Where do you want to go?  The first step in vacation planning is deciding where to go.  Maybe you have a destination in mind, or maybe you have seen all the deals on Travel Zoo and Groupon and just want to go – but don’t know where to start.  There are many things to consider when choosing a destination, let’s start with the basics:

Is it in your budget?  Let’s face it some destinations are a lot more expensive than others and a trip to Iceland or London in high season is going to cost a whole lot more than a trip to Prague in the Winter.  Cost of living sites show that London is 126% more expensive than Prague, so picking the right place can help keep your costs down and even help you stay longer.   But how do you know if an area is expensive or not?  You need to do a little bit of research and find out:

• Getting there: If it’s somewhere that you can drive how much will it cost in gas? If it’s a little further what is the cost to take a train?  If you need to fly how much is the airfare?  The first two are pretty straight forward, but the last one can be a little tricky.  I recommend using a site like Google Flights to see what kind of flights are available to your destination and how much they cost.  Google Flights even has a cool “Explore Feature” where you can put in your dates, your starting location, and how much you want to spend.  It will pop up a map that shows you everywhere you can go for that price.  Remember, flight prices fluctuate so if you see a really cheap flight, book it, or it might not be there when you return. 
• Lodging: Where are you going to stay?  Some places like Iceland and Hawaii have cheap flights from the US, but when you get there it’s a completely different story!  Look at some hotels or Airbnbs in the area before buying the ticket to see what it’s going to cost you.  Remember to look at the specific dates you want to go because the same Airbnb in February may be twice as much in June.  I went to Hawaii on the 4th of July and could not find many places to stay for a family of 5 under $300, a friend went the last week of July and paid $190.  Holiday weeks are usually twice as expensive!
• Food and incidentals: This may seem like an easily overlooked one, but had I not done my research I would have had a heart attack when I arrived in Hawaii to see that sometimes a soda could be $6 at a restaurant.  (We drink a lot of soda, thank god McDonald’s still had $1 sodas lol!)  Getting a place that has a kitchen and eating in is a great way to cut down on costs in an expensive locale, but just as an example, Little Debbie Swiss Rolls which are $1.99 at my Target were $5.99 in Oahu.   Make sure you know what to budget for.
• Time of Year – What time of year are you able to take a vacation? Costs vary greatly in an area by season.  There are often great deals to areas like Northern Europe in January – why?  Because it can be 20 frickin’ degrees and most people in their right minds don’t want to be that cold!  However, it is beautiful then and there are less tourists meaning you can get a great deal.  Research the average temperature for the month you want to visit.  Will it be too hot or too cold to do the activities you want to do?  If you’re planning on renting a car are you used to driving on icy roads?  How many hours of daylight are there?  In Iceland if you visit between May and August the sun sets for only a few hours and it is effectively light for a 24-hour period.  In contrast during the winter months they may have only 4-5 hours of daylight – will you be able to see everything you want to see? 
• Travel Requirements – Each country has its own travel requirements that may also mean an added expense. If you are traveling to another country, from the United States you will need a valid passport.  As of January 2023, the cost for an adult passport is $165 ($130 application fee and a $35 service fee).  Once you have made a passport appointment and sent off your paperwork, it typically takes 4-6 weeks for it to be processed and returned.  A logical person might think “a valid passport” means that your passport has to be valid through the date you return to your home country.  Not so fast – Most countries will not permit a traveler to enter their country unless the passport is set to expire at least SIX MONTHS after the final day of travel.   Before booking that trip make sure your passport is valid or you could be turned away and sent home without ever leaving the airport.  In addition to a passport, many countries also require a traveler to obtain a Visa or even certain vaccinations before visiting.  Some countries even require you to have a certain number of blank pages in your passports or have a minimum/maximum amount of cash on you when visiting.  The US Department of State has a web page where US Travelers can enter the country you want to visit and see exactly what is required of you prior to visiting.  

If you keep all these things in mind and know what you’re getting into – you can have a wonderful vacation!  My girlfriend and I found a 6-night trip to Prague for $499 in January on Travel Zoo.  At that point we didn’t even know what COUNTRY Prague was in lol!  But it would have cost us that much for just a plane ticket to Europe, or to go to Disney for a week (maybe even more), so we figured what the heck and went for it!  The advertised prices on these deals are typically flying from a major hub, usually New York for European/Asia destinations, and we had to pay a little extra to get flights from Florida.  So, for under $600 a person we had flights and hotels for 6 nights – you can’t beat that. We got to experience a European Christmas market and we are so glad we went!  

Pro Tip: Sometimes package deals can save you a ton of money.  Just make sure to price out the flight and hotel individually and see if it’s worth it for you.