I’m planning a trip for a group of my friends. We’re all fun people, but we all have a bit of an anxious side. We’re perfectionists–and maybe we’re kind of worrywarts, too.
So when it fell (mostly, anyway) to me to plan our trip, I wanted to take this into account. I want to be able to defend my decisions, because I know my perfectionist friends will ask me if I’m sure we’re going to the best hotel, or the best restaurant, or whatever. I also want to make sure everything foolproof, and that we don’t lose our luggage or forget something important. Experts, what are your expert tips for anxious trips?
A vacation should be relaxing, but that means different things to different people–and, in the case of you and your friends, you are probably wise to get detailed planning out of the way ahead of time so that everyone can rest easy during the trip itself.
So what does that mean? As you’re probably finding out, it means a lot of work. But there are a few things you can do to make things easier.
For one thing, make sure you keep all of your vacation information in one place–whether that means a physical folder or an online document (the latter has the advantage of being easy to share with your fellow travelers). A modern vacation involves a lot of apps and confirmation numbers–as many as 180 million people a month visit online travel tools–so having all of that information in one place for easy reference can be a godsend.
Speaking of all of those apps, use them! Online tools that allow you to search across multiple airlines or hotels at once can make it easier to be sure that you get the best deals. And online review sites produce comprehensive reviews like this Welk Resorts timeshare review, while other websites offer everything from rankings and customer reviews to message boards full of travel tips.
As for preventing disaster, scour the web for tips from your fellow travelers. Here are a few to get you started: you can make your bag easier to keep track of (and make it harder for other travelers to mistake yours for theirs) by investing in a bright-colored luggage strap or bag tag. Have all of the travelers in your group carry an index card with key information on it: your hotel and its address, relevant reservation information, and the phone numbers of their friends (you may have those numbers saved, but what if you lose your phone?). Bring medical information, too. Finally, consider investing in travel insurance.
Good luck! With a little planning work, you should be able to create a fantastic vacation.
“I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” — Robert Louis Stevenson
