• Do have a list of restaurants you want to check out based on your dietary preferences, the location of your hotel, and your budget. This can save you a lot of time searching when you are lost on where to eat.

I’m a sucker for all things candy, ice cream, and clever business names.

  • Don’t over book yourself.  I personally recommend you should have no more than one thing booked per day meaning, if you have a tour, don’t book anything else UNLESS if what you are booking is several hours later in the day (like, 5 hours+ later in the day) and it’s a short duration, like a show. Don’t book anything the day you arrive, especially if it’s all-sales-final. You never know if your flight is going to be delayed. I notice too many people don’t take into consideration how your body may feel after an activity. You may be hungry or tired so booking things back-to-back should never be done. Give yourself leisure in your day. If you book a walking tour/sightseeing tour, play out the rest of your day “by ear”. 

  • Be okay with booking certain tickets last minute. There are certain things that are never going to sell out and there is little to no discount for booking in advance (often, with no refund). Examples are museum tickets, first-come-first-service clubs/shows that have a cover charge, and hop-on-hop-off bus tickets. These attractions will still be there when you are in town and it will not make any difference with the quality you receive and the amount you will pay.

You do notwant to miss out on lifetime experiences. Had I not done my research about Puerto Vallarta, I would have never known about the Puerto Vallarta Zoo. Being able to seeing all the animals there and hold a baby lion changed my heart. I waited till I got to the zoo to purchase the $85 VIP ticket and am so glad I did because you never know what could happen.

  • Be okay with missing items when it comes to packing. Book what you honestly think you will need. Having the “what ifs” while packing is a waste of time, effort, potential heavy weight charges, and luggage space. You probably don’t need more than one bathing suit when you go on a cruise. You also probably don’t need several formal outfits and shoes when you only plan on going to dinner once or twice. Worst case scenario, if you come to an emergency, you can always find a local store to buy what you need. If you do pack something because “what if” it should be very reasonable: extra pair of contacts, medicine, aspirin, a concho/umbrella.

  • Do book your hotel in advance. Hotels can be the most expensive part of a trip. Hotels should be one of the first things you look at before making your flight purchase. Hotels quickly can go up from $100 to $400 a night. I booked my New Orleans hotel several months in advance and it saved me at least $500. 

  • Don’t bother with booking transfers in advance. They are more of a pain than worth it. So many people can’t find their pick up service or there is a long delay. Depending on where you are, you are better off taking public transportation, a taxi, or an Uber/Lyft. 

  • Do book weather-dependent trips early in your itinerary so you can re-arrange your schedule if needed in case the trip is cancelled. Examples of this are outside shows like luaus, dinner cruises, hot air balloon rides, and helicopter rides. Could you imagine having your dream activity cancelled the last day of your trip due to the weather, when the days leading up had perfect weather conditions? 
  • Do ensure whoever you book through, when booking online, received your reservation. Nothing is worse than booking something and the service operator does not have ANY record of your purchase. Especially when certain activities can sell out and technical errors are inevitable, it’s better to be safe than sorry and takes 5 minutes to make a phone call. Reconfirming is essential especially when purchasing last minute tickets are not possible like San Francisco’s Alcatraz and London’s Warn Brother Studios Harry Potter Tour. If whoever you book through does not have your booking the week of, you are are out of luck. Special tickets like these sell out months in advance and it’s beyond their control the company doesn’t have your booking. 

  • If a tour includes hotel pick up, I also would confirm the tour activity the day before to not only confirm there was no last minute cancellations (which happens more often than you think) but also to confirm pick up (if applicable). 
  • Do coordinate outfits if you are something something special. It’s super cute and matches the tone. Are you going to a theme park with a group of friends? Are you taking a spooky tour that is craving the dark and mysterious color black? Is a swamp tour giving you Indiana Jones vibes? (I acknowledge I may be a tad extra).
  • Do plan at least one tour. When I went to London, I booked two tours, one for Buckingham Palace and another for Stonehenge and honestly, I wish I would have book more activities because there are so many things to see outside of London like the Cliffs of Dover.  Tours definitely take the stress away if you don’t want to do everything yourself.
  • Before you consider going to a location, look at the annual events going on. It may be a reason to stay far away from the crowds or it may be the perfect reason to visit that location. Think of annual conventions, music festivals, state fairs, and concerts that could really make or break your trip. I personally would not recommend coming to Las Vegas when there a major convention in town like Consumer Electronics Show (CES) or Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) UNLESS if that is what you are interested in.