I remember the initial feeling of excitement thinking about all the places I would go when we were first thinking about our upcoming OUTCAN posting. I had such grand ideas of all the things we could do with our two kids in tow. How worldly we would become. Little did I realize at that point that travel planning would become almost like another part-time job – one that required a lot of effort and was often not appreciated by my family who tagged along on our adventures. Now, as we are nearing the end of our posting and trying to squeeze in all the places we still want to get to, I have a little wisdom and experience to share.
Where to start
Make your list recognizing that you may not get to every place you hope to. This little thing called the COVID-19 pandemic put a damper on my long list of plans. Once you have your list prioritize where you want to go.
Look at when are the best times to visit. Perhaps you want to see the Puffins off the coast of Ireland, visit Venice during Carnival, or explore ice caves in Iceland – these are all things that are not available every day of the year. If missing one of these experiences is going to leave you with regret, then plan to go during those times.
Recognize that your list will change. As you meet more people, and scroll through travel feeds on Instagram, your list will certainly grow and change. If you asked me what my list looked like three years ago – it would be a little different than where we have travelled to. And that’s okay!
Plan like you’re never going back. I am a big believer in paying for experiences in destinations and living like I will only be someplace once. To me, there is no sense in paying for transportation and accommodations just to skimp on experiences and tickets when at the destination – this is what will make or break your trip. And some of these experiences may not be the top tourist attractions – perhaps making macaron in Paris is more meaningful to you than going to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Don’t feel you have to DO something that is in the top 10 of a guidebook.
Be ready to go to places that are not on your list. Now this sounds counter-intuitive to my first point but go with me here. Sometimes there will be forces outside of your control keeping you from all the wonderful places on your lists – quarantine requirements for example. So don’t be afraid to look at other destinations – you may be pleasantly surprised! This happened to us with Malta – not on our list but we had a week for a school break and wanted to go somewhere new that was warm and wouldn’t break the budget – Malta met all our requirements and was an amazing destination to visit.
Know your travel style. This is a big one for understanding what you are looking to get out of your holiday. Some people love to go to an all-inclusive, sit by the pool and relax. But for me – this would kill me – knowing that just outside the resort there is something new to see, a new street to wander. When you are booking things, have a good understanding of what you need in your travel experiences.
Recognize what you can sacrifice and what is going to be important for you. There are lots of different upgrades and luxuries when travelling that are a must for some and unnecessary for others. Also, you cannot assume what is standard in Canada will be available when you travel. Little details like anchors for car sears in car rentals in the UK, private bathrooms in hotels, to even just sheets in AirBnBs – you have to do a little extra research to make sure you will not be disappointed. If you have further questions – reach out to your hosts and suppliers to answer your questions.
Get kids involved in the planning – To get kids excited about travel – you could get them to pick one attraction or activity to do in the destination. This will help them to be part of the process and appreciate the time it takes to plan their travels.
Research the basics – Knowing where to get water, what parking is like, where you can use the bathroom (and how much it will cost you), and whether cash is king, becomes VERY important when you have needs. While not very glamorous, not all locations are created equal and being in the know will save you a ton of frustration and time. Sometimes just doing a quick google search will arm you with the info you need.
Use your community – Ask your communities if people have been somewhere before. They may have tips and tricks or learned experiences that could really help!
Don’t be afraid to book online. I know when we first started looking online, I was weary of just going with an online supplier, but there are several sources for booking things online. Good places to start include:
Accommodations
For all-inclusive vacations
Jet2holidays https://www.jet2holidays.com/
Easyjet https://www.easyjet.com/en/
For self-catering
Airbnb https://www.airbnb.co.uk/
Booking.com https://www.booking.com/
Transportation
Rome2Rio https://www.rome2rio.com/
Skyscanner https://www.skyscanner.net/
Google Flights https://www.google.com/travel/flights
Trainline - https://www.thetrainline.com/
Train travel in Europe - https://www.seat61.com/european-train-travel.htm
Experiences
Get Your Guide https://www.getyourguide.co.uk/
Viator https://www.viator.com/
With Locals https://www.withlocals.com/
Inspiration
411 Travel through Germany https://www.facebook.com/groups/411traveltrhoughgermany/ - Lots of info about destinations all over Europe
British Holidays https://www.facebook.com/groups/1100378266772783/
·Following travel hashtags on Instagram
Lastly – have fun and be flexible! Recognize if you have a travel buddy or family coming with you – they likely won’t be interested in the planning. They may show up, try and turn your carefully researched plans on their heads, and alter your entire trip. To deal with this, I now build in some flexibility – maybe we go to a village on one of a few days – depending on the weather. Maybe, we have some free time built in for the kids to explore that playground they spotted along the way. Flexibility has become very important just for my own sanity and has led to some truly beautiful experiences.
Bon voyage and good luck!