Our family takes a long vacation once a year and every time when I need to pack our stuffs are different from the destination where we are going to visit and how our trip will be as we are doing backpacker or we staying at our cousins houses, hotels, home-stay or share room with others roommate.
Each trip we went to have different feeling of travel because our destination is different places. I usually do research about the destination place or city before we book a flight or hotel, plus how long we can stay and/or how long we can take vacation from work for as well.
Here are our tips and how we prepare before we take vacation:
- Do research about the destination place
- What to do around town
- Where to stay
- Where to eat
- Transportation
- Thinks to be aware during travel
- Weather and outfits
- Money currency
- Travel document requirement
- Total cost including flight tickets
- Other advance tickets
Do Research
I will read books and search online about the city we are planing to visit. I am looking for how the history of the city and what is traditional of their culture. How their geographic look like and how big of the city, so, I can decided either I can walk to tour around or take their transportation.
What To Do Around Town
I will write down on a paper and list all places where I would like to visit around town in each city. Where to find out which place I should visit!, I got them from travel books also search the internet as well.
Where To Stay
Where to stay is the most important and I definitely have to do more research because I don’t want to stay and feel unsafe during sleeping at night. Before I book a place to stay, I will read the review from previous people that stay and got pro & con experiences there before, also, I looks for surround area which transport or transit near by, do they have shopping or grocery, or bakery close by. Sometime you might looking for a little thing to buy such as water or little snacks.
Where To Eat
I can’t live without eating food during the trip. We love to try new food at different places. Sometime we assume that the area close to the tour area might have ton of restaurants and bakery in every corner. I usually do research to try new food at decent price and the food actually taste good and worth the price I pay.
Transportation
Transportation around town is the most important due to this will be part of vacation. Depend on city and area, do they provided transportation all around, or I need to walk and can I walk; short work or long walk, or do I really need a car to tour around the lists of destination I would like to go.
Things To Be Aware During Traveling
Some place or some area that crowded with tourist, what do I need to be aware of such as pickpocket or when stranger are trying to ask for money, what should you do? When you lose your belonging what should you do or where should you go for asking for help. Cross finger that it might not happen, but if it happens, you would better prepare!
Weather And Outfits
I don’t want to wear summer cloth but the destination vacation is cold, then I will be feel freezing. So, I make sure I check the weather of vacation destination before I pack my clothes into my suitcase.
Money Currency
This is need to check before your vacation and you can save more money for international charge or currency fee to your credit card if the destination place you willing to visit using different currency. I make sure I check before I go, if they use different currency I will exchange currency and bring some cash before I go. This way I can choose for less exchange fee and no international charge to my credit card.
Travel Documents Requirement
This is also important and I need to make sure that the destination country require to have visa or others travel documents to enter to their country or not. If yes, it will take some time to get the visa and what documents do I have to prepare. Plan this ahead of time, so, I won’t be rush at the end neither I don’t want to miss the vacation.
Total Cost Including Flight Ticket
Your vacation plan need to meet with your budget as well. When I do research I include with the cost of everything all together; flight tickets price, place to stay, eat 3 times a day, travel with transportation cost, or gift and souvenir cost. This way helps me not over spend during my vacation. However, I brought more extra cash just in case of emergency happen and I put them in different places. So, when I lose some from my purse, I have left more in another hiding place.
Other Advance Tickets
Some place I visit require advance tickets to books before you visit due to lots of people are trying to visit the same place I am planing to visit as well. Some of museum, I book tickets in advance and I book train tickets in advance before I arrive to the destination.
I hope this article useful and help you prepare for your next vacation!
