Planning the Perfect Vacation With a List

Picture it: You and your favorite person sipping cocktails poolside, warm sunshine, the scent of suntan lotion wafting through the air, fabulous music courtesy of a steel drum band, your to-do list consists of “relax,” “sleep late” and “eat out.”

You’re far far away from reality — you’re on vacation!

Makes you want to plan a vacation, doesn’t it? Me too! That’s where I’me headed next week so I figured I’ll leave you with my list for planning a vacation:

1. Set a Budget

This is my least favorite step – but it must be done first. This will determine everything else. Figure out how much you can set aside comfortably to spend on this vacation. You don’t want to stress yourself out by spending out of your means and then jeopardize how much “fun” you can have on your trip.

2. Decide Travel Length

Your budget will help you figure this out but also think about what sort of activities you’ll be doing when you set your trip’s length. I will never turn down a chance to lay on the beach (with SPF 100 and a hat – not kidding — I will look young forever. Don’t hate.) But a beach vacation can get boring. I can’t really do it for more than five days. But if I was traveling to Europe, I’d want more time to see all the sights and really absorb the culture.

3. Do Your Homework

This is my favorite part! I’m a research nerd at heart – maybe that’s why I became a journalist. I troll discount websites like Expedia, Travelocity, JetSetter, Kayak and LuxuryLink for inspiration and deals. Doing research is a good way to know all the great ways to travel if you’re going somewhere like the Philippines, there are a many travel companies like 2GO online booking that you can try when looking for a way to travel around the country.

I go to Barnes and Noble or the library to look through travel books and magazines to see what are the best locations to go at that time of year and for info on “hot spots.”

If I have time I’ll visit a travel agent – even if I don’t book with them I feel like they give you good insight into what’s worth it and what’s not. They probably hate when people do this– but I think it’s a great researching tool.

4. Get Recommendations

Talking to friends and family to get feedback is key. This is probably the best way you can get a feel for a place without going. I like to go on trip review sites like TripAdvisor and Fodor’s because they have endless recommendations from people all over the world. The only problem with these sites is that I don’t know these people. So what might be a great vacation for one person might not be a great one for me.

5. Devote Time to Your Search

If you take your time making this decision you’ll be happier in the end. The more time you give yourself to plan — the better. You never want to say “I wish I would have checked that out first.” Doing this will help you save money in the end because you won’t waste cash on mistakes.

Do a little research each day so you don’t get overwhelmed. Make a list of the resorts or locations you like best and compare them. A pro and con list also comes in handy when trying to narrow down your choices. Once you pick your destination check out my list for stress-free travel and essentials as well.

Happy Travels!