I need help with vacation plans for myself (International).?

Question

I live in Virginia,USA. I take a vacation every year to GA to see my wifes mother and stay the week (Cow Town); I live in a average county/city. Next year my wife agreed I could take a trip by myself outside the US (she wont fly, and really likes going to visit her mother). So skys the limit here; Japan,australia,etc... I dont make tons of money so money is a issue, but I have a year to save and plan. Even though this is a dream come true, it is also a scary thing. By myself in another country that most wont speak english, hoping not to get robbed or worst, not sure where i can go and cant go. Id be happy in the middle of a big city where the airport and hotel were close, so I could just walk all day to everywhere (and again hope not to get lost either). Not sure what to bring, how to be safe, love to see nightlife &want to enjoy sight seeing and visting places.

Anyone who travels alot or who lives in other countries please give me some ideas/oppinion/suggestions- thanks.

Answer 1

If you want to play it safe (well, safer) go to a country that speaks English.  There are actually quite a few options.  England, lots of the places in the Caribbean, parts of Canada, Australia, Singapore.

But since you do have a year, you have time to learn some basics of another language.  Maybe try to pick up some Spanish and/or French and do a Europe trip.

Japan is also supposed to be really really cool.  I'd love to go there some day.

I am only 16, and I haven't been to a lot of these places.  I've been to (besides over half of the U.S.): Mexico, 15 Caribbean islands, Spain, and Portugal.  Spain was the best.  I speak pretty decent Spanish though.

I'm sorry I couldn't help that much, but I wanted to try and put in some input.  :)

Answer 2

If you don't want to make it too complicated, I would suggest Europe. People do speak a different language, but are mostly able to help you in English. This way, you'll get a good experience of what it's like to be abroad, without feeling alienated. European cities also have good night life and obviously a lot of (historic) places to visit. Flights are not too expensive, but I would recommend you to go outside the tourist season.

For more information about the countries, I will give you some links. I can suggest you France, Italy and the Netherlands, since they have loads of tourists. I live in the Netherlands myself, and I know that almost anyone in Amsterdam speaks English. I have been to France and Italy many times, as well as North America and Asia.

If you have any questions, you can contact me via my website, and I will gladly help you out. I will give you a link so that you can contact me if you have any questions :)

I hope you will have lots of fun planning your trip, and maybe I'll hear from you!

Answer 3

There are a lot of resorts in the caribean that have affordable  all-inclusive packages. All the employees at these resorts speak english and they organize supervised activites. The security at these places is very good but of course you need to have common sense when your out and about. www.vacationstogo.com has a lot of nice plans you can look at.

Answer 4

I can't help you with a specific suggestion on where to go, but I can help you with the planning part.  First, get a passport now if you don't already have one.  Don't wait until the last minute like so many people do.  Once you figure out where you're going, go to the State Department's web site (see below) to determine the specific requirements of the country you'll be travelling to.

You can figure out an approximate cost of your trip yourself with a little research. Start by going to one or more travel sites (see below) and look up the cost of a plane ticket for the flight you want. Try alternate airports if there are any within a reasonable range of where you're leaving from or where you're going. If your travel dates are flexible, be sure to try moving your trip by a day or two to see if you can get a better deal on a flight. Once you pick out a flight, check the web site of the airline you chose. You can usually get the same flight for a few dollars cheaper.

On those same sites, you can look up hotels. If you have a specific idea of where you want to stay (ie., near an attraction), then you can search for a hotel near the address of that attraction (you can find the address of the attraction by looking up the web site for the attraction and then looking on that site). Just take your time with it, don't forget to read reviews, and don't be afraid to ask questions (the hotels' phone numbers should be on the travel site on the information page of that hotel).

Then you have to think about how to get around while you're there. Are you going to rent a car? You can look up cars on those same travel sites. Don't forget to figure fuel costs. Are you just going to use shuttles and mass transit? You would have to factor in those costs, then. If you're not renting a car, then check for a hotel that has a shuttle service that can take you at least to and from the airport.

As for miscellaneous expenses, think about what you're going to do and eat while you're there. Are you going to eat fast food, or maybe some nicer meals? Are you doing anything that requires a ticket of any kind? Does the hotel charge for parking? Are you planning on buying any souveniers? Don't forget to factor in the cost of parking your car at the airport you left from (usually $7-$10 per day). For that, off-site parking is usually a bit cheaper (look for signs when you get to the airport), and all of those places have shuttles that bring you to and from the airport.

It takes a lot of research to plan a vacation, but if you do it right, it's worth it. Just make sure you take your time with it and do your homework. Also, you can come back here when you decide where you want to go and get answers from people who have personal experience with whatever place you'll be going to.