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Vacations are supposed to be a relaxing getaway from the realities and stresses of everyday life. However, they can easily become causes of that stress with poor planning. If you’re going to invest in a vacation, be sure to do it the right way! Here are some easy ways to plan the perfect trip.
Set Your Definitives
Before you begin planning, determine who you want to travel with so you know exactly what to accommodate for. Once you get your group together, set an overall budget for the trip. Always set your budget before you start planning to make sure you’re traveling within your means. Also, determine the exact dates you’ll be away. This can be tricky due to travel costs varying for different days, so it’s okay to be flexible!
Where do you want to go?
The first step of trip planning is determining a destination. A great way to do this is by creating a list of your top three places that you think you want to go and write them down. This way, you can do your research and choose the best option for your psyche and your budget once you have all the information. This also allows you to check into any additional excursions that you may want to add-on to your potential trips.
Plan Mini Trips
Take your list, dates, travel companions, budget, and plan yourself mini trips for each destination chosen. Choose your flights, accommodations, and any adventures that you have in mind. Do your research on local cuisine, and get an idea about what the cost of living may be for each destination. Once you have all this information compiled, simply add up the cost of each trip. This is extremely useful when it comes to trip planning because it gives you the option to factor price into your end decision.
Make Your Choice!
After you have the information and the cost of each potential trip, it’s time to make a decision and decide where you want to go! Whether it’s worth it to choose the more expensive trip with more amenities or the cheaper trip with more leftover spending money, you now have all of the information in front of you to make an informed, responsible decision.
Extensive planning before you travel leaves less room for disruptive surprises, overspending, and sheer disappointment.
Originally published at jimeischens.net on August 15, 2018.