I'm going to try something different here, mostly because I'm talking to a wall 90% of the time. Instead of showing you guys the finished product, I'm going to show my personal trip planning process, as I attempt to put together my next trip. I'm hoping to go to Ireland, Scotland, and maybe Wales, in Spring or Summer of 2019. I want to spend three weeks there, and I want it to be magical and inspiring for my writing.
And for some of you, that might mean going to writer's houses. But honestly, that's never been my cup of tea. I am fantasy writer, and I want to visit all kinds of magical places, have good food, be by the ocean and in the forests. and otherwise have a magical adventure.
So, to do this, I first need to decide on a budget, where I'm going, when I'm going, and how I'm getting where I'm going.
I already have a rough idea of airfare -- A round trip ticket, at a good, well timed price, is about $700 to $1000 depending on when you fly and out of where.
I'm guessing my budget for three weeks is going to be anywhere from $5000 to $10,000 depending on how ambitious I get and if I decide to travel with a tour or not.
If I'm touring and I just stick to Ireland, and I make my trip 2 weeks instead of 3, I can probably wind up with trip costs being $3000 to $4000, including airfare, if I plan well. But I think the things I want to see might be off the beaten path, so right now, I'm not making a choice yet.
So far, I've got out a map, Atlas Obscura (hasn't been helpful yet, but you never know. I should also check the website), I have Hopper and Hipmunk installed on my phone, and I've been looking at some tour sights, as well as buzzfeed articles, to get an idea of where I want to go.
This is my favorite list, but I have others too. https://www.buzzfeed.com/timchester/20-magical-secret-places-in-britain-baqg?utm_term=.nh1M3Omkr#.aaEMekgAX
Other faves for UK
https://www.buzzfeed.com/chelseypippin/18-unmissable-british-places-you-must-explore?utm_term=.qjb8M1j9n#.lkzyB9m7w
https://www.buzzfeed.com/erinchack/surreal-uk-places?utm_term=.haYoWjXrw#.ok1gLkM1x
https://www.buzzfeed.com/ailbhemalone/visit-i-the-uk?utm_term=.ijY9gvP0w#.ln1oaL4lD
(some additional faves: https://www.buzzfeed.com/ariellecalderon/surreal-places-to-visit-before-you-die?utm_term=.utRmOENgd#.idGDzne9j
https://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahloewentheil/worlds-most-beautiful-places-for-travel?utm_term=.ldK0y23nW#.yuOaxYoEW
https://www.buzzfeed.com/melissaharrison/magical-travel-destinations?utm_term=.yheXRAkeP#.hqxJ4QVon )
I've also pulled out The Best of the Best places in the World by Reader's Digest as well, but what I really want to do is look through the Treasures of the Earth cards that are somewhere in our living room or in my mother's teaching supplies. There were some things I really wanted to check out there.
I'll also be keeping my eye on Mental Floss, just in case.
So far, I've been keeping my eye on GAdventures, since I have a friend who recommended them, but also this one here, http://www.cultureheritagetours.ie/?pagid=fairies-fables-folklore but I I'm not so sure about them, because other than not having existing dates, they also don't have upfront prices, which is never a good sign. Either way, I intend to have them checked out with a travel agent.
I've also consider http://wandertours.com/destinations/ireland/ because I know she's really cool (I own her book) but I don't think she has any going on right now, so I'll keep checking back.
And then, of course, I'm also thinking of designing my own trip!
But that's all for now!
Bye!
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