. You can also create a travel bucket list and map out
trips and activities you want to do while you’re away so that you can let them
know where you’ll be and when.
Protect yourself while you’re traveling
This one is important enough to warrant its section. Travel
can be an incredible experience. It can also be a really scary one, though.
This is especially true if you’re visiting a place that isn’t your home country
or region. This is especially true if you’re visiting a place that is
experiencing political unrest, like a country in the Middle East that is
experiencing a civil war or a country in Europe that has experienced a recent
influx of refugees. There are a few ways you can protect yourself while you’re
traveling. You can use the internet more carefully. You can avoid social media
and messaging apps while you’re traveling. You can also keep a close eye on
your money and make sure that it is not in any suspicious locations, or that it
is staying with an official person while you’re traveling.
Conclusion
Traveling is one of the best ways to experience new things
and meet new people, but it can also be really scary. This article will help
you plan the perfect travel itinerary that will make you want to book your next
trip right away.
To read more informative articles click here
0 Comments