Everyone has something that works different for them, this is what worked for me. I will also say, this type of planning is for the person who wants that personal touch on their trip. If their main concern is just getting to the destination, a tour or travel agent would suffice. This advice is for the person who has a passionate feeling about where they are going, and wants it customized to their exact taste. Travel agents are a wonderful tool for the traveler who doesn't want to spend hours upon hours researching and planning. That's what they get paid for.
Step 1 Pick your destination.
Easy enough, right? For us it was Italy.
Now that we decided where we wanted to go, we needed to decide why. What about Italy drew us to it?
Step 2 Research
THIS is where for most people, a travel agent would come in. I LOVE TO PLAN! And I had plenty of time to do so, so I chose to plan our trip by myself.
The internet places the whole world at our finger tips, we only need to know how to use it. Google searches are great for specifics, but can be a daunting task if you aren't quite sure what you are looking for. Maybe start with Googling images of the area you are interested in.
Look up a map to see how far away the things you want to see are and if it's possible to see them all in the time you will be gone.
I also went to the library and picked up the entire stack of books about Italy in the travel section and spent a few hours just flipping through them. After I had a good idea of which books were helpful, and which weren't, I checked out my favorites to read them in more detail. My personal favorite is Rick Steve's guide books. He writes like a person, rather than a text book. He also includes tips, maps, phone numbers, addresses and other tools to help you make the most of your trip! His website is VERY helpful as well! http://www.ricksteves.com/
Watch documentaries on the area you plan to visit! Check out Youtube! There are so many ways you can get a preview into the places you are wanting to go!
Step 3 Narrow down your trip
By the time you have reached this point, you should have a long list of everything you could possibly see on your trip, but can you honestly see everything on your list in the time you will be there and still enjoy it?
It's a free download and shows you pictures other travelers have taken instead of travel agencies. Google Earth not only helped us to remove quite a few stops off our list, but added a few as well!
When you get to the point of building an itinerary, no matter how loosely or rigidly you plan to follow it, have an order of importance.
You never really know how you are going to like something until you are doing it. So be willing to extend your time in a place you are enjoying by eliminating something you didn't have your heart set on.
Jason and I plan on only booking our first night's stay and the last. We know where we will be flying into and when, and we know where we will be flying out of and when. These two things will not change in our plans, however, we may really enjoy the Amalfi coast, so something down the road will have to be sacrificed in order to enjoy it more. The opposite could also be true. A lot of people enjoy Rome, but what if one day is enough for us when others suggested three? Not having fun? Move on to the next experience!
Another option includes adding a new friend. For some, this may seem strange, but it has been WONDERFUL for me! I simply typed my last name into Facebook and narrowed the search to Italy. VIOLA! I have a new friend who lives in my dream destination and has given me priceless information and help!
I have asked her everything from advice on where to get the best deal on train tickets, cheap rental cars, to the ideal hotels for what we are wanting.
She even got a feel for what we were wanting to see in Italy and gave me some GREAT suggestions!
I also went to the local book store and bought a laminated map and a small notebook. I went through our list and circled all the places on the map with a dry erase marker. By using a dry erase marker, changing your mind is as easy as wiping your finger across the map. In the little notebook, which I always keep with me, I jot down suggestions people make to look up later, ideas that come into my head, and reasons why the little circles on my map exist. "Why are we going to Cumae again? Oh yeah, it says in my notebook there were ruins we wanted to visit there!"
Well, this post has gotten longer than I thought it would, so I'm going to stop for now, and maybe next week I will do another post on Putting a Price on Your Dreams.
