Where to Go: Itinerary Round-Up

We’ve already offered some tips on where to go based on timing, your interests, and comfort level. And we’ve shared how to decide on what to do based on our experiences. So we thought it would be fun to share what others are saying about planning an itinerary!

Unique Ways To Pick Your Next Destination
From Enduring Wanderlust

This article offers up some unique methods of selecting your next destination, including throwing a dart at a world map, which is what editor Gennaro Salamone did in 1998. Where did he end up? Doing a summer of study in the Czech Republic.

Where Would You NOT Travel To?
From NoDebtWorldTravel

Brian Peters addresses concerns you may take into consideration when deciding on where to not travel, including political beliefs, human rights concerns, and safety. And you may be surprised to find that the United States shows up on some peoples lists for these same reasons.

Secret of Round-the-World-Travel
From Hole in the Donut

Barbara Weibel shares the secrets she learned when planning her six-month career break and how she took advantage of the Star Alliance program to book her RTW ticket. And be inspired by the destinations she chose to visit as she circumnavigated the globe.

How to Travel Around the World Without Flying
From Matador Traveler

This feature piece on Matador’s Travelers Notebook follows a couple who planned their round-the-world trip by boat, train, and automobile – just about every form of transportation but flying! Who knew you could be a passenger on cargo ships? Very useful when crossing oceans!

Travel Budgets
From How to Travel the World

Budget is a big factor in deciding on an itinerary. Have a lot of time but little money and want to stretch your dollar? Think about Southeast Asia where you can survive on $20 compared to the 60-70 Euros you would need in Europe. This article will give you a great idea of average living costs across the globe.

How to Use Social Media for Travel Research
From Mashable – The Social Media Guide

How often do you seek out a friends advice for a restaurant or hotel? Well, why not use virtual friends to help plan your travel itinerary as well! With the advances in social media, there are many great outlets for seeking out recommendations – even while on the road!

What unique ways have you chosen your travel itinerary?

Where to Go: Timing

Timing plays a big part in deciding where to go.  Some factors to consider include weather, holidays & festivals, and the value of the dollar.

Weather:

What time of year are you traveling and what will the weather be like in your destination? Summer in the northern hemisphere means winter most points south of the equator. And some destinations don’t experience our traditional four seasons but rather two – wet and dry. But whatever time of year you travel, there are benefits to the different types of weather you may encounter.

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Where to Go: What Calls You

There are a lot of decisions to make when planning a career break, but perhaps the one that is the most fun to make is deciding where to go.  So how do you do it?

What Calls You

Most of my travel destinations have been places that have called me. In high school I became fascinated with Vietnam and Cambodia after studying the war and Pol Pot’s regime in the 1970’s. For years afterwards I would read and watch anything associated with those countries. So when I decided to take a three-month career break in 2001, I centered my travels on those destinations.

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Where to Go: Inspiration Borneo

Muddy Waters: Borneo

My curiosity with Borneo started around the year 2000 when I was living in San Francisco. I had just moved to the west coast and I was up late one night watching television. I came across the Eco-Challenge, an adventure race that featured a variety of crazy and dangerous sports including hiking, mountain biking, kayaking through rapids, horseback riding, caving, and abseiling. It could take teams anywhere between 3 and 6 days to complete and it was in a place called Borneo. I had never heard of it before, but it sounded and looked completely exotic – this sheltered mid-westerner was hooked.

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Where to Go: Comfort Level

Making the decision to take a cultural career break may have been a difficult one – but already you have pushed yourself out of your comfort zone. Don’t let that stop when you hit the road. This is your opportunity to explore worlds and cultures you never imagined and learn more about yourself in the process.

Comfort Level

Of course before hitting the road, you do want to have the peace of mind that where you are going is safe – not just for your own comfort but that of your friends and family staying behind. The U.S. State Department’s website offers tips for safely traveling internationally (including registering with the local US Embassies) as well as posting warnings and alerts for countries all around the world. And check out the CIA World Factbook for more detailed information on every country.

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