The greatest secret to the success of a vacation is in the planning. While it sounds daring to just throw your clothes in a bag and wing it, the reality is that it takes a calculator, a pencil, and even a map to plot an easy and stress-free vacation.
1. Make a realistic budget, and stick to it!
You dont want to spend sleepless nights worrying how to pay off your credit card. How much can you afford to spend? Then list down what you will have to pay for, from obvious expenses like room, board and transportation, to things like food, airport fees, and souvenirs and shopping.
To get a realistic gauge, find out the cost of living of the area and visit travelers forums to get a general idea of how much others have spent. Also consider hidden costs and the nature of the vacation.
For example, a hotel may look cheap, but it may have such a limited range of accessible restaurants that youll end up spending a fortune on food. Or, you may be visiting a shoppers haven where the bargains are too great to pass up. You need more money to splurge here than if you had just gone to a beach, where the sun is free.
2. Keep a realistic itinerary
Some...