I am 3 months into my annual 'post travel depression' without having decided where we will travel next year. We have traveled to Italy, France, Greece and Switzerland in the last few years. I would gladly return to Italy for the 3rd time, but there are so many other places on "the list"!!!

I am curious how other slow travelers decide where they will travel next. I read this and other forums, travel books and magazines,and watch travel TV shows. My concern about the dollar vs. the euro and the economy this year are making the decision harder than usual.
I would love to know how others make that exciting and important decision about the next travel adventure.
Thanks for your input.
Kathryn

Lately, it seems our kids/family have been dictating our travel choices, which isn't a bad thing - they make good choices. The next trip we get to choose will probably be in 2010 and while we've been talking about returning to Italy, I have to admit Spain and the French countryside have been calling to me - and how do they call me, by they're food! Yep, I admit it, it's idea of trying a new cuisine that calls to me first.

We're talking, we're talking, we're talking.

Latest "thoughts":

-a week in Milano, one in Bologna (never been there ) both with day trips by train, followed or preceded by two weeks in Romania, base in Bucharest, to include the George Enescu Festival. Or,

- a longish river cruise to take us to Giurgiu, a Romanian city on the Danube, followed or preceded by two weeks in Romania, base in Bucharest, to include the George Enescu Festival.

So two weeks in Bucharest and in the Romanian coutryside are the common denominator.

I found the river cruise, but I am scared to tell Josette how much it costs...

After the New Year I wil start the research in earnest. I've contacted a former University colleague in Bucharest, and will pay a visit to our neighbouring Cruise Center. I don't wish to profit from the misery of others, but I figure cruise companies may also feel the pinch and be more flexible on prices.

quote:

Originally posted by Kim:
Lately, it seems our kids/family have been dictating our travel choices, which isn't a bad thing - they make good choices. The next trip we get to choose will probably be in 2010 and while we've been talking about returning to Italy, I have to admit Spain and the French countryside have been calling to me - and how do they call me, by they're food! Yep, I admit it, it's idea of trying a new cuisine that calls to me first.

I wholeheartedly agree, Kim! Food is a major (maybe the most major) draw of a country, or even a section of a country.

Having now been to Italy twice, we are going to Piemonte next year, and a big reason why is the cuisine.

Nancy

My favorites always call to me, but I feel like there is just too much of the world that I also want to see, and not enough time.

This year, we are visiting Tuscany and Umbria for the very first time (aside from a visit to Florence about 10 years ago). But next year I would love to spend time in the English countryside. Or Spain! There is so much of the US that I haven't visited either.

Usually, if our travels involve other family members, it's a group decision. Other times, travel destinations are determined by other variables (temperatures, season, lighter tourist loads, and yes, food, too!)

Hi KathrynJ, this is such a great topic and I am also interested in the responses you get. I am less than a month back from a trip and I am already in that what's next mode. I'm pretty much motivated by three primary influences. If I read something interesting on the history of a location, if I see something (through maybe a photo) that is of interest, or if there is an interesting story written of someone's experience that I really thought was fun or different. I think like with Teaberry, it just sort of comes to me and I just know it is the right decision when I feel it.

I can only afford to take one major international trip a year so I try to make each year's decision really count. It usually takes a few months before I'm inspired. And since I can't stay away from Italy for too long I like to go there every other year. The other year is to satisfy my need to see other parts of the world.

For me, now, it's mostly Italy (every part is a different country), with the occasional Israel. Both feel like home almost as soon as I land.

It's not that I've lost my wanderlust, rather that I love both places in different ways and need to go back. Both countries are exciting and wonderful to me, just enough out of my quotidian comfort zone to be invigorating.

I've visited much of Europe, but I've no desire to go back even to France, which was my first foreign love, and home to the foreign language I still speak best. As for Asia, Africa, South America ---- their call is so faint as to be inaudible over that of the various regions of Italy.


Whoops, have to go, I hear the siren call of Rome.

We're inspired in lots of ways -- other people's pictures and stories, magazines, books, movies.

My husband has pushed for Spain for years. When I read The Shadow of the Wind, a novel set in Barcelona, my interest suddenly was piqued. Then I started watching Spain - On the road again, and in the midst of all this the dollar started to improve against the euro.

All of a sudden plans for Peru next year went out the window.

And because Spain is so close to Morocco, my bargaining chip was "yes, I'll go to Spain if we can spend half the trip in Barcelona and half somewhere in Morocco."

Our destination choices are always a negotiation.

Now that we have made our home in Spain the choice always seems to be somewhere in Spain we haven´t been (almost everywhere outside of Andalucia)or somewhere else in Europe.

I guess the good thing is that we are both drawn to spending time in Europe, which is why we moved there and we are still in that ´pinch me´stage when we look at departures boards in airports! The novelty and wonder of not having to do a 22 hour flight from Australia is still with us.

We also have good friends who live in Europe which has prompted several trips.

So far we have seen a lot of Andalucia, a little of the rest of Spain, a little of Portugal and Germany, a week in Rome (second trip), 10 days in UK, time in Vienna and Sofia and a trip to Barcelona planned for February.

Rome and Barcelona are just us, the others have involved friends or family in some way.

We recently discovered Isla Mujeres, Mexico from Debrah a regular on this board. We will be returning their next Xmas and this time for longer.

We have become addicted to going somewhere warm in the winter and now that we have found this place its only a matter of waiting for the next trip.


We are going to Paris in March for two weeks after having a fabulous visit in April of this year. We have family in England as well..sometimes it hard to fit things in, financially as well.

You have to decide what you want most, like t-mac, my husband and I always discuss these very pleasant things and we are lucky in the fact that we love the same places so are usually in sync that way.

This is an interesting topic! My choices are usually influenced by outside factors. Here are some examples from 2008: Brazil in March because my boyfriend had a conference there. I was able get a Frequent Flyer ticket and we made it into a vacation after he was done working. In April, I went to Guatemala with a friend who needed to renew her US visa. In August, Norway for a wedding (and to see my family.) California in November, also to visit family, and then Mexico in December because my sister was spending two months there. All the trips turned out wonderfully, even if some of them I wouldn't have done if it wasn't for the outside factor, such as my sister being in Mexico.

For 2009, I am planning to go to Italy in May for the reunion of my Master's program - definitely a great excuse to go to Italy! Boyfriend might join after so that we can do some more traveling. The euro/dollar situation has probably contributed to me not going to Italy for the last few years, and has been a good reason to go to Latin America where things are a lot more economical.

Several friends and I have also discussed going to Roatan, Honduras, and if we do, that will be purely "because I want to." I love beaches and it is supposed to be gorgeous. Plus I'd like to go before the cruise tourism takes over too much.

Kathryn, this is turning into a really difficult year for planning for us. By now I usually have the airfare booked, the rental car reserved, and at least our arrival and departure hotels planned, if not all of our rentals.
This year, I can't even decide on a continent much less a destination.
I subscribe to the fatalistic theory that what is meant to be is easy. If it is too difficult, it isn't in the cards. That is how I eliminated northern Romania from our trip plans last year and substituted the familiar Italy for the final 10 days.
I must say, however, that this indecision is very frustrating.

I love this topic as we too have not booked anything yet for 2009. One part of me says that we should not spend the money, but the other part says that we are still healthy to traVel independently and should not waist that opportunity. We have seen so many couples that wait, and then one or the other is unable to travel anymore. Sooooo, I am beginning to plan which is one thing that I love. Keep this post going, so I get more ideas. Especially something that would pair well with Italy, as I don't think we could go to Europe without at least a segment in ITaly.

Hi,
This is a great topic.
We usually go with the family choice: which is to have some beach time combined with some interesting visits (archaelogical sites if possible and or some museums, or nice cities with lots to do). This year we are going to Greece. The Euro rate for us is really bad this year, however, I hope to beneficiate from more affordable prices in Greece vs Italy or France.

Another important factor is the air plane ticket price. If we can save on this, then we usually can afford a stay in more expensive destinations for 2-3 weeks.

Spain is a good choice usually, as it is easy to find affordable accommodation or even all inclusive or half board stays from Canada. I used to book through sites like www.jolivac.com . They can also build an itinerary on demand if you whish for a specific budget. We found easy moving arround by bus and train and it was also very affordable when on our own. I even went on a language course, and that was a great way of having an affordable stay with many excursions. Plus you can deduct up to 500CAD per person for the course from your taxes.
Other than that and if you want an affordable destination I would look into Portugal, in Italy Umbria or Sicily for example, or how about Croatia? Eastern Europe or even Turkey or Tunisia? By now I think you will have hard time to choose a destination. Mexico is a very interesting country too.
My main problem is to identify where not to go, as there are so many places to visit.

Our trips almost always get decided by a place having some interesting garden or wildflowers which is our main passion. We have also chosen places because they have an interesting hiking area. It is hard to get my husband excited about a location unless I can tempt him with a garden or a hike. We have also gotten ideas from newspaper travel sections or magazines.

Once we have an idea, I will do some initial research for prices and places to see. We will usually discuss it for a couple of weeks before finally deciding and committing.

Currently, price was initially a driver on our February trip. We looked at the places we could go in January or February and how expensive was the flight and the daily costs. We looked at Australia and New Zealand first but they were too expensive to fly. We then looked at the prices for SE Asia which were much less. We finally decided on Malaysian Borneo because of the interesting plants. It may not be as inexpensive as we could go because we've decided to go to a couple of resorts but it is very different and we are very excited.