By Dagmar Alayash, e-Management
Just thinking about going on vacation can create a smile, whether you choose to stay close to home or travel further afield—knowing there’s a vacation on the horizon is an exciting thought. A new study shows that one of the biggest happiness boosts of a vacation comes from the simple act of planning your vacation.
In order to get to the top of the Mount Pilatus in Switzerland, I took a ride on the world’s steepest cogwheel railway, a marvel of engineering which has a gradient of 48% at its steepest. Photo Source: www.pilatus.ch
Vacations are for relaxation
Too many lists and itineraries during the planning vacation process can take away from a vacation state-of-mind—and after all, a vacation is meant to be about relaxation. It’s easy and quick to research your travel options online. Often if you book in advance online, competitive pricing is at your fingertips. Look for places that interest you and that you may want to visit; keep a loose and not too rigid schedule if you can. Vacations can often end up taking a course of their own anyway, with a few surprises along the way, no matter how much planning and organizing was done. In this blog posting, we explore the benefits of early vacation planning, look at different modes of vacation travel, and journey from one end of the globe to the other.
How and Where?
Road Trip: Drive across country from mountains to lakes to amazing shorelines, there’s so much to see. Some of the most scenic places in the U.S. are best explored by car. Check out this Road Trip USA website for great information on cross country travels.
Take a Train: Amtrak railroad has more than 500 destinations in the U.S. and Canada, traveling to some of the most popular destinations in North America. Rail is a good way to experience travel on historic routes.
By Air: Check out Travelocity, Kayak, and Expedia, and other low-cost travel websites with bargain airfares. Tip: Tuesday nights, or one or two hours after midnight are typically the best times to obtain low cost airline tickets; fare wars that began the weekend preceding the Tuesday start to dwindle at this time. Be sure to check out Buzzle for more details on how to save on your airline travels.
Traveling off-season, airline tickets to other countries are often lower than at peak traveling times; however, trying to work out what is a low, or off-peak season is not always as easy as it seems. “Off-peak” depends as much on the time of year you are traveling as on the location you are visiting. Knowing when to go to certain locations and planning ahead can help get you the best cost airline tickets.
Feeling adventurous?
Take the world’s steepest cogwheel train to the top of Pilatus Mountain in Lucerne Switzerland. First built in 1889, the train changed over to electrical operations in 1939. A marvel of engineering, the three-car train travels at 12 m.p.h. on a track that appears to just cling to the side of the mountain. The view is breathtaking and is worth the 30 minute exhilarating ride 7,000 ft. up to the top, sitting at a 45 degree angle.
Adventure by Sea: Cruises can be inexpensive if you consider accommodations and meals are included. It’s a great way to see some of the amazing places around the world including the Mediterranean and closer to home, the Caribbean. Usually several hours can be spent offshore at each port stop; take your time, explore the area, shop for souvenirs, or relax in the sun, perhaps sharing a beach with some roaming iguanas if you’re lucky—native to some areas in the Caribbean, they seem to like the human population. *smile* Take heed though of the “Do Not Feed the Iguanas” signs.
A Word on Packing…
We all have our favorite way of packing. Tip: roll up unwrinkable clothes and use them as a first layer protection for other folded clothes on top, and don’t take too many pairs of shoes. Unpack your suitcase fully when you arrive at your destination. It’s easy not to do this, especially if it’s just a long weekend. But living out of a suitcase can make the room seem cluttered and create stress, which is not what you want when on vacation!
And finally at your destination…
Enjoy and “unplug.” Relax, relax, relax… it’s your vacation after all. We’d love to have you share with us. (1) What are your vacation plans this year? (2) What are some of your most memorable vacation experiences? (3) Do you have any helpful advice on vacation planning or maybe you prefer not to plan too much? (4) What is your favorite or least favorite vacation spot?