Travel planning 2020 - this is how the holiday will be a success

set goal

It doesn’t matter whether someone wants to travel alone or with friends or family. The travel destination always has to fit. Of course, it is more difficult to commit to a goal in a group. But how does that work? Some ideas:

create a list – each fellow traveler makes a list of exactly three travel destinations. Destinations should be specified as precisely as possible. Example: »Mallorca, Ballermann«. At the end it is compared.
find matches – are there certain similarities? It is certainly advantageous if the travel destinations match anyway. However, different goals can also be reduced to a common denominator. Beach destinations have the beaches, the sea and good weather in common.
find a compromise – Ultimately, of course, you have to set a goal. If there is no agreement, it makes sense to determine the goal in turn every year. In the long run, no one goes away empty-handed or can feel left out. Tip: Write as many numbers on each piece of paper as you want to travel with. Now the pieces of paper are crumpled up, placed in a bowl, shuffled and finally drawn. Depending on the number drawn, the winners of the next vacations will be announced.

Safe rules should be established in advance for the selection. It makes sense to also tell children what the budget is and to explain that a cheaper holiday leaves more scope for local activities.

Search for offers and determine the best prices

While at that time those who loved to travel had to go to the travel agency and could only choose from the catalogs of the organizers with whom this travel agency worked, today the Internet is available to them. Finding and comparing deals is relatively easy:

travel portals – there are many travel portals where vacationers can search for a destination and compare prices. However, it always makes sense to use two or three portals side by side. The prices can vary, especially since individual portals still offer vouchers or bonuses.
content – the price alone should not decide, it always depends on the content. How is the tasting going? What does the beach offer? If, for example, there is a charge for sun loungers or parasols for hotel guests and an umbrella costs EUR 5.00 per day, these costs add up.
experiences – it’s no secret that the descriptions of hotels and travel destinations sometimes deal with existing problems in a very creative way. A newly built hotel, for example, may not yet have any outdoor facilities, while a “centrally located hotel” may not be close to the beach, but may be on the main thoroughfare. Testimonials from other hotel guests often paint a better picture, although several reviews must be read and checked for consistency.

It is also important to calculate and compare the ancillary costs related to the holiday. What about rental car costs? What offers are there in the hotel or on site for children? What are the costs?

clarify financing

Of course, a vacation can be financed from your own funds, i.e. from your account. However, it is becoming increasingly common for vacations to be funded. There are several options here:

tour operator – they offer to pay for the holiday in several installments before departure. However, there are also tour operators who allow complete financing over a certain period of time.
own credit – Holiday loans or short-term loans are quite common for travel. The advantage is that the traveler can look for the provider himself online and has the opportunity to compare conditions and repayments with each other. The loans often have a term of only 12 months and are therefore paid off quickly.

Sometimes it pays to finance your vacation instead of using up your own funds. The personal reserve is retained.

Entry and formalities

Depending on the country of travel, special formalities have to be fulfilled. Even within Europe, travelers have to make sure that their identity card is still valid – provisional ID cards are often not recognized at the airport. Passports are required outside the EU. Children traveling with you must always have a passport. Depending on your destination, you may also need a visa.

On the other hand, there is the question of vaccinations or special insurance. The Federal Foreign Office provides information about the recommended vaccinations. There is a rule of thumb here that also applies to ID cards and visas: Inform in good time, because issuing or revaccinating can take several weeks.

packing list

It differs, of course, depending on the type of vacation and destination. But from skiing holidays to trekking holidays to beach holidays, the packing list is important. It should be started early so that all the items that are still needed can be acquired. Especially to think about:

adapter – which sockets does the travel destination use? Even if some hotels rent out plug adapters, it makes sense to take your own with you on holiday.
charging cable – they must be sought out and laid out in good time. Since almost all devices today have a battery, it can be a daunting task to find the cables and take them all with you on vacation. Tip: Provide each cable with a label that says the device.
travel pharmacy – it should also be put together in good time, as it is easy to forget. Which means and aids are needed depends on the holiday.

Conclusion – the holiday can come

Compromises always have to be found in the group, but in the end there is always a holiday destination that everyone involved likes. Now it’s time for the real preparation. What does the expiry date of the ID card say? Is it still valid? For long-distance travel that requires a visa, applying in good time is the be-all and end-all. Depending on the embassy, processing can easily take three months – and the plane will refuse entry if the visa is not available.