Don't Just Wander, Make a Travel Plan and Have More Fun

A guest post by: Andrian Williams of learnchinesereviews.com

You plan the perfect vacation for either yourself or for the whole family.  You make all the preparations, pack well, and arrive at your accommodations all smiles and ready for fun.  But…what do you do?  Do you wander the tourist areas where the vacation spot is prepackaged for you and overpriced?  Or do you stay near the hotel, enjoying the accommodations while wandering and taking pictures?  Taking a trip, especially to a foreign country is a chance to experience a new culture, enjoy new sights and food, and learn new things.  Why waste it?  With a travel plan, you can make sure to squeeze everything you can into your vacation to make every minute worthwhile.

Once you have your destination in mind, you should do a little research.  You want to check on the accommodations there, what tourist spots are recommended by various sources, and other places of interests.  Don’t forget to keep an eye on your budget, as that can have an effect on your travel plans.  Keep in mind how many people are going and their different interests.  Whether you’re going with college friends or family members, make sure there’s something for everyone.  Once you have a good location in mind, try to find the cheapest way to book accommodations to save money from the start.

Once you’ve arrived at your destination, you can then expand your travel plan to take advantage of new possibilities.  Perhaps there are new tours available that weren’t listed on the website updates you checked.  There’s always the possibility of new attractions.  Perhaps you can even blog about your experiences to let others know of new developments.  Spend some time enjoying the local ambience, rather than staying in your hotel room.  Of course visiting a foreign country may be intimidating, but you went for the adventure right?

One thing not to be overlooked, either when traveling alone or with friends or family, is the guided tour.  This is the perfect way to get a feel for local flavor, see famous sites and learn local history.  Most tours are either themed, being historical and passing famous locations or perhaps educational, allowing visitors to see various museums, statues, and important locations.  There are bound to be sites of great beauty as well, perhaps parks, waterfalls, castles, statues, or vineyards, all ready to be photographed for later enjoyment.

If you have trouble making decisions during the planning of your vacation, a travel agent can always be of assistance.  He or she may be able to book a package deal for you, look into available tours, and recommend good accommodations. If you’re totally in the dark, a good travel agent can even help you pick a destination from the start.  If you’re looking for a certain kind of experience or have a limited budget, using an agency can help you make sure you still get your money’s worth while, having the time of your life.

The article is contributed by Andrian Williams. She is an enthusiastic blogger who writes about travel destinations and fashion.Visit her site for learning Chinese and Rocket Chinese software.