7 TIPS FOR PLANNING THE PERFECT VACATION

Some people may say the perfect vacation is the consequence of a moment of spontaneity. Not US. Planning the perfect vacation is hard work, specially if you want to get the best prices, secure the greatest hotels and tours and avoid feeling and looking like a lost tourist every day you spend abroad.

We’ve been arranging our own trips for 3 years now, and they’ve gotten better each time. If you want to plan your perfect vacation our way, follow this piece of advice. We promise it’ll be worth it!

If you want to read our thoughts about travel and how it changed our life, click here.

1 Choose your destination in advance

First step of the planning… where do you want to go? There is so much to see around the world that selecting a single destination can be very difficult. Think about several things:

• What are your interests at the moment? Are you into viking novels right now? Or obsessed with a TV series about the english monarchy? Can’t stop thinking about saving baby turtles from predators? Or do you dream about nothing but funghi risotto and prosciutto pizza?
• How much money are you willing to spend? If your budget is extremely limited it is best to avoid certain places that will force you to break the piggy bank (that is not what travel is about). It is better to choose the country that fits your purse rather than miss out on all the cool stuff you want to experience. There will always be a next time.
• What level of physical activity are you prepared to do? Are you ready to hike, climb and sleep out in the open, or would you rather relax, bathe and enjoy leisurely strolls around gardens and markets?
• How much time do you have? It is obviously NOT a smart choice to take a 14 hour flight and stay four days in some destination. We would recommend to travel far if you have plenty of time available, and close if you only have a few days to spend.
• Are there factors that make your travel to a special location convenient (or not)? For example:

1. POSITIVE: Great plane fares that you just can’t miss; a favorable currency exchange; a free place to stay (with family or friends).
2. NEGATIVE: Reports of insecurity because of political or social issues; recent natural disasters; a ton of tedious paperwork to get visas, etc.

There are a lot of websites (among them TripAdvisor or LonelyPlanet) which release their “Best Destinations of the Year” list to spare you from investigating some of this things yourself.

2 Be smart about the time of year

In each part of the world there are plenty of amazing things every season of the year. It is your job to decide which of these wonders do you want to see the most. Cherry blossoms in Tokyo? Travel on March or April. Northern lights in Iceland? Travel on October to April. Your favorite band in Glastonbury Festival? Travel on June.

Take into consideration whether you’re traveling in the peak season, the shoulder season or the low season which may vary according to each country; that can help or damage your purse (low season can be 30 to 50% cheaper!), as well as help you avoid the crowds.

Have in mind the weather as well. You don’t want to find yourself on vacation during the most rainy/humid/hot/you get my point month, just because you didn’t do a thorough research beforehand.

3 Start booking hotels and tours at least 6 months before

Six months? You may ask. And my answer is YES. At least.

Travelling is now easier and more accessible than ever. And there are thousands of millions of people in the world; that means that at least a few thousand will be planning the exact same vacation as you, which makes the need for securing transportation, lodging and whatever tours you’re interested in of the utmost importance. That is if you want to get THE BEST airfare and book THE BEST hotels and tours. Which leads us to the next tip…

4 Read the reviews

How do I know which are THE BEST hotels, activities, tours, etc., etc.? The answer is: Research, research, research.

My favorite go-to webpage for this is without a doubt TripAdvisor. There you can find thousands of reviews & photos of hotels, restaurants, activities, tour companies, etc., organized by rating, distance and price. There are also many travel forums in which people comment about companies, share itineraries and advice, or answer any questions you may have.

We don’t book anything untill after we’ve checked and double checked all the options, and so far there have been no surprises. It’s always better to be well prepared than face the unpleasant & unexpected.

5 Study the geography

If you are designing your own itinerary it is of vital importance to be acquainted with the general  situation of the places you want to visit during your vacation, that way you’ll be able to optimize your transportation and save time and money.

Try to arrive (if possible) to the airport nearest to your start location and leave from the airport nearest to your final location. If that isn’t possible, follow a circular itinerary to avoid going back and forth without purpose.

Have in mind other tips for further optimizing your journey: 1) Travel during night in a sleeper train, 2) Book train rides in advance and avoid wasting time waiting for the next departure, 3) Find the shortest route from spot A to B; a destination that may appear close in the map could take several transfers from the city you’re in, but could be easily reached from another nearby city .

6 Soak in the culture

There is no better way to travel than to travel like a local. And the only way you’ll be able to achieve that is by reading history and literature from the cities you’re visiting, watching documentaries or movies, checking out blogs or videos of people who have visited or are living there. All with the intention of feeling confident and liberated in a different place, unafraid to blend in, aware and respectful of the customs and in the end getting the most out of the whole experience.

This includes learning a little bit of the language. People will really appreciate it if you say at least “Good morning”, “Hello, “Please” and “Thank You” in their own tongue.

I really recommend this post by Alyse from The Invisible Tourist.com that speaks about how blending as an invisible tourist can really make you live the journey.

7 Stay connected

Some of us can live without Internet. Some of us… not that much.

Staying connected on this day and age means communication, social life and social media, but must importantly: less stress. WHAT? If you lost my train of thought, just imagine yourself lost in a city, not speaking the language; or in a dark alley with no one in sight trying to find “that restaurant the concierge recommended”; or stranded in the airport as a solo female traveler and not knowing who to trust. In that moment you’re able to take out your phone and open Maps, Waze, OpenTable, GoogleTranslator or whichever app you trust the most, without worrying about the EXORBITANT fee your phone company is sure to charge you.

So rent a portable WiFi beforehand (we always do), buy a local SIM card for your phone (never tried it) or ask for an international data plan to your phone company. Spend a little extra money on this, and we promise you won’t regret it.

That’s all we’ve got! If you have more tips that can help us plan the best vacation ever please comment below!!