Just imagine. White sand, floppy hat, slight breeze or big sky, deep snow, top of the world view. Both are beautiful and desirable travel locations, but with totally different trip offerings and itineraries. So what do they have in common – especially when related to your budget? Deciding on a travel destination is not only the first exciting step of the vacation process. It’s also the step that will most likely affect the stretch of your budget. Consider these important factors to take your next vacation from good to great.

Selecting a destination that is very exclusive and hard to reach will likely be more expensive. More traveled areas typically come with additional deals to attract travelers. Today we’re sharing our short list of the most important factors to take your next vacation from good to great. When we plan your next vacation, we’ll balance several components including your travel personality, covid restrictions, setting, and seasonality.

DESTINATION CONSIDERATION #1: YOUR TRAVEL PERSONALITY

The first consideration for selecting your next destination is your travel personality. Do you love trying new things, finding adventures, and having experiences you can’t find at home? Or do you prefer to find a comfortable spot, bring a book, and settle down to relax for the week?

While you often see pictures of other people’s delightful vacations, never take someone else’s vacation. Are you someone who dislikes the cold and outdoor activities? Don’t take a ski trip because your neighbor showed a picture of his family enjoying hot chocolate in Colorado. Love the hustle and bustle of an action-packed trip itinerary? Better not to plan a trip to a remote beach expecting more than it offers.

While this may seem like a simple concept, I believe it is easy for us to forget and be persuaded by social media. Certainly, traveling is meant to expand our horizons and can be quite transformative as we experience something outside our comfort zone, however, be sure not to forget who you are and how you would like to spend your time to best maximize your investment into a travel experience.

Trying something new should be a part of your journey. If that’s not your typical personality, “something new” could be a single activity at your destination, not your entire destination.

DESTINATION CONSIDERATION #2: COVID RESTRICTIONS

The second consideration for selecting your destination is a new one – Covid. Each country still has unique restrictions and entry requirements, so it is important to analyze those before booking your trip. Do you know if you need a vaccination, a test or to show a vaccine passport or quarantine?

These are all good questions to find out as they will largely play a role in your experience. Unvaccinated or had a vaccine but not a booster? You may not be able to travel to certain destinations or will have to quarantine upon entry. If adding a 10-day quarantine to your trip will bust your budget, you might want to consider a different location.

Unfortunately, a country or city can change its rules at any time. Be sure to keep up to date even after you book your trip.

Trip Insurance

Similarly, even though it will be slightly more costly, I would highly recommend purchasing the “refundable” / “travel insurance” version of whatever ticket, hotel, or activity that you purchase, just in the event that you get sick before your trip, have a family emergency or are no longer able to visit due to the changed restrictions. While this might be more expensive up front, it will definitely be worth it in the end if you have to be refunded.

Resources

Learn about every country’s current restrictions and research government entry requirements with my trusty BeWise Travel Entry Guide.  Sort worldwide by travel destination and learn all health and entry requirements for your selected location.  Updated continually, it’s a great starting point when researching destinations you are considering.

DESTINATION CONSIDERATION #3: SETTING

Accessibility

Your next consideration should be the setting of your vacation. Remote or exclusive areas will be more expensive due to reduced options of travel. And more populated areas with likely have deals you can capitalize on.

For instance, Jackson Hole has limited flights coming in daily, so deeply discounted flight deals are not as common. Similarly, as Teton County (including Jackson Hole) is the wealthiest county in the United States, lodging will not be inexpensive. Additionally, there will only be a couple of each activity options to choose from, and you’ll need to rent a car to reach them.

While these might sound like drawbacks to visiting, Jackson Hole is absolutely amazing to visit. I highly recommend vacationing there. But you do have to think through each component to be sure you maximize your time, energy, and investment.

Group Size

If a particularly remote location is on your bucket list but you want to decrease the overall trip cost, think of a group that would be open to going with you! Splitting costs between two families can help. You could share accommodations and rental car expenses for example.

Or if there are only two of you, perhaps don’t mind spending more of an investment. But once there, will spend more time hiking freely in the National Park instead of including paid activities. Either way, your setting will impact your vacation, so be sure to think about how you want to spend your time and what to prioritize.

Similarly, if you are traveling in a smaller group or perhaps by yourself, you might think about a destination that is larger, more connected, or more centrally located. Are you able to stay within the city and use public transportation or walk to your destinations instead of renting a car?

If you are under 25, this can be savings. You won’t incur additional expenses due to your age and rental car upcharges. Also when traveling to an area that has many offerings of activities, excursions, transportation, and lodging, you will have more options to choose from which can allow you to maximize your trip investment.

Both remote and bustling areas can have so much to offer. And they provide for a wonderful vacation depending on what you’re looking to experience when on a trip (i.e., your travel personality!). Thinking through how you want to maximize your budget and prioritize your time can help you find the vacation location that will be perfect for you.

DESTINATION CONSIDERATION #4 – SEASONALITY

Avoiding The Crowds

The last major consideration to process through regarding your destination is that of seasonality. While sometimes your travel time is not flexible (e.g., school break, holidays, time off work, etc…), if you can be flexible with your time, I would highly recommend researching your destinations’ seasonal trends.

For example, the peak times for traveling to Europe are the summer and winter months. That largely is impacted by school schedules, holidays, and sports capabilities (ex. skiing in the Alps).  That being said, if you want to have a more authentic experience with off-season prices and are flexible in your trip itinerary, you might opt for a spring or fall time like March or October.

Likewise, if you are considering the Caribbean, their peak times are December-February. This is due to the reduced rainfall and travelers escaping their winter elsewhere. While you probably don’t want to visit from June- November due to hurricane risk, finding a time in March, April or even the beginning of May will save you some money as well as give you reduced crowds.

Catches Of The Off Season

Now there can be a catch with going in the off-season or on the brink of the off-season. Sometimes, especially in more exclusive locations, stores will take their holiday breaks during the off-season and will close. If planning a trip to Jackson Hole, you’ll see peak times in both the summer months and Christmas through April.

Considering this, you might think the best time to visit would be in the fall. While prices are lower, restaurants, lodging, and activities reduced their hours or were completely closed for the “holiday off-season”. Seeing this, it’s wise to choose the week before Christmas when prices are still much lower. And it’s before their official winter season begins. Activites will just be starting up again following their holiday break.

This can be a great cost saving and allows you to do most of what you want to do.

Do take these considerations into account before settling on your vacation destination. It will help ensure you maximize your experience and your investment. What a shame to plan a whole vacation and arrive only to find everything closed.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Planning and going on vacations is so much fun! It fills us with both new experiences and appreciation for the beauty, talents and unique lifestyles of other people. Trip planning can initially seem daunting, yet with a little thoughtfulness and research (maybe the help of an advisor – wink, wink), you can take a trip you will never forget.

A few more things from Luxury Travel Authority. We love perks. Perks are one reason to choose a reputable, professional travel advisor. Find other reasons why it’s great working with us in this article.

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