In 2007, my boyfriend and I began what is now our twice-annual vacations together. We usually take a week-long outdoor adventure trip during the summer and a “mini-vacay” that lasts about 2 days during some other season. We’re college students, so we are definitely on a tight budget. We do the trip planning on our own and lucky for us, we share similar interests, so once we’ve researched a few options, it’s easier to narrow our scope. Here, you’ll find a list of trip planning suggestions and things to keep in mind as you cover the most important points in planning.
When I begin planning a vacation, I always jot down the 7 most important points to consider: time, budget, locations, activities, transportation, lodging, and food.
Time: Plan well in advance, and decide how long you can or want to vacation. Set the dates, and go from there.
Budget: Take count of how many people you’ll be traveling with. (Make sure you get a confirmation from each traveler.) Figure out the maximum amount each person is willing to spend for the vacation, and go with the average amount. Multiple that number times the number of travelers and you’ll get the budget for the trip. Just as important, you’ll also have a fair, even amount for everyone. The following items will affect how you use your money, so we’ll touch the budget area again later.
Location(s): The location is major. The local prices of lodging and activities may be higher for, say, a Hawaiian beach vacation than they are for a visit to South Carolina’s beaches. In addition, the cost of transportation to and within the location will vary.
It’s a good idea to create a list of places you’d like to visit. (My boyfriend and I enjoy visiting places we’ve never traveled to before, to do something fresh.) Get a list of places from the people you’re traveling with, and find commonalities among them. Decide how far you want to travel. When is the best season to travel, or when can you travel together? Hopefully with that information, you can narrow your options, but keep a few (I recommend 3) options on the table for comparison.
Online resources are great for travel advice, but I prefer to have books and hard info on hand too. Search online for travel brochures/travel books/vacation guides/travel information. Usually, if you check the location’s tourism website, you can find a link to request FREE travel information and road/city maps. You may have to pay a small fee (sometimes) to order international travel info, however. You can also swing by the book store and purchase travel books there, or maybe your local or university library has up-to-date info on the places you intend to travel. Once you have received your information and you’ve browsed the collection, head back to the Internet for more in-depth info (such as prices, which aren’t always listed in the travel guides). You may also want to figure out distances—MapQuest—between places where you plan to do some activity.
Activities: A good suggestion is to find out what activities are unique to the places on the list? You should definitely do something that you can’t or won’t normally be able to do at home. Decide what kind of vacation you want to take. Will it be camping and outdoor adventure, complete leisure, or a mixture? It’s also a good idea to learn about the local geography and climate, as this will determine what types of clothing, skin protection, supplies, etc. you’ll need to pack. If planning a budget international trip, you’ll want to consider culture. Do you need a guide/translator, or should you grab a traveler’s phrase book for the Spanish language?
If you’re looking to learn a sport like windsurfing or hang gliding, for example, or if you are hoping for a guided tour, hit up the search engines! Find schools or instruction for activities that would require some prior skill and knowledge. Compare locations (how close it is to your destination, or maybe you’ll stop along the way if it’s a road trip). Compare prices, but make sure the instructor’s reputation for safety is good too. As websites aren’t always updated regularly, I like to email or call the instructors or businesses to confirm prices and to be sure they’ll be operating during the dates we plan to travel there.
Transportation: By what means do you want to/prefer to travel? Are you looking for a road trip? Do you prefer to travel more quickly by plane to afford more vacation time in a single location? Or maybe you’re thinking of a cruise or trip by train? Which way will be cheapest? Which way will be the most fun for you or your group?
With your overall budget and location decided and activities planned, it’s time to figure how you’re going to get there. Maybe there are interesting sites (national parks, monuments, etc.) you want to see along the way. In that case, a road trip would be best. If it is a road trip, are you or anyone willing to drive your car the distance, or will you factor in the price of a rental vehicle instead? Don’t forget the cost of fuel. If you can’t sit for long periods, don’t want to be stuck in a car with your friends or family forever, or just want to move quickly, you’ll probably like the sound of a plane trip. Talk to your travel partner or group and decide.
Lodging: What hotel, hostel, camping, and other lodging options are available in the places you plan to visit? Which options provide the most comfort, and which are more affordable? Remember that this is a budget vacay, so if you choose a hotel option, decide on which amenities are really necessary, as this affects cost. When my boyfriend and I vacation, we don’t spend much time at the hotel, so it makes no sense to spend money on a luxurious, decked-out suite. We look for economical, clean places in a safe area. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have a pool!
*************If traveling on the road, look out for welcome centers and restaurants where you can pick up free coupon books with discounts on hotels, amusement parks, and more.
Food: Yes, yes. You have to eat too. Again, this is a budget trip, so don’t expect fine dining for every meal. Calculate how much each person might spend (per day) on food and decide what type of meals you can have on that budget. Fast food isn’t for everyone, so another option is to shop at markets and grocery stores along the way for some healthier items. Look for things that won’t spoil quickly and things that don’t require a stove (unless it’s an accommodation at your budget hotel). You may also want to buy some dry foods and snacks in case you are or will be camping at some point. They also make great meals when hiking or even walking the city.
Here is a list of websites I use in addition to travel books:
MapQuest.com = Great for road trip planning, but always keep a current road map handy, as some directions may get confusing. It’s also great that MapQuest now has a feature to estimate the cost of fuel. When you get the page of directions for your route, simply enter the miles-per-gallon of the vehicle you plan to take, and it’ll calculate the price! Don’t forget to add directions for your round-trip, though.
MPGBuddy.com = Enter the vehicle info to figure out the miles-per-gallon.
FreeTrip.com = Similar to MapQuest in giving directions, but it also allows you to select different price ranges of hotels, rest stops, and national parks to be listed along the way. Really great for that drive to the Grand Canyon. ^_^
Enterprise.com = For rental car rates and reservations.
CheapAir.com, Cheaptickets.com, StudentUniverse.com, Expedia.com, Priceline.com = For finding discounted flights, hotels, rental cars, and creating cheaper vacation packages.
***If you still need a little help with planning or think you can save money by having a travel agent find deals for your custom itinerary, go for it. You can get pricing by selecting the activities you want to do, the type of lodging you want, and whether or not you’ll have guided tours. Get a few quotes and compare. We’re all about finding the best ways to save! Enlisting some help from a travel agent isn’t such a bad idea, especially if you’re traveling internationally. They can advise you of seasonal weather conditions, road conditions, and find you multi-lingual guides to help some of the time or all of the time, if you wish.
Plan well, and have an awesome time! ^_^