There are two ways to plan a vacation: the right way and the wrong way. One (can you guess which?) leads to having a very successful, relaxing and enjoyable vacation, while the other results in stress, angst and not much fun at all. Over-planning things, as well as under-planning them, can both lead to a miserable vacation. Try to follow these steps below in order to successfully plan your next trip:
– Do your research. If there is a particular place that you want to go to while on vacation, like a museum, look it up before hand. There is nothing worse than getting your heart set on seeing something only to get there and find out that it is closed for renovations. Come up with a list of desired experiences and look into them. If possible, print out information on each, including their hours of operation, locations and prices of admission, and put them into a small binder. Take this with you on your vacation.
– Don’t plan too much. On the other hand, there is such a thing as over-planning. You don’t want to have every hour or every day scheduled. It’s nice to have a list of things that you want to do, but leave it as just that — a list of possibilities. Over scheduling your vacation will just lead to frustration, especially if you end up off track. You will have much more fun if you leave time open for spontaneous activities or simple relaxing.
– Go with the flow. It’s a vacation; it should be fun – and the planning portion of it needs to be as well. If you find out that your dream hotel is overbooked for your particular dates, instead of cancelling your trip or shouting at the bookings clerk, figure out where else to stay. In fact, you should have a list of potential places to stay and things to do, just in case the first few options do not work out. Panicking and making a fuss over every detail will make your planning more stressful. You should go with the flow when planning, as well as when you’re on your trip.
– Look for deals. Check out a few tourism websites for the place that you’re going, and make sure to look for package deals as well. Both of these can introduce you to opportunities – as well as experiences – that you might not have seen. Some locations have travel cards that you can order, which will give you discounts in local restaurants and shops. You should also hunt for packages. For example, a hotel package that includes your stay, a few dinners out at a local restaurant or tickets to a show or event might only cost slightly more than the cost of your hotel alone. This will save you money in the long run, as well as provide you with a few things to do at the same time.
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