Somehow and some way, it’s already December, and before we know it, 2019 will be here. Like, the next time you blink, it’ll be here.

For me, I’m already thinking about what are the goals I want to accomplish in 2019, and because I’m a travel addict, I’m also already thinking about where I want to travel in 2019 (and in 2020, 2021, etc., etc.).

For some people, starting to plan a vacation for the next year may sound daunting. Where to begin? How to decide where to go and when? And how to plan and budget accordingly? These are a few of the questions that go through my head when I think about where I want to go next year.

So, I thought I’d share some thoughts on how to plan for that 2019 vacation (or vacationS (with an ‘s’) if you’re like me and aren’t satisfied with just one). Here’s what works for me:

1. Figure out your travel priorities
Some people just want to go anywhere, doesn’t matter where. For others, they have a clear bucket list of the places they’ve always wanted to visit and they want to get to at least one of those places. It’s about figuring out what matters most to you with your travel planning.

2. Determine the times of year that work best for you
If you hold down a full-time job like me, it may mean you can’t take a trip just any old time. Or it may be that you have some other personal obligations that take priority, so use that to figure out when you could potentially travel.

3. Decide on how many days you want to travel and your budget
Are you looking for an extended weekend or a big two-week adventure? If it’s the latter, do you have the funds for this grand trip? You should look at all that from now so you know what, if anything, you need to do to make this happen.

4. Do some preliminary research
One of the things I often do is Google, “best time to visit [place].” I do this because sometimes where I want to go and when isn’t actually a good time to visit. I was looking up a trip to a city in Southern Africa the other day at a time when I wanted to go, but one quick search revealed it’s the monsoon season. I’m all for going outside of peak time but during a monsoon? Nah, I’m good.

5. Stay flexible
One of the big things I’ve learned with travel planning is to stay flexible to a certain extent. By this I mean, you may have to visit that place on your bucket list at a different time due to budget, or if you’re just looking to travel, you may have to act quickly and jump on whatever comes up. As much as I love planning, I also know it’s sometimes about being able to adapt to the situation you’re in.

Do you have any 2019 trips planned yet or tips for planning 2019 travels?