Travel is one of my favorite things. Maybe it’s the sociologist in me, or maybe it’s the fact that I am an expat, either way there is something about going abroad and exploring different cultures that makes me supremely happy. Depending on the destination, traveling doesn’t come cheap. And I really, really enjoying finding good deals. So the first thing you need to do is RESEARCH, and lots of it! Lucky for you, I have done this many, many times. Here are some tips to consider when planning your adventure:

Budget

I wish I could fly on a private jet around the world without a care in the world. However, I’m not a Kardashian. Travel costs money, and I’m not into going into debt. So before I pick my destination I take a good look at my bank account and how much I can realistically spend. Once I set my budget, then I begin researching destination to figure out what will give me more bang for my buck. This means sometimes I decide to keep it domestic until I can save some more for an international trip. If that’s your case, don’t despair! The wait will only make it that much better once you actually go on your trip.

How much time off do want to take?

For a place like Thailand, I wanted to take at least 15 days off, knowing that at least three of those days would be spent traveling. Looking at my calendar, I wanted to maximize how much time I could take off, so I planned the vacation around MLK Day and Inauguration. Since I work in Washington, D.C. I knew I would have both days off from work already, so I just there I was saving two vacation days.

How much intra-country travel do you want to do?

It has been my experience that when you visit another country you want to see as much of it as possible. For example, during my Thailand adventure, my boyfriend and I visited Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Ko Tao, and Ko Samui all in one trip! That meant we needed to budget how much time to spend at each location, and the most economical but also the fastest way to get to each location.

What are your non-negotiables?

I’m a 30-year-old female. That means there are some basic comforts I expect that I probably could have done without in my early 20s. And in some cases, your age restricts your ability to stay at places like hostels. If there are any non-negotiables for you make sure you are keeping those in mind as you’re researching places to stay, and travel conditions. I need a basic level of cleanliness, and I know that each culture has different expectations when it comes to the definition of cleanliness. So I make sure to read plenty of reviews about the places I book and look at the traveler photos vs. the hotel photos (very important!).

Visas, Vaccines, and Various Other Considerations

Depending on the country you may need to apply for a visa ahead of time. Or in places like Egypt, you can purchase your visa at the airport. Make sure you check in on the requirements. Visas are easy, but what about vaccines? I hate, hate, hate shots. However, these are very important if you’re planning on going to a country where there are diseases like malaria and yellow fever. If you’re unsure, check the CDC website here.

These are just some basic considerations to take into account once you have made the decision to go out and explore the world. If you want to read about specific places I’ve traveled to, check out my travel posts!