RESEARCH and ITINERARY
You’ve selected the general destination, picked when you want to travel, how long your trip will be, and have a very general idea of your budget. Independent travel research can enhance ANY type of trip. Even luxury, fully escorted tours can run into glitches that will result in a better time if you have at least some knowledge of local sites, etc.
You may remember when travel planning meant the AAA Tour Guide or Mobil Travel guide series for the U.S. and Frommers or Fodors guidebooks for "overseas" travel. Now, a visit to your local bookseller shows the explosion in guidebooks. 3.3 BILLION travel webpages have added a new dimension to travel planning. For the independent traveler, this means far greater information is available; it also means a potentially daunting task to weed through the sources.
Sources of Information
What follows are sources that I have found most useful in my years of travel planning.
Travel narratives Travel narratives can be a great help by providing inspiration. Keeping mental and sometimes physical notes of interesting places that you’ve read about in books or magazines or blogs about destinations and events can result in a future visit to an otherwise overlooked area. Travel narratives often spark an on-going interest in a locale or event and, as importantly, can keep your interest and enthusiasm for travel sparked between trips. My favorites include:
And speaking of inspiration - when it comes to the web, there are several inspirational sites. Wanderlust and Lipstick (http://wanderlustandlipstick.com/) has wonderful narratives written by women travelers but inspirational to all travelers.. For more “adventuresome” traveler’s tales, you can check out http://onajunket.com/.
Always Take Along a Guidebook
A friend of mine, and her 9-year old son, booked an “inexpensive” package tour of Vietnam in 1994, before the recent onslaught of package tours to that Southeast Asian country. Upon arrival in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) on the flight from Bangkok, she met up with the fellow travelers booked on the same trip. Who she (and the others) did not meet up with was their guide. Now, communications do get confused sometimes, traffic can be snarled, people can arrive late. Even guides can occasionally be late (though it’s considered a MAJOR faux paux in the travel industry, since the guide is what package tourists are paying for). Be that as it may, after waiting a while, the group decided (never an easy task for an impromptu group) to go to their hotel and wait for the guide there.
Upon arrival at their hotel, they encounter problem two. Yes, they had had reservations (stress on the words “had had”), but their tour provider had not paid the deposit, so the rooms had been cancelled. Needless to say, quick calls to several other hotels and Air Vietnam confirmed their worst fears - no pre-paid anything. And, yes, they had prepaid their travel provider.
In this group of 20 people, only 1 – my friend - had brought a Vietnam guidebook along. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out who quickly became the new leader of the group. Along with several other members of the group, my friend quickly reviewed the guidebook and a map of Vietnam, determined that the original itinerary was too complicated to pull off at the spur of the moment with a group of 20, and developed an alternative routing. Assigning various tasks to group members, air reservations were quickly arranged, hotels booked, and the trip was on.
The alternative for many would have been to fly back home, mad and dejected. Instead, the hardy group of explorers (yes, they were no longer package tourists) managed to delve into the culture of Vietnam and create memories for a lifetime.
While this is an exception to the rule of package tours, the sensibility of doing SOME of your own travel research still applies. Nearly all package tours, including “fully escorted” tours provide some free time. Knowing in advance what an area has to offer and being able to plan YOUR free time the way YOU want to will add immeasurably to your travel experience.
Travel agents and travel coaches Travel agents who sell travel for a living can be extremely knowledgeable about destinations, especially in their specialty areas. Travel agents typically charge for some, most or all of their services. Travel agents have a vested interest in selling you travel services – air, hotel, car, cruise, tour packages. Many also earn higher commissions with certain hotel chains, cruise companies, etc. This is not necessarily a bad thing, just a reality of the profession. Travel agents can be invaluable if there are problems with your flights, accommodations, tours, etc. in that they often have more direct means of contacting and dealing with the providers. .
Travel coaches can also help you make the right moves in planning your next trip. Over one or several sessions, a travel coach will help you work through trip objectives, research appropriate destinations, and discuss time and financial budgeting. Coaching and research services can continue on trip details (accommodations, specific sites) as desired. The coach can also work with you concerning modes of transport, health and safety issues, travel guides, websites, maps, and almost anything else travel-related. You can then make your reservations yourself or work through a travel agent. The coach is paid directly by you and earns no commissions on any travel that you subsequently book yourself of through a travel agent. They solely work for you.
Newspapers
The Sunday travel section in your local newspaper used to be a wonderful source of travel ideas, travel stories, ads for tours and travel agents, etc. Alas, most have now been reduced to only a few pages, if any, and very little original content. A few papers, notably the New York Times (www.nytimes.com/pages/travel/index.html), and the LA Times (www.latimes.com/travel) still have decent travel sections including on their websites.
Magazines
Travel magazines are also still around, hopefully for a while longer at least, in print form. A good newsstand or bookstore will often have a wide-ranging selection. They provide short travel narratives, news on new hotels, cruise ships, tips on saving money on travels, and can provide lots of ideas for future trips. Some worth considering:
Guidebooks
As fascinating and informative as the Internet is, there remains a basic need for hard copy or electronic guidebooks when doing your initial research and then when on the trip itself. While its definitely possible to construct your own customized guidebook by downloading appropriate pages from various web sites, the typical 8 ½ x 11 format printed page, often single-sided depending on your printer, can still be bulky, especially on long, multi-destination trips. Another important factor is serendipity – hearing about someplace en route and changing your plans – the more comprehensive guidebooks are more likely to cover broader areas Thus, a guidebook is almost always a good idea – even when on a fully escorted trip.
It is not uncommon for there to be a dozen or more guidebooks available on major destinations – such as California, France or Thailand. There is at least one comprehensive guide book to nearly every country in the world. Then there are the sub-area books – particularly evident for larger and more popular countries such as France and Italy. There are city guides, guides for adventure travelers, guides focused on cruise ships, guides for women, for the LGTB community, for senior citizens, for families. There are multiple guidebooks for most of the individual U.S. states as well.
With the plethora of guidebooks, how does one decide? Well, as usual, it depends on what your needs are. Guidebooks can cover a variety of topics and in a variety of detail – accommodations, restaurants, climate, sites, history culture, special events, how to get there and get around while there.
Some guidebooks specialize in low-budget travel, while others focus only on their definition of “Best.” Some guides – the Michelin Green guides (www.viamichelin.com) come to mind – focus solely on sites – and do a superb job of it, providing detailed maps and walks. Others are best known for their listing and ratings of accommodations and restaurants. Other guidebooks provide detailed reviews of lodging – saggy beds, noisy rooms, etc. that can be a lot more informative than just a “1 star” or “3 star” rating.
If you are going to a destination like Paris or New York or Rome, it might be worth investigating food and restaurant guides. Since they are single purpose, they provide a much greater level of detail and opinions than do the more general guidebooks.
I’ve had both the pleasure and misfortune of using a variety of guidebook series over the years. The following summary lists the pros and cons of some of the major guidebook series currently available for destinations around the world.
AAA Tourguide - www.aaa.com
Pros: Comprehensive accommodations listing
Cons: Destination information limited’ minimal restaurant reviews’ limited to US and Canada; only available for members of AAA.
Fodors – www.fodors.com
Pros: Great coverage of Europe; critical hotel and restaurant reviews; some off-the-beaten path coverage; designed for “middle of the road” travelers. Apps available for select cities as well as for translation of common travel phrases.
Cons: Confusing layout; not as critical as Frommers
Frommers – www.frommers.com
Pros: Similar in coverage and audience as Fodors; Kindle versions available for most guidebooks.
Cons: Not for backpackers
Lonely Planet – www.lonelyplanet.com
Pros: Worldwide coverage; details; ranges from backpackers to upper-moderate’ great local maps; possible to download individual chapters to your laptop or iPad.
Cons: Too much detail sometimes; tiny print
Rick Steves – www.ricksteves.com
Pros: Focused on Europe; good middle-range accommodations and dining. Great detail on featured city, sights. E-book versions available for all guidebooks.
Cons: Coverage limited to Rick’s favorite sites; not comprehensive concerning countries.
Moon – www.moon.com
Pros: Similar in detail to Lonely Planet; nicely illustrated these days; oriented to backpackers and budget travelers; digital versions available.
Cons: Scattered destinations worldwide
Insight Guides – www.insightguides.com
Pros: Well illustrated; digital versions available for many of their guidebooks.
Cons: More helpful in planning a trip than using on the trip itself.
Rough Guides – www.roughguides.com
Pros: An alternative to Lonely Planet; detailed; geared to backpackers and budget travelers; ebook versions available.
Cons: Accommodation and restaurant reviews not as useful as many other guidebooks.
Websites
With literally millions of travel websites out there, it’s hard to know where to start (or end). I’ve highlighted web addresses throughout this book that will help you through the trip planning process. I’ve also included a list of all websites mentioned in this book in the Appendix.
Message Boards and Forums
As you plan your trip, you may often have questions that would be best answered by folks who have recently traveled to an area. The various message boards and forums on the main travel websites can be a good source of such information. All you need to do is a) register, b) post a question and c) wait for a reply (or two or many or sometimes none). Two suggested forums are:
Many travel sites have message boards (or forums, or communities). Many are infrequently used, have few responses, or cover sporadic areas. Many do not have search functions that allow you to zero in on specific locales of your choice. And some are just plain slow. But, depending on where you’re going and the trip type, you may find a message board that really meets your needs.
Other Sources
Friends, family and colleagues are another great source of information and recommendations. And people tend to love to talk about travel (assuming that they DO travel!) and are more than willing to share their insights with you.
In the “old” days, pre-internet, one of the main sources of information for planning a trip were chambers of commerce and local, state, and national tourist offices. They still exist and can still provide useful information, maps, and listings of accommodations. All have websites that can provide some or all of the information in electronic format and most, if not all, have an option that allows you to order material from their site. A comprehensive list of state tourist bureaus and Chambers of Commerce and Tourist Information Centers can be found at: www.2chambers.com. When arriving in a new state or country, you can drop by the tourist information center in major cities or at the airport and pick up information. The “What’s On This Week” type of publication can be especially valuable.
The Itinerary
Some travelers merely want a general outline of their trip – the first week in Paris, the second in London and the third in Wales. Other travelers want the entire trip nailed down before leaving home – air and train reservations made, accommodations booked and a day-by-day list of sights to be seen and experiences to be experienced.
I tend to have a general outline of the trip written down, with suggested sites/events to provide for options. The trip as taken usually has SOME relationship to the original concept, but also clearly reflects opportunities that pop up en route. All the trip participants should have an opportunity to provide input into the general itinerary and have their objectives met at some point along the journey.
Once you’ve booked your flights, rented your car and started making lodging reservations, add those specifics (including confirmation numbers, cancellation policies, etc.) to the itinerary. As you will note in the sample itinerary below, I’ve include accommodation options (prior to making reservations), activity options (multiple outfitters for a river rafting trip in this instance), etc.
As you find places (museums, parks, restaurants, etc.) that are of interest, your draft itinerary is a great place to jot them down and note any geographic proximity to others, any days the site is closed or is free, hours if short, etc. If you find an event (fair, festival, concert, art exhibit, street fair, etc.) that you would like to attend, note the date(s) and time. Make a written or mental note of any transit or museum pass (sometimes combined) that may be available in the cities that you are visiting. They often prove to be a great deal – if you were planning on going to those attractions anyway. The passes usually allow you to bypass museum entry lines as well, adding additional value.
G.K. Chesterton writes that “The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see.” I recommend finding the fine line between being TOO specific to allow for serendipity and being TOO general that may result in you missing something you really want to do or see.
You may remember when travel planning meant the AAA Tour Guide or Mobil Travel guide series for the U.S. and Frommers or Fodors guidebooks for "overseas" travel. Now, a visit to your local bookseller shows the explosion in guidebooks. 3.3 BILLION travel webpages have added a new dimension to travel planning. For the independent traveler, this means far greater information is available; it also means a potentially daunting task to weed through the sources.
Sources of Information
What follows are sources that I have found most useful in my years of travel planning.
Travel narratives Travel narratives can be a great help by providing inspiration. Keeping mental and sometimes physical notes of interesting places that you’ve read about in books or magazines or blogs about destinations and events can result in a future visit to an otherwise overlooked area. Travel narratives often spark an on-going interest in a locale or event and, as importantly, can keep your interest and enthusiasm for travel sparked between trips. My favorites include:
- Blue Highways, by William Least Heat Moon (1982)
- Dispatches from Pluto: Lost and Found in the Mississippi Delta, by Richard Grant (2015)
- Night Train to Turkistan, by Stuart Stevens (1988)
- Dark Star Safari: Overland from Cairo to Cape Town, by Paul Theroux (2003)
- Far From Home: Father-Daughter Travel Adventures, Edited by Wendy Knight (2004)
- Quest for the Kasbah, by Richard Bangs (2009)
- Tracks, by Robyn Davidson (1980)
- Video Night in Katmandu, by Pico Iyer (1988)
- Danziger’s Travels: Beyond Forbidden Frontiers, by Nick Danziger (1987)
- The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America, by Bill Bryson (1989)
- Road Fever, by Tim Cahill (1991)
- Names for the Sea: Strangers in Iceland, by Sarah Moss (2012)
- Travels with Charley: In Search of America, by John Steinbeck (1962)
- Travels with Myself and Another: A Memoir, by Martha Gellhorn (1978)
- AA Gill is Away, by A.A. Gill (2002)
And speaking of inspiration - when it comes to the web, there are several inspirational sites. Wanderlust and Lipstick (http://wanderlustandlipstick.com/) has wonderful narratives written by women travelers but inspirational to all travelers.. For more “adventuresome” traveler’s tales, you can check out http://onajunket.com/.
Always Take Along a Guidebook
A friend of mine, and her 9-year old son, booked an “inexpensive” package tour of Vietnam in 1994, before the recent onslaught of package tours to that Southeast Asian country. Upon arrival in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) on the flight from Bangkok, she met up with the fellow travelers booked on the same trip. Who she (and the others) did not meet up with was their guide. Now, communications do get confused sometimes, traffic can be snarled, people can arrive late. Even guides can occasionally be late (though it’s considered a MAJOR faux paux in the travel industry, since the guide is what package tourists are paying for). Be that as it may, after waiting a while, the group decided (never an easy task for an impromptu group) to go to their hotel and wait for the guide there.
Upon arrival at their hotel, they encounter problem two. Yes, they had had reservations (stress on the words “had had”), but their tour provider had not paid the deposit, so the rooms had been cancelled. Needless to say, quick calls to several other hotels and Air Vietnam confirmed their worst fears - no pre-paid anything. And, yes, they had prepaid their travel provider.
In this group of 20 people, only 1 – my friend - had brought a Vietnam guidebook along. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out who quickly became the new leader of the group. Along with several other members of the group, my friend quickly reviewed the guidebook and a map of Vietnam, determined that the original itinerary was too complicated to pull off at the spur of the moment with a group of 20, and developed an alternative routing. Assigning various tasks to group members, air reservations were quickly arranged, hotels booked, and the trip was on.
The alternative for many would have been to fly back home, mad and dejected. Instead, the hardy group of explorers (yes, they were no longer package tourists) managed to delve into the culture of Vietnam and create memories for a lifetime.
While this is an exception to the rule of package tours, the sensibility of doing SOME of your own travel research still applies. Nearly all package tours, including “fully escorted” tours provide some free time. Knowing in advance what an area has to offer and being able to plan YOUR free time the way YOU want to will add immeasurably to your travel experience.
Travel agents and travel coaches Travel agents who sell travel for a living can be extremely knowledgeable about destinations, especially in their specialty areas. Travel agents typically charge for some, most or all of their services. Travel agents have a vested interest in selling you travel services – air, hotel, car, cruise, tour packages. Many also earn higher commissions with certain hotel chains, cruise companies, etc. This is not necessarily a bad thing, just a reality of the profession. Travel agents can be invaluable if there are problems with your flights, accommodations, tours, etc. in that they often have more direct means of contacting and dealing with the providers. .
Travel coaches can also help you make the right moves in planning your next trip. Over one or several sessions, a travel coach will help you work through trip objectives, research appropriate destinations, and discuss time and financial budgeting. Coaching and research services can continue on trip details (accommodations, specific sites) as desired. The coach can also work with you concerning modes of transport, health and safety issues, travel guides, websites, maps, and almost anything else travel-related. You can then make your reservations yourself or work through a travel agent. The coach is paid directly by you and earns no commissions on any travel that you subsequently book yourself of through a travel agent. They solely work for you.
Newspapers
The Sunday travel section in your local newspaper used to be a wonderful source of travel ideas, travel stories, ads for tours and travel agents, etc. Alas, most have now been reduced to only a few pages, if any, and very little original content. A few papers, notably the New York Times (www.nytimes.com/pages/travel/index.html), and the LA Times (www.latimes.com/travel) still have decent travel sections including on their websites.
Magazines
Travel magazines are also still around, hopefully for a while longer at least, in print form. A good newsstand or bookstore will often have a wide-ranging selection. They provide short travel narratives, news on new hotels, cruise ships, tips on saving money on travels, and can provide lots of ideas for future trips. Some worth considering:
- Conde Nast Traveler – tends to focus these days on higher end travel, with some celebrity connections; some decent travel tips. Photography is cutting edge. www.concierge.com.
- Budget Travel – basically the opposite of Conde Nast Traveler, focusing almost exclusively on budget travel. Lots of monthly special deals, travel tips sent in by readers, etc. www.budgettravel.com.
- ITN News – written by the readers with focus on destinations outside of the U.S. Style varies considerably, though the contents are detailed. Lots of newsy items, all in a folksy tone. Serves as a good source of ads for out-of-the-ordinary tours for the person looking for unique travel adventures. www.intltravelnews.com.
- National Geographic Traveler – probably the most comprehensive of the travel magazines, NG Traveler covers a wide range of travel experiences, with good detail, better writing and great photography in the National Geographic tradition. www.traveler.nationalgeographic.com.
Guidebooks
As fascinating and informative as the Internet is, there remains a basic need for hard copy or electronic guidebooks when doing your initial research and then when on the trip itself. While its definitely possible to construct your own customized guidebook by downloading appropriate pages from various web sites, the typical 8 ½ x 11 format printed page, often single-sided depending on your printer, can still be bulky, especially on long, multi-destination trips. Another important factor is serendipity – hearing about someplace en route and changing your plans – the more comprehensive guidebooks are more likely to cover broader areas Thus, a guidebook is almost always a good idea – even when on a fully escorted trip.
It is not uncommon for there to be a dozen or more guidebooks available on major destinations – such as California, France or Thailand. There is at least one comprehensive guide book to nearly every country in the world. Then there are the sub-area books – particularly evident for larger and more popular countries such as France and Italy. There are city guides, guides for adventure travelers, guides focused on cruise ships, guides for women, for the LGTB community, for senior citizens, for families. There are multiple guidebooks for most of the individual U.S. states as well.
With the plethora of guidebooks, how does one decide? Well, as usual, it depends on what your needs are. Guidebooks can cover a variety of topics and in a variety of detail – accommodations, restaurants, climate, sites, history culture, special events, how to get there and get around while there.
Some guidebooks specialize in low-budget travel, while others focus only on their definition of “Best.” Some guides – the Michelin Green guides (www.viamichelin.com) come to mind – focus solely on sites – and do a superb job of it, providing detailed maps and walks. Others are best known for their listing and ratings of accommodations and restaurants. Other guidebooks provide detailed reviews of lodging – saggy beds, noisy rooms, etc. that can be a lot more informative than just a “1 star” or “3 star” rating.
If you are going to a destination like Paris or New York or Rome, it might be worth investigating food and restaurant guides. Since they are single purpose, they provide a much greater level of detail and opinions than do the more general guidebooks.
I’ve had both the pleasure and misfortune of using a variety of guidebook series over the years. The following summary lists the pros and cons of some of the major guidebook series currently available for destinations around the world.
AAA Tourguide - www.aaa.com
Pros: Comprehensive accommodations listing
Cons: Destination information limited’ minimal restaurant reviews’ limited to US and Canada; only available for members of AAA.
Fodors – www.fodors.com
Pros: Great coverage of Europe; critical hotel and restaurant reviews; some off-the-beaten path coverage; designed for “middle of the road” travelers. Apps available for select cities as well as for translation of common travel phrases.
Cons: Confusing layout; not as critical as Frommers
Frommers – www.frommers.com
Pros: Similar in coverage and audience as Fodors; Kindle versions available for most guidebooks.
Cons: Not for backpackers
Lonely Planet – www.lonelyplanet.com
Pros: Worldwide coverage; details; ranges from backpackers to upper-moderate’ great local maps; possible to download individual chapters to your laptop or iPad.
Cons: Too much detail sometimes; tiny print
Rick Steves – www.ricksteves.com
Pros: Focused on Europe; good middle-range accommodations and dining. Great detail on featured city, sights. E-book versions available for all guidebooks.
Cons: Coverage limited to Rick’s favorite sites; not comprehensive concerning countries.
Moon – www.moon.com
Pros: Similar in detail to Lonely Planet; nicely illustrated these days; oriented to backpackers and budget travelers; digital versions available.
Cons: Scattered destinations worldwide
Insight Guides – www.insightguides.com
Pros: Well illustrated; digital versions available for many of their guidebooks.
Cons: More helpful in planning a trip than using on the trip itself.
Rough Guides – www.roughguides.com
Pros: An alternative to Lonely Planet; detailed; geared to backpackers and budget travelers; ebook versions available.
Cons: Accommodation and restaurant reviews not as useful as many other guidebooks.
Websites
With literally millions of travel websites out there, it’s hard to know where to start (or end). I’ve highlighted web addresses throughout this book that will help you through the trip planning process. I’ve also included a list of all websites mentioned in this book in the Appendix.
Message Boards and Forums
As you plan your trip, you may often have questions that would be best answered by folks who have recently traveled to an area. The various message boards and forums on the main travel websites can be a good source of such information. All you need to do is a) register, b) post a question and c) wait for a reply (or two or many or sometimes none). Two suggested forums are:
- Thorn Tree on the Lonely Planet website covers the entire world: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree
- The travel forums on the Fodor’s site (www.fodors.com/forums) are well used, well responded-to and are especially good for destinations within the US.
Many travel sites have message boards (or forums, or communities). Many are infrequently used, have few responses, or cover sporadic areas. Many do not have search functions that allow you to zero in on specific locales of your choice. And some are just plain slow. But, depending on where you’re going and the trip type, you may find a message board that really meets your needs.
Other Sources
Friends, family and colleagues are another great source of information and recommendations. And people tend to love to talk about travel (assuming that they DO travel!) and are more than willing to share their insights with you.
In the “old” days, pre-internet, one of the main sources of information for planning a trip were chambers of commerce and local, state, and national tourist offices. They still exist and can still provide useful information, maps, and listings of accommodations. All have websites that can provide some or all of the information in electronic format and most, if not all, have an option that allows you to order material from their site. A comprehensive list of state tourist bureaus and Chambers of Commerce and Tourist Information Centers can be found at: www.2chambers.com. When arriving in a new state or country, you can drop by the tourist information center in major cities or at the airport and pick up information. The “What’s On This Week” type of publication can be especially valuable.
The Itinerary
Some travelers merely want a general outline of their trip – the first week in Paris, the second in London and the third in Wales. Other travelers want the entire trip nailed down before leaving home – air and train reservations made, accommodations booked and a day-by-day list of sights to be seen and experiences to be experienced.
I tend to have a general outline of the trip written down, with suggested sites/events to provide for options. The trip as taken usually has SOME relationship to the original concept, but also clearly reflects opportunities that pop up en route. All the trip participants should have an opportunity to provide input into the general itinerary and have their objectives met at some point along the journey.
Once you’ve booked your flights, rented your car and started making lodging reservations, add those specifics (including confirmation numbers, cancellation policies, etc.) to the itinerary. As you will note in the sample itinerary below, I’ve include accommodation options (prior to making reservations), activity options (multiple outfitters for a river rafting trip in this instance), etc.
As you find places (museums, parks, restaurants, etc.) that are of interest, your draft itinerary is a great place to jot them down and note any geographic proximity to others, any days the site is closed or is free, hours if short, etc. If you find an event (fair, festival, concert, art exhibit, street fair, etc.) that you would like to attend, note the date(s) and time. Make a written or mental note of any transit or museum pass (sometimes combined) that may be available in the cities that you are visiting. They often prove to be a great deal – if you were planning on going to those attractions anyway. The passes usually allow you to bypass museum entry lines as well, adding additional value.
G.K. Chesterton writes that “The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see.” I recommend finding the fine line between being TOO specific to allow for serendipity and being TOO general that may result in you missing something you really want to do or see.