Traveling is more user-friendly than it’s ever been before. Long gone are the days when there was no option but to go to a travel agent who would arrange everything for you. Now, many people have taken into their own hands the details of planning and booking their vacations.
However, if you’re going to a destination you’ve never visited before, the process can be intimidating. With so many moving pieces, from the hotel rooms to connecting flights to booking activities and beyond, travel planning can become time-consuming and even confusing.
Luckily, middle-of-the-road options exist for travelers who don’t want the extra expense of using an agent, but who would still like the convenience of having the small details worked out on their behalf.
One of the simplest, and often most economical, ways to travel is on a cruise. The short story is: You book your cruise based on where and when you want to go, you embark, you enjoy. The longer story is: Taking a cruise packs a lot of value into one price, since it includes your food, your lodging and the travel costs of moving between ports of call that are far apart.
Cruise lines go just about anywhere in the world these days, touching on all seven continents. While cruises to tropical climates will always be popular, many travelers looking for a little something different opt for Europe cruises. If you want to visit multiple countries with minimal hassle, a cruise of the Old World might just be your best option. Sail around the Mediterranean or down a legendary waterway like the Danube — no matter what route you chose, you’ll enjoy a vacation packed with cultural delights.
If you don’t have your sea legs, you don’t need to worry. There are still easy ways to plan a vacation to destinations both exotic and familiar. Seasoned travelers know that it’s all about the Web these days. On travel sites like Travelocity.com, you can plan out all the essentials without having to do any real digging. Type in the destination you want to go to, and you can find airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars and more, all in one place.
So, for instance, if Costa Rica vacations are on your wishlist, you can start by searching for an airfare to the capital, San Juan, or you can search for flights and hotels (or flights, hotels and car rentals) at once. In addition to making planning a bit easier, opting for a vacation package can help save money.
If you’re ready to just kick back and relax without a care in the world, a cruise might be your best option. While a vacation package certainly makes the initial planning stage easy, it also allows you some extra added options when it comes to where you’ll go and what you’ll see in your destination. Whether a cruise line or a vacation package is the right option for you depends on how much flexibility you want in your vacation.
