For most people there is a dream destination out there. Be it a sugary sand beach surrounded by turquoise waters, or to sip the most creamiest cup of cafe creme in a quaint brasserie overlooking the Eiffel Tower, or to feel the cool breeze in your face as you slowly ascend a snow covered peak in the Andes. We all have our idea of what makes the ideal vacation. So how does one prepare for such a trip?
Personally, I put a lot of effort in the preparation for such an endeavor. How horrible would it be to go half way around the world to Australia, to snorkel in The Great Barrier Reef, only to find out that the place is swarming with box jelly fish. To make matters worse, that most tour companies won't even take you out to the reef because of the liability to your safety (box jelly fish are extremely poisonous and can kill a person with their sting). This can happen in February and March but will rarely occur in May or October. Or how tragic it would be to go all the way to Barcelona and miss seeing an iconic site like Parc Guell, just because you didn't know about it until you were back in the states. Or to go to Florence to see Michelangelo's master piece "The David", only to not get in because of the crowds and a four hour wait in line. But if you only knew that a call a month earlier would have allowed you to skip the line entirely and give you the opportunity to see this awe inspiring sculpture.
To avoid these types of pitfalls, you should come prepared. The more homework you do, the smoother your trip will be. The first thing that you need to do is to invest in a good guild book These are inexpensive tools that will help you design an itinerary for this trip of a life time and provide up to date advice on when to go, where to go, what to see, where to sleep and eat at. A good guild book will tell you, the documentation required to enter a particular country and if a visa is needed, it will explain how to get one. I typically will go to my local library and check out a few of the guild books available. Every guild book is different and I try to figure out which one will be the most helpful, then I go to my local book store and buy it for the trip. This way you will have it readily available when you are living your dream.
Next, I suggest checking out movies or books that involve the places and sites you plan to see. How much more meaningful will the Alamo be if you saw a movie or read a book about the conflict and the people involved. Or what could get you more excited for a trip to Tuscany than watching "Under The Tuscan Sun"? I believe that movies and books have a way to fuel ones passion for travel like nothing else. Of course, there are some amazing travel programs out there that will help you get prepared for this adventure. My traditional go too's are Rick Steve's Europe, Rudy Maxa's World, Art Wolf's Travels To The Edge, and Globe Trekker. Just to name a few of the wonderful travel programs out there.
When you finally arrive at your dream destination, talk to the locals. The local residents will give you in site on what to see (what's important to them) and advice on how to go about seeing it (they will know if reservations are required or that you can take the #44 bus to get there). Also, locals usually know the best restaurants so definitely ask around before heading off to diner. One thing that you should always do when traveling is to check out the post card racks, especially at museums. This will give you an idea what the key sites in town are and the not to be missed works of art are at any given museum. This will insure that you do not miss anything that you might regret later.
I hope that these tips will in able you to have that memorable trip that you always dreamed of.
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