So, you’ve traveled comfortably and arrived at your destination. What steps can you take to have a great vacation?

• Spend some time before your trip researching your destination either through guidebooks or on the Internet. Pick a limited number of destinations (less than 10) that are absolute must-sees.
• Print out or purchase a good map of your destination and spend some time familiarizing yourself with the location of your hotel and getting a basic sense of the city’s layout.
• If there are some things you really want to see, make reservations before you leave. DO NOT over-schedule. You don’t want to spend so much time running around that you are more exhausted when you get home than you were when you left.
• Leave time for just wandering about, enjoying your surroundings.
• Take at least a day to live like the locals. Maybe spend an afternoon at an outdoor café or walking through a park.
• Try to plan different types of activities: some physical activities like hikes or long walks — or take advantage of local athletic activities like zip-lining or boating; some cultural activities, like museums or concerts; some intellectual activities, like museums and historic sites; and, some fun, like local eateries and shopping.
• Have some basic plans, but stay flexible so that you can take advantage of opportunities as they arise.
• As you wander about, keep an eye out for posters and other announcements. You may find the most amazing opportunities. That’s how I saw world class tennis in London.
• Have an option or two in your back pocket just in case the weather is bad.
• Carry a few cards with the name, address, and phone number of the place where you are staying. If you get lost, you can hand the card to a taxi driver.
• Go a little bit outside your comfort zone. So you look silly? You’ll never see these people again anyway. Why do you care what they think?