This is a guest post! Please join me in welcoming Kirsten of The Wandering Brunette!
Hi everyone! My name is Kirsten and I blog over at The Wandering Brunette, a lifestyle blog for the modern woman on the move covering everything from easy weeknight recipes to cute, casual outfits! I’m so excited to be here today talking about one of my all-time favorite passions: travel!
Even though it’s still winter, there is nothing wrong with starting to plan a vacation. Trust me, I’m always planning a vacation. Whether it’s a trip out of the country or a short road trip, there are so many options when it comes to choosing a vacation destination. In fact, I just planned a few trips of my own, all of varied lengths and to a variety of destinations. The key is just knowing how to choose the perfect vacation destination.
Each time I go on vacation, I ask myself a few key questions that help plan my trip. Each question helps to make choosing your vacation destination as simple as possible.
How long do you want it to be?
The length of your vacation will likely have the most impact on your ultimate travel destination. If you want to travel for a longer length of time, say a week or more, you can pick a more exotic location! If you have a much shorter length of time, maybe only a long weekend, then you don’t want to waste too much of your vacation time on travel. For shorter vacations, stick with local travel that only requires a couple of hours of travel rather than an entire day.
How far do you want to travel?
Now, some locations require a lot of travel. 5 hours may seem like a lot of travel to some, while some can travel for 24 hours without feeling drained.
The less you want to travel, the closer your destination must be. Typically, domestic vacations within your own country are great for those who don’t want to travel as far. Now, if you have the time and don’t mind traveling, by all means, pick somewhere a little further away!
Are you looking for relaxation or adventure?Some locations are more prone to adventure while others are more prone to relaxation. If you’re looking for adventure, pick a location with beautiful scenery to enjoy while you’re out exploring. Pick an activity you love doing, such as scuba diving, skiing, camping, or maybe something you’ve never tried before, and plan your vacation around that! Travel companies that offer different activities for each day may even be the best option for you, since you’ll always be busy with activities each day!
Adventurous Vacation Ideas:
If you’re looking for relaxation, opt for a location that offers beautiful beaches, countryside, or any environment that you find the most relaxing. Pick activities that are lower-energy, such as wine-tasting, yoga, or even just laying on the beach and decide the best location for what you’re looking for. If you’re opting for a relaxing vacation, you may find that a cruise (with a lot of sea days) could be your best bet.
Relaxing Vacation Ideas:
Do you care about a language barrier?
If you care about a language barrier, there are two things you may want to consider: you will either want to be proficient in the local language or you will want to hire a guide. Alternatively, a language barrier may narrow down the options for your vacation location.
Although many countries speak English, if that is your only language, countries in Europe and Australia with big cities will have far more English-speaking locals!
How much planning do you want to be involved?
Some trips require a lot more planning than others. If a location requires a lot of reservations in advance but you don’t want to do a lot of planning, that may not be the best location for you. For the more spontaneous travelers, opt for locations with a lot of local activities rather than a location that has one signature experience or monument.
What’s your budget?
Budget is a big factor in planning any vacation. While the finances are probably everyone’s least favorite part of traveling, everybody has a budget. For low-budget travelers, many airlines have error fares or flight deals that might decide your vacation for you. A road trip may even be in your future! Try picking a location a few hours away that you’ve never been to before.
For higher-budget travelers, an exotic vacation might be more possible. This means exploring new places that are a little bit off the map. Antarctica and Cuba are two locations that may require a bit higher budget to travel to, but would be a very unique experience.
Cold or warm?
The last question to ask is: do you want to be cold or warm? Some may dream of trips to the beach while others dream of trips to ski resorts! Before you choose your final destination, simply think of which destination will make you the happiest.
For more posts on travel and lifestyle for the woman on the move, visit me at The Wandering Brunette! I’m always sharing my recent travel tips, including how to incorporate more travel into your college semester!
