Travel planning can be exhausting. There are so many details that can be researched in order to ensure you have the best vacation, but it takes time to dig into all of that. Inexperienced travel planners can easily miss important considerations and forget about critical details. So as you begin planning your post-pandemic respite, make sure you do it correctly.
Don’t book the wrong location
COVID-19 changed travel so you may not be able to simply copy and paste an itinerary that was built in 2019 to your 2022 travels. Some countries have vaccine, testing, or quarantine requirements. Most cities and states have new rules about eating indoors, which museums are open, and if concerts and festivals can happen at all. Until we establish a new normal, you may want to hold on your dream trip. Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo, the busiest intersection in the world, might not be what you expect. However, it may be the perfect time for other locations that are normally packed with tourists where you can take advantage of perhaps a lighter crowd. Or perhaps an outdoor-based holiday will better suit you in the short term.
Don’t book the wrong season
We all have times of the year when we really can’t book travel like a teacher during the school year, or an accountant during tax season. But the time of year you can travel can significantly impact your trip. Consider avoiding the Caribbean during hurricane season. Maybe avoid Florida during spring break or Iceland in the winter. Shoulder seasons are my favorite time to visit a place and “shoulder” means something different in each destination. For example in Colorado, it may mean just before and after prime ski season. Or before or after the Olympics or cherry blossom blooming. When you are making your list of places you’d like to visit, also notate when would be ideal and when you’d like to avoid going there. I’m not really interested in the summer heat of 130 degrees in Death Valley, but I’d certainly visit in the spring or fall.
Don’t book the wrong time
I don’t have many regrets in my travels, but I do regret planning to be in London from a Sunday to a Thursday. Missing out on the weekend in a massive metropolitan city makes me feel like I didn’t quite get the whole experience. The reverse could be true of some destinations though. Visiting Yosemite National Park on a Saturday in the summer could be a nightmare of sitting in traffic instead of enjoying all the park has to offer. I try to plan my offbeat activities over the weekend to avoid crowds and hit up the major museums on the weekdays. Of course, that’s unless I’m trying to experience something spectacular in a crowd like a concert or festival. Even time of day can impact your experience. Hiking in the early morning means you usually get the trail to yourself. Getting a late dinner usually means you don’t have to wait for a table.
Don’t book the wrong length
Each destination is different so 24-hours at Mount Rushmore may be plenty of time, but five nights in Marrakech might not be enough to explore everything you want to see. It’s important to investigate the location you are visiting and determine the things you want to do and see including day trips from your base as well. Finding you booked three days in a place you really just needed to pass through can feel like a waste. The opposite isn’t so bad as not enough time somewhere just means you’ll have to come back.
Don’t book the wrong neighborhood or lodging
Parallel to the length of time, it’s important to start with what you want to do in a place before booking any lodging. You may find that you’d rather stay closer to your daily activities, or that you prefer a hipper, more local neighborhood than that touristy one. The lodging you book may be impacted by the activities too. Some destinations are perfect for camping so reluctantly booking a hotel in a panic could be regretful once you decide you’re just going to be hiking in one particular area. Or once you realize the weather is going to be hot and you’ll want a daily shower, you might regret booking that primitive campsite for the entire trip.
I hate seeing people panic and book flights and lodging before they really dig into their research. It almost always leaves us trying to retro fit fun into that predetermined box, rather than building the trip around their interests. If you are seeing flights fill up, or lodging become sparse, take a few hours to research before actually hitting the reserve button. Or better yet, book your flight but do you research within 24 hours so if you need to change or cancel it, you’ll be able to without much hassle.
Regardless, all of this research takes time. You know where to find me if it sounds too overwhelming, or you just want to gut check with me.