So, you ask how I choose where I’m going to travel to next? I hang a map on my wall, put on a blindfold, and throw a dart at the map. Wherever the dart sticks, that’s where I go! Good story, right? If that were true, I’d have a wall full of holes, and these holes may or may not be anywhere close to the map. I do think this would be an incredibly cool way to choose a place to go though! Maybe one day…

Anyways, I do have a map. It’s a scratch map that shows all the places I’ve been (or lack thereof). It’s so cool! It was a gift from my sister that I had framed, and is now hanging with travel photos all around it. As cool as it is, I have sort of a love/hate relationship with it. I absolutely love it because it’s neat to be able to see where I’ve been around the world. I hate it because it also shows me that, in the grand scheme of things, I have so many more places to visit!

Now, back to how I choose my travel destinations. To be honest, I don’t have a set way of deciding. And, everyone is going to have their own system that works best for them. One of the main factors I’ve taken into consideration when deciding has actually been going to places that people I know typically haven’t been to, and are not well known. There are absolutely wonderful places to visit all over the world such as Mexico, Hawaii, Paris, etc., but these are places that ‘everyone’ goes to. They’re ‘easy’ places to travel to, in my mind. They’re all well documented, and ripe for tourists to come explore in full force. Sure, I want to see all of these places too, but I also want to see parts of the world that you don’t hear about all the time. And those are the places I want to visit first!

For those that have planned a vacation, whether to another state, or another country, you all know there are a lot of factors to consider when deciding where to go. For me, since I’ve been traveling by myself, these factors may look a bit different than what you’re used to, but here’s what I take into consideration.

Safety

When traveling solo, I have to be slightly more aware of my surroundings to ensure that I’m safe on my own in an unknown area, but most of this should be common sense. Now, I say slightly more aware because, let’s be honest with ourselves, something could just as easily happen to me here in Montana as it could abroad. And, to be honest, I’ve felt more uncomfortable traveling alone in the U.S. than I have in different countries…

One thing that has helped make me feel more comfortable has been the backpack I purchased for my trip to Portugal. It’s a brand called PacSafe, and it’s designed to prevent pick-pocketing, and it did save me once in Lisbon. If you’re interested, check them out here. Basically, all of the zippers can lock, the straps are slash-proof, and at least one of the pockets has RFID blocking technology. In my opinion, absolutely worth the cost (and piece of mind), and they’re on sale fairly often!

Affordability

Money is a factor for everyone. When I’m traveling alone, I’m responsible for 100% of the cost. This isn’t different when traveling with others, but I don’t have the ability to split the cost of hotel rooms, transportation, etc. Because of this, I’ve been known to stay in hostels, and while nothing like a hotel, it gets the job done when you’re really only there to sleep.

Time of Year and Weather

We all know there are better and worse times of the year to travel to certain locations. No one wants to go to the Caribbean during hurricane season, and I surely don’t want to go to Alaska in the middle of winter. There are also the extremely popular times of year to travel to certain locations. Hello, spring break in Mexico? However, a bit of a secret, travel during the shoulder season (just before or after the high season) to avoid the crowds while still having the best weather! It’s also usually a bit cheaper during this time!

How Much Time Do You Have?

If I only have a short amount of time to travel, I’m not going to fly to Europe. For a shorter trip, it makes more sense to stay a bit closer to home, and select one destination rather than hopping around. It’s all about quantity over quality at that point.

If I have a longer amount of time, there are definitely more options available. With longer time periods, you have the flexibility of going farther away, and visiting more places. Just don’t try to squeeze too much in. After all, it’s supposed to be relaxing, right?

What Do You Want to Do on Vacation?

Am I there to just relax? Do I want to hike? Try the local cuisine? Your interests should factor into where your travelling as every place is known for very different things. Check out local activities, tours, and restaurants to see if a place really has what you’re looking for. For ideas, I highly recommend checking out Lonely Planet. Not only is this a good resource to see where to go while at your travel destination, it also gives you options to check out restaurants, sights, and activities in the area.

Factors I Don’t Consider

Language Barriers

In my opinion, a difference in language should never be a factor to consider when deciding on a travel destination. This is part of what makes our world such a cool place! Everywhere you go, people are so different and unique, and this is one of the best parts of traveling. You get to immerse yourself in someone else’s world. Not only is it wonderful to learn about new and different cultures, but it adds another element of adventure and problem solving to an already neat experience. These are all things you’ll never regret! Sure, it may prove to be difficult, but in no time, you’ll get the hang of it.

I will add that locals really do appreciate tourists at least attempting to speak to them in their native language. Now, they don’t expect you to be fluent, but a few key phrases will go a long way towards locals being more willing to communicate with you, and help you if you have questions. An awesome [free] app to learn basic phrases has been Duolingo.

Others Opinions of a Place

People have opinions about everything, and travel destinations are no different. People create these options about what they read, what they hear, what they’ve been told, and first hand experience. While all of these things play somewhat of a role in deciding where to go, opinions are opinions, and each opinion is unique to a certain person. You’ll never really know what you think of a place or an experience without having experienced it for yourself.

Now that you know a bit about how I choose where I want to travel, stay tuned for an update on my next trip coming hopefully in the next few weeks! (If you already know, don’t spoil it for everyone else…). In the meantime, you can also check out some of my travel photography in my Photo Gallery!