We may not be able to travel right now, but that doesn’t mean we can’t plan for future trips. In fact, planning for vacations is actually a mood booster. So, if you’re thinking about the first trip you want to take once traveling is a possibility but you’re not sure where to start, check out a few tips we’ve compiled below.
Read travel blogs. Yes, maybe this is shameless self promotion, and you’re most likely on this bandwagon already as you are currently reading this blog, but reading travel blogs can be a really good way to get ideas and tips for traveling. You can often find location specific posts as well as general advice on flights, packing and more. Some of our favorites are The Blonde Abroad, A Dangerous Business, and The Points Guy.
Watch travel vlogs. Similar to blogs, vlogs can be very helpful in providing tips and tricks for travel along with videos from around the globe. Just hop on YouTube and type your destination in the search bar. Some of our favorites are Hey Nadine and Hopscotch the Globe.
Visit travel review sites. If you want to know what other travelers (and locals) think about restaurants, hotels, and attractions, check out sites such as Tripadvisor. You can make your own Trip boards and you can also book trips and activities through the site.
Check out Pinterest. If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably spent many hours on Pinterest. You can find everything from recipes to fashion to funny memes. But you can also find a lot of travel related content. Go make a travel board, or multiple travel boards. Pin your heart out!
Read travel books. If you have a specific city, state or country in mind, consider reading a travel book. You can find an assortment on Amazon, including Kindle versions that you can read on your phone or tablet. If you’re looking for unusual sites to visit, check out Atlas Obscura.
Talk to your friends and family. Another good way to get thoughts and ideas on vacation destinations is to talk to the people you know. Chances are, some of them have been to the destinations you’re interested in traveling to.
Make a spreadsheet. For some of you this might sound unappealing, but we are spreadsheet fanatics. We make one on Google Sheets for each and every trip we plan. This is a good way to keep a list of activities & restaurants, plan your schedule, and, most importantly, keep up with your budget & trip expenses. Traveling costs money, we all know that. Sometimes a lot of money. We always find it helpful to keep up with approximate costs for hotels, flights, and activities on a spreadsheet. This helps us figure out what our budget will be and to know how much money we may need to save/set aside for the trip.
So get out there and plan your next vacation!
Our McTravels 