7 tips to make the most of your holidays

That’s it, you’re almost there, vacation time has finally come and you can already see yourself discovering the thousand and one wonders of the destination for which you have set your sights. Whether it’s for a few days or a few weeks, you want to take advantage of it and there’s no way a little grain of sand will disturb this long-awaited vacation.

So even if you’re the type to love improvisation and want to live from day to day, if you want to make the most of your trip, there’s nothing like a little organization. Once there, this will allow you to enjoy every moment and activate the relaxation mode.

Take a look at the blogs to help you plan your vacation

My first instinct, even before buying my train or plane ticket when I decided on the destination of my vacation, is to go to the blogs that talk about my destination . I’m sure to find 2 or 3 blogs that will give me good advice, things to do or avoid and that will unfold a day-by-day schedule that I will just have to adapt according to the duration of my trip.

If you are traveling with your children, your holidays look for a blog that explains the different places in your destination to do with your children. Because it is clear that a trip with or without a child is not at all the same type of trip. Whether it’s London, New York, La Rochelle, Barcelona or the Côte d’Azur, reading the blogs, you will examine the destination and can get an idea of ​​what to do during your days, especially if your getaway is short. duration.

Book the activities that seem essential to you in advance

Once you know what to expect after reading the blogs, I advise you to determine the different tours and activities that you absolutely want to do . You must then book them in advance on a site like Hello tickets for example, to be sure to have places and not to have to queue once there. With this type of platform, you can book your tickets for guided tours, special events, activities and tourist stays, while taking advantage of very attractive prices.

There are in particular visits which are impossible to do if you have not taken your places in advance, such as the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona or Park Güell (I speak knowingly, I have never managed to get tickets in 3 days on site in Barcelona). If you go to New York, you will have to book your visit to the Statue of Liberty, the same for the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Madame Tussaud wax museum in London or a guided tour of the Vatican.

So of course, you will have to plan a little, especially if you are interested in several activities and visits. However, once there, you will congratulate yourself for having opted for this option when you see the queues or people being refused entry to certain sites.

I always discover a city or a region with a guide. I choose it carefully, because I like illustrated guides, not too big, which offer routes and which still give enough explanations about the places I visit. The guide allows me to find my bearings, not to miss out on cool visits and I like to tick off what I have done.

I avoid guides that give too much importance (and pages) to restaurants, because that’s not what I’m looking for when I travel. I also avoid guides that are too big or too heavy, especially if I’m only traveling for a few days when I know I’m going to be walking for hours and it’s going to weigh down my bag. So, I always buy it in bookstores and never online.

Book the right accommodation for your vacation

That’s it, you are sure of your destination. You have checked that you can reserve your places for visits and activities on the right dates. So you can get started in choosing your accommodation. Hotel, rental accommodation, camping, unusual accommodation , it’s up to you to see what you want. However, if I had to give you one piece of advice, it would be to prioritize the situation.

Being well placed will allow you to return in the middle of the day if you are tired, especially if you are with the children who have to take their nap. Going out in the evening for dinner in the nice part of town if the hotel is on the opposite side will be a real challenge! Thus, I always check the location of my hotel and too bad if the room is smaller for the same price or if there is no swimming pool!

Do not try to cheat with your cabin bag if you are traveling low cost

You have taken a flight with Easy Jet, Transavia or another Ryanair and you are traveling with your cabin suitcase. So, a little advice if you don’t want to get into a fight with the ground staff when boarding: follow the instructions concerning the baggage policy , because these companies have really tightened their controls.

Easy Jet now charges for small hand luggage in addition to the cabin suitcase and your handbag must therefore fit in your cabin suitcase if you have not taken an additional option. Otherwise, it will cost you an additional €29 per flight. With Ryanair, the free cabin baggage is very small (size of a small backpack) and the cabin suitcase must be taken as an extra.