ClixYou's Personal
Travel Guides

[ travel dreams that could come true ]

My Travel Dreams

In this area you will find three kind of entries:

3 Weeks in Europe

This is my #1 dream today: a third trip to Europe. In the 1st one I went to Madrid, Paris, Florencia, Roma, Barcelona and Pamplona. In my second trip (see my travel photos in Memories from Europe 2006) I returned to Madrid , my entry point to Europe, and then I traveled to Rome, Venice, Athens, the Peloponnese and Istanbul.

This new trip should take me to Madrid again, to follow with Frankfurt, Berlin, Amsterdam, London, and Paris.

Quito & Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Just a dream, but I will go some day... From Wikipedia: "The Galapagos Islands [...] are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator, 965 kilometers (about 600 miles) west of continental Ecuador. [...] They are famed for their vast number of endemic species and the studies by Charles Darwin during the voyage of the Beagle that contributed to the inception of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection".

Easter Island, Chile

The most isolated island in the Pacific Ocean. I was there in 1985 and I would like to go back. From Wikipedia: "Easter Island (Rapa Nui in the Rapa Nui language, Isla de Pascua in Spanish), is a Polynesian island in the south eastern Pacific Ocean, at the south-easternmost point of the Polynesian triangle. The island is an overseas territory of Chile. Rapa Nui was first visited by Europeans on Easter Sunday of 1722. Easter Island is famous for its monumental statues, called moai; created by the Rapanui people. It is a world heritage site with much of the island protected within the Rapa Nui National Park".

How do I Plan My Trips?

I usually follow a very structured process when I plan my trips... Some of the steps can be executed in paralel, but they are never omitted. This is the idea:

  1. I define the locations I will visit and I make a rough estimate of the days for each location.
  2. I define the places to see at each location and I mark them in the map
  3. In paralel, I define detailed itineraries by day to cover every interesting place in each location. I also define some additional places to visit if I have free time.
  4. An important step is to surf the web to find recommendations and tips from photographers.
  5. I refine the estimate prepared in #1 and I look at transportation alternatives, selecting specific flights and trains.
  6. I start to look at the hotels for each location.
  7. With firm travel schedules I confirm hotel reservations.
  8. I'm done! Time to review my photo equipment and my packing list...

Would this process work for you? Some people would prefer a more adventurous approach. I would like to see your comments in my "With a Little Help From My Friends" chat box!