Photo by Palo.

#1 What’s on my bucket list? If you have a list of dream destinations you want to visit then it’s a good start. Look at the places you’ve jotted down somewhere or pictures of places you’ve saved for inspiration. Now that you’ve got  4 or 5 destinations in mind you can start filtering them down.

#2 What type of vacation do I want? Are you looking for a beach vacation, a city vibrant with nightlife, a place where you want to shop till you drop? Knowing what you want out of your next vacation will give you a good sense of focus.

Photo by Philip Chapman-Bell.

#3 What time of the year is it? If you’ve decided to go for a beach vacation and you’re in the middle of  December, a beach place somewhere in Europe won’t work right? Or the other way around, if you are looking for somewhere special then go for a place that celebrates Christmas. Time of the year will eliminate unsuitable places or inspire you to choose a place that does or has something special during that time you’ve chosen.

#4 Do I want to go for clichés? Well I hope you answer no to this one. Just because everyone around you is going to ZuZu island is not a good enough reason for it to be your choice (unless you really think ZuZu island is great). The world is full of wonderful places to see.  Go discover!

Photo by Adriana Santamaría P.

#5 How many days can I take off? Well a practical question that needs to be asked. A few days can mean you should go for a close destination while more time can give you greater flexibility when choosing places that are further away.

Photo by thethreesisters.

#6 How much is my budget? Another practical lip quivering question. Most of us have budgets that we need to stick to, (if you don’t have one, you’re either really lucky or need some money management lessons! ) which means you need to make sure you are going somewhere which you can afford. Two major elements that can help answer your question are transportation and accommodation costs.

#7 Can I take long flights? There is always the other side of the world to go explore but there is also that dreaded long flight that stands in the way. You need to make sure you feel comfortable going through a long flight (you can check out tips on how to go through long flights here), otherwise make a destinations choice that is 3-4 hours away.

Bonus question: Do I have a plan? A good trip needs a good plan. Need some help doing that? Check out Sal’s Trip Planner right here!