All your life you have dreamed of going abroad on a vacation. And now the time has come because you think that you already have that much money to afford an international trip. It was maybe through sheer hard work, scrimping on expenses, retirement or hitting the lottery. But whatever the reason is, you are now able and capable of reaching your dream. Your question now is, how do you go about doing it?
How do you compare flights, book them, and find a good hotel?
Here are some tips on planning a good vacation.
1. If you haven’t yet, decide on what country to visit and the city or cities you are going to pass by.
2. Get a passport. Then find out if the country that you want to visit would require you to get a travel visa (i.e. USA, any country in Europe, China, etc.). A valid passport is a pre-requisite to a visa application.
3. Go to the internet to get the pertinent information about the place that you want to visit. You may also be able to check hotel accommodations, compare flights, and schedule where to dine online. But if an online search is too fussy for you, then you can opt to go to a travel agent who can arrange everything for you, including booking your flights, your hotel stay, your transfers, your tours, and even your shopping destinations. Of course, it will be for a fee, but you are just sure that you are not going to get lost among all the travel jargons and offers that you see online.
4. Once everything is set, find out the season of the year of the place that you are going to. If you are traveling during springtime, be ready with a light jacket and maybe a folding umbrella because it can rain anytime.
If you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask your travel agent. They are very helpful because that is their job. They would also be able to help qualm your fears about traveling abroad for the first time.
One thing I noticed about getting information online is that most official websites of hotels/resorts and other establishments will only tell you the good stuff. So when I’m planning a trip, I always consider reviews from travel bloggers and other travel review sites.
And of course the first thing I always ask when dealing with travel agents is – “Have you been there?” – coz it’s nice dealing with somebody with first-hand experience.