Let's plan together for 2021!

Has enough already been written about how bad 2020 was? Yes, and it’s time to move forward with a new attitude in 2021. Vaccines are here and there is light at the end of the tunnel so let’s start thinking about traveling again. I believe that travel will be realistic for the second half of the year, depending on the destination. From an international travel perspective, I hope it will be safe to travel to more advanced countries with robust healthcare infrastructure and vaccination plans. We may need to wait a bit longer for less developed regions of the world. Travel companies, such as airlines and hotels, have also adopted much more flexible cancellation and refund policies in light of the pandemic, at least for now. These considerations, plus a lot of my own pent-up demand, have me itching to travel again. So, what to do next? I’m planning two potential international trips for the Fall and I’ll share my planning tips with you as I go.

Goodbye 2020 from Saint George Island, MD

I’m a VERY planful and organized traveler, as befitting my Type-A personality, so you can expect a lot of detail here. Items that I will cover over multiple posts include:

· Where to go

· The best time to travel and for how long

· Lodging and restaurants

· Things to do

· Transportation and other logistics

· Useful miscellaneous tips and tools

All of this should culminate in two well thought out itineraries which I may take myself and you can use for your own travel if they appeal to you. I’m 51 years old and have been traveling for a long time, so my approach may not be so relevant for everyone. While I’ll try to be as general and informative as I can, my planning and these blogs will represent my own interests and preferences. A few things that will shape my choices and advice will include:

· Style of travel – I tend to prefer travel to cities and active trips which take in multiple areas – for example, traveling through several towns in the countryside of France. Generally, I would not choose a beach vacation, a cruise or a resort with most days spent by the pool. I like to travel comfortably but that does not have to mean 5-Star all the way.

· Traveling companions – Not having children, I don’t have any experience planning trips that would appeal to families with small kids. My guidance will appeal more to couples, groups of friends, families with older children or even solo travelers.

· Points and Miles – I have a lot of airline miles and hotel points from various loyalty programs and this greatly influences my choices when it comes to flights and lodging.

· Interests – Travel is so personal and of course you should go to places which interest you. There are very few countries that I don’t want to visit but I do tend to prioritize new over previously visited places. I like history, art, good food and drinks, local culture and exploring things off the beaten path.

So where am I going in 2021? I’ll be researching and developing plans for trips to the Southwest of England (Cornwall and Wiltshire) and Greece. I am torn between the two but we’ll plan out both and see what happens. In upcoming posts over the next few weeks, I’ll provide insights into my planning process and advice and share with you the itineraries for these two trips as they unfold.

Cottages of Cornwall, England

Stonehenge, Wiltshire, England

Pantheon, Athens, Greece

Mykonos, Greece