The NYC Traveler: Tips to Plan Your Trip Around the World
- Sep 30
- 7 min read
An Introduction to Planning Your Own Trip
Disclaimer: This information is not intended to provide legal consultation. All links were accurate at the time of publication and will be monitored accordingly. MC Enterprises takes no responsibility. This article is based on personal experiences as a traveler who comes from the United States.
Many people express a desire to travel outside of their own country but they don't know how to get started. You can read our article about some of our ideas to help you decide what type of travel you want to do, but if you have decided to travel outside of the United States, you have already taken the first step.
Narrow your region: Canada, Mexico? The Caribbean? Europe? Or something more extensive such as the Middle East, Asia or Africa or even Australia? Maybe even a US territory such as Puerto Rico or one of the US Virgin Islands (Saint Croix, Saint John or Saint Thomas)? US territories are an excellent way to experience another culture without he need for a visa.
This article is intended for persons who live in the United States. To travel to other countries from your own country, make sure you know how to obtain a passport, visas and other basic information.
Traveling from the United States to other countries is exciting but it can also be confusing. Here are tips to plan your trip around the world:
Make sure your passport is current. Your passport should not expire within 3-6 months of the start of your trip. If you are traveling to a US territory, which some people call a foreign country, you will need REAL ID. This means places like Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islans, Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands.
To travel anywhere by plane within in the United States, you need what is called a REAL ID. So even if you think you won't go outside of the United States, an enhanced official ID or even a passport is needed. This means all 50 states and the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.).
Invest in both types of passport, including the card. You can use to the card to travel within the United States, as official ID for everyday life and to cross the border of some neighboring countries. When you don't need the book, you can leave it at home and worry less about losing it. You can also use the passport card for verification when getting a job, including day jobs (gigs), temp jobs, etc. It's a handy piece of ID to have. If you have a driver's license or non-driver's ID and a passport card, that's two pieces of ID right there. You can bring it on a cruise to get back on the ship instead of taking your book passport off at every port.
There are several ways to see other countries. Different methods of travel work better for different areas of the world. Sometimes you have to use more than one! For example, you can visit several Greek islands either by land, by plane, by ferry or all three! If you travel to several islands on one trip, traveling by plane from place to place can get tedious. But if you cruise to those islands, it's less of a hassle (if you can tolerate ship travel).
Meanwhile, you can see at least 3 European countries in one week using a combo of planes and trains. You can get to there initially by plane and then travel within the continent by train or a smaller airline. Tips To Plan Your Trip: Contact us for a virtual consultation with no further obligation.
If you do not come from an area where public transportation is the norm, know that public transit is part of normal life in many cities and countries. In fact, traveling by car within many cities will become expensive and frustrating: traffic, possible extra fees for tolls and detours to go around streets that may be closed to traffic. So, how do you learn how to get around a city when you don't do it in your every day life. Tip to plan your trip: try a domestic trip to a big US city to practice your touring skills before navigating Europe. Take a day trip if you live nearby or do a weekend trip in a big town. Download transit apps, have a GPS map on your phone and practice.
Sightsee by planning your own excursions, take guided tours, or a combination of both for your itinerary. Some people enjoy totally guided tours: all you have to do is show up. Some people like to plan their own adventures: you have more flexibility. Others like to mix and match: do a guided tour one of the days, wander around on another, have tickets for a self-guided tour of a museum or public garden for the third day. Eventually, you will learn what makes you feel the most comfortable but we encourage you to try to explore on your own when you can. There are some countries where guided tours make more sense, but for most travel, doing things on your own can be a lot of fun.
Fully Planned Trips & Tours: These trips are usually more expensive but everything is done for you: lodging, dining, sightseeing, excursions, activities and more. There is some individual time built in. This is worth it when it may not be safe to travel within a country on your own. These can be river cruises, an excursion at every port for a regular cruise or companies that do this. You can also use a travel agent to have a fully planned trip, starting with an all inclusive resort, car services to and from your locations and planned excursions for every day.
If you fly to your destination, there is a possibility it may not be a direct flight. In fact, there are some destinations where you don't want it to be a direct flight. A layover, an overnight stay or even a two hour connection time doesn't have to be an inconvenience, it's part of the trip. We had an unexpected layover once after our outbound flight was delayed. We missed our connection but the airline booked us on the next flight...six hours later. A perfect opportunity to see the city. We had checked our luggage all the way through (meaning we did not have to get it at the connecting city) and our carryon luggage wasn't cumbersome. All part of the travel experience.
As with all multiple stop flights, allow enough time to get to the next flight if you have a layover or have to change planes. You might also have to pick up your luggage, go to another terminal, check your luggage again and go through security again. However, long layovers don't have to be a total inconvenience. If your luggage is not checked through, check to see if storage is available and do a quick tour of the layover city. Or, explore the airport! They're like shopping malls. Allow enough time to get back to catch your flight, especially if you have to go through security again.
Do you really need a luxury hotel? Maybe a boutique hotel or an apartment will be good for you. You might even find one within walking distance to the train station or bus terminal that gets you back to the airport without paying for a car service. Use a GPS map to look at the hotel's address, the nearest mass transit location and the airport.
Sightseeing can be just that: seeing places without paying. Bad weather might prevent you from going up in the Eiffel Tower but you can still see it! The same goes for many famous sights. Figure out what is essential, pay for those to go inside and admire the others from outside. The more money you save, the more you can travel. Don't eat at fine dining establishments all of the time. Find a spot that locals use (ask the hotel concierge or ask local grocery store). Or, if you rented an apartment, buy local, real take-out (not junk), get a bottle of wine, and chill in the rental.
Many cities now have city passes: one fee that covers admission to many of the major places. There are different levels, such as how many days and how many places. Also, some places have lower prices later in the day or on certain days of the week. Research these before you book your trip to see if the days will coincide. Speak with a travel consultant who will tell you which companies are legit. City passes can save you time and money, but make sure it covers where you want to go.
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All photos and videos created and copyrighted by Marcia Crayton, unless otherwise noted.
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