WHERE TO BEGIN WHEN YOU ARE THINKING OF TRAVELLING

 

Are you thinking of travelling and would love to plan your own trip? Do you feel that you haven’t got the first inkling of how to go about starting the whole process? Then don’t worry, because you are in the right place!

This guides explores all the things that you need to consider, so you can crack on with planning that trip you’ve been dreaming of.


THINKING OF TRAVELLING AND WHERE TO START

 

When you are feeling overwhelmed, unsure and lacking confidence, hit the pause button. The most important factor, is creating a solid structure for your travel research to keep you focused and on track.

Do not try and accomplish everything at once, but stick to a detailed plan and work at your own pace. Choosing a travel destination should be exciting, not stressful.

Whether you travel locally, or overseas, the benefits of travelling are immense.


WHAT IS THE APPEAL ABOUT TRAVELLING?

 

In a nutshell? Just about everything! You learn and expand your understanding of life and people. You see, learn and experience new things. These help shape your personality and how you view the world. You return with a different perspective, happier, calmer and changed. For the better.


WHAT 4 THINGS DO YOU NEED IF YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT TRAVELLING?

 

1. YEARNING

 

If you dream about travelling and are truly interested in travel, you will have a craving for visiting new places and countries.

You want to learn about different cultures and experience new and exciting activities.

This is the starting point for any sort of travel. It is the inquisitiveness to discover new things, see how different people live and interact in their environments.

Unfortunately, all the yearning in the world will not get you to your longed for destination without one important requisite.


2. MONEY

 

One mistake that people make when considering a holiday is to start glancing through glossy holiday brochures and stumble at the first block.

They see the inflated prices and automatically convince themselves of being unable to afford similar holidays, put the brochures in a drawer for when they “win the lottery”. The holiday remains, simply a dream.

Do not be that person who makes the assumption of not having the money. The reality is that a good majority of people can afford to travel.

An independently planned trip is less expensive than you might assume.

There is nothing wrong with reading articles about travelling. You do however, have to be realistic.

holiday-dreaming
 

And that means that you may have to compromise.

How can you expect to know what the cost of your trip will be without first doing some detailed research?

Most of us are aware of our own financial situation, therefore set your sights accordingly.

A trip to Churchill, Canada to see polar bears is outside of a good percentage of people’s holiday budget.

However, a self-drive trip through the Canadian Rockies is less expensive and you will see fantastic scenery and local wildlife.

Compromise Is The Key!

You may not be able to afford THE dream holiday you envisaged, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to experience a DIFFERENT dream holiday.

By making subtle adjustments and being open to considering alternative destinations, accommodation and activities, your trip will cease to be a dream and become a reality.

There are numerous travel resources and tips to help make your holiday fall inside your budget.


Get a handle on your finances and start really thinking about saving money for travel. These posts are geared towards doing precisely this. Easy Ways To Cut Spending And Afford Travel / How To Spend Money Wisely And Have More Money For Travel


If you have the craving and money, the only other requisite for a successful trip is time.


3. TIME

 

Some people seem to accomplish so much more than others with their time.

There are only so many hours in the day, but the fact is that we all have the same amount of time and just have different restraints to take into consideration.

Most full time workers in the UK have an average of 4 weeks holiday time per year, which is great compared to say workers in the USA who have only 2-3 weeks entitlement a year.

Whatever time restraints you have, making time for travel is paramount and you CAN make it a reality if it’s important to you.

It pays to think outside the box and seize any opportunities when they arise. There are ways around time constraints such as:

  • Using a Friday and Monday for a long weekend city break
  • Using a day or two either side of a bank holiday
  • Taking an early outward flight on a Friday and returning on a late flight on a Sunday
  • Adding extra days after a business trip
  • Using time between jobs (which is what we are doing in March)

Basically, it is a case of working with the days that you do have allocated and maximizing the efficiency of that time.

Most people can only have 2 weeks holiday at a time, maybe 3 if they have special permission from their employer.

We have taken some amazing trips with only 2 weeks holiday time and have been lucky on several occasions to be able to book 6 weeks in one chunk. (Self-Employed at the time)

If you fall in this bracket, you CAN still visit some beautiful destinations and experience fascinating cultures in your time frame with careful planning.

So, you have the longing and dreams for your own trip, the money or ways to save for the cost and the time to take the trip.

The only thing that may still be holding you back from starting to plan and research the details, is confidence.


4. CONFIDENCE

Have Faith In Yourself
 

We live in a fast moving society today, with more people than ever being able to travel to far flung destinations.

It may seem bizarre then, that there could be individuals for whom the idea of travelling holds a degree of fear.

Such a level of fear, that the very idea of planning their own trip to a country they have never visited before, instills fear and apprehension.

It is important to remember that we have all been first time travelers and for a percentage of us, our confidence levels have increased with each trip taken.

While some are happy and fearless to set off on their next jaunt oversees, others are held back by fear of the unknown, fear of flying and generalized anxiety.


ANXIETY ABOUT TRAVELLING

 

We all like routine to a certain extent and familiar surroundings instill a feeling of comfort within us making us feel safe.

It is perfectly normal to have feelings of unease when taken outside of your usual surroundings.

The important fact to focus on, is that you will adapt and come to feel comfortable somewhere new. This place will become exciting and you may enjoy the place so much, that you will be sad to leave when your holiday ends.

Another realization is that while the world is humongous, people are basically the same, going about the same jobs, travelling from one place to another in the same transport.

Infrastructures are similar, people’s routines are similar, they get up in the mornings, go to work, eat and sleep, just like we do in the country we live in.

If this is your first independent trip and you feel panic at the thought of being in control of the planning, be patient with yourself and maybe build your confidence by first taking a weekend break.

Choose a popular and developed country to visit for a longer trip. This way you will meet fellow travellers on the same route.

It can be scary taking a leap into the unknown, and you can’t always control the weather or what will happen while you travel. But hey, you have no more control over things at home.

One sure guarantee however is that if you would like to travel and take the leap into the unknown then you will be rewarded in multiple ways.


Every experience you encounter will add a positive slant to your character and mind. Your life will be enriched through your experiences, good and bad. You will return home will a feast of stories to tell, memories to treasure and a shift in your mindset.


That is the beauty of travel.

That is a fraction of what travel will give you.

Don’t say you can’t plan a trip yourself, because then you will fail to try.

Be positive in your thinking and tell yourself that you will succeed. Life begins at the end of your comfort zone!


Are you ready to take the leap into the glorious unknown? If you have the yearning, money, time and confidence then you are already on your way to an amazing adventure! Stop thinking of travelling and start planning!


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