Steps to book a Vacation (Part 2)

Step 6: Now write down all the countries you want to visit and make four columns beside them:

1. Countries you want to go to?
2. How long is the flight?
3. Approximate cost of the flight?
4. Is it safe to go there?
5. What is the weather like?

I know these questions are so simple but they do matter.

Step 7: Thinking about the questions above, pick a place where it will have less or no rain and more sun, depending on your choice. Keep in mind, weather channels/websites are not always accurate, so try 3-4 different websites for weather update, and don’t get disappointed if it does not turn out the way you wanted. Also, check out if it’s safe to go there (i.e., the government websites), and the approximate time to get there (Google it), if its too long, are you willing to spend 2 days (or more) in travelling?

Step 8: Also, check which flights leave on your first day of vacation and lets you come back on your last day of vacation because it’s important to make use of all your vacation days unless you really need to stay here to complete something.

Step 9: Another focus is the budget, you also need to know how much you are willing to spend on this trip including everything, always take money out for food and miscellaneous items bought at your vacation spot (i.e., souvenirs) and then see what your left over is for flights and hotel.

Step 10: BRAINSTORM and more brainstorm, you have all your research done and now cut down your list as per your priorities.

So after our brainstorming, we picked (drum roll please) Paris, romantic/relaxed with a bit of adventurous, it was hard to pick one so we decided to pick two that are close to each other, the second country is Belgium — our brainstorm is now complete phew!

So here are the 10 steps for picking a vacation spot, hope this helps you guys. If you have any questions and comments let me know. I will update soon in regards to my vacation.

Steps to book a Vacation (Part 1)

Thinking about booking a vacation but dont know where to begin, then this article is for you!

My husband and I have been planning to go somewhere for a while but it’s been so hard since we have a lot going on. I might have said it 100 times but trust me we have a lot going on, the last big trip was to Cuba in June and a small trip to Quebec in November. This year we did not do anything and it’s already been a year from our last trip, well almost a year.

Now that we are bit less busy with our work and lives, we have decided to plan for our vacation. I love the whole process of picking and planning. In my opinion, everyone should take a vacation every year to get energetic and refreshed, because when you have kids, it gets harder and more expensive, so why not enjoy the days when you don’t have additional responsibilities.

Step 1: Check your calendar for the weeks you are free, which means the weeks you have no important prior commitments i.e., cousin or best friends weddings, big birthdays, baby shower etc. Now that you have picked some weeks out, move on to my next step.

Step 2: Check with your boss in terms of your vacation and as to how many days you can take off i.e., 1 week, 2 weeks or more. In my case, I have 5 business days of vacation left.

Step 3: Decide when you can take off from work i.e., if there are any holidays that take place in your vacation period, so you save 1 business day or you can make your vacation longer or take less vacation days off from work.

In my example, I picked second week of October, where October 8^th is a thanksgiving weekend, which means I only have to take 4 business days off, and I get total of 9 days of vacation including weekends.

Step 4: Now ask yourself what type of vacation you are looking for, do you want a relaxed or an adventurous trip? If you have been working hard for the year then I assume you will need a relaxed vacation where you don’t t have to cook or clean and relax on the beach and read a book. This is an important step.

We have one relaxed vacation every year to calm us down lol; but this time, I want both so we have decided to pick a place where we can do both.

Step 5: If you pick a relaxed vacation, I would definitely prefer the Caribbean islands with all-inclusive deals, because it’s so much easier and plan any excursion when you get there as they have tons of them. Plus, the research consists of the place you are going and the resort you are picking. Keep in mind; there are so many external websites that can provide you reviews for that specific place and resort. One of my favorite website is the trip advisor, definitely very USEFUL!

Before I move on to my next step of this process, I would like to share the resorts I have been to in the islands.

1. Mayan Riviera, Mexico – Excellence Resorts
2. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic – Majestic Elegance
3. Cayo Coco, Cuba – Melia Cayo Coco

They are all five stars in the Sunwing book, which I picked up from the flight centre and they had great reviews on the Trip advisor. I would definitely recommend them, and trust me I am picky.

Stay tuned for the last five steps.