“The world is so full of a number of things, I’m sure we should all be as happy as kings.”
I’ve always loved this quote from Robert Louis Stevenson. And when it comes to picking destinations for our travels, the “number of things” and places is almost overwhelming. One of the most difficult parts of travel for Rob and me is to finally settle on which of the 1,001 (or more!) places we want to visit this time!
It all starts with the dreaming. On the wall of our home is a large world map filled with red pins showing the places we have visited and, more importantly, green pins for the places we still want to explore. As we read, watch travel shows, talk to other travelers, the number of green pins keeps rising.
I love browsing through travel brochures and tour pamphlets. Rob and I have taken some organized tours, and there are some advantages to this method of travel. (More about that in an upcoming post!) When possible, though, we prefer to arrange trips ourselves, and I find that the tour brochures and travel guides are very helpful for finding places I might not have discovered on my own. Tour companies pick their itineraries for a reason, so they give us hints about the highlights of an unfamiliar region.
With so much information about the world available, coming up with ideas for future travels isn’t the big issue. Our list of travel dreams is probably too long to fit into one lifetime. The hard part is deciding where to go next!
Perhaps this is a problem for you, too. Here are some tips we’ve learned over the years that help us make out destination decisions.
Obviously, one big consideration is budget. I’ve been asked more than once how we manage to do all of this traveling. I think the key is setting priorities. Rob and I set the goal of traveling, so that is the focus for our finances. We don’t buy a new car every two years. The only expensive shoes I invest in are nice comfy walking shoes for exploring the highways and byways of faraway places. Eating out? I won’t say we never do, but we cook most of our meals at home.
Do we feel we miss out on anything? No! Sure, it would be fun to zip around in a cute little convertible, but I’d rather bounce along in a jeep following a cheetah chasing down its meal. It would be great to eat out every week, but we will save the special dinners for a balcony overlooking the Bay of Naples.
There are travel opportunities to meet almost every budget. You are going to see the same sights of the city whether you are staying in a five-star luxury hotel or in a small pensione. (And you’ll have a more authentic experience and get more feel for the local culture staying in the latter!)
Another consideration is the time of year you have available to travel. If you have a nice long winter holiday, isn’t it convenient that the southern hemisphere is enjoying the summer? It’s the perfect time to visit South America, New Zealand, or even Antarctica. Summer in the northern hemisphere is the best time for experiencing the Land of the Midnight Sun, Norway, and her sister Scandinavian countries. Spring and Fall are the best of the Mediterranean countries where the summer heat may sap your energy and enthusiasm.
So…you’ve picked the season. Now, what kind of experience to you want? Are you looking for a rich cultural experience in a completely unfamiliar environment?
A major city with great architecture, art museums, and fine dining?
Or maybe just a completely relaxing week on a quiet beach?
If you are like me, you want all of these experiences! Truth be told, there is no “best” way to pick the next trip. Rob and I just start talking and dreaming, and when we suddenly both say at the same time, “That’s the one!” then we know it’s the right choice.
So start dreaming! Make your own “Dream Destinations List,” close your eyes, and stab your pin in the map. In a world filled with so many wonderful things, you can hardly go wrong!
A timely post for me. Once I have achieved my Airstream travel goals, I am thinking that I will travel abroad for a couple of years before settling down again. However, right now, I have to figure out where I’ll go when the trailer is out of the shop on Tuesday!
You are lucky, Kim, to have the freedom to travel for months or years at a time! We love travel, but we also love our three pets – a dog, a cat, and a parrot – (and our children and grandchildren, of course!), so they keep us coming home.
Kim, you would do well to travel the world via Trusted House Sitters. We had a retired lady from Seattle, who travels the world, stay at our house for 2 weeks during Christmas. It was a very good experience. She is now in Europe, traveling there for Spring and Summer.
Thanks, Julie! That sounds like a great option. I’ll be sure to look into it.
Thank you, Joan! That is also one of my favorite quotes… I have always had wanderlust, so up until recently anywhere out of the U.S. was a dream come true. However, after coming back from Europe my desires have increased for new sites/countries! So something that used to seem like an unrealistic dream seems a little more plausible. I’m still in that stage of unbelieving that we actually made that trip!
I like your idea of using the world map with pins. Helps bring the dreams to fruition.
I’m so glad you have started having your travel dreams come true, Debbie! Travel brings so much more to your life than just seeing new things. We learn and grow on every trip!
(P.S. Tell your hubby I’m still waiting to see his name on my subscription list!)
Thanks, Joan, for another dandy travel post. I love the map idea, too! Judy and I usually talk about places and say, “Oh, yeah, that’s someplace we’ll have to go.” But, the map would be a way to make our musings more concrete. Thanks and hugs, xoA
I’m delighted that you like the map idea, Annis! It’s time for me to update mine! I have a lot more green pins to put in!
We have a spreadsheet where we keep our “A” list of countries we still want to visit. There’s a “B” list as well but it’s probably not going to happen in this lifetime! Since I have the list I usually choose our next travel opportunity by going on Kayak’s Explorer tab and looking for airfare deals. If I track down something especially good and its on our A list then that’s our next trip. Our latest deal was just under $1,000 to go to Iceland and the Scandinavian countries. Icelandair has been having some great deals!
That’s great to know, Michelle! Thanks for sharing the Icelandair information. I love your idea of the A list and the B list. And I know what you mean! It will be hard to get to all the places on our list unless we never come home!
This is inspiring, Joan!
Thanks, Joanna! Glad you paid me a visit!
Looking forward to reading more tips, Joan!
Thanks, Sashi! So glad you “stopped by”! I am planning to alternate “tips” with actual travel stories. I hope you saw the first post about “Playing for Pints!”
Looking forward to reading more, Joan!
Joan,
I love to read about your marvelous travels, and your photos are fantastic! Thanks for sharing all of these highlights with us.
Thanks, Dana! I’m so glad you visited my new blog! Lots more stories coming up!