5 QUESTIONS TO START PLANNING YOUR TRAVELS
Congratulations on wanting to explore! Here are 5 questions to who’s answers will help you start planning your travels
So you’ve got a bit of time and you want to use it to get away from your norm and explore something new. That’s wonderful! It can also become overwhelming and stressful to try to plan your travels. I’ve compiled a few questions to help you start planning your travels and navigate through the scary number of choices and into the joys of being on the road.
Sometimes there are too many options.
1. How long do you have?
Is this a two-week off work situation? Going for a weekend? Got a summer to kill? Planning on doing some long-term travel? Setting out your basic timeframe will help you decide what type of traveling you should embark on, will help set up a budget, and will narrow down where you might want to go.
Think about saving those really far off places for a longer trip. If you’re flying for 18 hours to reach somewhere, you might want to give yourself time to enjoy more of it. And don’t discount the idea of exploring your own country! Adventures exist even in your own backyard.
2. When are you going to travel?
When you’re choosing a destination, think about the weather there. Will it be winter, the wet season, smack in the middle of the tourist season? If you have a predetermined time off, consider adjusting your destination to get ideal weather. Trying to choose when to take time off? Decide on a destination, look at its weather patterns, and then plan to be there when climate suits you best.
Knowing what weather you’re headed into can be useful.
As a side hint, shoulder seasons are amazing for visiting the more popular destinations. Everything will be less crowded, prices will be lower, and the weather is usually still pretty good.
3. What’s your budget?
You can look at this one two ways: how much money do you have available to spend on a trip right now, or how much are you hoping to save?
Believe it or not, this is only worth about $20. In Uzbekistan you need a giant wallet!
Travel can honestly be as expensive or cheap as you want. Different types of travel, destinations, and timeframes require different budgets, so start thinking about the moolah and it will help you define your travel plans. For a bit more help budget planning, keep in mind the hidden costs of travel.
I will say that saving for a trip is easier if you have a definitive departure date that you’re working towards, not just some theoretical trip you plan on taking in the future.
4. Why do you want to travel?
Different types of trips have different purposes. Some are more relaxing than others. Some focus on nature, on architecture, on history, on any other area of interest. Maybe you want to learn about a new culture, challenge yourself physically and mentally, learn a language, give back, try something new. There are a million reasons for traveling, and each person on each adventure has their own reasons.
Your reasons for the trip will help you narrow down where you want to go and what your budget and timeline will be like. Need a bit more help narrowing it down? Check out What types of travel are right for you.
5. Who are you going with?
Travel life is not like normal life. If you’re traveling with another person or a group, the likelihood is you will be spending nearly 24 hours a day with them, and not always in ideal situations. So think long and hard about who you are going to be heading off with, and have a frank discussion about all of these questions. It’s harder, though not impossible, to travel with someone who is on a very different budget or timeframe than you, or who has a different goal for the trip. That being said, traveling with the right person or people for you can be pretty incredible.
This bear (and yes, he’s dressed as a Mountie. I’m Canadian, I can’t help it) is named Buddy. Though I usually travel solo, he’s always with me. Also, I visited Hobbiton in the shoulder season, which meant I had it pretty much all to myself.
If you can’t find a travel buddy, think about traveling solo. I personally love traveling alone, and find it’s easier to meet other travelers.
There you have it. You’re now well on your way to start planning your travels and heading from armchair to adventure!
