I don’t know about you, but when the time comes to choose my next destination I always have a hard time making a choice. It is true that a lot of places interest me and that I intend to visit them all over the years. But the questioning always remains the same, where am I going this time?
How to choose your destination
I share here some factors to consider, in order to be able to choose a destination adapted to your needs.
1.Make a list of destinations that interest you
Knowing what interests us at the moment is a good starting point for making a choice. Choose a continent, a list of countries that attract us or that are suitable for the type of trip or activities we want to do.
For example, for my trip next fall, I would like to walk through the landscapes and villages of a European country. Some destinations therefore come to mind after a search on the various travel blogs and travel forums (travel forum, lonely planet).
If you don’t have a preference, this step can be skipped and you can go directly to the second step.
2. Define your budget allocated to your trip
As I regularly mention, you don’t have to be rich to travel. Certain types of travel and several destinations are suitable for the small budget. For example, you can see my article on the cheapest destinations by continent .
Defining your budget is an important step in choosing your destination. The price of the plane ticket alone covers a good part of the expenses of a trip.
You can look on Google Flight to find out the prices of plane tickets for the period you want to leave.
Compare the amounts of daily expenses according to the type of traveler you are (low, medium or high budget) in the travel guides for each destination or on travel forums or blogs. Sites such as Le Routard or Lonely Planet have a daily budget section associated with each destination. This can be a good indicator.
3. Define the duration of your stay and the time difference
The length of stay can also be an influencing factor. For short stays, you may find it preferable to go to a destination closer to home.
For example, when I only have 10 days of vacation, I take the opportunity to go to Central America rather than Asia where I allow myself a minimum of 3 weeks. The shorter my vacation time, the less time I want to lose in transport to get there and the more the jet lag factor becomes an important criterion. Count about 1 day of adaptation to your body per hour of shift . Do the math and set your own limits.
4. Check flight information
The flight time also discourages more than one traveller. Some people are unable to do more than 6 hours straight to get to a destination. So, I suggest you look at the flight specific information. The time of each of them, the number of stopovers , the total number of hours before arriving at the final destination, the schedule of departures and arrivals . These are several factors that can influence your choice depending on whether they are right for you or not.
5. Look at destination country warnings
Without getting into paranoia, it is essential to know the news on the countries we want to visit. Natural disasters sometimes arise and political, social and economic situations change rapidly. It is therefore important to have access to reliable and regularly updated sources on the state of security in the countries.
The website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Canada provides several information on each country. Otherwise, you can always reach the nearest embassy of the country you want to go to in order to collect the information. But beware, the ministry site is always too cautious and can easily instill fear in travelers. Rely on your own judgement, without taking unnecessary risks.
6. Check the climate at the time of departure and the tourist season
Each country has its own climate with periods that are more favorable and others less so. Traveling in the monsoon season may not be the type of trip you hope for. For some, the lure of lush flora makes it a perfect time.
Find out about the best times to visit a country. What is a good period for you, is not necessarily so in the country of destination. The whentogo site is a good starting point for your research.
Example: Where and when to go to Laos
when to go
Remember that south of the equator, the seasons reverse. While we are in summer in Quebec, Argentina is in the middle of winter.
But do not hesitate to travel also during the low season , the flow of tourists is often less and the prices are lower. You will be able to see the country in a different light.
7. Check special events of selected countries
Festivals and celebrations are interesting times to discover the culture of a country . I was in Laos during the festival of lights and during the big boat race event. I loved my experience, it was for me a highlight of my trip.
Maybe there are special event(s) in your selected countries. This could influence your choice. Or maybe it’s the opposite. If you prefer the tranquility of a place, it is better to avoid these times when prices are inflating and when it is difficult to find accommodation.
