How to Get Inspired for Your Next Vacation – Without Leaving Home!
1. Start Day Dreaming
Where is the first place you want to visit once we get the ‘all-clear’ ? Do you already have that first weekend getaway in mind? How about that trip abroad you’ve been thinking about for next year? Now is the perfect time to dream and discover new places. If you’re into the great outdoors, check out Glacier National Park in Montana or the stunning scenic train journeys through Switzerland & the Alps. If a city vibe is more your style, consider bohemian Budapest, vibrant Prague or perhaps a visit to the quaint villages of Cinque Terre by train. Whatever your interests, why not take this opportunity to add some new places to your bucket list?
2. Explore Cultural Sites & Famous Landmarks – from your Living Room
One silver lining of being stuck at home is that there are more options than ever for armchair traveling! Take advantage of the abundance of online resources to virtually visit a museum, see an opera or take in incredible vistas to get a taste for places to visit when travel bans are lifted. Check out incredible Renaissance art on 360-degree tour of the Vatican or lose yourself in the Louvre as you search for the Mona Lisa. View live webcams of Glacier National Park in Montana, the Grand Canyon and the spectacular Banff and Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies! You can also join one of Railbookers live virtual tours hosted by our rail experts!
3. Plan a Travel Themed Dinner
If you like to get creative in the kitchen, plan a travel-themed dinner to get inspired for your next vacation, it’s easier than you think! When I was in Rome last year, I tried the amazing pasta dish “cacio e pepe” at just about every restaurant we visited (purely for research purposes, you’re welcome). I was thrilled to recently learn that I could recreate the dish at home with only 4 ingredients! Another favorite was savoring a piece of the amazing Sachertorte chocolate cake and Viennese coffee before visiting the famous Wiener Staatsoper (Vienna Opera). You’ll be happy to know that you can create a similar evening at home – the Sacher hotel has released their famous recipe and you can stream performances of the opera in your living room - just light a few candles for ambiance and you’re practically there!
4. Practice a Language
Another fun way to pass the time when you’re stuck at home is to brush up on some conversational language skills! There are several free apps that will help you start from scratch or dust off your rusty vocab from your school days. While you might not become an expert linguist before your trip I can say from experience that it’s a lot of fun to try and order fondue in German at a small café in Zurich or select the right bottle of wine in rusty Italian aboard the incredible Venice Simplon-Orient Express with my terrible accent. The locals appreciate the effort and it will start some great conversations!
5. Dive into the Details
One of the most frequently asked questions I get is “what to pack”, usually from folks who are catching their flights in the next day! It’s never to early to think about some of these details like what you might want to pack, where you might like to eat or what you must see in your destinations! While train travel does allow for some generous luggage (2 checked and 2 carry-on per person for Amtrak in the USA and often no limit in Europe!) one thing to always keep in mind is to only pack what you can comfortably carry! I speak from experience as someone who has tried to maneuver two heavy suitcases through the narrow cobblestone streets of Dublin in my younger days in a rush to catch my train (another pro-tip – set your wakeup alarms for your trip ahead of time so that you don’t forget after a night of exploring the local pub culture). Check out some great advice on packing and life onboard the trains on our website!
6. Consult the Experts
Wondering what life is like onboard a sleeper train? Trying to decide the best way to spend your time in Venice or the Canadian Rockies? Wondering how to best navigate changing trains or planning your train route in Europe? Use some of your free time to check out our live broadcasts or travel stories from our staff! At Railbookers we have a saying - “we know because we go” – because our team have been all over the world and we want to pass some of that firsthand knowledge on to you!
7. Start Planning!
The best way to get inspired to travel is to start planning your next trip! We might not be able to leave the house yet, but with Railbookers you can plan and book your next train vacation up to 2 years in advance! So get ready to start checking some places off that bucket list and give us a call. I might be writing to you from my kitchen table while trying to keep a curious cat from sitting on my keyboard, but whenever you’re ready – we’re standing by and ready to help!
