By this time of year (end of March), we usually have our travel plans finalized. We love to plan early because it helps us secure the campsites we want and assists with our budget planning. Most importantly, we enjoy planning throughout the school year. The school year is almost over, so it’s uncomfortable not to have our plans in place.
We didn’t know what we wanted to do or where to go; who knew there was a reason! But our travel plans are nearly finalized now! We have planned several RV trips in the Midwest, including one along the Bourbon Trail through Kentucky.
In June, we will walk the Way of St. Francis (La Via di Francesco) from Florence to Assisi. The trail continues to Rome; we are confident we will eventually complete it, just not this year. It will be a challenging walk with significant elevation gain, but we have hiked through Italy before, and the views are breathtaking!
Photo credit: https://caminoist.org/st-francis-way/
Here’s a quick overview of how we start planning our trips.
What Can We Do
As we are both over 50, one of the biggest factors in deciding what to do and where to go is asking ourselves, “What can we do before our bodies will no longer allow us?” We are acutely aware that we are not getting any younger. I hope we have plenty of years ahead, but you never know where life will take you. We want to keep doing hard things, like hiking through Tuscany or climbing Machu Picchu, before it’s something we can’t do.
Early Planning Stages
With plans in mind, the real fun begins: we love coming up with what we want to see and do. We start by watching YouTube videos, as it’s enjoyable to observe what others consider important about the area we plan to visit. These videos present genuine experiences, often unrefined, offering a true account of the experience.
Time to Budget
Regardless of where we want to travel, our budget constraints largely determine the destinations we choose. I wish we could live budget-free lives, but that will never happen during our travels. Haha! We begin by considering what we want to spend and then move on to what we need. We include lodging, food, airfare, excursions, potential side trips we may wish to add, and souvenirs.
Dates and Routes
We look at the calendar and make sure we are making the smartest plans for the time we have to travel. It doesn’t make sense to travel all the way to Europe and spend the most amount of time. We always try to go over there for at least a month. There is so much to do and see in Europe, and your biggest expense is getting there.
Then, we consider which RV routes are sensible. If we have the time, we make plenty of stops along the way, meaning the actual destination isn’t very far. For instance, we don’t have much time for a long trip in June, so planning a Bourbon Trail trip through Kentucky is perfect for us. The destination is only a few hours away, and we’ll be staying at Harvest Hosts, so the stays will be free. If you are an RVer and not a member of Harvest Hosts, sign up here.
Creating a Spreadsheet
We love to create good spreadsheets. We have them for walking Caminos and RV trips with lots of stops. The spreadsheet includes where we are going, the miles/km to get there, what we want to do when we are there, our budget, etc. We are happy to share spreadsheets with you. Just drop us a message.
Trip planning doesn’t have to be a daunting task; in fact, it should be quite fun. It’s like a pre-vacation where your imagination can take you anywhere for free. If you need help, we LOVE to help people plan trips, drop us an email at cruisinwiththecolemans@gmail.com.
If you have any travel questions, send them our way! We love to help others. Who knows, you may inspire our next blog post. We hope you will follow our travels this year. We will highlight them on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, making reels and posting photos in real time as we travel.
Until next time – we hope your travels are fulfilling!
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