I find it helps to have a plan. Of course, being a planner, I might be a little biased, but I believe can assist in diffusing what can sometimes be an almost overwhelming decision. I’m not gearing this article towards those who plan to buy a Eurail multi-country pass and see where it takes them. The appeal of those types of trips is spontaneity, and a precise plan would, quite frankly, ruin that.  That being said, if you are looking to take that type of vacation, you can add that in to your overall travel plan to make sure you do, in fact, get to take that trip.

So how do you make a travel plan? Here are some steps to at least narrowing down your options. A travel professional can certainly help you in this process, especially since they are familiar with up-to-date destination information (exchange rates, destination news, travel trends, etc), which might affect your decisions.

• Make a rough draft list of your desired destinations. If there are too many to count, pick the top 10, or even 20 (depending on how often you plan to travel each year and how far out you want to plan).

• Examine this list and arrange them in order of “priority” – where you’re dying to see versus where you’d like to get to if you can.

• Look at this list again and arrange with respect to time and budget. If you’d like to spend a month exploring Australia but know that won’t be a possibility this year, move it down a few places on the list.

Once you’re here, it’s time to start formulating a more precise plan. This is where a travel planner can particularly be helpful, as the next steps allow you to create a more concrete, yet flexible, timeline and it’s important to know which times of year are best to visit which destinations, visa requirements (which can affect timing), and other factors that may influence your plan.

• Take your list reorganized list and divide it into years (if you’re lucky enough to travel more than 4 times per year, divide it into seasons or months as applicable).

• Look at the countries in each year (quarter) starting with year one and proceed chronologically. Discuss features such as climate, time desired at the destination, price points, and overall feasibility. Rearrange the destinations/trips as needed according to these factors adding potential time frams (month, seasons) to each.

• You should now have a solid, yet flexible plan. Take one final look. Is there anything that slipped through the cracks – a destination on your must see list that should be of highest priority yet somehow isn’t? Adjust as needed.

• If you have trips you plan to take in the next quarter, or even the next six months, it’s time to start planning.

• Your plan should be a living document that can be rearranged as needed. If you get the opportunity for travel that you weren’t expecting, rearrange the list as needed/desired. The plan should be a guideline to help make your travels more of a reality instead of a lofty goal. A travel plan that ties you down, however, would pretty much defeat the purpose.

Your plan may, and most likely will, change slightly as you go, but you now have a solid idea of your travels.  Of course, you should adjust for major life events that come along the way. Still, this makes the destination decision more manageable, and allows you the excitement of looking forward to future travels without the anxiousness that can often come during the early stages of the planning process. Need help creating your travel plan? Send me an email!

Like this post? Sign up to receive our blog posts by RSS or email. 

We’re going to Paris – and we’d like you to come with us. Seriously. For the first time ever Chimera Travel is leading a very small group trip, and we’ve chosen to head to Paris. Here’s the unique part though – it’s not a “group tour” in the traditional sense (ie “If it’s Tuesday it must be Belgium”). It’s still a highly personalized, customizable trip. We’re simply starting with a place and date, adding in a few options for activities that you can participate in if you choose, and helping you plan the rest to fit your specific interests.

Why are we doing this? Have you ever looked at a friend’s pictures from their most recent trip and though, “I would love to do something like that” or “I can’t wait until my next trip… whenever that is”? Sometimes I find that my clients (and people in general) want to travel, but need a little inspiration – maybe they’re wondering if it’s the right time, or they don’t speak the language of a desired destination and are nervous about getting around. Or perhaps it’s just that with everything else going on in their day-to-day lives they don’t have the chance to think about their travels. This small group trip offers potential vacationers a specific travel goal (they don’t have to come up with the plans on their own), the comfort of having a professional travel planner right there in the destination and the freedom to still customize their trip.

The basics:

• Date: May 17, 2012 (evening departure, arrive May 18) through May 21, 2012
• Group Size: Maximum of 12 people, but trip will run with 8 or more

What’s included:

• 3 nights at a 4-star hotel in the heart of Paris (breakfast included)
• One ticket to the Louvre per person (can be used at any time during the trip)
• One hop-on-hop-off bus ticket per person (good for two days)
• Half day tour to Versailles – this is the only “group” activity, and it is optional.

Chimera Travel will work with each traveler individually to plan their airfare. We can also arrange for additional activities on an individual basis if requested. Finally, we can provide customized trip extensions outside of the city, either before or after the small group trip. Here are just a few suggestions:

• Provence and the French wine regions
• French Riviera
• Chunnel to Belgium or London for several days (did you know you can reach either in under two hours by train?)

Sound like something you might be interested in? We’d love for you to join us! If you are interested, please email us and we will happily answer any questions that you have and keep you informed of trip updates (there’s no obligation in contacting us for details). We look forward to helping you explore this fantastic city!

I realize the end of the year is coming up. I also realize that if you weren’t planning to book a luxury vacation before the end of the year, these promotions may not have you running for your wallet to book one. I am hoping, though, to inspire some ideas for 2010 vacations and show my readers some of the unique opportunities “out there.” If in fact you were toying with booking your vacation before the end of the year – say as a big family holiday gift – then these promotions just might help you take that step towards booking and save you some money doing so!

I do not recommend just any company that is having a sale. I carefully examine the company’s quality, my experience and that of other trusted industry professionals and the value of the offer.

Yachts of Seabourn – This company has recently begun offering year-round sailings in Asia and as an inaugural celebration, they are offering free business class air to Asia. Journeys on the Seabourn Pride include itineraries through China, Korea, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Lindblad Expeditions – One of the leading adventure tour companies in the world, Lindblad is offering $1500-$3000 off plus complimentary air travel for select itineraries for Britain/Ireland and Norway to Iceland. This promotion extends past the new year to January 30, 2010.

Travel Impressions – this company which works exclusively with travel professionals is offering a wide variety of discounts for destinations around the globe. Examples include $500 savings at the Excellence Riviera in Cancun, 4th night free at the Le Meridian in Tahiti, free nights at Outrigger properties in Hawaii and more.

Hurtigruten – These upscale, small ship voyages to some of the world’s most breathtaking locations are being discounted 10% to 30% until December 31st.

These are just a few examples of the large amounts of savings and value available in travel right now. While these promotions are only for a few more weeks, similar values are available year round. The bottom line is, everyone in the travel industry wants to see people continue to travel. We do what we do because we love to help people experience the world. In many cases, that means providing reduced rates, free nights, and value added services as incentives. If you have an interest in a destination, hotel or specific type of travel, chances are there are opportunities for excellent value. We also like those who plan early in the industry and tend to provide additional incentives for doing this. So start early planning your 2010 and learn what type of value you can receive!

As a thank you to all of you who aide us in spreading the word, we are offering a brand new Referral Thank You Program for the month of August. 

Here’s how it works:

1.  Refer someone who has never used our services before and contacts us between now and August 31, 2009.

2.  When this person books, you receive a $25 check from Chimera Travel!

3.  Your referral does not have to travel in August, just contact us by the end of the month. 

If you’ve referred someone, make sure to tell them to mention your name! Now is the perfect time to book fall and winter getaways. Hotels, resorts and cruise lines are offering major discounts and incentives – in some cases almost 50% off! 

So start sharing your travel stories and help your friends and family to experience their own exciting trips… and get paid to do it! 

*Contact Chimera Travel by phone (856) 266-8898 or email for full program details! 

However, everyone wants and deserves a great value and lately I’ve found plenty of opportunity for this in the travel industry . This doesn’t mean those ads you see in the paper that claim some unbelievable package like “$299 for a week in the Jamaica” which really ends up being $1000 when all is said and done. This means good prices for quality products. 

Here are a few examples of value that I have found when working with clients and that I’ve been provided by well-respected suppliers that I trust:  

1.  Flights to Europe – For a while, it was tough to get to Europe for under about $1100. Recently, I have found nonstop flights to cities such as Rome, Paris and Athens from $650 to $800 (depending on the city).

2.  The Caribbean – this entire group of islands seems to be on sale! Some of the best prices I’ve seen are at Sandals and Beaches, which are offering multiple nights for free along with a variety of other promotions. 

3.  Crystal Cruises – They are offering up to $2000 “all inclusive credit” on board – which basically means clients get up to $2000 per stateroom to spend on board or on certain shore excursions during their cruise. 

4.  Hotels – this seems to vary quite a bit by city. The best value I’ve found for quality and location (in normally expensive cities)  include Rome, Florence, New York City and London. 

This is the short list. There are great values to be had in virtually every aspect of travel. The trick is knowing where to find these values (or better yet, saving time and effort and having a travel professional find them for you). It also seems that these prices tend to change a bit more rapidly, so when you find what you like, best to lock it in! 

So, without further adieu…. Chimera Travel is offering each TraveLuxe subscriber up to $300 off their next vacation, just for signing up to receive TraveLuxe. 

Now, I’m sure you are wondering, as I do with virtually all promotions I encounter, “where’s the catch”. Well, there are only a few easy rules:

1. You must still be subscribed to TraveLuxe when you book your trip (so you can’t sign up today, win tomorrow and unsubscribe – we want to truly make this something for our current readers).
2. The trip must be a full vacation, as opposed to just one piece of a travel arrangement such as one night at a hotel or a flight only. Discount will be determined upon completion of travel itinerary (before booking).
3. You must contact Chimera travel to start planning your trip between the time of this post and by August 15th. This does not mean you have to travel by that date, or even have your trip booked – you just have to begin the booking process by that date. 

In addition to this promotion for each TraveLuxe subscriber, with the release of each TraveLuxe issue, one traveler will be chosen (at random) to receive up to an additional $300 off their next vacation. There you have it – a have a chance to receive up to  $600 total off your next vacation while enjoying bimonthly travel articles, tips, photos and more! 

How to sign up?  Visit www.chimera-travel.com and add your email address in our Sign Up Now box and you’re done. 

I look forward to sharing our next issue of TraveLuxe with you and helping you spend up to $600 less on your next vacation!