How to Choose a Destination That Actually Fits You

How to Choose a Destination That Actually Fits You

Egypt. The Appalachian Trail. The Pacific Crest Trail. The Himalayan Mountains.

Maybe one of those places has been sitting on your dream list for years. Maybe you have a picture saved on your phone, a Pinterest board full of ideas, or one of those destinations circled in your mind as the place you're finally going to visit someday.

But is it the right trip for you right now?

Well, that depends.

If you're traveling solo, are you comfortable taking on that particular destination by yourself? If you have a chronic illness, what will the walking, altitude, heat, cold, long travel days, or lack of rest do to your body? If money is tight, can you afford the trip without coming home to months of financial stress?

None of those questions mean you can't go.

They simply mean that choosing a destination should involve more than looking at beautiful pictures and thinking, I want to go there.

Because there is another question that may be even more useful:

Where can you reasonably go right now—and actually enjoy yourself once you get there?

That's what we're going to figure out in this article.

The best destination isn't necessarily the most exotic, the farthest away, or the one everybody on social media says you need to see before you die. It's the place that fits your body, your budget, your comfort level, your energy, and your life right now.

And "right now" matters.

A destination that doesn't fit you this year isn't necessarily off the list forever. Maybe Egypt is a later trip. Maybe hiking a portion of a famous trail makes more sense than trying to conquer the whole thing. Maybe the big international vacation waits while you take a three-day trip somewhere closer to home.

That's not settling.

That's learning how to get there your way.

Start With What You Want From the Trip

Before you start looking at airfare, hotels, tours, or lists of the "10 places everyone needs to visit," ask yourself something much simpler:

What do I actually want from this vacation?

Do you need rest? Adventure? A change of scenery?

Do you want museums and restaurants? Beaches and sunshine? Mountains and quiet? Music and nightlife? History? Food? Nature? Or do you simply need to get away from your regular life for a few days?

There is a big difference between choosing a destination because you genuinely want to experience it and choosing one because you feel like it's somewhere you're supposed to visit.

You don't have to travel the way everybody else travels.

That's something I talk about in Get There Your Way: Why There’s No Right or Wrong Way to Travel. Your vacation doesn't have to resemble anybody else's vacation to count.

You don't need ten attractions a day. You don't need to see everything. You don't need to choose the destination everybody else is posting about.

You need a trip that gives you what you came for.

Can Your Body Handle the Destination?

If you live with chronic illness, this is one of the most important questions you can ask—and it isn't always an easy one.

There's a difference between asking, "Can I physically get there?" and asking, "Can I enjoy myself once I'm there?"

You might technically be capable of walking miles every day. But what happens on day three?

You may be able to tolerate a long flight. But will you need an entire day afterward to recover?

What about stairs? Hills? Heat? Cold? Altitude? Uneven streets? Long lines? Transportation? Bathrooms? Places to sit?

And one of the biggest questions for those of us whose energy isn't predictable:

What happens if I wake up one morning and my body says no?

That's where planning becomes important. In How to Plan a Trip When Your Energy Is Unpredictable, I talk about building flexibility into your vacation instead of assuming your body will cooperate with every plan you make.

Look at a potential destination through that same lens.

A good destination for you should have room for a bad day.

Can you move activities around? Is there something enjoyable you can do without walking for hours? Can you get back to your hotel easily? Are there transportation options besides walking? Can you take an afternoon off without feeling as though you've ruined the entire vacation?

Sometimes the destination isn't the problem.

The way we planned to experience it is.

Don't Automatically Cross a Dream Destination Off Your List

This is important.

If your first thought is, Well, I can't do that anymore, stop for a minute.

Maybe you can't do it the way you originally imagined.

That doesn't necessarily mean you can't do it.

Maybe you dreamed about hiking a famous trail. You don't have to hike hundreds or thousands of miles to experience it. Could you choose an accessible section and hike a mile? Could you stay nearby and experience the scenery without doing the entire trek?

Maybe you've always wanted to visit a destination known for walking. Could you use public transportation, taxis, tours, mobility equipment, or strategically placed rest stops?

Instead of immediately asking:

Can I do this?

Try asking:

How could I do this?

Sometimes the answer will still be, Not right now.

That's okay.

But sometimes changing the question opens possibilities you hadn't considered.

Can Your Budget Handle It?

Now we get to the part nobody particularly enjoys talking about: money.

Dream trips can be expensive.

But the cost of a destination isn't just airfare and a hotel.

There may be transportation to and from the airport, baggage fees, food, admission fees, local transportation, travel insurance, tips, medications, airport parking, pet care, souvenirs, and those little expenses that somehow multiply once you leave home.

For travelers with chronic illness, there may be additional expenses that other travelers don't have to consider.

And if you're traveling solo, you're often paying the entire hotel bill yourself.

So don't just ask:

Can I afford to book this trip?

Ask:

Can I afford to take this trip without hurting myself financially when I come home?

Those are two very different questions.

If the answer is no, you haven't failed.

Maybe you shorten the trip.

Maybe you travel during a less expensive season.

Maybe you choose a nearby destination this year while saving for the bigger one.

Maybe you find a completely different place that gives you the experience you want at half the price.

Traveling on a limited income requires creativity, but limited money doesn't automatically mean limited experiences.

If You're Going Solo, Does the Destination Fit You?

There's also a difference between wanting to visit somewhere and wanting to visit somewhere alone.

If you're an experienced solo traveler, you may be comfortable landing in a country where you've never been, figuring out public transportation, navigating language differences, and changing plans when something goes wrong.

If this is your first solo vacation, that same trip might feel overwhelming.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't travel alone.

It may simply mean your first solo destination should help you build confidence instead of testing every skill you have at once.

Think about transportation. Language. How comfortable you are going to restaurants alone. Whether you feel confident navigating an unfamiliar city. What you'll do if your phone dies or you get lost. And, particularly if you have a chronic illness, what you'll do if you don't feel well.

My Solo Travel—Safety on the Road article goes deeper into preparing for some of those situations.

The point isn't to scare yourself out of going.

It's to prepare yourself well enough that you can actually relax once you get there.

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Trying to make travel fit your real life? You're in the right place.

Join the Single, Sick, and Broke Traveler community for practical travel advice for solo travelers, spoonies, caregivers, and anybody trying to see the world without an unlimited budget.



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Look at the Travel Day, Not Just the Destination

This is something that's easy to overlook.

You find the perfect place.

Then you discover it takes three flights, two trains, a bus, and a small miracle to actually get there.

The destination may fit you perfectly.

Getting there may not.

Look at the entire travel day before you book.

How early will you have to leave home? How many connections are there? How long are the layovers? What happens if you miss one? How far is the airport from where you're staying? Will you have to drag luggage through train stations? Will you arrive late at night?

For somebody with limited energy, the difference between a nonstop flight and two connections can be enormous.

Sometimes paying a little more for an easier travel day is worth more than finding the absolute cheapest ticket.

Cheap isn't always affordable if saving $75 leaves you exhausted for the first two days of your vacation.

What's Around You If Something Goes Wrong?

Nobody wants to plan a vacation around everything that could go wrong.

But knowing your options can actually make travel less stressful.

If you have a chronic illness, find out what medical care is available nearby.

If you're traveling solo, know how you'll get back to your accommodations if you don't feel well.

Check transportation options. Know whether your phone will work. Keep important information somewhere besides your phone. Look at pharmacies, grocery stores, and basic services near your accommodations.

You don't need to obsess over worst-case scenarios.

You just need a Plan B.

Sometimes knowing that Plan B exists is exactly what gives you the confidence to enjoy Plan A.

Give Yourself Permission to Choose the Easier Trip

We sometimes treat travel as though the harder the trip is, the more impressive it becomes.

I don't believe that.

You don't earn extra travel points because you took three trains instead of one taxi.

You don't have to stay in the cheapest accommodation if climbing four flights of stairs will leave you miserable.

You don't have to walk everywhere.

You don't have to backpack.

You don't have to stay in hostels.

You don't have to cram seven cities into ten days.

And you certainly don't have to come home needing a vacation from your vacation.

The easier trip may actually be the better trip.

Especially when the easier trip gives you enough energy to enjoy the reason you traveled in the first place.

But Don't Use "Realistic" as an Excuse to Keep Waiting

There's another side to all of this.

Sometimes we're genuinely choosing a destination that fits our lives.

And sometimes we're afraid.

We tell ourselves we'll travel when we have more money.

When our health is better.

When somebody can come with us.

When work slows down.

When we're thinner.

When we're stronger.

When life is less complicated.

And suddenly years have passed.

That's why I also wrote Stop Waiting for the Perfect Time to Travel: Why You Should Take That Vacation Now, Even If You're Single, Sick, or Broke.

Being realistic shouldn't mean waiting for your life to become perfect.

Because it probably never will.

There's a difference between saying:

This particular trip doesn't fit my life right now.

and saying:

Travel doesn't fit my life right now.

The first statement may be absolutely true.

The second one deserves another look.

If Egypt isn't possible, what is?

If Europe isn't affordable this year, what's three hours away?

If you aren't ready for two weeks alone, would you try three nights?

If hiking ten miles isn't realistic, what would happen if you walked one?

Don't let the trip you can't take stop you from taking the trip you can.

Try the Destination Test

Before you book your next trip, sit down and answer these questions honestly:

- Why do I want to go there?
- What do I want from this vacation?
- Can my body reasonably handle the travel day and the destination?
- Can I build rest into the trip?
- Can I afford the whole trip—not just the airfare and hotel?
- If I'm traveling alone, do I feel comfortable navigating this destination?
- What happens if I get sick or my energy crashes?
- Can I change plans without losing a huge amount of money?
- Is there an easier way to experience this destination?
- Am I choosing somewhere I actually want to go—or somewhere I think I'm supposed to go?
- If this destination doesn't fit me right now, what destination would?

And here's one more:

Am I being realistic—or am I just scared?

Only you can answer that one.

Your Dream Trip and Your Right-Now Trip Can Be Different

Keep Egypt on the list.

Keep the Himalayas on the list.

Keep that dream train ride, cruise, road trip, national park, African safari, European adventure, or month-long vacation on the list.

You don't have to throw away the dream because it doesn't fit today.

But don't spend the next five years sitting at home waiting for that one perfect trip either.

Take the trip that fits now.

Maybe it's three days instead of three weeks.

Maybe it's a road trip instead of an international flight.

Maybe it's a destination you've never considered because it isn't showing up all over your social media feed.

And maybe you discover that the trip you thought was your "second choice" gives you exactly what you needed.

Your life doesn't have to fit your vacation.

Your vacation can fit your life.

That's the whole idea behind Single, Sick, and Broke Traveler.

You don't have to travel farther.

You don't have to travel faster.

You don't have to travel like anybody else.

You just have to find the trip that works for you.

Get there your way.

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READY TO FIND THE TRIP THAT FITS YOUR LIFE?

Don't wait for perfect health, perfect finances, the perfect travel partner, or the perfect time.

Start with the life you have right now.

Explore more of Single, Sick, and Broke Traveler and start building a trip around you—your health, your budget, your energy, your comfort level, and what you actually want from your vacation.

The Single, Sick & Broke Traveler

Travel stories for the brave and budget-conscious.

Contact Me!

nessa@singlesickbroketraveler.com

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