If you’re read a few of my posts by now, you’ll be well aware that I like the step-by-step style for travel tips. So, below are the five (plus an extra sixth one of actually getting it booked) steps you need to find your dream destination.

Step 1 – Type of Trip

This is essentially getting to know what you want out of your trip. If you’re a fan of luxury or slumming it with a backpack to explore the local culture, or if you’re off to spend a week partying with friends. The type of trip probably also depends on who you’re doing it with. Whether you want new friends, new memories of a party in a foreign city, an education on the culture or to switch off from the every-day stresses. So – what do you want out of this trip?

Step 2 – Location

This highly depends on your answer to the first question. If you want a party destination, I wouldn’t recommend choosing a traditional village somewhere. Just saying. Decide whether a city, village or small town best suits what you want and what kind of landscapes you’d like around you. This may require some researching or even scrolling on instagram with keywords you’ve taken from the type of trip.

Step 3 – Budget

This is fairly early on the list as it’s important that you rule out places that are too expensive before you’ve spent hours researching them. Places can really differ in price. A good way to check price out in a location is to see the cheapest and average prices of accommodation on a site like Booking.com. Then, check out how much an average meal is where you’re staying. (Some places you’ll be pleasantly surprised with how cheap it is. I found Gdansk to be a very affordable destination.) It’ll help you work out whether you can actually afford the place. If all appears good so far, check flight/transport prices for your dates.

Step 4 – Activities

If you’ve found somewhere matches your trip aim, location and budget you’re very nearly there. This is more a checking stage to make sure it’s great before you go. Have a look at what you can do while you’re there. Even better, maker a checklist of your top 3-5 activities so you don’t miss out on your favourites. A more commercial site like Tripadvisor is a good place to start, however I highly recommend checking out your favourite travel bloggers, or having a look at local websites or local travel bloggers – that’s where you’re going to find the secrets of your destination.

Step 5 – Culture

Last checking stage – make sure you know at least a little about the culture. For example, when I was in South Korea, shoulders were considered indecent and the language barrier was huge. While I didn’t mind this at all, if parts of the country’s culture bother you, make sure you can at least respect the culture while you’re there. If you don’t feel comfortable conforming to the country’s culture, have a look at where else you can go where the culture might not be so different.

Extra Step – Book!

Okay, this isn’t choosing the destination. But if you’ve found the perfect destination, you might as well.

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