Adventures- 5 simple steps to get started


Let's all be real with ourselves, how many times have we thought about giving up our day jobs and travel the world? I know for a fact that at least once a day I wonder what it would be like to just leave and head out of the state towards the great unknown.


I feel like every time I travel, I never have enough time. There is so much to see, experience, but with little time and and too often little money. Well let me tell ya, traveling can be fun if ya do it right, heck it can even be relatively non-expensive if you really try and want it to be!

First things first, lets talk about the top 5 (simple) things you can do!


1. Pick a destination- DUH!
 I know this one kind of seems obvious but one of the most common mistakes that people make is when choosing where to travel to! Picking a destination is hard, because there is so many things on our bucket list. Honestly, it probably doesn't matter what you pick as long as you pick something, right? With a little research, some magic, and some time you can turn any traveling experience into a dream vacation or a casual getaway. Yes, I said DREAM VACATION, BUT that doesn't happen if you don't pick somewhere to go! So, first and for most, pick your destination.



2. Write down what you want-
 There is nothing worse then trying to figure out what the heck you wanna do and who you want to do it with. If it is a simple weekend getaway, write down the "must haves" to make that getaway picture perfect. If its a casual girls or guys trip, make plans to meet up and discuss what the heck ya wanna do. Let me tell you, it sucks to get on your trip and have nothing planned but it sucks even more if you guys never actually made it on the trip because you did not talk it out first! If I have learned anything from my travels, it's talk, talk, talk! Talk till you are blue in the face, because you will be more sad if you spend all this money to take a vacation or a quick getaway and NOT one time you do anything you want to do. So, voice your "must haves" so that you can be happy with your vacation choice.



3. Pick people to go with-

 I also realize that this one seems kind of simple and obvious too, but let me tell you, not all family and friends are meant to travel with. They are great for limited amounts of time but anything past twelve hours and you're ready to down tequila. Seriously though, traveling can be boat loads of fun if that means going alone or with some of your closet gal pals/ men pals. However, it is important that you pick the right people and location. That's right pick THE RIGHT PEOPLE FOR THE RIGHT LOCATION. I suggest you chat with people who are interested in the same things you are and get an idea for what they are looking for in a travel buddy (and what that means to them), potential suite mate, and location ideas. No one wants to hop on a plane and then that is when your travel buddy decides its best to hook up with a random and ditch you (Yes, it has happened before and sadly we do not travel together any more. Let's just say I'm not really that sad about it).



4. DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH-

 I can't tell you how many times I get inquiries about a location and when I ask the client why that specific location they respond with "My friend said it was fun". Well let me be the first by saying our friends opinions matter but so do others and heck lets be honest, OURS matter too. A simple google search on whatever location you are trying to visit will tell you how the service was ( I am a firm believer in reading the reviews such as TripAdvisor), what there is to do for fun, and whether they will go back for another visit. If you decide to go the route of booking a travel agent (I would do that, less stress, no need to spend hours looking up things when you can pay someone a small fee to do it for you. Also, lets talk about how all travel agents have the resources to find the DEALS and get the hook- ups!!!) TA's get that same promotional special that you have been eye-balling on the internet, but they get it a week before it hits the net! Do your research first though, it gives you an idea of what you want and how to relay what you are seeking to your TA; if you choose to go that route!! Research allows you to narrow down all your ideas into possible locations, so when you are sitting with your possible travel buddies, YOU now have a VOICE and an OPINION!



5. GET A TRAVEL AGENT-

 Now this one is not obvious. I may be biased because I am a travel agent myself, but don't buy into the hype of Travel Agents being scam artists, we are here to provide a service and take the stress out of reading the fine print and knowing the weather for said location and stuff like that. Like anyone else, they have to make a living too. Believe it or not, travel agents take the stress out of traveling in more ways than one could imagine. You tell them a destination, a price you are wiling to spend, and the number of people going and you will be amazed what we can do. You're probably wondering "why do I even have to pay a service/ booking fee?". Well, let me start by saying this. It is a service and you are paying for an experience in of its self. If you want to travel, within budget, without the added stress of finding all the deals and locations GET A TRAVEL AGENT. You are traveling with a child needs special attention, they know how to log that to help lighten the load when traveling. You have dietary restrictions, we know how to connect with the resort to have that important information logged. For example, I just recently returned from the DR and flew on a charter flight (awesome might I say, charters are the best) anyways, there was a passenger who is severally allergic to peanuts!! So, because her TA knew that she was able to contact the airlines and needless to say, peanuts was one of the snacks served and we were asked to re-frame from eating any peanut related foods. How nice was that!! Yes, I asked if she made the request! She kindly shared with me that it was her TA that handled that information..




Well there ya have it! 5 simple steps into getting started on your next vacation. It can always seem a bit overwhelming, especially for those who have not traveled before, but all you really need to do is hire someone to do it for you! Just kidding. Kind of :0). Start by deciding where and when you want to go! Making a decision is always hard but its easier after you have committed to the idea!!


First time budget friendly experiences are AnR Travel and Photography's specialty. Therefore, book with us now and we can get you to your next or first vacation in no time. But like I said committing is always the hardest step! So, commit first, then destination and finally travel dates....

Why Book with AnR Travel? Because We Rock!

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