Some may have a list of countries they want to visit while others are dreaming about a specific destination. If you have a list, why not input it into a Free iPhone App TheTravelist which will make it easy to remember and keep track of all those destinations. However, for an avid traveller, we may have a hard time deciding where to go to next. For solo travellers, we think is this destination safe for me to go by myself or should I join a tour. Others are considering the financial aspect of travelling and trying to figure out where they can I afford to go now. Others, go based on places on sale and just take off at the last minute. I have established the following decision work flow which has helped me decide where to go next!

Paris in the Fall

1) What is the time that I can get away from work and for how long? This usually narrows it down quiet significantly. As certain destinations need more time than others due to the length of time it takes to get there! I live in Canada, therefore going to Australia, Asia, Argentina, Africa and parts of Europe for less than a week does not make sense as it will take me 2 days to get there! Therefore, this usually narrows it down to a continent or a radius.

Lisbon, Portugal

2) What is my budget? If I only saved up $500 to spend on my next trip or $2,000, this will dictate which country I visit or how far away do I go. For example, going to Norway vs. Portugal I will need the same amount of time however, Portugal will cost me half of what a trip to Norway will. Research destinations based on their cost will already narrow it down. I find that if I have a higher budget for a trip I would go to a more expensive place as who knows when I can save that much again!

Czech Republic in Winter

3) What time of the year am I going? It does not make sense to go to the French Riviera in the middle of winter even if it is cheap and you have 10 days away from work. However, if it is June- September, the French Riviera may be your first choice. If you can get away only in February and have established that you have 10 days and Europe is your destination and you have excluded expensive countries, the next decision is in that month where does it make sense to go. I have been to Prague in the summer and had time off in February where I went back to Prague and travelled around Czech Republic and found that in the winter, it was more magical and less tourists around. Therefore, if you want to go to Europe in the winter and not for a ski vacation, then I would suggest Eastern European countries are not a bad choice (if you can master the cold). For Paris, the best time I find is in the fall when its a bit rainy and the city becomes more romantic.

By this point, you should already narrow it down to 2-3 destinations. I just start looking for deals and start planning my trip, I often find that I may change my mind about a destination if I find a flight sale to one of the other destinations. Once your flight is booked… you are on your way!

Happy Planning & Travelling!
PS I always buy a travel guide book or look online for travel guides/blogs as it gives you an idea of other places around the region which you may not have considered before but now that you are going to be close, you may have the time to check out!