5 Steps toYour Free &Easy HolidayPlann<strong>in</strong>g your own holiday is not as terrify<strong>in</strong>g as itseems, it just takes some time and effort. Besides, acustomised holiday will guarantee you maximumsatisfaction, <strong>in</strong> terms of comfort, pace, activitiesplanned and meal options. Here’s how to get started.STEP 1: Book your flightThe first order of the day is to secure seats on your preferredflight. Besides choos<strong>in</strong>g between full-service airl<strong>in</strong>es versusbudget “no-frills” airl<strong>in</strong>es for cost consideration, take noteof the number of stopovers and transit time at each stopas well. You don’t want to end up spend<strong>in</strong>g 6 hours <strong>in</strong> anairport transit area just to save that few tens of dollars. Also,pay attention to the arrival time of the flight. To maximisesightsee<strong>in</strong>g time at your dest<strong>in</strong>ation, choose an earlymorn<strong>in</strong>g flight, or an overnight flight that arrives first th<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong> the morn<strong>in</strong>g. But do note that your hotel room might notbe ready for check-<strong>in</strong>, so you have to leave your bags at thehotel or left-luggage facilities at the airport or tra<strong>in</strong> stations<strong>in</strong> some cities. On the contrary, if you want to check-<strong>in</strong> tofreshen up before beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g your day, then time your flightsto arrive after 1 or 2pm. Plan similarly for your depart<strong>in</strong>gflight.STEP 2: Choose a hotelChoos<strong>in</strong>g the hotel’s location pretty much depends onyour it<strong>in</strong>erary. If you are go<strong>in</strong>g budget and tak<strong>in</strong>g publictransport, choose a hotel next to a subway station, so thatyou don’t have to lug your bags all around town. Or say youhave an early morn<strong>in</strong>g tra<strong>in</strong> to catch to your next dest<strong>in</strong>ation,then choose a hotel near the tra<strong>in</strong> station, so that you donot risk miss<strong>in</strong>g your tra<strong>in</strong> due to the morn<strong>in</strong>g traffic. If youare plann<strong>in</strong>g to do some major shopp<strong>in</strong>g, pick a hotel onthe ma<strong>in</strong> shopp<strong>in</strong>g street to allow for frequent pit stops todrop off your shopp<strong>in</strong>g bags and freshen up. Sometimes,rather than fork out good money for a town hotel, it may becheaper to stay near the airport where hotel rates are likelyto be lower and you can commute to town. Once you havenailed down the location, then it’s easier to sieve throughthe different hotels on offer and pick one to your lik<strong>in</strong>g.STEP 3: Make a list of thesights you want to seeDo your research beforehand, on websites, travel portals,guidebooks, and make a list of the sights that you wantto see. Note down their open<strong>in</strong>g hours (especially formuseums), subway stops, bus services and websites. Checkout the attraction’s website for more <strong>in</strong>formation, like what’son offer, special promotions, extended open<strong>in</strong>g hours orclosure dates. If you would like to venture out on day trips,note down which days the trips are operat<strong>in</strong>g and if there aredifferent prices for different days. List down the restaurantsand local foodstuff that you want to try <strong>in</strong> the same way.F<strong>in</strong>ally, complete the list with the “errands” – chocolates forthe co-workers, souvenirs for the family, time for submitt<strong>in</strong>gthe tax refund at the airport. This will give you a completepicture of what you <strong>in</strong>tend to achieve on your holiday.STEP 4: Group the sights andactivities; Allocate timeGroup attractions and meal plans <strong>in</strong> the same area togetherand visit them on the same day, so that you can save timeand money on travell<strong>in</strong>g and see more. Decide how muchtime you are go<strong>in</strong>g to spend at each location. For example, ifthere is a huge museum on your list, allocate a good half oreven one day for it, so that you do not have to rush throughthe exhibits. If you have certa<strong>in</strong> must-sees, schedule themat the start of your trip. In case of unforeseen circumstanceslike bad weather, you would still have other days to attemptthem. For your day trips, alternate them with your citysightsee<strong>in</strong>g, so that the coach or tra<strong>in</strong> journey can double upas a break from all the walk<strong>in</strong>g.STEP 5: Plan transportationTo get to and from the airport, first of all, check if your hoteloffers a complimentary airport shuttle. Otherwise, hail<strong>in</strong>ga cab is the most convenient way. But there are other costfriendlyoptions as well, such as city shuttle services, airportexpress tra<strong>in</strong>s or shared hotel transfers. You can usually f<strong>in</strong>dthis <strong>in</strong>formation on the airport’s website. To get around thecity, most urban cities would have a comprehensive subwaynetwork that you can depend on, with many offer<strong>in</strong>g daypasses or tourist passes which are usually a good deal.However, do take note of limited express tra<strong>in</strong>s which onlycall at certa<strong>in</strong> stops and keep a map of the subway systemwith you for easy reference. Buses might be a tad morecomplex to navigate, but you can always plan your routebeforehand and consult the friendly bus driver when <strong>in</strong>doubt.20Now that you have everyth<strong>in</strong>g thought out, type them down <strong>in</strong>to a day-by-day it<strong>in</strong>erary, together with yourflight details and a map to your hotel. Include emergency numbers such as the airl<strong>in</strong>e customer service number,hotel contact number and embassy contact number. And you’re done!
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