How to Choose the Right Destination for Your Next Trip
It’s quite common for clients to come to me uncertain about where they want to go on a trip. In fact, many of them are looking for a travel advisor because they want help selecting their destination (with an expert’s POV).
Sure, it can be overwhelming to plan a trip when you have so many options for where you want to go. Many of us draft mental lists of the next destinations we want to travel to and, when faced with an opportunity to plan a vacation, we are paralyzed by having to choose just one of those places.
When I work with clients that have a number of potential places they want to travel, here’s how I help them find the right destination…just another benefit of working with a travel advisor!
(And maybe these seem obvious to you, but once you get into choosing from a handful of incredible destinations, these filters will be incredibly useful!)
Define your travel goals.
What do you want to experience on this trip? What feelings or emotions do you want to have? What is your ultimate priority for this trip?
If your goal is relaxation and quiet, a big city destination or multi-leg itinerary may not be ideal. If you’ve always wanted to go on safari or visit Paris, you’re not really going to relax much. Opt instead for the destination that feels relaxing to you.
If you are looking for ways to bond with your family or friends during your trip, you may want to plan a trip that includes group activities, vacation homes or villas where you can be together. And you’ll also want to take into account the needs and preferences of the entire group - dietary or mobility restrictions, etc.
Determine when you want to travel.
You may already know this and have a set time when you are going to take this trip. Now, does that timing sync up with your intended destination? If you’re traveling in February, what’s the weather like where you want to go? And how does that match up with your travel goals and expectations? If you decide to visit Portugal in February, it may be cool and rainy, but that may be totally fine with you!
Know what you want to spend.
Depending on when you want to travel, costs may be higher or lower. Are you okay with higher costs during the busy season? Do you prefer a destination that may be less expensive? If your bucket list includes the Maldives and Greece, one of those destinations will be a little more affordable and may be a better fit for you based on your current trip budget.
What do you want to do? And what don’t you want to do?
Similar to your goals, you may have ideas for what kinds of activities you want to experience during your trip. If you tell me you are looking for boutique hotels, excellent food scene, and great shopping, that’s going to point me towards a city, possibly in Europe or Asia. But if you also tell me you want to travel less than 8 hours by plane to your destination…that’s going to change my recommendation! Having guidelines and boundaries for what you want in your trip will help you filter out the destinations that are not a match and may be better suited to another time.
We encourage our clients to think this through before we start working together, but we are also more than happy to help you work through the filtering and selection process to identify the right place for your next trip. Schedule your consultation call and we will take it from there!