You booked your vacation and it’s coming up soon yet you’re not really sure about what you’ll be doing or where you’ll be visiting while you’re there. Sound familiar?

I’m a huge believer in planning everything when it comes to vacations because I don’t like to waste time and like to make the most out of my vacations. I believe that when you’re on vacation, your hours shouldn’t be spent on deciding what you’re gonna do that day because before you know it, you’ve wasted the whole morning. If you’re like me and like to plan your trips (or would like to start doing so now), keep reading as I share some tips on how to research and plan for your next vacation. Note that this probably won’t apply to you if you take vacations to rest and do nothing else but hit the pool and the beach. But if you like to visit and explore during your vacation, keep on reading.

  1. Search your destination on Instagram. This works out even better now that Instagram gives you the option to search places. Enter your destination in the search tab and click on places. You’ll have pictures pop up that were tagged in that location. Once you do that, you can check out the hashtags on those pictures as well, as they can help you find new locations. For example, I can upload a picture from a church in Oaxaca, Mexico but instead of tagging the church’s location, I’ll tag the city but in my hashtags will include the name of the church, hence providing a new location in that destination for my followers. After searching your destination under the places tab of Instagram, search under tags. Don’t be too specific if you want to find more results. Searching under a broad tag will lead you to other locations; locations you can then click and keep going from there. For example, if you’re planning a trip to Cancun, I wouldn’t search Mexico because it’s way too broad; I would search under Cancun. Any pictures that have been tagged with #Cancun will pop up. You can then scroll through those pictures and see any location or place you might like to visit. You can then continue to search by clicking on that hashtag or location and so on. Make sure to write down all of the locations you find and like so you can later go back and research those as well.
  2. Do some research on Pinterest. Pinterest is also a great tool to research a trip. Search with the name of your destination and watch as lots of articles and blog posts pop up about what to do there. They also sometimes include itineraries you can consider.
  3. Check Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor isn’t only to check hotel reviews, you can also research your destination on it. Search the name of your destination and then click on Things to Do and it will give you a list of places to visit or things to do. You can even book your tours there. They’re also rated and reviewed just like the hotels.
  4. Book your tours ahead of time.  The last thing you need is to book your tours once you get to your destination and then find out that they’re either completely booked for that day or aren’t giving tours that day at all. You can avoid all of that by researching and once you decide where you’d like to visit, book your tour from home. The internet makes all of this very easy. The majority of tour companies can be found and booked online. You can also read their reviews on Tripadvisor (as previously mentioned) to determine which one you’d like to book. I always book my tours ahead of time and have found it to be very helpful.
  5. Make an itinerary. Once you’ve decided what you want to visit and tour on your trip, make an itinerary so you have your days planned ahead and don’t waste time. Of course, if you’re going to a beach destination, don’t forget to include some days of relaxation at the beach or pool. The day you arrive is usually for resting since you’ve had a flight and if there’s a time change, it can be exhausting. If you get there early and want to rest, hit the pool or beach and then dinner. Start your full itinerary the next day. The last day you usually don’t do much either since your flight leaves that day. Whether you leave in the morning or at night you can’t do too much since you have to allot time for the extra hours you need to be at the airport for your flight. Use the days in between to create a full itinerary. If you don’t have enough days to do everything you want, see what is more of a priority for you and include those.

 

After following all these tips, you should be set for your next trip. Are there any other tips you would add? Let me know in the comments below!

¡Buen Viaje!

becky (2)