- Rule out Disneyland, any beach and camping. These places are off limits (this is mostly my rule).
- Choose a general location based on where you have not been yet.
- Choose a location based on architecture you have not seen yet. (Why do you go on vacation?)
- Choose a specific location based on restaurants you have not eaten at yet and don’t have at home.
- Choose a location that has a history that precedes the century your parents were born.
- Visit places that you cannot see anything like at home.
- Find places that allow you to sight-see without needing a car. In other words, you’ll need to walk (or use public transportation) for some part of your vacationing plans.
- Find places that will make for great photographs.
- Find places that have unique bookstores and coffee shops.
- And last, but probably most important, choose places that make your family happy (without breaking the first rule).
I would disagree with #1, #2 (... what about family?), and #5, although I do prefer older locales. And in thinking about my own vacation-planning habits, here are some ways how Marcus and I pick out our honeymoon destination:
- Determine the area of the world that you most want to explore -- either one of you has never been there, or one of you really wants to go back. [Europe]
- Choose countries based on burning personal interests. [France, the UK]
- Choose specific locations while balancing places you would love to return to vs. places (architectural or otherwise) you have not been yet but have wanted to go to for a while... along with the time frame and budget. [Paris, Mont St. Michel, London, Edinburgh]
- Hone the itinerary by concentrating on visiting a few places for longer periods of time, and choosing areas with unique local culture, food, and sights. [Paris, Mont St. Michel, Glasgow, Scottish Highlands, Edinburgh]
- Confirm your choices based on local events and the number of tourists who will be there at that time. [New Year's in Paris; Tourist sights advise going to Scotland only between May and October. Check.]
- Find activities that will make for awesome photographs. ['Stalking' in the Highlands, Mont St. Michel at low tide, Parisian cemeteries]
- Ask for recommendations on good food, unique bookstores and coffee shops, off-the-beaten path sights, that sort of thing.
- Choose places that the both of you can agree on and get excited about. [Check!]
- Don't get uptight about the rules. It's not a rational process, after all.
