Many of us can reel off a list of bucket list destinations that we are yet to go to, so it would be brilliant to finally tick one of them off the list and fulfill an ambition.
Now is as good a time as any to start planning that memorable trip and maybe even coincide your plans with a special anniversary or a big celebration.
Here is a look at some ways to make that bucket list trip happen, including some suggestions for trips that tick all the right boxes, plus some savvy budgeting tips to help your money go further, and suggestions for paying the right price for your trip.
Looking for inspiration?
You might have a fixed idea in your head already as to what constitutes a true bucket list adventure, or maybe you could do with a few pointers to get your travel search started.
World cruises are a classic example of the trip of a lifetime. They offer you the chance to see a large number of different countries and cultures while staying in a luxury setting on a cruise liner.
If you want a once a lifetime opportunity to get up close and personal with the wonders of nature, the Galapagos Islands should be high on your list and would definitely qualify as a bucket list destination.
Once you are fired up with some great travel ideas the next step is to work out how to budget for that special trip.
Do the math
The plain facts are that once-in-a-lifetime special trips are not going to come cheap, although that is the point, but what you want to do at a really early stage is work out the total cost as best you can.
If you want to enjoy the experience and ensure that the trip itself goes as smoothly as possible you need to do the math and create a realistic budget.
Once you have an accurate picture of what your bucket list trip is going to cost, you can then see what financial resources you need to get all the money required. You can read here for details of personal loan options if you need to borrow some of the money.
In addition, work out how long you have until your planned departure and work out how much you can set aside each month from your monthly income towards the total cost.
Finding the right deal
If you are going to be spending a large amount of money on a special trip it makes sense to shop around and find the best possible deal by comparing all of your available options.
Sometimes it pays to book a package that covers all your travel itinerary in the one booking and on other occasions it can be cheaper to put all the components like flights and hotels together piece by piece.
There are no hard and fast rules on this so shop around and see which option offers the best savings.
Another good tip to take on board is that no matter how efficient you are with your budget estimations there is a fair chance that there could be some unexpected costs that might hurt your finances if you are not prepared.
Always factor in a bit of extra emergency cash that you then have available if you have to pay for something that was planned for.
Planning a memorable trip is not that challenging when you go about it in the right way and you have all the motivation you need when you consider where your plans will be taking you.
