BASIC DECISIONS
Who’s traveling?
"I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them." --Mark Twain
Who you travel with has a definite bearing on where you go, when you go, and what you will get out of a trip. For some, a true test of a relationship is how well the two of you travel together. For others, a solo adventure is the only way to go. Still others would never think of traveling without their family, friends, or as part of a larger group.
Most folks returning from extended travels emphasize the importance of being with the right travel partner. While traveling with others can be an immensely enriching experience, it can also be enormously stressful.
If you are joining a tour or taking a cruise, remember that you will not be traveling alone or with just your spouse or partner or family. Find out what you can about the “typical” participant on the tour or cruise that you are considering. Are they the party-hardy types? Are they all senior citizens? The enjoyment of the trip will rest in large part with your interaction with fellow travelers, whether they’re your buddies or not.
Why are you traveling?
“From the beginning it was a silly idea, without the slightest utilitarian purpose or merit. This, of course, I liked.” --Stuart Stevens in “Night Train to Turkistan”
Sometime back, a message was posted on a travel website by a gentleman who was fed up with traveling – too many bad tours, too many boring tourists to hang around with, too much booze. The replies were fascinating and right to the point – what is the purpose of your travels? There is no need to take tours, hang around with fellow Americans, or close the bars down every night if you don’t want to. How you define and then carry out your trip will make or break it for you. Some folks are genetically engineered to travel for years at a time, while, for others, a long weekend or a week or two away every now and then fulfills their wants and desires. Make sure the trip you go on meets YOUR NEEDS!
Lining up trip expectations with the who, where, and when should be the most basic component of the travel planning process – and is often overlooked. Couples, families, or friends traveling together should discuss their objectives up front, prior to deciding on the specifics of the trip.
What follows is a summary of some of the various objectives that one can have for traveling. Use the list as a starting point in determining what you and your traveling companions really want to get out of your next trip. Whether its one or five objectives is not the important point – what IS important is getting agreement on the goals of the trip early on in the planning process – and reducing the opportunities for disappointment.
REST AND RELAXATION –Beach, Pool, Hammock
- Kauai
- French Polynesia
- British Virgin Islands
- Key West
- Seychelles Islands (Indian Ocean)
- Caribbean Cruise with private balcony
CULTURAL - The focus here is in obtaining a greater understanding of a region social influences, music, art, lifestyle, cuisine, language, customs and mores.
- Kaustinen (Finland) Folk Music Festival
- Exploring the King Kamehameha sites in the Hawaiian islands
- The foods and music of Cajun Country, Louisiana
- Sufi Music Festival in Fez, Morocco
ENTERTAINMENT/SOCIAL – Cruises, Resorts, Nightclubs
- Cirque du Soleil at the MGM Grand
- Dancing till dawn on the Lido deck
- Bourbon Street (New Orleans) or a Paris nightclub
- The club scene in Miami's South Beach
ADVENTURE/ACTIVE - Skiing, scuba diving, walking or bicycle tours, ziplining, kayaking, mountain climbing
- Rafting the Colorado River
- Climbing Mt. Fuji
- Playing golf at St. Andrews
- Hut to hut hikes in Switzerland
- Walking the Milford Trek in New Zealand
- Scuba diving in Belize
- Snorkeling in Moorea or Tortola or Belize
- Mountain biking down Haleakala (Maui)
- Surfing the waves of Oahu’s North Shore
- Windsurfing the Columbia Gorge
- Hiking the Pacific Crest trail.
ROMANCE – time together, dining, dancing
- San Francisco
- Paris
- Rio de Janeiro
- Buenos Aires
- Bali
- A secluded beach cabin
- Hotel with great room service.
SPECIAL EVENTS – Sporting Events, Festivals, Holidays
- Running of the Bulls in Pamploma
- Holy Week processions in Spain, Mexico, or Guatemala
- The World Cup or The Olympics
- Music festivals
- The Kentucky Derby
- Mardi Gras or Carnival
- The Indianapolis 500
SPECIAL PURPOSE – Workshops, Classes, Humanitarian Projects
- An archeological dig in Turkey
- Photography workshop in Guatemala
- A cooking class in Tuscany
- Participating in an international Habitat for Humanity project
FAMILY TRIPS – Family “bonding,” meeting multiple trip objectives
- Theme parks
- National parks
- Lake resorts
- Dude ranches
- Cruises
- Or just about any other destination in the world
FAMILY REUNIONS – centered on one location with day trip options; multi-generational
- Resorts or hotels (many cater to such events), preferably with conference facilities
- Cruises
- Check out http://www.reunionsmag.com/.
ECO-TOURISM – Destination-oriented, sustainable accommodations and adventures
- Rainforests of South America or Papua-New Guinea
- Tent cabins on St. John Island (U.S.V.I.)
SIGHTSEEING – Museums, viewpoints, cathedrals, monuments, architecture
- Major cities worldwide
- National parks
- Car trips
GAP YEAR OR SABBATICAL - Prolonged (or clean) break from work/school – usually 3 – 12 months, sometimes longer.
- Round the world
- Round a continent
- Round a country.
With rare exception, most of the trips I’ve been on combine several objectives. For instance, our family traveled to the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho, and on to the Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks one summer. Part sight-seeing (Old Faithful, the Tetons), part adventure (boat rentals on Colter Bay and Redfish Lake; river rafting on the Salmon River), part cultural (National Folk Music Festival in Butte on the way home), part event (4th of July celebrations in Idaho Falls) and part family-bonding. There was something for everyone and memories (and photos) for all. A note about a gap year or sabbatical trip. Whether it’s a summer or year-long break before, during or right after college or a prolonged break after years behind a desk, the long sojourn can be a wonderful experience. Much different than a long weekend or even 2-3 week travel, the multi-month (or even multi-year) travel experience is often life-changing. Complicated for sure (the pre-trip steps are much more detailed), such travel allows for longer stays, immersion in cultures, and more introspective travel. Whether traveling alone, with a partner or with your family (yes, there are instances of families with school-age children that take 6-12 months off and travel the world), the long road traveled is well worth considering.
When are you traveling?
When do you want to go? Spring break? Early summer before the crowds get overwhelming? Early fall after all the kids are back in school? Now?! For many folks, especially those with children in school, the “when” is a bit limited - spring breaks, Christmas-New Years holidays, summer, though it is becoming more common and more acceptable, to take kids out of school during term in order to travel. The very act of traveling can be a learning experience for young and old alike.
Attendance at a certain event, whether the running of the bulls in Pompano, Carnival in Rio, running the NY Marathon, or catching the traveling Monet exhibit in Los Angeles, will dictate a basic time parameter. For still others, a major project at work will be completed in, say, October, making November the ideal time to get away and recharge.
Knowing when there are holidays can also help you plan your trip, whether you want to be there on the holiday – or not. Many holidays are either on set dates (the 4 of July, for instance) or Christmas (December 25), or on a set day of the week/month, such as Labor Day in the US (the first Monday in September). Other holidays, usually those based on religious observances, can be more difficult to pin down, In traveling in many Catholic countries, for instance, knowing the date of Ash Wednesday allows one to participate in the Mardi Gras or Carnival festivities that proceed that day. If you want to observe the Holy Week processions in Spain or elsewhere, knowing the date of Easter is critical. Traveling in predominantly Muslim countries during Ramadan can be a challenge, with daytime meals difficult to find.
An overall site worth checking out concerning dates of holidays, etc., is www.when-is.com/world-holidays.asp.
In planning when to go, it’s also helpful to know when fair, festivals and other annual events are schedule. No website or other source provides a totally comprehensive list of events. For exotic world festivals, try http://www.bugbog.com/festivals/festivals.html. Also check out websites for individual communities that you will be visiting. They often have an “Events” tab with information on local festivals, parades and community celebrations. Once you’ve picked your basic destination, there are plenty of additional geographic-specific sites to help you fine-tune your schedule.
When you go can clearly influence where you go. There are the various weather patterns (dry, rainy, monsoon, temperature extremes), available activities (backpacking versus snow boarding), prices of accommodations (high, shoulder, and low seasons) and airfare, crowds, and events. The good news is that you can nearly always find a destination that meets both your objectives and your schedule. A great weather site for travel planning is: www.weatherunderground.com. Type in the city of interest and you can get a table showing the monthly average high and low temperature and average amount of precipitation. You can also get day-by-day averages. Most guidebooks provide some type of climate/weather information, though usually for just a few major cities.
How long are you traveling for?
The length of time you want to take off (or can take off) obviously has a bearing on where you go and what you can do once there. It has become common in America to take extended weekends rather than even week-long trips. On the other hand, the college backpacker experience of touring Europe for a summer, or taking off for South East Asia for 6 months or a year still has its (lucky) adherents. The goal is to match the purpose of your trip, your destination and the length of your trip, trying to find the right balance.
Time Off
Time off, vacation, time, PTO (paid time off). Whatever your employer calls it, it’s likely too little, especially when compared with much of the rest of the world. Americans typically work longer hours and more weeks than most of their 1st world contemporaries. There are folks who let their vacation time lapse, not because of overwork or tons of pending deadlines but because their work is their life. Its time to expand your horizons and see the world!
According to the World Tourism Authority, US workers get an average of 13 paid vacation days a year, compared to 25 in Japan, 26 in Canada, 34 in Brazil and a whopping 42 days in Italy. Yet, Americans are also more likely not to use all of their vacation! If you are reading this book, then I’m pretty sure you’re not one of those who leaves vacation time on the table or, if you are, you want to change the habit. Remember that it’s also possible in some professions and with some employers to get additional time off without pay. And if you’ve been with a company or agency for a period of time, usually 7 to 10 years, you may be entitled to an unpaid sabbatical of 3, 6 or even 12 months. Lots of options – and lots of places to explore and experience.
Where are you going?
“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.” --Susan Sontag
The chicken and egg question: does the destination dictate the trip, or does the purpose dictate the destination? While I suggest the latter, many choose the destination and then figure out how to adapt it to their needs. If you haven’t already decided on a specific destination, now’s the time to begin narrowing the universe of places to a manageable few (or take a few years off and visit them all!).
Selecting destinations, of course, is colored by type of trip (not a lot of snow skiing in Tahiti), time of year (Christmas in Bethlehem is date specific), budget; and length of trip. But if you have established your expectations, the selection of a destination can be a lot of fun. The table on the next page gives some suggestions of destinations by “ideal” time of year. This might be a good way to begin winnowing down to specific geographic areas.
Also worth checking out is Eyewitness Travel’s “Where To Go When.” The photo- and detail-rich book provides numerous suggestions of destinations world-wide by month and for a variety of travel objectives. The suggestions are based on weather and events, among other criteria. If you are still trying to figure out where to go, you could also try the following website which will give possible destinations based on some basic criteria that you enter on the site: www.tripadvisor.com/Inspiration.
Some other things to think about as you choose your destinations include:
- Health - UPDATED APRIL 2021. Covid-19 continues to play havoc with travel plans, especially international travel. First of all, get your vaccinations. Second, wear your masks when you can't practice social distancing. OK, got that out of the way. Next, if you really want to start planning an international journey, check out these two sites as a starting point:
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/map-and-travel-notices.html - This site will give you CDC's latest information on the spread of the virus by country.
And this site will give you the current official restrictions concerning entry to various countries.
And of course these are all subject to change with little or no notice.
- Safety - Assess your comfort level with the safety of where you will be traveling. Some folks are willing to travel just about anywhere at anytime; others are concerned about the dangers of traveling just about anyplace. The US State Department website (http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/country.html) has travel advisories or consular sheets for every county in the world. They can read as alarmist, so you need to weigh the concerns a bit, paying more attention to those countries and areas where an alert has been issued. Also remember that most accidents occur within 25 miles of home – so get away! You might also looks at the travel advisory site of Australia for a slightly different point of view (www.smartraveller.gov.au/index.html)
- Language – generally not something to worry about. English is widely spoken in typical tourist destinations around the world. We’ve never been totally stranded in any of the 40+ countries we’ve visited. The more off the beaten path, the more that language may be an issue, though we’ve found that gestures and pointing usually works! I also highly recommend learning a few keys words in the language of anyplace you are traveling – hello, goodbye, please, and thank-you go along ways making a connection. (See Chapter 9 for same basic words in several key languages.) A translation website is great for looking up a foreign phrase or when sending an e-mail concerning hotel or Bed and Breakfast reservations. The following website seems to do a good job in translating text: translate.google.com/
- Multiple destinations – how about multiple destinations on one trip? This decision is a factor of time, money, means of transportation and, most importantly, trip objectives. If the objective is a first trip to Europe and a desire to see London, Paris and Rome, then by all means fly into London, take the Eurostar to Paris, fly (or take the train) to Rome and fly home. In a 7 to 10 day trip, you’re only going to hit the highlights of these three cities and see little else outside of the towns. But, if sightseeing is your goal, then great. Keep in mind that changing languages, currency (be thankful for the Euro, though Britain is not part of the Eurozone) and customs can be tiring and sometimes confusing. It can also add a degree of interest and excitement. On subsequent trips, you may want to focus on a more defined area, such as Wales or Brittany or Tuscany and spend a couple of weeks immersed in the local flavor and culture.
December – February
- US Mountain Ski Resorts
- Caribbean, Mexico, Central America
- South America
- European Ski Resorts
- Spain, Portugal
- Middle East
- North Africa
- Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
- Southeast Asia
- Australia, New Zealand
March – May
- Hawaii
- US Southwest
- US Central
- US East Coast
- Canada
- Caribbean, Mexico
- Central America
- South America
- Spain, Portugal
- Continental Europe
- Britain and Ireland
- Middle East
- North Africa
- Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
- South Africa
- Southeast Asia
- South Pacific Islands
- Australia, New Zealand
- Japan, China, Korea
June – August
- Hawaii
- US Pacific Northwest
- US New England
- Canada
- Alaska
- South American Ski Resorts
- Continental Europe
- Britain and Ireland
- Greenland
- South Africa
- South Pacific Islands
September – November
- Hawaii
- US Southwest
- US Pacific Northwest
- US Central
- US East Coast
- Canada
- Central America
- South America
- Spain, Portugal
- Continental Europe
- Britain and Ireland
- Middle East
- North Africa
- Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
- South Africa
- Southeast Asia
- South Pacific Islands
- Australia, New Zealand
- China, Japan, Korea
How much is the trip going to cost?
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a cash advance.” --Bumper sticker
Is this going to be the backpackers’ special, camping under the stars and staying in hostels? Or is this the honeymoon that you never had time for, where only the best will do? Or something in between? A basic budget for the trip will have a bearing on destinations as well. $1,500 for three weeks in Japan may not quite do it, given $1000 airfares and $300 a night accommodations. On the other hand, $1,500 for three weeks backpacking along the Appalachian or Pacific Crest trails may be most generous.
If your budget it tight, look for similar destinations that may be available at lower overall costs. While Paris is Paris, great dining can be found in many smaller towns throughout France at lower costs. While a beach vacation in the British Virgin Islands may be ideal, a lower cost stay on St Croix or in Negril (Jamaica) may be just as nice. Again, focus on your objectives. If your objective is to see the museums of Paris, then a small town in Brittany isn’t going to cut it.
Chapter Eight will help you put some realism to trip costs. But to summarize this first chapter, it’s important to match trip purpose, expectations, trip length and destination into an affordable package. Each of the basic elements works in concert with the others to create a great journey.
In summation and to quote Betsy and Warren Talbot who have been traveling the world since 2010, “If you decide to [travel with a another], take some time beforehand to talk about expectations. The biggest problem we see between any type of partner travel (lovers, friends, or family) is having a different set of expectations going in. Better to hash it out before you leave home than to arrive and discover you have different styles, desires, and budget ideas about your journey.” Amen.