We all know the feeling. You’re sitting at your desk, twirling a pen between your fingers and staring wistfully out of the window. The clouds overhead are gloomy and grey. Rain isn’t falling yet, but it’s been forecast and you know it’s coming. Your head is full of dreams about your next vacation. Where will you go? What will you do? Anything, you reason, has to be better than this. Whatever it is, it can’t come soon enough.
That line of thought is understandable, but it’s not going to help you plan the perfect vacation. If you want something that’s going to get you through those dreary days of boredom and drudgery, then you’re going to need to start planning for it. Luckily, we’re here to help you. Here are our tips on how you can plan an unforgettable vacation in 2019.
Start budgeting
There’s no such thing as “too early” when it comes to collecting funds for your vacation. It doesn’t matter where you’re going or what you’re doing, you’re going to need a decent cash reserve to do it. Saving from your salary is a great way to go about caching funds for a holiday; you won’t notice you’re saving, you’ll quickly build up a sizeable treasury, and you’ll feed those dreams of a vacation each time you stash some money away. One thing you could consider, though, is taking out a loan. Short-term loans are a great way to fund a holiday – a quick cash injection to enjoy yourself, then worrying about the repayments on return. If you’re interested in loans for your vacation then find out more here.
Think about where you’re going
“Anywhere will do” probably isn’t the right attitude with which to go into vacation planning. Where have you always wanted to visit? Do any of your family members have a perfect destination in mind that they’ve never been able to go to? Is there something related to your hobbies that you just need to see? Pinpoint the perfect holiday destination in your mind. The best way to start is to circle in on a rough region. Rule out places you’re not keen on going, then choose a continent to start with and zero in on your destination. For example, you could say “well, we’re not fond of going to the UK, but we do want to go to Europe”, then figure out from there where you’d like to go.
Pick a time
It won’t come as a surprise to you that the most popular time for travel is around mid-summer. That is, after all, when the weather is good in a lot of countries, and it’s when you can spend the most time outside soaking up the sun and enjoying life. That’s not always the best option, though. Many now think that the best time for vacationing is probably around early and late season, so that’s May and October. Often, it’s possible to get early booking discounts if you book around this time, and you’re less likely to run into other tourists while you’re holidaying as well (this part might not be a deal-breaker for you, but it would be for some of us).
Create an itinerary
Believe us when we say that an itinerary is going to be crucial for your vacation. You might dream of doing absolutely nothing when you get there, and that’s fine – you’re more than entitled to flop down and refuse to move for a week so that you can relax. Even then, though, you’ll want to know exactly when you’re doing nothing and where. If you’re more of the active sort, then an itinerary is pivotal to your vacation. Most tourist attractions have ideal times that they should be visited, and certain idyllic vistas will be even more beautiful at certain times of day. Try to plan to the hour if you can, although obviously the size of your travelling party and the nature of your transport might throw a spanner in those works. If you go on holiday with a reasonably detailed plan, you’ll be glad you did.
Don’t forget to enjoy yourself
We’ve known a lot of holidaymakers who swan themselves off to sunnier and more exotic climes, then stress themselves out massively while they’re there and completely forget to have fun and take the time for themselves that they need. While you’re on holiday, don’t ever lose sight of why you’re there: to get yourself away from the stressful workaday life you’re leaving behind temporarily. You’ll have plenty of time to worry about things and wear your work hat when you’re back, so make sure this time is enjoyable. That’s not to say that every single second of a holiday is going to be joyous and magical, but if you manage to make more moments memorable than stressful, that’s a positive result.
