- Decide your Budget: As much as we would all like to go on a Caribbean cruise, we all cannot afford to due to the cost. You don’t have to know where you are going quite yet, but just decide a maximum on what you can spend before you get your hopes up. Be realistic and allot money for travel, food, and spending. This will also help you to figure out how much you have left to save up for the trip.
- Pick Destination: Where in the country (or out) have you been dying to go and can afford? Pick somewhere you haven’t been before, and plan accordingly with how you want the weather to be on your vacation. Make sure this fits with your budget! PS: Don’t forget passports for out-of-the-country vacations!
- Decide Who’s Going: Whether it is a family vacation or your closest friends for a summer road trip, decided who is coming along for the ride. With your budget already picked out, divide each amount evenly between the number of people going on the trip. Now you not only know who is going, but also the cost per person. The more people you bring will decrease the cost per person so the more the merrier!
- Choose Transportation: Not only do you need to know how you are going to get to the destination – whether it be car, plane, train, or even boat – you need to think about how you will be getting around at the actual destination. If it is a big city, you can walk most places or ride trolley cars or city busses, but smaller cities may require you to rent a car. Both will cost money though, so make sure this is added into your budget. Consider getting a city pass for more popular locations, as they help greatly decrease the money you would have spent on transportation and tourist spots around the city.
- Choose Activities: What are you going to be doing while on vacation? Try to visit some unique location-specific places that you can’t do anywhere else. Set aside some extra time incase you find something else to do when you get there, and even set some relaxation time aside. Even if you think you want to be kept busy, it will not turn out to be as much fun if you have to rush through each activity and are down to five minutes to get across town to stay on schedule. You are on vacation; relax, have fun, and don’t be afraid of spontaneity. Don’t forget to add in the cost of these activities to your budget!
Top 5 Tips for Planning the Perfect Summer Vacation
Ally Payne, InDepth Editor
May 22, 2013