So now you’re ready to travel, but where? And to do what? Here is where we link our “why” to find the “what” by researching travel activities and ideas!
Today there is a wealth of information online and we are going to use it! We will cover some more traditional sources of travel information too.
I’ll share a long list of where I find travel activities but first, Let’s keep these things in mind as we research activities:
- How far in advance and where you need to get tickets from.
- Cost of the activity – pre-sale can offer great savings if you can commit that far out from the event.
- Season or time of year for the activity or operational days and hours
- How to get to the activity from the closest city – I cannot stress this one enough when planning outdoor activities (transportation has its own chapter in this book). Having secure transport (and even a backup) makes sure you get to do what you traveled to do.
Luckly there is no shortage of places to look for travel ideas, here are my favorites!
- Social Media - Follow a city’s hashtag or sign up for an event’s social media page. If I want to get tickets for an event, I’ll sign up for updates via email, this is the best way to make sure you get tickets.
- Travel and Food TV shows
- Travel Books
- Official Tourism Websites
- Tourism City Passes & “Hop-on, Hop-off” tours - tours are a great way to see the whole city!
- Destination Package Brochures
- Your Hotel’s Tourism nook
Now that you have all of these wonderful ideas, how do you keep track of them? Here are a few ways you can keep your travel ideas organized and easy to sort through.
- Organize activities in your favorite electronic note taking phone app.
- Online and Phone App Maps
- Computer document or spreadsheet program.
- Travel cork board – I keep track of my PTO on this board too.
So here are items to research BEFORE you buy the tickets for a large event! These items will set your expectations and help you understand what is needed to enjoy the event.
- Look up the event site on a map – Check out the distance to the closest city and get a general lay of the event site.
- Consider how you will get there and the parking space available.
- Look up reviews of the event – Take people’s complaints as a tip, within reason. I love looking at reviews to see if a VIP pass is worth it or if there is a trend like difficult parking.
- Different events have different levels of infrastructure (water, food, toilets, shade from the sun, seating).
- See what forms of payment they will accept at the event.
- If you try to reach out to the event contact and get NOTHING, let that level set your expectations. Maybe don’t let this discourage you from going but this may be a hint that the event may not be as well planned as you’d like.
I find a lot of security in being prepared before I go to a large event or activity. Learning how to research the event or activity in advance is what I needed to actually feel comfortable enough to go to the event. I’ve been able to experience so much now that I feel comfortable and confident that I can enjoy the activity.
Now you know how and where to research travel activities and ideas! You have also learned how to prepare yourself so you can have the best time possible. Thanks for reading and Happy Travels!