No one wants to go somewhere without knowing some necessary information about the place itself. Doing research is one of the primary things a traveler must do before taking the first step. From the current exchange rate down to the basic courtesy and other essential items to remember while visiting a new territory, learning how to plan a trip to a place you know nothing about is a good thing!
If you’re a new traveler, then it’s safe to say that you know less about the places that you plan to visit. And when you’re blind about something, it is difficult to plan things ahead of time. But thankfully it isn’t impossible. Here are some pointers that you can follow when preparing for a trip to a place that’s new to you:
1. Do Some Research and Acquire Some Guidebooks
In the modern age in which we live in, almost everything can already be searched and learned from the Internet. That’s exactly the first place you would need to go to before starting to plan for your trip. Open Google Search then type in the name of the country or the specific city that you want to visit and read through the sites that provide information about the place.
And if you need a more reliable source of information, the best one you can get are guidebooks. While most of these have some quite outdated information, you will still get some useful information on how to get around in some areas of interest, what attractions are available and the activities that you can do in them. Other guidebooks also provide more advanced information like suggested itineraries and even maps.
Guidebooks are a good foundation for your planning, and it’s better than reading through blogs since it allows you to highlight certain places. Additionally, it also provides quick access to a precious resource of information even without WiFi.
2. Read Through Some Blogs and Travel Websites
Websites like Wikipedia can give some facts and other crucial information that a traveler should know about before visiting a place. But if you need more, your next stop should be travel blogs and websites. These resources can fill in the gaps that are left after you’ve done your homework with guidebooks and other sites that basic information. Most travel blogs provide up-to-date details and even real-life experiences which can help in your planning.
Some even give an overview of new spots to discover and more exciting activities to do while staying you are in the place. Reading through the comments section on every blog content that is relevant to the place that you want to visit also helps since it gives answers to questions that other readers who are planning to visit the same site have asked. Doing these things will provide you with even more sense of your planned destination.
3. Ask Others Who Have Personally Experienced the Place
Third, you need to move deeper into your research and start asking friends or other people you know who have already visited the place. There’s nothing that can beat first-hand information, so if you need more advice and tips or even suggestions on restaurants and hotels, these are your most reliable resources! You may also find someone who has family members residing or having a vacation in the place itself which is a big bonus! Just imagine having people who can show you around after landing on the spot. People you can stay with or even help you get settled on your first few days in the place!
4. Look Into Social Media and Blog Communities
The beauty of reading through blogs is that most of them (especially the popular ones) already have a significant number of followers and readers. This group of people is also a precious resource of information since there could be some of them who have already gone to the place that you’re planning to visit. The social media pages of these travel blogs is also an excellent place to go to as you do your research.
5. Buy a Book That Tells Its History
Lastly, it will also be helpful if you buy a book that tells much about the history of the place. During the planning stage, you can skim through the book itself taking only the useful information that you need and read it in more detail while you’re on travel or during a long flight. It is impossible to know a place without knowing its history so be sure to invest in a piece which you can spend your spare time reading throughout your trip going to the site itself!
Researching is the Key!
Planning for a trip to a place that you know nothing about can sound intimidating, but with proper research, you can shake all the fears and hesitations away easily. Take time to do all the five (5) steps we’ve shown above, and you’re sure to be on the way to a new and exciting adventure that’s going to produce memories all set to last a lifetime!