A Few Travel Planning Tips

AUDIO VERSION

By Linda Bartram

I recently returned from a month-long trip to Greece and Great Britain.  Originally, I had planned a 15-day trip to Greece with my sister in May and a trip to Britain with an elderly friend in the Fall.  The latter was moved up to this spring, so the two trips were combined into one month-long journey in May.

I usually do thorough research before travelling but the revised and extensive itinerary made this very time-consuming.  In hindsight, more planning would have enabled me to get more out of the sights we visited and avoid some of the challenges I faced.  Here are four lessons I learned that may make your next trip easier and more enjoyable:

1. So, my first tip is to keep your itinerary as simple as practical and keep your expectations realistic.

2. Definitely do your research!  An AI search can provide information about accessible independent travel, travel assistance and described tactile tours. If you ask the right questions, in a matter of seconds you will have information that would take hours to plough through with a Google search.  Ask AI to give you online references for the information it is providing so you can check for accuracy.  I then used the official websites when booking accommodation, travel and tours. 

3.  Do your planning well in advance of your departure date.  Arranging described tactile tours usually requires sending an email, often more than once, and responses may take weeks.  It has been my experience that it is worth the effort.

4. Beef up your smartphone skills and invest in an international phone plan recommended by a peer who has found it accessible.

One thing I discovered is there is an increasing expectation that travellers have access to, and are very comfortable with, a smartphone. During my planning and travels it became apparent that my technology skills were not quite up to what was required when travelling internationally these days.  I managed the online booking sites on my laptop which were, for the most part, accessible. Hard copy confirmations were still accepted but I anticipate that it won’t be long before it will be necessary to provide confirmation on your phone. I encountered QR codes on British Rail, the only way to order snacks and drinks. And of course, in order to use your phone outside of Canada, you need to purchase an international phone plan or use roaming services.  As my sister is very proficient with her smartphone, my elderly friend planned to purchase international minutes for his flip phone, and I would have access to free internet in hotels and on the cruise ships, I decided just to use roaming for the odd day I needed it. Unfortunately, this became necessary more than I had anticipated and I was not able to figure out how to make calls. Thank goodness I was able to receive them!

In follow-up blogs later this month, I will share some of my observations and highlights, including accessibility in Athens and Great Britain, flying solo from Athens to London, and my experiences with described and tactile tours.