Sarah AntonieAfter the restrictions and chaos of the past couple of years the idea of planning the trip you’ve always wanted, might feel too good to be true. It is hard to calm that niggling voice in the back of your mind telling you something is bound to go wrong at the very last minute and scupper your trip. But, now is the time to push all doubts aside and focus on planning the trip of your dreams. Just tell yourself it IS going to happen and here are some tips to help get you there.
Choose a location
Perhaps you know exactly where the holiday of your dreams will be. But if you’re like most of us you’ll first have an idea about the type of holiday you would love and later decided on the location for that experience. With so many options it can be difficult to choose just one. Perhaps you’ve narrowed it down to a country or even a city. But, like anything, if you don’t know exactly where you want to be, how will you know how to get there?
If you’ve missed travel so much you simply want to go anywhere and everywhere – we know we have – why not spin the globe and see where fate takes you. To do this, you need a globe, and then spin it with your eyes closed. Touch the globe to stop it, and wherever your finger lands is where you go! If it lands in the water then you can either take this as a sign you should head out on a cruise, or spin again. Sometimes it just helps you to consider some new places until eventually you find a destination that fits your dream and once decided on you can start the planning.
Book accommodation
Now that you know where you are going, checking out the available accommodation is a good next step. The quicker you manage to organise this, the cheaper it is going to be for you. A lot of people pay through the nose for accommodation for their holiday because they have no choice because they left it so late – we don’t want to see this happen to you. Take a look online on one of the comparison websites available and find something that is going to suit you. Think about how many people are travelling, and remember to consider how many rooms and how much space you might to need.
Wherever you choose to visit there will be many accommodation options and it is important to find what is right for you. For example, villa rental is good if you like to a lot of space and independence, or if you would rather someone else take care of the day to day chores leaving you more time for relaxing, then a hotel might be the best choice for you.
Decide how to get there
Consider how you are getting to the destination. Whether you are travelling by plane, boat, train, car or a combination planning ahead is key to a smooth trip. It can also save you money too leaving more spends for you to enjoy once you get there. If your travel dates are flexible it is worth seeing if week day or weekend travel is cheaper and organising your trip around the best value options.
Plan The Fine Details
Once you know where you are staying and how you are getting there, you can start to plan the fine details. You don’t want to plan every single detail as being spontaneous is part of traveling, however, you may want to plan things like car parking. For example, if you are visiting Orlando, have a look at parking at clearwater beach in advance.
What do you want to do?
Once you’ve decided on a location it’s more than likely you’ve already thought of loads of things you’d like to do when you get there. To make the most of your trip it helps to make it an actual list and start taking action on making it happen, like purchasing tickets in advance and planning itineraries. The last thing you want to do is to reach your dream destination only to find that the museum you wanted to see is closed, the concert hall or adventure park you hoped to attend is fully booked, or the Cape Town Clubs you’ve heard so much about aren’t as accessible as you hoped. Do some research to get as much information as you can about the things that you want to do, think about where they are, when they are, how long they might take, and this will help you plan other activities around it. Think about cost too and if you’ll need any special clothing or insurance.
Who to go with?
This is your dream holiday so it’s important that you plan activities that you want to do and ones that will make you happy. Sharing the trip can be double the fun, but you’ll need to make sure that you also share ideas about the itinerary to make sure that you include is something for everyone coming along.
If your dream trip revolves around an activity that your family and friends don’t share the same enthusiasm for, think about going it alone. This is your adventure and your dream, if you choose to go somewhere on your own just make sure that you are contactable and let people know that you are safe on your travels.
