Find Time to Plan a Better Vacation With 5 Top Tips For Saving Time

Find Time to Plan a Better Vacation With 5 Top Tips For Saving Time
Finding time for a vacation? Wonderful! Vacations can
restore your energy and provide a fresh outlook. Now, how
can advance planning enhance your time off?

Travel Time Tip #1: Clear priorities create opportunities.

Vacations work best when you carefully assess and honor
your priorities - not anyone else's. What do you enjoy the
most? Front row seats at a performance? Discovering an out
of the way treasure? Wildlife in pristine surroundings?
Elegance, or roughing it? The more clearly you've defined
your top priorities and what you can do without, the more
quickly you can zero in on travel options that are custom
made for you alone.

You also enhance your vacation experience by selecting a
mode of planning that suits you temperamentally. Maybe you
enjoy tracking down the best deals on the Internet, and
money you save by weighing multiple options will buy you
more time at your destination. But if you'd rather hand the
entire project to a travel agent who knows your
preferences, that's fine, too. You might obtain special
package discounts, and can use your saved time to ease your
transition into your vacation.

After all, all the time leading up to and returning from
your vacation is part of your vacation experience, too.
Treat yourself well throughout each stage. Then you can
escape the "I need a vacation from my vacation" syndrome!

Travel Time Tip #2: Add up and factor in transit time.

You maximize your overall pleasure by valuing your
transition time. When planning, examine your itinerary
options, and estimate how much time you must spend in
transit. Will you enjoy or just tolerate time between
locations? Plan accordingly. Perhaps simplifying your
travel plans would give you more time to relax and discover
out-of-the-way treats. And varying your modes of
transportation on a long trip can be refreshing, too.

Travel Time Tip #3: Pave your path with advance purchases.

Make arrangements for performances, exhibits, ferry trips,
etc., from the comfort of home, online or via your travel
agent. Then you can simply show up at your destinations,
tickets in hand.

Travel Time Tip #4: Use lists & pack light.

Good packing lists may spare you the expense of checking
and the time retrieving excess baggage while flying. You
will spend less time lugging, packing and unpacking,
fishing through bags for items and shopping for what you
forgot. Pack these lists for quick on-site inventories.
Also, consider including a quick chart to indicate what is
packed where. (Especially handy if you tuck overflow items
in your travel companion's bags. When traveling with kids,
for example, outfit them with adult-sized carry-on bags and
utilize their leftover space for your own items.)

Travel Time Tip #5: Streamline future preparations with
today's notes.

Templates help recreate your successes. Why reinvent the
wheel? Keep written notes or an online file detailing the
steps you take to create your trip. Jot down what you want
to try next time, too. Your priorities and brainstorms will
be ready to review and to save you hours of pulling things
together, when you're ready for another vacation.

What is your next step to make the very most of your time
while you enjoy your travel and leisure?

----------------------------------------------------
Paula Eder, Ph.D., The Time Finder, has guided individuals
and organizations to effectively align values with their
time choices for 35+ years. For free weekly time tips & an
award-winning monthly Ezine, visit
http://www.findingtime.net/ezine.html
And for even more time thoughts and techniques, visit our
blog at http://www.thetimefinder.com