Deciding Where to Go

It's a big world out there. And we are all different. That's why I think there are no rules about where to go. Some people say "HOW CAN YOU GO TO EUROPE AND NOT TO PARIS" or "HOW CAN YOU GO TO THE USA AND NOT NEW YORK"... you get the point.

If there's one thing I learned in planning my own long trip, the most important you thing you can do in deciding where to go and what to do is what will make YOU happy. Guidebooks, blogs, message boards, travel websites, etc, are all important resources for planning a trip. You can get great advice, tips, and information. Without TripAdvisor and the Rick Steves graffiti wall, my trip would literally have been less good, I'm sure of that. There are things and places I learned about on these sites that made my trip truly special. On these and other forums, people offer fantastic advice, locals give their inside tips, and people share what they have learned through their own travels - both successes and mistakes. You can prepare for potential scams or pitfalls and acquire the confidence to go on your trip and not worry about the small things so that you can enjoy your trip and not worry about the small stuff once you're there.

But I'd like to caution against actually planning where to go and how long to stay based on what other people tell them. Instead, think about who you are. Are there cities or countries you have always dreamed of going? Is there a theme (art, churches, architecture) you'd like to stick to? What kind of traveler are you - do you like to be on the go all the time or would you rather have a "home base" to stay at over a few days and take day trips. Do you only care about seeing big sites, or would you rather spend a longer time in each place to wander, relax, and really experience? The answers to these and other questions are ones only the specific traveler can answer for him or herself and no amount of advice from others can make that person's decision. When I was in the planning phases of my trip and asking questions/gathering opinions on various message boards, someone actually asked me if I'd ever looked at a map of Europe, because I was skipping places he/she thought were important, all the while ignoring the fact that maybe, just maybe, I had done extensive research and was just trying to get ideas for tweaking.

My advice is to sit down and start making lists. Answer these - and other - questions for yourself. Decide what kind of a traveler you are and see where that takes you. Start with how much time you have and be realistic about what you can see in that amount of time based on what kind of traveler you are. Based on the length of time you have and budget, decide where to go. And work from there. Pick countries, then cities. Research transportation and logistics. Decide how long to stay in each place based on who YOU are and what YOUR interests are.

Of course, it's impossible to make perfect decisions about traveling to places we've never been before - if we had all the answers, the traveling itself would be largely pointless. But I think if you take all the information and advice out there but tailor it to your own personal preferences, you are a lot more likely to make the right decision than if you just blindly listen to what other people tell you. I don't think it matters how experienced someone may be; if their interests are different from yours, their advice can only be so valuable.

Happy researching!