Ok. So if you enjoy travelling, the number of places to visit can be daunting. But it’s a great problem to have. So where to begin? I know this is going to sound stupid but I always start with a list. Every time I see, hear, or read about a place that sounds interesting I throw it on the list and that it’s about as organized as a dropped box of toothpicks.
However, the list gives me a starting point and really allows me to tailor my trip when I’m ready to pull the trigger and ask for time off. An example would be a few cities in Europe. London, Paris, and Amsterdam are 3 cities you can do fairly easily in about 7-10 days on one trip. Will you see everything? Absolutely not. But that’s the perfect excuse to go back!
Remember, I’m trying to see and do as many things in a limited amount of time. If your goal is to relax on the beaches of Saint Tropez, then all this is fairly useless. You go, relax, come back with a tan, done. But if you want to see Marseille, Saint Tropez, Nice, and finish in Monaco, it may not occur that it could all be done on one trip if you never bothered to consult your list.
Having a wish list of places allows me to group cities and countries together that logistically make sense. Europe’s rail system is so interconnected that just by figuring out what days you want to be in a city is really all you need to know. The rest is basically getting to the station and hopping on a train. Other areas may not have a reliable rail system but from my experience there are A LOT of low cost carriers that fly to some out of the way places and many are just an hour flight away.
In my experience, I would say many destinations fall under the latter category. However, once you get used to it, travelling by plane to hopscotch to different cities really isn’t all that different from using the train.
So the takeaway? Start with the obvious. Make a list.