The most wonderful time of the year for me is vacation planning! I love all the wonderful destinations that are available on this big planet and we have the opportunity to visit. Some locations are relatively easy to plan while others require a little more in depth research and planning. I don’t care where the destination is, I’m always ready to go!
So let’s just start with the basics.
Who is going? Is this a romantic couples trip? 
Solo trip? Group? Family?
What type of trip? New destination? Old favorite? Adventure? Relaxed? Cruise? Road trip? City escape? Quick weekend getaway or extended international trip? Special interest or hobby?
So, you get the picture. Lots of decisions to make to get the ball rolling.
How do you decide where to go? Decision, decisions, decisions. My main source of inspiration is Pinterest. I have Pinterest boards for every corner on earth. Anytime I see a something that peaks my interest, I pin it. This is how I ended up going to Maine last year, I saw a picture on Pinterest of a cafe in Camden that struck my fancy.
I also have an ever running Goggle Doc that I am continually adding ideas and links for future reference. It has no rhyme or reason and is now about six pages. It is fun to go back and read it to see what was on my mind two years ago or even just 6 months ago. One day, if I am brave, I’ll share it here on Global Girl Around the World.
A major fail for me is Trello. A colleague suggested I try Trello to organize my travel thoughts and ideas. I have tried and tried, but I just can’t get the hang of Trello. If you use Trello and enjoy it, please let me know and help me figure out why I just can’t get on board.
Another way to choose your destination is using Google Flights. Say you want to go to the Caribbean and lay on the beach for a week. You can search Google Flights by region and find the island that has least expensive flights from your outbound airport.
Sometimes your destination is chosen for you. If you have a business trip somewhere exotic or just strikes your fancy, tack on a vacation at the end. Meeting in San Francisco? Stay on a view days and do a southbound road trip on the Pacific Coast Highway. A few years ago we had the 
opportunity to attend a destination wedding in Puerto Morales, Mexico. Wonderful marriage celebration was also a great vacation.
Timing is everything. High season for a destination means high crowds and high costs. Consider going during shoulder and low seasons for fewer crowds and better rates. The Mona Lisa still hangs in the Louvre whether you visit in March or July. The aurora borealis will NOT appear during a full moon, so check your almanac or visit 
accuweather.com to check the phases of the moon. Can you believe some days during the summer the port of Venice, Italy has 17 cruise ships in port? That makes the number of visitors in any city unbearable. If you want to visit a location that is also a popular cruise ship port checkout Crew-port.com. This a great tool to use when making your itinerary so you don’t end up trying to squeeze into St. Mark’s Basilica or Doge’s Palace with 10,000 other people at the same time.
Now that I have inspired you to start thinking about your next fabulous vacation, select your destination. Next time we will hammer out how to find the best flights and accommodations.
Let me know where you are planning your next vacation or I can give you some suggestions. I love telling people where to go!
Until next time, Happy Travels and don’t forget to SHARE! SHARE! SHARE! with all your peeps on Face Book, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter!!!