For many of us selecting numerous destinations that we would like to visit is easy part of planning a vacation. The difficult part is finding the time and money to indulge in travel. Sometimes those three factors don’t match up and you’re left with a burning desire to get out of town but no idea where to go. After all, it may be your dream to visit the Great Barrier Reef but a $2,000 plane ticket just isn’t in the cards at the moment. So where should you go? Well, here are a few tips to help travelers pinpoint an alternate destination if the first one doesn’t work out.

Transylvania is the perfect spot for a Halloween themed trip. (Image Source: tpsdave on Pixabay)

You could always choose a theme that suits you. Many travel companies offer fascinating options tours such as Halloween in Transylvania, food tours of Italy, or backpacking through Scotland. Of course, taking prepackaged tours has the wonderful benefit of letting someone else do all the planning so that all you have to do is buy plane tickets and pack. Yet travelers will need to look closely for additional costs such as the travel insurance most companies require as well as meals and activities that are not included in the initial price. Sometimes the plane tickets to a place can run more than the tour itself. Budget travelers who might not have the money or time for an extensive packaged tour can still plan their travelers around a particular theme with similar results and at a lower price. They can even use preplanned tour itineraries in travel guides or those offered by various companies as a starting point for planning a similar getaway.

Let your imagination guide you. (Image Source: Bonnybbx on Pixabay)

You may also want to use your favorite reading materials and movies for ideas. Does the heroine in the last book you recently read hack her way through the jungle searching for lost cities? Visiting the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, climbing Machu Picchu in Peru or cruising along the Amazon River might be a good beginning for your trip. Or perhaps the movie you find yourself watching most often is about a group of con artist planning a heist in Venice? Maybe you should consider visiting the watery town in Italy or stopping by the look-alike town of Bruges in the Netherlands. Family and friends are another good source of information on destinations that you may not have previously considered. However, travelers will want to be sure that their loved ones are keeping in mind their personal preferences when giving recommendations. After all, a person who finds a stroll around the block to be plenty of exercise is not likely to enjoy the same strenuous hike as her cousin who considers mountain climbing an invigorating pastime.

Image Source: Hermann on Pixabay

As always, happy travels.