Woohoo, Its National Plan for Vacation Day!!!

January 25th is officially known as National Plan for Vacation Day. Who else, aside from myself, didn’t realize that this was an actual thing???!!! I mean this is something I do religiously. Even on the busiest of days, I try to carve out at least 15 minutes for browsing vacation spots that I’d like to add to my bucket list. If I’m ever having a rough day, I can always count on a good vacay browsing session to lift my spirits. There are so many wonderful places in the world that are begging to be explored, such as my current list consisting of Greece, The Maldives and Glacier National Park, but in the wise words of Kevin Hart, the way my bank account is set up, says otherwise (LOL).

However, I do have a surefire system that I follow when it comes to planning a vacation. I’m not much for spontaneity being that I like to have an agenda that maximizes the most of our vacation time (this drives my husband nuts) but depending on how long we travel, I will leave a bit of unplanned time for leisure or unexpected opportunities. When planning a vacation, a few things I take into consideration are:

Type of travel – Determine the type of travel; Solo, Couple, Family or Girl/Guy getaway with friends.

Destination – RESEARCH, Research, research! Decide where you would like to go; Beach or Mountains, International or Domestic, Staycation or Weekend getaway. Are Passports or Birth Certificates needed?

Dates/Length of travel – How long can you travel? Think about work or school restrictions that could come into play.

Budget – Determine expenses; don’t forget to budget for food, activities, entertainment, transportation, etc.

Accommodations – Will you utilize a Hotel, Vacation Home, or Bed & Breakfast?

Transporation – Will you fly or drive, take the Train or Bus to your destination? Be sure to set up alerts to notify you if there is a drop in price (I use google flights and hopper).

Safety – Research the area; make use of travel and message boards, or social media to read about places to possibly avoid. If traveling internationally, make sure to have the number for the US Embassy in that location.

Currency – Again, if travelling internationally, research the exchange rates for that location.

RESEARCH, Research, research – Yes, you are seeing this again! Don’t skimp on this…. Once every aspect of your trip has been planned, research the area again in depth. Take advantage of travel blogs and travel advisory boards to learn more about the area, opt to download free itineraries and travel guides or if you find yourself in a spur of the moment situation, download and use Tik Tok (my new fav) for suggestions on what to do, where to eat, or places/things to avoid.

This is by no means an end all list, but just a few tips to ensure you are prepared when planning the best vacation ever.

Cheers to your next vacation!!!

xo Kee