1. WHERE. Choose your destination. This can be a long-dreamed-of trip to Paris, a relaxing trip to familiar Caribbean beach, or an exotic, up-and-coming locale, like India.
2. WHEN. Select a time that suits your personal schedule or the best time for your destination. For instance, you may choose an off-season date to save money or a certain time of year to enjoy an event, such as a birthday, a museum show or a festival.
3. BUDGET. Know how much you can spend on the trip. If consulting with a travel agent, he or she should be able to get you as much of what you want and stay on-budget. Some pros can even get hidden extras, such as backstage tours at Broadway shows, free meals at your hotel or discounted tickets to historic monuments.
4. REQUIREMENTS. Inquire about the need for passports or visas on your trip. You may not only need such documents, but some places have time requirements for them as well – meaning, you may need to have had a valid passport for six months before traveling, or have at least that long remaining on your passport to be admitted to your destination.
5. PRECAUTIONS. Travel insurance is a must-have for peace of mind. Safety advice varies by location, so check official websites for travel alerts. Know the laws, customs and traditions of your destination to avoid saying or doing the wrong thing. Check on currency exchange rates, if applicable, to budget for spending money. A big pro tip: put luggage tags inside your bags – as well as outside, so if the exterior ones go missing, your bags can still be identified and returned to you.
