Travel Planning

Lesson 2: Restriction Questions

Purpose of Travel

The next restriction is Purpose of Travel. Purpose of travel includes your overall purpose for taking your vacation. This includes any obligations you may have during your trip.

On the same piece of paper as you did the previous exercise write the title “Purpose of Travel”. Then write down all of your reasons for going on this trip under this title. Start out quite general: for business or pleasure. Then get more complicated: a business meeting, a convention, visiting relatives or friends, a family trip, a family commitment, a wedding, a romantic getaway, an adventure, to relax, the trip of a lifetime, etc. The list of possible travel purposes is endless. Furthermore, there is no wrong answer. Write what you think.

You may now have only a single Purpose of Travel written on your paper. However, you may have found that the purpose of your trip fits into several categories. Perhaps, your romantic getaway is your trip of a lifetime. Perhaps the purpose of your holiday is both adventure and relaxation. Again, there are no wrong answers. You may have one purpose for your travel or several.

Next, write down whether your trip is local, cross-country, cross-continental, or overseas. Write all categories that apply. If you are not yet sure where your vacation will take you, write those you’d prefer or all that you think may apply.

Finally, write down any specific commitments you must attend or places you must go to during this vacation. Write these in point form. Don’t forget to write the type of commitment as well as the place, time, and date. For instance, Business Meeting, Houston, March 3, 2:00-5:00 pm.

Not all commitments are formal events such as a business meeting, a wedding, or a reunion. Commitments can also be informal. For instance, since you are in the area you have to make a courtesy visit to old friend or a relative. Write these informal commitments on your paper in point form. If you have any specifics write these down as well. For example, Visit Grandma, Houston, ?,afternoon.

You may want to add stars to or highlight those commitments you can’t miss. If you have quite a few commitments that you may want to organize these according to date and time. You may even want to make a chart with four columns: Commitment, Place, Time, and Date. Then, simply insert all of your commitments in order according to date and time. Nonetheless, with this list in hand, you now know that you have to be in Houston by the afternoon of March 3. You also know that at some point you should schedule an afternoon visit with Grandma. Moreover, you now know that you have at least one morning and evening free. It is during these free times that you may want to add a few of your own want and desire activities.

Furthermore, now that you have to spend two days in Houston you may decide to take a few extra days and drive to Houston. Since you have plenty of time, you may decide to stay at a bed and breakfast within walking distance of a horse riding stable rather than the hotel across the street from your business meeting.

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