The SMART Way to Travel

written on February 11th, 2013 by Jean Del Mar

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” — Lao Tzu

Urban living can be a daily grind. Screaming bosses. Daily deadlines. Slow traffic. Life is worth a little bit more than this. Give yourself that needed vacation.

But plan the vacation properly. Travel can be a stressor as well. The best way to avoid the stress is to travel the SMART way.

Here are some SMART tips. 

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Select a Destination. – This is critical. It’s the foundation of all your preparations. There are many factors in choosing the best place for a  vacation. For example – If you are looking for a quiet serene beach experience, Boracay may not be the best way to go. Your destination will direct your entire experience of where to go, what to do and what to prepare.

Some people don’t have a preference and they just want to go. Go where? Anywhere. If you don’t have a specific destination in mind, you can always ask for suggestions from friends or travel agents. They will be able to give you a few suggestions and you will be able to narrow your search through Google.  Happy hunting!

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Make your Itinerary. In most travel destinations, there are many things to do, to see and to experience. Organize your trip by plotting what you ought to accomplish in a certain time or day. To be able to make your itinerary, you have to figure out what sights and spots to visit. List down the possible activities to be done there. Since you only have limited days, prioritize the must-see and the must-do.

But remember, do not fill your time with too many activities. The result is usually a wasted vacation because you might be too mindful of the time that you forget to enjoy.

There are three ways to make an itinerary.

Skeletal – is an itinerary of the proposed and preliminary schedule of activities. It’s generally not too detailed.

Technical – specifies the details, like the scheduled transportation, arrival and departure schedules, duration of sightseeing, land travel time and/or type of accommodation.

Descriptive – provides a narrative of the planned activities and destinations to be visited. This generally has descriptions of what to see and expect.

Most travelers should use  a skeletal itinerary. This allows you to not worry too much about time and as a result is more stress free. The technical itinerary is used mostly for group travel like educational tours. Descriptive is mostly used for marketing purposes. Your skeletal itinerary can simply look like this:

Singapore (3Days and 2Nights)

Day 1 – Singapore Science Centre

Night Safari

Chinatown

Day 2 – Sentosa Island / Universal Studios

Day 3 – Orchard

Singapore Flyer

Marina Bay

Always consider the appropriate length of stay in each destination. In the example above, Universal Studios is allotted the whole day because half a day is not enough to enjoy all the rides and sights there. Time management is so important in travelling. So make the most of it.

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Acquire all your Travel Documents. Secure all travel documents such as your passport and visa when travelling out of the country. These documents will be presented to the customs and immigration for travel pass clearing. Be sure all your details in the documents are accurate to avoid problems. It’s always a good idea to have photo copies of these documents in your luggage and in your wallet. You never know what can happen.

Not all countries require visa. Although sometimes the requirements change, you can still be updated about visas and embassy information of all countries through the help of Project Visa. You can just click and choose the continent and the country you want to visit. It will just direct you to the necessary entry information.

Oh.. and don’t forget your ticket!

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Refer to a travel agent. It is wise to approach a travel agent for counseling. Many of the staff in most agencies know what to expect in your chosen travel destination. In Destination Specialists, we try our best to give the utmost service in making your dream trip happen. Feel free to ask us anything about your travel destinations, passports and visas, accommodations etc. We pride ourselves in making your travel fast, easy, hassle-free and noteworthy.

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Travel Light. Don’t bring your entire cabinet. I know it’s difficult because you never know when something might be useful. But we need to enjoy our travel without carrying heavy luggage. List down the most necessary items. If possible, it is best to bring only one bag that can carry all that you need. For more travel light tips, check this page — Pack Smart and Travel Light.

Travel SMART. What other tips can you suggest for traveling SMART? Let us know in the comments below.