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Nicole's
Travelogues and Budget Travel Tips..
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PLANNING YOUR TRIPSo you are planning a trip? You lucky dog! There are tons of resources - especially online - to help you with your planning. Where to Go
Do a Google and Yahoo! search for your destination. Browse Yahoo's Country links and Travelogue links and DMOZ' Travelogues. Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree is a great bulletin board divided by country or continent. You can post questions about traveling to any country and receive great advise and recommendations. Traveller's Point also has alot of information. You can register for free and email people that live in the country you are going to. I always get replies quickly within 1-2 days. Also check out Travel Library, World Travel Guide, Buy a guidebook and you'll have most of the information you need in one place. There are many companies that offer guidebooks - most of them catering to a certain style of travel. Lonely Planet, Moon Travel, and Rough Guides cater towards backpackers and have alot of info on adventure and off-the-beaten-path activities. Fodor's and Frommer's cater towards more traditional travelers with larger budgets. Let's Go guides cater to student travelers. I use Moon Travel's or Lonely Planet's guidebooks. They have great backpacker information, maps, and practicalities. However, don't fall into the "guidebook says" routine. Guidebooks save you alot of time by listing how tos and addresses but they are still subjective opinions of the writers. Every time I travel, I have had a great time in a place the guidebook trashed or vice versa. So use your guidebook as a tool but don't let it dictate everything you do. In addition to a guidebook, a phrasebook and travel dictionary are also useful when traveling to a country that doesn't speak your native tongue. Once you decide where you're going, check out the visa requirements for individual countries and get the ones you need. When to Go
For example, if you want to go on a safari in Southern Africa, many say that going during their winter (June/July) is the best time to go because you have the least amount of rain, tree/shrub foliage is bare, and wildlife is more concentrated near water sources. However, flying in June/July from the states is during high season and will bump up the price of your airfare. What to Do Time to get specific. What are the sights to see? Which events will be happening? Where are the best places to eat? Read your guidebook and check out the travel web sites. Bookmark your favorite sites and before you leave, print relevant web pages and take them with you. I prefer to research a country alot before I travel there - partly because I am a researcher by trade. However, I don't make an itinerary until I get to my destination. Usually the only firm plans I make are booking my first night at a hostel. I always find better deals when I actually get to a country and hostels are great sources of local budget travel information. Sometimes I'll make a couple of sample itineraries so I can estimate if what I want to do will be able to fit in the time/budget I'm working with. My first trip to Belize was a short one, so I made a detailed itinerary, but still ended up changing it a few times once I was there. Anyway, the point is to be flexible! |
"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page." --St. Augustine
Here are the main travel guidebook companies: Start learning those phrases early! For free online language lessons, check out Parlo. Check out travel magazines for inspiration and ideas for trips: If you are traveling solo, find a travel companion: Here are some cool backpacker sites: Traveling Solo or with Companions? Solo Pros: Companion Pros: |
Research your destination online. What kind of research you do depends upon what you hope to gain from your travels. For example, if you plan to visit ruins, you may want to brush up on its historical background. Obviously you can't learn everything. Try to prioritize, learn what you can, and make the best of the time and money that you have. Remember, if reading about something doesn't interest you, seeing it probably won't either. 
