WHERE SHOULD I GO ON VACATION?

5 CONSIDERATIONS TO HELP YOU FIND & PLAN YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re having a hard time with the question, “where should I go on vacation?” We get it - it can be a difficult choice! There are so many wonderful places to visit around the world, it can be hard to decide what vacation is best to take at what time. With so many possibilities, how can you know what vacation is right for you?

You deserve to take the best vacation for you, but there are a lot of factors that go into deciding what the best vacation would be at any given time. To help you think through these factors, we’ve created a list of things to consider when you’re looking to find and plan your next vacation! Get a pen or pencil ready with some paper to jot down your thoughts - we’re going to walk you through what to consider when you’re trying to find the answer to “where should I go on vacation?”

 

1. Budget

While budgeting is certainly not the most fun part of planning a vacation, it can be very helpful in deciding where you should go on vacation. How much money are you willing to spend on your vacation?

 

A few things to remember when you’re figuring out your ideal budget:

●       Your budget needs to take into account all the expenses of a trip, not just the hotel and transportation. You’ll also need to consider what you’re going to spend on food, activities, souvenirs, and other things during your trip.

●       Don’t forget about expenses you might have back at home too! Do you need to board your dog? Pay someone to come check on the house while you’re away? Maybe, it’s as simple as paying for airport parking while you’re away or gas on the way to your destination.

           

Once you have a budget you’re willing to spend on your vacation, this will help you triangulate which destinations are available to you. Then the fun part begins! Let’s consider next what type of vacation you want to have!

 

2. Activities

This is where the fun begins! When you imagine yourself on vacation, what do you picture yourself doing? Do you want to be laying out by the pool or walking around a new city? Do you imagine yourself in a beautiful art museum or climbing up an equally beautiful mountain? Considering the type of activities you enjoy will help you decide where you should go on vacation.

 

Different vacation spots will offer different activities, so knowing how you want to spend your time is crucial. If you want to connect with nature, consider staying away from cities and picking a more natural destination. If you want to experience nightlife or cultural activities, you may want to look at visiting a different city to get a taste of that culture. Always be honest with yourself during this process. Sometimes you may feel pressured to do what others do on vacation, but it’s best to plan your vacation around what you like to do and what you’ll enjoy the most.

 

Keep in mind your travel companions, while you’re thinking through the activities you want to do. If you’re traveling with young kids, you may need to pick a location with more kid-friendly activities or better accessibility for strollers. If you’re traveling with a friend, your family, or a partner, make sure you take into consideration what they would like to do on vacation as well! Vacations are more fun when everyone is happy, so it’s important to consider everyone’s wishes at the planning stage.

3. Accommodations

Years ago, traveling was arguably simpler than it is now. When you’d travel, you had to stay with friends or family, otherwise find a hotel or hostel. Nowadays, there are lots of options for where to stay when you’re on vacation. You can still stay with friends or relatives and in a hostel or hotel, but you could also rent a room or whole place on a site like AirBnb or Vrbo.

 

All of these options offer something different, with different price points to match. To help you think through what type of accommodation you might want, here are quick summaries of some of the pros and cons of each of the mentioned accommodation types:

 

●       Family or friends: if you have loved ones in the place you’re visiting, staying with them can be a great way to save money. Sometimes this is less convenient and less private than staying in a hotel, but it can be a great way to connect with loved ones and keep the budget down.

●       Hotel: This is a classic travel option. You’ll get a comfortable and reliable place to stay, which is often near the attractions you want to visit. However, it will likely cost more on a nightly basis and you normally won’t have access to a full kitchen.

●       Hostel: Another classic travel option, which is more budget friendly! If you’re planning to stay by yourself or you want to make friends while traveling, staying in a shared room in a hostel can be a great way to meet people. Choosing a hostel keeps your costs low, but it will mean sacrificing privacy and sometimes quality sleep (depending on who else is in your room).

●       Airbnb or Vrbo: These options are a newer way to travel, which can allow you to rent a room, apartment, or entire house. This can be a budget-friendly way to travel, since you’ll often have access to a full kitchen for cooking. If you decide to get a room in a shared space, it can also help you get to know the local culture. These listings are common on Airbnb. If you’re looking for an entire home, Verbo could be a better bet. Depending on how many people are traveling with you, it can be a good way to get a deal for lots of travelers. Check both sites to see what’s available at your desired vacation location. 

Once you have an idea of where you’d like to stay, this will help you better define what’s within your budget for your vacation. You’re getting closer to a decision!

4. Weather

Depending on the time of year, you may want to consider the weather at your location before booking. If you’re from a cold place, perhaps vacation is the time you want to spend warm by the beach. If you’ve been roasting in your hometown, maybe you want to use your vacation to head up to the mountains and see some snow. Take some time to consider what type of weather you want to experience at your vacation location. Knowing that will help you figure out which parts of the world are good candidates for your time away!

 

Note: traveling in the off-seasons, when the weather isn’t quite perfect, can be a great way to save money on vacations. These off-seasons are often called “shoulder seasons,” as they flank the most popular travel seasons at a particular destination. If you can travel during a shoulder season and you don’t mind less-than-perfect weather, you should consider it! Shoulder seasons often offer better deals, as well as fewer tourists at your destination. This makes shoulder seasons a great way to get a wonderful vacation that’s a little cheaper and a lot more relaxed.

 

5. Time

Some of us would like to be on vacation all the time, but sadly that’s not possible for most of us. With this in mind, you’ll need to take into account how many days you can commit to your vacation. How much time do you have? Are you planning to travel during the holidays or another popular travel period? Do you want to travel to your destination on the weekends or do you have the flexibility to go during the week?

 

Taking some time to get clear on how much time you have to spend on your vacation will help you figure out where to go. If you only have a few days, perhaps somewhere within a short flight or drive (or even in your hometown) would be the best place to explore. If you have a week, you can plan to get further out of town to a destination further away. If you’d like to spend multiple weeks or more on a vacation, that could be a great opportunity to get far away from home or spend lots of days traveling around different destinations.

 

FIND YOUR NEXT VACATION SPOT

With all of this information, you should be able to narrow down the options for where you want to go on your next vacation. We know it can be difficult to choose a vacation spot, but rest-assured that if you know what you want out of your vacation, you’ll always be able to find the right destination for you. Whether that is 10 minutes away or on the other side of the world, we wish you the best time ever on your vacation. And when you’re ready to plan another one, we’ll be here with the best tips and tricks to get you started.