How To Maximize Your Vacation

February 26, 2020 DS Travel

How to Maximize Your Vacation

Sit down with a calendar and approach your vacation planning, so as to maximize your travel dollar, time, and enjoyment. Here’s how you too can get the accommodations and experiences you really want, at the best prices, rather than settling for what’s left over after everyone else has booked their trips:

List your top 5 Vacations
Share your wish list with us and we can help with the best travel times and offer suggestions on planning. That way you can have a time table of which trips will work well for you now and in the future! Planning is the way to make the vacation affordable and special.

Predict What Weather-Related Escapes You Will Need
For instance, when Spring Break arrives each year, some families need a snow-free getaway or they will go a little stir crazy. I also know that, in the dog days of summer, some crave someplace cool—or, at least, cooler than home. I’ve learned that that doesn’t necessarily mean a higher latitude. While some gravitate to cooler climes (Scotland, Iceland or Ireland), I’ve also found that other places can provide first-rate relief; as long as there’s an ocean breeze (Cabo, Hawaii or Sardinia).

Pinpoint the Right Travel Consultant
If your end goal is the most rewarding travel experience possible, the smartest way to approach booking your trip—the way that will deliver the greatest value for money—is not to book all the various components (accommodations, activities, transportation, hard-to-get tickets, special guided experiences) piecemeal but, rather, to hand the whole thing over to your trusted Travel Consultant. We’ve been doing this for over 30 years. We have the insider’s connections, we’re talking hoteliers, best excursion companies, reliable transfers and luxury resorts & hotels! We know all the insider tips and tricks in the place where you’re headed. We can help with specialized travel; photography, family trips, history, golf vacations, tennis, spa and more! If you can dream it, we can help.

Start Thinking About Holiday Travel Now!
You heard it here first. It’s the most in-demand travel period of the year, with peak prices and minimum-stay restrictions at popular beach and ski locations. Some of Hawaii’s top resorts, for example, are already fully booked for the November / December 2020 holiday period. These resorts save their rooms for loyal guests who return year after year. Booking early is the key; give us a call today so we handle your details and you have all the fun!

Include in Your Calendar Both a “Vacation” Trip and a “Travel” Trip
Sometimes we use the words “vacation” and “travel” interchangeably, but they are actually very different. “Vacation” is the opposite of work, whereas “travel” comes from the French “travail”—meaning, work. It is indeed a lot of work to cope with unfamiliar languages, currencies, etiquette, logistics, flight cancellations, lost luggage, etc. Each year we all need a good dose of both vacation (recovery from work) and travel (exploration that may tax the mind but also broadens it).

Include in Your Calendar a New Destination You’ve Never Been to Before
We all need the comfort of the familiar (e.g., the annual family trip to the lake), but we also crave novelty and excitement. Getting slightly out of your comfort zone leaves you with a sense of accomplishment, not to mention unforgettable memories. Some parents insist kids get to at least one new country each year. If life gets in the way and you can’t get to a new place in 2020, at least, when you’re in the old familiar place, try a new activity you’ve never done before. Mastering a new challenge—say, zip-lining or learning to sail—makes a trip vividly memorable.

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Donna Salerno, CTC, DS