This article gives you tips to help you get started on planning your own travel adventure. Planning your own travel adventure is not as hard as you think.
1. Know what kind of travel you want THIS TIME: you don’t need to have the same kind every time.
Find out the purpose of the trip and roughly how long. For example, are you looking for a weekend getaway that allows you to disconnect from the busy daily routine? Are you thinking about a week-long adventure that ties your family together by sharing every exciting moment? Or are you interested in a longer adventure just for you and your significant other?
2. Once you have some rough idea how long you would like to travel and who would be traveling with you, then you are ready to research destinations. To narrow down number of destinations you will research, simply ask yourself some questions:
- What is my budget? A quick flight price check from your home town to various destinations would give you an idea what destinations are within your reach. Read our article “online resources to use when searching for flights” to help you do a quick flight price check.
- What do I want to see? For example, historical landmarks, beautiful landscape, or modern city life.
- What do I want to experience? For example, a different culture, thrilling adventures, relaxing activities, a little town’s charm, or busy streets in a large city.
- How far do you want to go? For example, within an hour drive, within half a day flight, or farther.
Lizzy and King Hop’s Tips:
Are you wondering how many places you want to visit this time? Keep in mind that the more places you want to visit and the farther they are between each other will require you to pack/unpack and be on the road more. If you are planning a road trip, to be on the road frequently is perfect. If you are planning a culture trip, to be on the road frequently will eat up your time learning about the places. We usually station in one or two places and venture out to avoid excessive “on the go” (for example, we stayed in Venice and did a day trip to Verona and visited Milan on our way to the airport), unless traveling through places is our main theme (for example, our cycling trip between islands in the Seto Inland Sea).
3. After you determine a rough list of places you want to go, it is time to study the best flights and accommodations. Read our articles “online travel resources to use when searching for flights” and “online travel resources to use when searching for accommodations”.
4. Now it is time to study activities, restaurants, and transportation at your destinations. When you find some activity that interests you, there are many options you have:
- Do it yourself
- Join a tour group (either through your home town travel agent or directly through a local tour company at your destination)
- Hire a local private guide
We have done all of the above depending on how comfortable we are with the place and our familiarity of the activity. Although not all online reviews are useful, we recommend reading through as many online reviews as you can to get some rough ideas. The more you study about the destination, the more you will find your best fit. There is no single best fit. Your style will be different than mine and will be different than everybody else’s.
When hiring a local guide, be aware of the local laws for private tour guides. Some countries have very comprehensive regulations for tour guides and some are less regulated (sometime this could mean less protection for travelers). We have used ToursbyLocals several times and they all worked out well. ToursbyLocals also shows countries’ regulations for tour guides, so that the traveler knows that the tour guide you are hiring has met local government requirements.
5. It’s packing time! The big trip is just around the corner and you are ready to pack. Here is a list of items always on our check list.
- Passport
- Driver license
- Some cash
- Credit cards (at least 2, one Visa and one MasterCard)
- Medicine
- Embassy contact information
- Any return trip ticket info or tour documents
- Good mood
- Open mind
6. On the day of travel, we recommend:
- Be early for everything
- Have backup plans in mind
- Be prepared for hiccups, even very minor hiccups
- And know your schedule and the plan
7. Enjoy your trip, bring back good memories, and tell us about them!
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