The hours of work that go into researching your vacation can be many, and it’s easy to forget something when you’re doing it in hour-long chunks late at night after work each night. I keep a list of things to investigate for each location I plan to visit. Not all of them are relevant but it’s nice to have.
Population
Density matters to me. Is this going to feel like Manhattan or White Fish, Montana? While population isn’t a direct indicator, it’s certainly a correlation. Keep in mind that some places with similar populations will feel wildly different as far as how urban it is. For example San Francisco and Columbus, Ohio have similar populations, but San Francisco feels much more urban and dense than Columbus. It’s truly about the vibe to me, but population gives me a good idea of what I’m getting into.
COVID-19 Cases, Deaths, and Vaccine Rates
Lately this has been a significant deciding factor of if I visit a place. I’m watching these numbers (thanks google and New York Times) at least weekly for the locales I’m considering in the next year or two. You can sort by country, state and even county.
Visa Requirements
As a United States citizen, we are permitted to visit many countries without a visa at all. But there are a few that require some documentation prior to your arrival. Sometimes you can do it when you get there and it’s an immediate approval, but others, you need to do many months in advance and wait for a board to review it before you can book flights.
Public Transportation and Traffic
Investigating public transit maps can help you determine where you want to stay and how you’ll get aroud. I also download offline maps of my entire destination so I can navigate around without using data.
Calls, Texts and Data
Each phone service provider is different, but I’m a big fan of Google Fi. You are charged $10 per gig of data you use anywhere in the world. Texts are always free and calls are 20 cents a minute outside of North America. I don’t have to worry about massive cycle fees or getting new sim cards and it’s saved me many headaches.
Visitors Bureaus and Social Media
Visitors bureaus are always a good source of information catered just to us tourists. Local bloggers and Instagramers are also an excellent source for the latest hot spots. Almost every community has a local magazine or publication that highlights new restaurant openings or fun hidden gems. You’ll also find what events are going on in the community while you’re there, either to attend or avoid.
If you want my full list of things I research before a trip, just reach out.