Organizing, scheduling, and staying open-minded are key to having the most of your vacation. June 2018 gave me the opportunity to travel to Europe for 31 days. I enjoyed cities in France, Italy, Greece, Germany, and the Netherlands overcoming unexpected travel and lodging problems (had two trains with major delays and a non-responsive Airbnb host) without significant changes to the itinerary or going mad. Being organized and open-minded helped me solve these situations with poise and speed.
This trip helped me identify eight steps to planning a great vacation. Your destination might be different, but these steps are likely to be useful in your planning.
1. Establish a maximum budget for your entire trip.
Traveling requires money, and your monthly bills will keep coming. Make sure to know the maximum amount of available income you have before deciding where to vacation. This means that you should measure your income and recurrent expenses to assure you can pay the latter before traveling; only then you can see how much capital you have left to spend on your vacay without filing for bankruptcy on your return. Everyone has a method for managing their finances, and I trust you'll know how to do the accounting. If you want help, Debt.org has info on how to create and maintain a budget.
PRACTICAL TIP: Keep in mind this maximum budget during your research so you can level your expectations with it.
2. Pick and research the countries and cities you want to explore.
Researching information on your top destinations will help you find filters to rank them based on your preferences. Some filters might be: how much you know of the country, how is the weather at that time of year, how costly is to visit the town, or how many attractions are there to enjoy in a particular area. You decide which filters are best for you and for your decision-making process.
The critical task is to establish standard filters across your destinations and give each one a number value using a scale (1 to 10?) based on the information found. Organize these dimensions and metrics to help you define which places you prefer over others, thus creating a ranking. Here's an Excel model to inspire you.
This last vacation I visited small cities and towns. These are less crowded and the locals tend to be very hospitable. Some small towns haven't discovered how cool they are yet. Make it your goal to find these hidden gems before they become touristy.
Be mindful: Traveling requires valid documentation and different TSA procedures; i.e. Germany requires all your liquids inside a 1L resealable bag. Check the Department of State for changes in the documents required to travel and research each destination's TSA requirements.
Also: Voltage changes across the world. Find out which power adapter you need for your phone, laptop, and other electronics before moving forward.
3. Pre-select the attractions you are interested in.
Your selection is likely to have many archeological sites, events, and places of interest. Truth: one cannot see them all in one visit. Once you rank the countries and cities you want to visit, use the web to find specific things to do at each destination.
Apps like Google Trips, TripAdvisor, Spartacus (if you are gay like me), or platforms like the HuffPost (great article on queer women travel) will recommend attractions, venues, and events within your travel dates for you to select.
Ranking these options is also vital. Find activities and their relevant information (costs, operation days & times, amenities, exact location, etc.). Then rank these using the dimensions and metrics you feel more comfortable with. Here's an Excel to inspire you.
Some destinations offer a City Pass that includes significant attractions. Explore these bundles because some, like the Paris Pass and Venezia Unica, will save you money covering local transportation and entrance tickets.
4. Research transport, accommodations, and meals.
After understanding the places you want to visit, you are ready to explore the most complicated aspect of vacation planning: airfare, ground transportation, accommodations, and meals. Make sure to document your findings so you can use the information on step five.
Air travel
Google Flights is my go-to platform for air travel. Sure, Kayak, Expedia, and Last Minute Travel are good options, but Google Flights provides a calendar with the prices for each day of the month helping you see which ones are cheaper to travel. Read Forbes' 2018 article on how Google Flights is changing the game.
Traveling by land
If you are visiting Europe, check out Eurail for transportation between countries within the Union. Eurail operates since 2006 and offers passes for one, two, or more destinations to explore on consecutive or non-consecutive dates for up to two months. Some countries only include the high-speed and local trains, other include the metro and bus systems. For the ones that only include trains and for countries outside of Europe, you might want to check the state or city's official website; they might have metro and bus passes available online. Also, you can check if the country or city has car-hailing apps operating.
PRACTICAL TIP: Eurail sends some tickets via air mail and some via email. To get your printed tickets on time, make your train reservations at least three weeks in advance; be ready to pay a rush fee if you do so.
International Driver's Permit
Driving in a foreign country is very easy. If you are an AAA member, you can visit your local office with your state driver's license, and for $20 you receive your an International Driver's Permit. If you are not a member, the DMV of your area also offers them.
Renting a car
Car rental companies are in the business to make money and will make all they can to take yours. Some airlines offer car bundles during checkout, and they can be a good option. Make sure to read the fine print and pay online to save up to 15% on the standard fee. If you choose to pay at the counter, they will charge you more to offset the risk of you not showing up. Tolls are usually not included; if they have an electronic pass it will be extra as will insurance.
Accommodations
Accommodations are simple to book if you plan your trip with time; if you don't, they can get complicated. There are a plethora of platforms with reviews to help you find the perfect hotel based on your budget: Priceline.com, Agoda.com, & Booking.com being the top three.
I prefer Airbnb because it puts the money straight into people's pocket and you are likely, if you select a Superhost, to have a caring and friendly person you can count on in a foreign country.
Hostels are also top-rated for some travelers, and many offer private rooms for much less than a hotel.
Make sure to read the reviews on each place you consider before picking the accommodation that fits your standards. One thing is clear: no one wants to sleep amidst dirt, rats, or roaches.
Meals
Experience tells me that one is likely to change most of the pre-selected restaurants upon arrival; a few, the top must-go-venues, will remain. My recommendation is that you research restaurants to have a general idea of the type of food and how much it cost to eat in the destination. Platforms like Yelp!, Google Trips, or Trip Advisor let you see menu items, prices, locations, operating hours, and reviews by locals.
This exercise allows you to estimate a daily cost for breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner. You can also shop for basics at a local supermarket. Set on a strategy and establish an average daily expenditure for meals based on each particular city. This value will change as will the tax; ask Google for your destination's tax policies.
PRACTICAL TIP: Some franchises and local restaurants are tourist traps that count on not seeing you again, ever. Avoid these places and eat where the locals go. The latter are likely to care about quality and should be priced fairly.
5. Formalize your travel itinerary & budget sheet
If you haven't used or created a spreadsheet, you'll want one now. At this point, you have probably made up your mind on what vacay is within your budget. Also, you are likely to have so much information that is time to organize it by day and do financial calculations. There's where a spreadsheet comes handy for an initial itinerary with a budget. Here's an example to inspire you.
(Finish reading the article for a free template of this model.)
PRACTICAL TIP: Translate dollars to the currency of the country you are visiting to get a more accurate idea of the expenses. This will help you see if you need to cut down activities or cities before moving forward.
6. Keep your eyes open for unexpected changes
Life is constant change and, if your plan needs adjustments, it is likely that these will come about on the itinerary. Before purchasing tickets, check the overall logic of your plan.
Verify that you have the airline, costs, and documents required to flight from A to B.
Match your accommodations dates to your travel dates; you do not want to spend a night under a bridge.
Double-check the logic in transportation from your accommodations to the attractions and back. Also, if you lack a City Pass, verify you have the information on entrance fees and transportation costs.
Make sure you understand the food culture of each city and estimate the daily expense.
Now, if your room matches your transportation logistics, attractions, and all is in budget: AWESOME! ENJOY! AND HAVE FUN! You have done your planning right.
PRACTICAL TIP: Consider unexpected expenses; like souvenirs and new places you might want to go. If you've done steps 1 to 4 with rigor, adding $15-$20 on step 5 for each traveler per every day should be enough. If you haven't been rigourous, you might need to double up this recommendation.
7. Make it happen
Your planning led you to a clear picture of what you are up for; so make it happen. Purchase the airfare, ground transportation, accommodations, attraction passes, and experiences; plus CONFIRM EVERY RESERVATION! As you purchase, you will have a second chance to evaluate your logistics. Feel free to make changes accordingly. This is your vacation, your memories, your life; only you have control over what becomes real.
PRACTICAL TIP: Call or email every business from whom you make a reservation or purchase a ticket. This will confirm the transactions and allow you to clear any doubt you may have before starting your vacation. Take note of all the information received during your confirmation calls in case you need it later for reference (i.e. filing claims).
8. Pack-up and stay open minded
Your e-tickets are on your inbox and its a week before leaving. Start packing!!! But, did you check the weather?
Packing your luggage
Take with you the outfits that suit the climate you are likely to face; but, have one or two options for the opposite weather because... things happen.
Travel light; a carry-on for a week is okay, as it is okay to share a bigger suitcase between family or close friends. Doing so saves you money, headaches, and weight.
PRACTICAL TIP: Keep all your documents together in your personal handbag or backpack. Under no circumstance put them in your checked luggage. That opens the doors to identity theft via losing them.
Last-minute changes
Nothing is set in stone; trains break-up, employees go on strike, or you might just have a hangover and want to stay another day in Napoli.
Stay open-minded and let changes occur. Yes, you've charged your credit cards; but, if you were disciplined, you will be able to pay them and have money for an aperitif at Piazza Bellini. That's why you calculate unexpected expenses and monitor your buffer.
Now, all is done. Keep calm and enjoy a great vacation.
Practical tip: Under no circumstance leave any place without your phone, charger, back-up battery, and charging cable; no GPS in middle of Greece will Greek-you-out.
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Hope these tips help. Thanks for sharing your time with me!
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