With so many places to travel, deciding on just one or a handful of destinations can seem overwhelming.

There are so many great places to see and lots of things to do, and you might feel you want to see them all. There are a few ways to pick a destination and things you can consider to help you narrow down your choices.

Work Out Your Travel Budget

It’s important to consider ahead of time how much your trip will cost so you don’t return home to a pile of bills. While expenses can fluctuate, you may find accommodations and transportation are the two highest expenses. If you have some savings dedicated to travel, you might start with those. Then spend some time organizing what you expect to spend. This will require a bit of research so you can get a realistic idea of how much things will cost.

One option for making your savings stretch further is to lower your monthly expenses now. That way, you’ll be able to add to your travel fund. Consider skipping items from the ‘wants’ category in your budget, such as dining out and paying for subscriptions. If you are traveling to New York City, make sure to book tickets to NYC concerts and events in advance. You may also be able to find discounted tickets from resellers, but make sure you do your research to ensure they’re legitimate. Another way of lowering expenses is to refinance your student loans to get another loan that can offer a better interest rate. This is a great way of reducing your expenses for the long term.

Consider the Timing

First, if you want to get the most out of your vacation you will want to think about the timeframe you have for the trip. You can do a lot more in a week and half than you can in a weekend. Understanding the amount of time you have lets you narrow down what you want to do and create your plan. The timeframe also allows you to determine how far you can travel. If you will be traveling by car and only have a week, you might pick a destination that’s just a few hours away. On the other hand, if you only have a weekend, you won’t want to devote too much time to getting to the destination. 

Choosing Who You Will Travel With

Think about the people who might come along with you, whether it is a spouse, the whole family, or a group of your friends. If it will just, be you and your significant other, look for romantic getaways that you might both enjoy, such as Italy. On the other hand, when you go with a group of friends, everyone will have their own ideas on where they want to go and what they want to do. 

A cruise is often a great option for a group of people since there are so many activities already planned for the group. You might even be planning a solo trip in which case you will have to think about whether you want to get out of your comfort zone. Visiting a foreign country can be exciting, but you may want to stay closer to home as well. In either case, taking a tour with a touring company might help you gain new experiences.

Published by HOLR Magazine.