I frequently get asked the question of where should I go for my next vacation? That’s never an easy answer for me. Do you think you want to go where I’m going next? (I’m shooting for Barbados, but could end up anywhere.) Unless you do, you may want to take some things into consideration. Here’s how I decide.
*How much time do I have to devote to my next trip? If I have a week or more, I’ll venture further from home and keep in mind that I’ll need to budget for more. If I only have a few days, I’ll stay closer to home and seek out non-stop flights so I don’t waste an entire day getting there.
*What is my budget? If I have a lot to spend on vacay, I’ll upgrade to a nicer resort (there’s definitely a difference between a Sandals and others). If I have a limited budget, I’ll stick to a less inclusive or seek out a non-inclusive resort, villa, or studio to stay in.
*Regardless of anything else, I will search for what’s on sale. In the past, this has landed me in a completely different country than I originally intended, but I can’t pass up saving money when it’s able to be saved. I like to use Apple Vacations, Expedia
*What activities do I want to participate in? Do I want an active, sightseeing trip? Do I want to do volunteer work while I’m there? Do I just want to veg by the pool and sip fruity cocktails? Activities will come into play when deciding on the where.
*Do I want to go somewhere warm or cold? Or is the location more important than climate? If there’s a particular place I have on my list to visit, climate won’t really matter to me. But, if my goal is a restful, relaxing trip, you’ll find me by the pool or scuba diving in a warm, most likely Caribbean locale.
*What dates will I be traveling? Any travel around holidays, will tend to have a higher price tag. So, the trade off is usually pay more to travel when I have holiday days off, or save more on the trip, but use a vacation day to go during non-holiday times. And most trips during the summer months will tend to cost more.
*Who will I be going with? If it’s just me and hubby, we can easily determine where we are going. If others are going, or this will be a group trip, we’ll need to determine if they are bringing children, what their budget is, and what activities they would be interested in. Is it a girls weekend or family trip? That adds other needs to consider.
All in all, it’s a loaded question when you ask me where you should travel to, but at least now you know why and may have some ideas of your own. Regardless of where you decide to go, the important thing is to just go!