Vacation Preparation
Preparing for a vacation goes far beyond choosing a destination and booking the flight. This is our list of must dos before stepping out the door.
Take care of your passport first
There is no guaranteed amount of time that it takes to get a passport. You don’t want to purchase plane tickets or hotel nights in advance only to find that you won’t have your passport ready in time. Passport can take longer than two months to process. It is wise to start the process more than three months in advance to ensure everything will be ready long before the week of the trip. Some countries don’t require a passport or Visa for short vacations, but still have stipulations and customs for entering the country. Always check the country’s requirements before making any plans and especially before making any purchases toward your trip.
Let your bank and credit card company know where you’re going
Along with setting a somewhat flexible budget for your journey, it is important to make sure that there will be no infringement to accessing your funds. Banks and credit companies have anti-theft procedures that alert them when someone is using your card in places you don’t normally shop near. This can cause an automatic blockage of funds as a security measure. This is a great service that companies provide in order to protect your funds, but highly inconvenient if it happens to you while on vacation. Be sure to call ahead and give your financial institution the dates and location of your planned vacation.
Find hotels and flights in advance
Paying for flights and hotels prevents spending loads of money while on vacation. While there, you will only have to spend on food, souvenirs, and attractions. Studies are conducted annually to determine when flights and hotels are at their cheapest. Results often show that it is best to buy flight tickets within four months of departure.
For hotels, it is recommended that rooms be booked about a month in advance. Hotel deals are often the best within a month of your stay.
For hotels, it is recommended that rooms be booked about a month in advance. Hotel deals are often the best within a month of your stay.
Plan enough down time
When we planned our trip for Disneyworld, we made two very important decisions that helped us enjoy our time. Plan relaxation time! A vacation where one is going all the time can be wearisome within the first few days and sap the energy needed for the next week or two. Instead, my smart wife planned one or two days a week where we had nothing on the schedule. That didn’t mean we slept all day. It just meant we had no obligations and could explore the city as we saw fit, or order pizza and watch a movie in the hotel room. The other thing we did to save our energy was to not wake up early. At first, we worried that we would miss vital time for rides at the amusements parks, but found by the end that we were able to see everything we wanted to see, and more importantly, without any headaches or crankiness. If you want more time in the parks, schedule more days of park time. We scheduled six full days for the Disney parks and three full days for Universal Studios, with two beach days, and two nothing days planned in between in order to slow down enough. Getting up at 7:00 or 8:00 was so much better than waking up tired at 5:00 just to be the first ones in the park.
Set aside room for souvenirs
One of the best ways to plan for souvenirs is to plan for an extra bag on the return trip. You can purchase a small suitcase or carry-on bag while on vacation to fill with souvenirs acquired during your stay. Doing this will relieve stress by allowing you the same room for packing that you had when leaving. Put the same clothing and supplies you came with into the same suitcases again and use the extra bag for extra items.
Know your cell phone coverage and costs
You’ll need to check your coverage plan to see if you have to activate an international service plan or if it’s already included in your phone plan. It is always smart to see how much it will cost you to use text, call, and data during your trip so that you can plan your usage to fit your bill or set up something different with your provider.
Clean your house before you leave
One of the worst downers after a great vacation is to come home only to realize that you still have dishes to clean, a room to pick up, or laundry to wash, apart from other chores. Making sure to tidy up before vacation will eliminate the stress of having to do it after you come home.
Furthermore, a dirty living space is linked to feelings of depression or worthlessness, and can be the cause for wanting to escape on vacation. Taking a vacation is often about escaping self-hatred as much as a pointless job. Coming home to a messy house can instantly allow self-doubt to creep in again, letting depression settle over the mind like rain clouds. Conversely, returning to a clean home gives one a boost in self esteem, making them feel like they are worth the vacation they just took. A clean house and a clean mind are related, and coming back to cleanliness can make a person feel like he she has fully recharged batteries with enough energy to handle life once again.
Furthermore, a dirty living space is linked to feelings of depression or worthlessness, and can be the cause for wanting to escape on vacation. Taking a vacation is often about escaping self-hatred as much as a pointless job. Coming home to a messy house can instantly allow self-doubt to creep in again, letting depression settle over the mind like rain clouds. Conversely, returning to a clean home gives one a boost in self esteem, making them feel like they are worth the vacation they just took. A clean house and a clean mind are related, and coming back to cleanliness can make a person feel like he she has fully recharged batteries with enough energy to handle life once again.
Refill home supplies before taking your journey
Along with coming home to a messy house, perhaps the scariest situation is to walk through your front door and realize you don’t have toilet paper, deodorant, toothpaste, a toothbrush, shampoo or conditioner, soap, laundry detergent, food in the fridge, or enough money to get through the next week.
Take care of Bills ahead of time
Vacation should be as stress free as possible, and worrying about unpaid or upcoming bills can dampen a vacation faster than stormy weather. Take a look at what financial obligations will be due during your trip and plan accordingly. If you can’t automate the payment online, then send payment early so that it is satisfied before you leave.
Take an extra day off to rewind at home
Jet lag can make it very difficult to be productive at work the day after returning home. Many vacationers come home from only to return immediately to the daily grind. Returning from vacation shouldn’t be like moving into a new house, where it takes weeks or months to unpack everything. To avoid half-full suitcases sitting on your floor for a week after you get home, make sure to take an extra day off in order to unpack, reset your belongings, and allow your body to adjust back to normal life. If you need to, take a long nap, watch Netflix, catch a movie, or see some friends to reprogram your mind to home life.
