Trip planning, most people can’t stand it and a lot of people refuse to do it so they hire someone to do it for them, but I gotta tell you- I love planning trips. It’s a way to bring a far off obscure place to life and learn all about it. For me it’s part of the fun of travelling. This Fall, Kae and I will be travelling to Italy for a two week escape full of culture, history, nature, food, And sea. We have never been to Europe (Minus the trip I took to Great Britain when I was a kid) and most of our vacations have been focused on more remote areas, so this trip will be very different for us.
We will be spending the first two nights and the last two nights in Rome and the rest of our adventure will be on the Island of Sardinia. When we were deciding where to go we worked through these questions and came up with corresponding answers:
- What types of things do we want to do, see, and experience?
- New food, culture, language
- Be off the beaten path
- Experience nature and have access to outdoor activities that can be done independently and on the cheap
- Experience stunning coastlines that are not heavily commercialized
- How much time do we have and how much time will we spend Getting there?
- 16 total days including travel.
- Travel to Rome will take approximately 20 hours from door to door, which leaves 14 nights on the ground.
- What are the costs of getting there?
- Good flights to Rome from U.S., same or less expensive than neighboring countries.
- What time of year is good for lower prices and less tourists but still good weather to do the things we want to?
- Approached this back words, we knew our travel window was in the Fall and therefore narrowed our destinations down to those that would be nice to visit during this period.
- What makes this place unique and special?
- Rome is one of the world’s great cities full of amazing food, historical sites, charm, and unique experiences which in my mind means it is not a bad place to spend a few days on either end of trip.
- Sardinia- largely rural, intact customs and traditions, lots of marine life and beautiful coastline, many options for independent outdoor recreation opportunities; easy to explore by rental car, lots of options for inexpensive and intimate accommodations; easy to get off the beaten path.
Once I narrow it down to a specific country or region, I like to learn about its history, politics, wildlife, conservation efforts traditions, customs, and people. Sometimes that’s through a documentary, guide books, history books, news articles, or online blogs. It helps me have a better understanding of a place that I only get to experience for a short time. I have found that taking the time to learn about a destination before, during, and after my time there allows me to have a much richer experience.
Now it’s time for our Italian adventure….. stay tuned.
Dream and a Map 