Travel

Travel planning to cure wanderlust

posted on July 14, 2020 | by Vanessa Peers

With isolation keeping many of us cooped up at home and with local and global travel bans preventing travel for the foreseeable future, I’m sure I’m not the only one getting itchy feet, right? In fact, having canceled our summer vacation, my wanderlust now is greater than ever. However, although we are not able to physically travel at the moment, that doesn’t mean that we have to stop planning to travel—planning a trip is, in fact, a great deal of fun and research shows that planning or anticipating a trip can make you happier than taking the trip itself! So, I’m currently following the steps below to plan trips to take when it’s safe to do so.

Pick a destination

Firstly, decide where you would like to travel to—this could be somewhere near or far, somewhere you’ve always dreamed of going or somewhere you only just learned of. Think about if it is a place you would just like to explore or if you would like to go there for a specific event—this will help you decide at what time of year you should go and for how long. Also make sure, if necessary, to find out what the visa requirements are and how you can obtain the correct documents to travel to your chosen destination. 

Once you’ve decided on the location, time of year, and length of your trip, next is to figure out the journey.

Consider ALL travel options

This doesn’t mean you should just book a flight. In fact, given that it’s pretty uncertain when we will be able to travel again, I strongly recommend that you do not book a flight. However, you could take a look at any deals or bonuses being offered through your credit card (such as bonus miles) to set yourself up to buy a ticket when practical or you could simply look at a map and potential flight routes and think about if there is somewhere on the route that you might also like to visit. If feasible, also look at driving or train routes and consider if you might want to turn the trip into a journey—remember it doesn’t just have to be about the destination!

Find accommodation

There are so many unique accommodations on offer from camping and glamping to quirky apartments, boutique hotels, or sometimes even more extraordinary options like treehouses, houseboats, and igloos. Given that prices are likely to change when travel is possible again, make note of a variety of options so that you can pick something in your price range when you are able to book.

Research, research, research

Whether you simply want to relax on the beach with a drink in hand or plan to explore every inch of a new city, there is always research to be done. Think about your interests: If you’re a foodie, research the best, most authentic restaurants; if you’re an art fanatic, make sure to find places where you can see local art; if you just want the perfect Instagram worthy pics, research locations where you can take great photographs and perhaps think of outfits that you might want to wear to compliment the environment; if you’re wanting a very active holiday, look at what activities you can do in the area. Look for inspiration for things to do online, read travel blogs, use Instagram and Pinterest, watch movies set in your destination, reach out to friends who have been there, or grab a physical travel guide.

Make sure to keep notes of the important information that you learn while planning—I’m a huge fan of bookmarking places in Google Maps or capturing information in Google Docs, both of which can be easily shared if you decide to travel with someone, but a physical journal will also do the trick! And there you have it, once the travel restrictions are lifted, you’ll be ready to start booking your dream vacation.

Hopefully planning future holidays during this time will help with wanderlust and relieve some of the disappointment of holiday plans that can’t be realized at the moment. Where will you be planning a trip to?