How to get organized and plan a vacation
It's easy to picture yourself lounging on a white sandy beach, hiking along a woodsy trail, or admiring artwork in a world-class museum. But it takes work to make these daydreams happen. Travel requires organization, motivation, and careful planning. Sometimes simply deciding upon a destination can put you into a tizzy. Here are some tips that will make mapping out your next vacation a cinch.
Start a "Vacation Ideas" file. Read about a fabulous hotel in a magazine? Friend tell you about a secluded beach? Stick travel clippings, articles and notes in a folder and pull it out when you begin planning a vacation.
Save your pennies. You can't go anywhere unless you have the money. Set aside a certain amount every month so you're guaranteed a break. You can even create a separate savings account and ask your bank to automatically transfer money once a month.
Hold a family meeting. More than one of you going on this trip? Get together to talk. This is especially crucial if you have teenagers. They'll be more enthusiastic if they help choose the destination. Can't agree? Vote.
Make some decisions. If you don't know where you want to go, ask yourself: do you want to relax? Do you want adventure? Do want a learning experience? Do you want to be in the country or in the city? You also need to answer some other basic questions: When are you going? How long? What's the budget?
Research online. The New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler, Budget Travel, Travel + Leisure-these media outlets offer top-notch travel content perfect for helping you brainstorm vacation spots. AAA is also a great resource when researching destinations and learning tips on getting better fuel efficiency.
Talk to experts. Once you've decided on a spot, pick up the phone. Call the tourism bureau. For a complete listing of bureaus, go to the Tourism Offices Worldwide Directory. If you're headed out on a road trip, stop into a AAA office for maps, TourBooks, and driving directions. And once you've booked your hotel, don't hesitate to call the front desk and ask questions: can you help me hire a babysitter? What's the best restaurant in town? What's the weather like?
Buy a guidebook. Bookstore shelves are full of them. How to decide upon one? Check the publish dates and purchase the one that's most up to date.
Create a trip folder. As you make reservations, create a separate folder for confirmation numbers, driving directions, et cetera, for that particular vacation. You can use an old-fashioned paper folder or try out the new online TripIt, which calls itself "an online manila travel folder." You can send your e-mail confirmations for hotels, airlines, and restaurants and TripIt neatly consolidates the information into one file.
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