I have always been a traveler. I always want to be going somewhere and experiencing something new. It began with my first airplane ride at age three and continued through mother-daughter day trips, family vacations, soccer tournaments, and race track road trips with my dad.
Planning is one aspect that my parents managed until I reached high school, but that's when I took the reigns! I started my city research in small doses with domestic trips like Chicago and Indianapolis. Now I am researching travel to places such as Spain, Italy, Ireland, Jamaica and Switzerland. Planning thrills me almost as much as enacting the plan. If I can't be traveling at the moment, at least I can see the world on a map while getting lost in each city through pages of research. As Forbes said, "That is the charm of a map. It represents the other side of the horizon where everything is possible. It has the magic of anticipation without the toil abad sweat of realization. The greatest romance ever written pales before the possibilities of adventure that lie in the faint blue trails from sea to sea. The perfect journey is never finished, the goal is always just across the next river".
We are lucky to have the world at our fingertips and I utilize online resources more often than anything else. However, the rush of walking into a bookstore filled with a million possibilities and information at your fingertips is exhilarating. I could spend hours sitting in a corner with stacks of travel books to get lost in. I love the smell of opening a brand-new book and the feel of crisp page edges. Everything from Fodor's and Frommer's to Michelin, Lonely Planet and Rick Steve's excites me. They each have unique perspectives and when combined they form endless travel-adventure possibilities.
I love creating itineraries and formulating a plan of attack in each city. While some strict plans are necessary to fit in all of the sights of a new location, especially in larger cities, loose plans are often the most memorable. When I travel I typically make reservations at a few of the top places I couldn't imagine missing, and then create a list of other top spots that I would like to see if we don't end up on a side adventure of our own while exploring the city.
Planning a Trip? Where to Begin:
AIRFARE: I'm still working my way through the daunting task of booking international airfare. This upcoming trip will be my first time abroad in which I booked all of my own plane tickets. It's a bit intimidating, but if plans go awry the important thing is to enjoy the flow of adventure. I used a wonderful travel agent this past year to book Ryan and I on Delta transatlantic flights, but this year I booked my own US Air flights across the pond. I used Priceline, as that was the most cost-efficient plan, with one flight on RyanAir to hop between countries. I'll add a review on the experience after we try them out!
HOME AWAY FROM HOME: Next up, hotels! This is largely based on preference - but I admit, I am a bit of a hotel snob. I like to know exactly what I'm getting, and I want it to be immaculately clean. I went through a phase where I would only book at Holiday Inn Express locations, because I knew they were consistently going to offer the same room no matter which location I was staying in. Now, however, I am willing to branch out a bit. We do tend to stay in Marriott locations more due to Ryan's points - I highly recommend using points to book travel, this helps to save a lot of money! Yet, sometimes you do want to experience the culture of staying in a local hotel or renting a room. In our upcoming trip to Amsterdam, I am set on renting a house boat on AirBnB.com to really get the feel of the city on the water. I research reviews, use google maps to chart out how far the hotel location is from the main attractions we are interested in, and look to see which neighborhoods are the safest for late-night walking as we tend to leave our room early and walk home late.
ATTRACTIONS: The way I begin my sightseeing research is to use a tour company's itinerary as an outline (i.e. Trafalgar, Go Ahead Tours). I research the top attractions that they will be seeing as well as the additional excursions they have listed and decide based upon that which of those I want to see as well. Then I go to travel blogs, travel sites, and community boards to find reviews and other city experiences that large tours may not stop to see. A few of my favorite travel sites have been Viator, Trip Advisor, Frommers, travel blogs and AirBnB, but I also like to mix my online reviews and suggestions with my book research. The great thing about books is that they often give you language barrier tips and some history about the region as well. I also typically like to start my vacations with a hop on hop off bus tour to get a better handle on the city. Those can be booked beforehand, but booking onsite is easy as well. I recommend getting a live person for the bus tour rather than a recorded version - the experience is more personalized and you can ask questions to help with the rest of your trip.
GETTING THE BEST DEAL: Once it is time to book I price shop for coupons, deals and discounts as well as comparing booking sites like Viator against the actual tour company site for the best deals. Often, if you book your trips during the off-season you can find better deals. Ryan and I prefer to travel in the winter months because, the rates are typically less expensive, and there are not as many tourists traveling, so attraction lines are much shorter. The downside is that some attractions have shorter hours and/or are closed altogether. If you have your heart set on a specific sight, make sure to check the seasonal hours before booking a trip. And of course, if you're traveling to Disney World be sure to start emailing for information months in advance to increase the odds of receiving a coveted PIN code providing exclusive discounts!
If you're interested in more tips please continue reading my "Passports and Pastries - Tales of a Travel Addict" series and send me a message if you have any additional questions. In each city post I included a few travel tips to help you plan and navigate better off of my experiences. And absolutely share your experiences with me as well - I love to hear all about travel adventures!
Here's to always indulging in a sun-drenched elsewhere!
xo, Caitlin.
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