I remember planning my first trip. It was so exciting, I was taking a gap year, leaving South Africa and travelling to Europe for a new experience, that was 30 years ago (OMG, 30 years ago!). Traveling then, like many teenagers, was on a extremely challenging budget, staying in hostels and carrying my backpack across European borders. The start of the journey was a Contiki Tour (remember those?)… 20 countries in 30 days! I thought that would be a great start and learning experience; and then I could decide on where to go back to and spend more time. Little did I know that by the time my tour ended in London I was already out of money and needed to find a job to feed my travel habit.
From that point on every trip I planned I always ensured that I had clear focus on where I wanted to visit next in the world, the amount of time I wanted to spend in a country / city, what I wanted to do whilst I was there and what my budget was going to be.
Planning a vacation can be so daunting and I believe that everyone can plan an amazing vacation a) if they have the time, b) if they are so inclined or c) if they get help to do so.
Here is my thought process:
Destination, Destination, Destination
I know that sounds like a strange thing to say, ‘Know where you want to go’, but as a travel planner I cannot tell you how many times I have spoken to a family that has absolutely no idea where in the world they would like to visit. Making a decision on the ‘where’ is the first building block to creating a solid vacation.
Get your house in order!
- Is your passport valid (some countries require six month’s validity on your passport from the date of you travel)?
- Do you require visas?
- Do you require vaccinations?
- Do you require an international driver’s licence?
Will you go it alone or work with a Travel Advisor?
Working with a Travel Advisor or Planner allows you to continue to be captain of your own ship but have someone else doing the heavy lifting. You get the personal advice you need; excellent service and you do not spend any time wasted on internet research, phone calls, logistics and hope that in the end it all falls into place. Using a Travel Advisor allows you to enjoy the entire planning process.
How long will you be traveling for?
This is a key factor in the planning process, it allows you to determine how many locations with a new destination you can visit and will of course impact on your budget.
What’s on the bucket list?
When travelling to a new destination you will have some idea of what you would like to experience and enjoy. Where is the focus?
- Do you want to immerse yourself in the culture?
- Learn about the history?
- Stay off the beaten track?
- See all the big-ticket items?
- Eating and drinking?… or
- It is a balance of all of the above?
If you can prioritisz the above it will help to balance your itinerary and help in putting a realistic budget in place.
What’s the budget?
This is vital in the planning process to know how much you would like to spend. If you have a budget in place it will keep you on track and also allow you to know where you can spend more or shave and spend less, this flexibility will give you comfort.
Book your airfare
Your airfare will probably be a big chunk of your budget so booking early will give you more flexibility with dates and perhaps even save you some money on your flight.
Travel insurance
Ensure that you take out a travel insurance policy to protect your investment. Travel Insurance is not just about medical protection, it’s there in case of lost luggage, flight cancellations, breakages, theft and more. There are a number of providers offering travel insurance with varying policies and coverage, we always recommend a Cancel For Any Reason policy (CFAR), it may cost more but protects most of your investment and allows you to cancel at short notice, no questions asked.
Get ‘bums’ in beds
Choosing the right accommodation is extremely important and another large milestone in the planning process. Budget will be a factor, configuration, specific requirements i.e. accessibility, swimming pools but most important is to get the location right. If you are in a city you want to be able to walk to key sites, if you are staying out of a city you need easy access to surrounding towns and cities – this will be the decision maker on where you can use local transport or if you will need to rent a car.
Now that the more challenging aspect of the trip are locked down you can now focus on the fun elements.
Tours verses self-guiding?
I absolutely believe that both should have a place in the world of travel. When I was travelling in my youth and could not afford a tour, I would always make sure that I has access to an audio guide and, of course, books that would help bring the history to life. Nowadays you have the option of private tours, shared tours, group tours, these decisions will come down to personal preferences and budget. I always encourage my families to enjoy a tour in major cities (an orientation tour) or sites so that that the guide can share the knowledge and answer any questions. I remember going to Pompeii with my family, we were a multigeneration group travelling from all over the world, South Africa, Australia, England and Italy (exchange rates differed enormously) and when it came down to our visit in Pompeii there were differing opinions on a tour guide versus self-guiding, in the end we opted for the former and we were so delighted with that decision as our experience was made so much richer by our fabulous tour guide. A tour should elevate the whole experience!
I also absolutely encourage families to self-guide when on vacation, this allows for days when you can just meander, window shop, people watch and take in the charm of a new destination.
Cementing it together by adding the logistics
It is so important to ensure that you plan your trip so that it is as stress free as possible. I encourage all families when they first arrive to any new destination, after a long flight, to have a private transfer waiting to collect them and transfer them to their accommodation; the same is also true on the back end, I recommend a transfer back to the airport. Starting and ending a trip with minimal stress leaves a very positive impression of the place.
Arranging a transfer is also important if you have planned early morning or late night excursions/activities – you don’t want to be late and start the day in a sweat, panic or quarreling with the rest of the family. Unless you are on a budget or want an immersive experience I wouldn’t recommend traveling on public transport. Where possible traveling from city to city experience the train system in a new country / city and when needed hire a car to maximize your travel experience and give you a littl more flexibility, if you are confident enough.
The logistics are key to a stress free vacation, the best options will depend on different scenarios – are you a family travelling with very young children, or a multi generational family travelling with older grandparents or sharing your vacation with another family? Your choice of transport will be important and sometimes it may be worth spending a little more for more comfort or less time spent on the road, this is where a Travel Advisor with prove indispensable.
Some tips before you start your vacation:
- Double and triple check that all dates, times, details are all correct (flights, train bookings etc)
- Ensure that you have your itinerary as a paper document
- Ensure that you have all the confirmation for any services booked
- Check your passport again
- Make copies of your passport – leave a copy on the cloud and another at home
- Take a photo of your passport on your phone – you normally don’t have to carry the actual document around with you
- Make sure you have your international drivers’ licence (if needed)
- Place a copy of all your documentation on the cloud
- Ensure the you have any medication or prescriptions you need before you travel
- Inform the bank of your travel plans
- Check your mobile data roaming with your mobile provider, buy extra data
- Know how to make local and international calls whilst travelling
- If you are concerned that you may need access to medical assistance, ensure that you have emergency numbers at the ready
- Know what adapters to use in electrical outlets
- If you are travelling to a country where they have strict laws or religious beliefs, read up to understand what is acceptable and what is not
Now that all the work is done – have a fantastic vacation!
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