The Best Way to Choose Your Next Vacation Destination

I’ve heard it said that the planning process can bring as much joy as the trip itself. For me, as someone who LOVES to bust out a new spreadsheet and plan every detail I have to agree with this. How do you choose your next vacation destination? 

Here are three ways to choose your next vacation destination:

1. Take a globe on a spinning pedestal. Close your eyes, spin and point. As long as it is relatively safe and you can legally travel there, go for it!
2. Start by defining your limits and find a destination that fits. 
3. Write out your bucket list. The places you are determined to see in this lifetime. Focus on making your way through that list and crossing items off one by one. 

Method #1: The first option might seem crazy – but – here’s the case for it.

Let’s say you love city life, warm beaches, and nightclubs. You spin the globe and your finger lands on Hungary. This being a landlocked country, you wouldn’t have considered it before because it doesn’t have a beach. But hey, you’ve committed. 

You do some online research, book tickets, and go too the capital of Hungary: Budapest. You discover the nightlife is awesome and find yourself telling everyone about ruin bars. Then you meet a group of international travelers at your hostel who are planning to rent mopeds and spend the weekend exploring the Hungarian countryside. So you join them.

Barely out of the city and you crash your moped on a median while zipping across the highway. You take some deep breaths, get back on the moped and suck it up. You’ve got to get off that highway somehow and you know in your heart good things are to come. 

After stopping in an apple orchard for a picnic lunch, you make your way past sprawling vineyards, eventually ending your journey in the lake region of Hungary and renting an apartment for the night. You have a lovely evening eating homemade pizza, courtesy of your new Italian friend, while enjoying the company of the fellow travelers with whom you’ve embarked on this journey. The next day while meandering back to Budapest you stop for a dip in the lake, cakes and coffee at a lovely roadside bakery, and then end up finishing the evening crashing at a hostel with what became a very memorable pool table.

Well, at least, that was one of my adventures during my time in Hungary. Budapest was never on my bucket list and I ended up going there as a stopover between Poland and Croatia. I fell so in love with the city that I stayed for eight weeks. I’ve often found that keeping my options open while traveling leads to the most memorable adventures.

Always be safe, use good judgment, and go with the flow. 

Method #2: “Defining your limits” can be just as fun.

Overspending or having too many unexpected events can be draining, even more so with kids in tow. Below is a list of questions to help you define your travel limits and choose a vacation destination that fits.

What to ask yourself before choosing your next vacation destination:

1. Is there somewhere, a country or region, you’ve dreamed of going to for years? Is there a reason you haven’t gone yet?
2. What do you like to do for fun?
   • I know, this one seems obvious. If you love nature, camping and incredible unspoiled mountain views check out Canada, New Zealand or Switzerland. You want to party with college-aged youth on the beach and you’re on a budget check out Croatia, Thailand or Mexico. 
   • If you’re a beer connoisseur look into road tripping through the USA, or doing a trip through Ireland, Germany and Austria. If coffee is more your thing, Helsinki, Finland is all about coffee. 
   • Start with your passions. 
3. What’s your timeline? And how do you feel about mass crowds of tourists? Do you mind long lines for popular historical sites or having a long wait for a table at a restaurant?
   • If you go to a popular tourist destination during, for example, summer break, you may find yourself surrounded by more tourists than locals. You will wait in long lines. And, in my experience, you may find that locals are less friendly and treat you like just another transaction. 
   • Personally, I find waiting in long lines too much of a time suck, and I frequently choose off season places when I travel. Or, when that’s not possible, I try to visit smaller, less touristy areas. For example, you could go to Dubrovnik which is the most popular port in Croatia for cruise ships. Or you could go to Pula and explore Croatia’s northern coast line and the Istrian culinary scene. While still touristy, Pula receives less cruise ships and in general is less overcrowded.
4. What’s your budget? 
   • I saved this one for last because you can go to most places on any budget and have a great time if you prioritize.
   • Some places are more fun than others on a tight budget. I have always wanted to go to France. And although I’ve been to about 15 countries now, I have held off on France. I’ve been saving my France trip for when I can afford to live a little more luxuriously. However, I have several friends who’ve studied abroad in France and had an incredible time on a meager student budget. It all depends what kind of trip you envision.
   • Flying can be expensive. Depending on where you are, don’t forget to consider roadtrips. 
   • When choosing your next vacation destination consider accommodation alternatives like Woofing or WorkAway. We have a whole post dedicated to finding cheap and alternative accommodation. Whatever you choose, read the details and check the reviews. I’ve done this many times and always had great experiences. I credit it to being thorough in reading reviews. I make sure the hosts are clear in their expectations and that I am clear in mine. 
5. Do you need a visa to legally enter the country?
6. If you’re a woman, person of color, LGBTQ, a single parent, or have a disability, what level of discomfort or rude questions are you comfortable with? 
   • It’s going to vary depending on your situation and how obvious it is to an outsider. If you’re a single parent or solo female traveler, for example, you could always wear a ring on to deter rude questions. 
   • More touristy areas and bigger cities are typically going to be easier to deal with in terms of acceptance. You’ll be more likely to encounter issues or rude questions in less touristy areas and more rural places. This is my personal experience as a straight, solo, white woman traveling. And later adding single parent to that mix.  
   • Based on your situation, I recommend seeking out Facebook groups or other groups specific to your needs. For example, in Merida, Mexico there’s an active single moms Facebook group. This tells me as a single parent I’d probably do really well there and could even connect with other single moms before arriving. Most big cities I’ve been to have active expat groups. You can join these groups to ask questions and get an idea of what the vibe is like where you want to go.

Once you know your budget, what your ideal trip includes, your timeline, and whether you want to be around swarms of other tourists, start searching online. Ask for recommendations from well traveled friends and family. 

When I have set travel dates, I like to put them into Google Flights to get an idea of where it’s cheapest to fly. Usually after that I’ll look at accommodation prices and any visa requirements. These three things tend to take up the majority of the budget. Remember to take seasonality into account if weather is important to you.

Option #3. Checking off your bucket list.

Personally, I’ve never had a concrete bucket list. My travel goals and dream trips tend to change with the phases of my life. My most memorable experiences traveling thus far have always occurred when I’ve chosen to invest time in a place and build local relationships.

Currently, the top trips on my ever-evolving list include:

• Road tripping through France (Summer 2021)
• Through hiking in the more remote parts of Scotland (when my son is older).
• Completing the Paris–Brest–Paris.
• Touring through Africa and going on safari. (I’d like to do this in tandem with fundraising efforts to put towards education for women and girls.)
• Road trip and explore the Northeast U.S.
• Traveling around Mexico in a van/RV and exploring the regional cuisines.

If you have bucket list items like mine, you may need to do some advance planning. As a single parent you may not be able to cross some things off until the kids are older or, in the case of outdoorsy trips, until you have more time to physically prepare. Sometimes when you choose your next vacation destination none of the items on your bucket list are feasible at the time.

Final Thoughts . .

Give yourself the grace to do what you can within your life’s current limits. As a single parent, we’re often limited by finances, vacation days, and exes who make life hard. My most memorable trips with my parents were in-state ski trips we did when I was a kid. Now, as a mom, I know firsthand how much work my mom put into planning those trips. And I’m more grateful than ever.