Choosing a Destination

Travel Tip #5

I heard about SkyScanner through the nomad grapevine about 2 years ago. Now it’s my go-to when choosing my next destination. I like it because it offers a “Fly Anywhere” option, where you can list a starting airport and see the cheapest or most direct flights.

While I’m usually open to traveling almost anywhere, I balance a few factors (which are different for everyone). These are my 5 considerations when choosing where to hop next (in order of priority):

• Schengen Zone - The zone comprises 29 countries: 25 EU Member States and 4 non-EU countries. I wrote about Schengen visa requirements while traveling in Europe. Check it out so you don’t get banned.

• Region - If I’m already in an area, it makes sense to stick around and explore. For instance, after my current stay in Eastern Europe, I’m considering 3 regional possibilities where I can travel overland between countries. Any recommendations?

  • Armenia/Georgia/Azerbaijan, or

  • Dubai/Oman, or

  • Serbia/Macedonia/Slovenia

• Visa - I generally stay only one month in each country so tourist visas usually work. If you do need a visa, most countries offer eVisas (it can be worth securing the visa ahead of time for peace of mind) or visas upon arrival. For Americans, you can find out visa requirements by country here.

• Seasons - I prefer to follow summer. I mean, why not?! That said, I’ve been in Cyprus and Turkey lately with temperatures of 100F/38C every day and it was a relief to breathe in the cool mountain air when I arrived in Bulgaria yesterday.

• Price - Lower on the list because unless I’m flying between continents, flights are generally under $300 which easily fits within my monthly budget. As an aside, I often don’t fly budget airlines because, with the extra fees they load on, it’s not that much cheaper. 🦋

✴️ Bonus Tip: Use the Been app to keep track of which countries you’ve visited. Here’s a snapshot of my travels—standing at 119 countries. Share your Been snapshot too!

How do you decide where to travel next? Are your travel priorities similar? Do you have a favorite travel app?

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Christened “Wander Woman” by National Geographic, Erin Michelson is a professional speaker and author of the Nomad Life™ series of travel books and guides, including the #1-ranked “Explore the World with Nomads.”