Steps

1. Determine where you want to go? Are you going to a place where safety might be of concern? Are you going to a place where people don't speak English much? Are you going to a place where culture is quite different - eastern vs western?
   • you'll have to take these things into consideration to make the trip more relaxing and with fewer complications
2. Do you want to go with a tourist group or a package deal or do you want to plan everything yourself?
   • You could get a tourist guide from CAA/AAA office (free if you are a member) or from a store.
3. Do you require a car, plane, bus or train? Determine how you want to get there. Do you like to fly or not? Do you want to get there in a few hours or would like to take your time to get there?
4. What do you want to see? Are you into museums and galleries? Do you want to see all the tourist sights?
   • If you are the type who wants to see as much in a trip as possible, determine what you could see in a day. After the first day there, you'll know if you need to change your schedule or not.
   • If you are the type to go with the flow of things, just have an idea of where things are or get the map of the tourist areas (city map) and you could just go from one area to another
5. How much do you want to spend? This factor will determine whether you stay at a hotel or motel, how you travel within the area, where you eat, what you do (trying out the local activities).

Tips

• take tons of pictures of scenery and items that are intriguing, you have all the time
• ask others to take pictures of you, there are always people willing to do that
• keep a journal of places visited or interesting things that happened around (can either write, tape record, video tape etc)

Warnings

• try not to get too wrapped up with the nitty-gritty stuff, you are there to enjoy yourself
• relax, if you don't get to do everything, enjoy what you have done or are doing

Things You'll Need

• money (cash, visa, cheques)
• emergency numbers
• travel insurance
• cell phone or phone card or change to use pay phone (means of contacting someone)
• translation dictionary