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For some people, the research they do before a trip is part of the fun of travel. Poring over piles of guidebooks, asking question after question on message boards, whiling away the hours reading travel blogs… There’s no end to the places where you can find information, and no end to the time you can spend researching your trip.
But is there such a thing as too much travel research?
BootsnAll member Angelinneveah recently asked this very question on the BootsnAll message boards, and although she’s afraid of getting overwhelmed by information, she’s also afraid that without enough research she’ll miss something important.
I bought a general Europe guidebook, and realized that there are so many things to do in each country that I got overwhelmed. (I get overwhelmed VERY easily). So I decided to do one country at a time. That seems to be much less stressful. So my question is…is there such a thing as too much research? I know some more or less pack up and board the plane, but I guess I’m afraid of missing something.
Angelinneveah wants to know – how do you do your travel research? How do you organize the information you gather? What research tips do you have for this traveler? Chime in on the BootsnAll boards!
February 21st, 2009 at 3:10 pm
The amount of research you do really depends on your personality type. If you know you’re the type that is going to freak because you don’t have every bit planned out from the time you get up until the time you go to sleep, go for it. If you like to wing it, adjust accordingly. You do the amount of planning that is going to make you the most comfortable.
For me, I know my flight/train/bus and my hotel/hostel. Everything else I decide once I get there. What to see and do changes as soon as you get there, so why try to plan it all when more than likely you’ll change anyway?
February 23rd, 2009 at 6:26 pm
I plan to go on a trip to Europe in the fall of 09 and I have limited myself to only online sources and straight forward question answer sessions with people i know that have done it, until the time gets closer because I think I will get burnt out by it if I buy the books on my list now. Also a lot of traveling has to do with what kind of stuff you are into. If you don’t like history and museums here then chances are they will be just as boring to you there (wherever there is). Don’t do what you thing “you should”, but do what you know you want!!!! Good Luck!!