How do you guys plan a trip to an unknown country?

[I2icky]

So I've always wanted to go on some trips in countries that I've never been before on my own, and I've always found it hard to plan without going on a tour. How do you guys manage to plan a trip without knowing too much about the country you're going to? I've always worried about getting lost, etc.

[originalnutta]

So I've always wanted to go on some trips in countries that I've never been before on my own, and I've always found it hard to plan without going on a tour. How do you guys manage to plan a trip without knowing too much about the country you're going to? I've always worried about getting lost, etc.

guidebooks.
internet (forums).

[ClemixMedia]

go to those tour agencies, get the itinerary for the country you want to visit.. maybe even have them explain to you for a bit. Take the itinerary home and google those places up to see if you are interested.

and also do a lot of research on your own too.. go to sites like wikitravel and forums to get some unbiased info/reviews

[pmc]

Trip Advisor reviews and then locals when i'm there, but it depends on the country i'e if it's a absolute non-english country or a language i don't speak half decent i have hired local guides via travel agency or online but mostly via agency more safer. The most unknown country i've been too is West Africa...i'll never go back anytime soon guide or no guide.

[IronMac]

The most unknown country i've been too is West Africa...

That's not a country...it's a region. :lol:

Anyways, I've been to several countries where I have had little prior knowledge and where English is something most people learn from their TV, if they had one. How did I get around?

A. There are always locals with a smattering of English.
B. Tourism is big business, there are almost always spots where you can buy or pick up a map.
C. Get a guidebook for the region if not for the country.
D. Smile a lot.

I've been to Belgium, Holland, France, Monaco, Italy, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Egypt based on the above and this was before the Internet.

[I2icky]

Thanks a lot guys.

But in terms of a local travel agent, is it possible in most cases to locate one when you actually get there? Would the hotel concierge (assuming that you're staying in a Sheraton or whatever) be helpful in those cases?

[GemInite]

Guidebooks is always the start.

When I travel I just pick a city/country I'm interested in. I then do some early internet research first just to see if there's things I want to see/do there.

If I'm still interested generally speaking I try to figure out if it's possible to get there and if it fits into my scheduling . e.g. If I'm in Western Europe, I'll try stay in Western Europe, unless I can get an overnight train blah blah blah.

Once I've settled I pick up a guidebook and read about all the neighbourhoods and attractions, that tends to give me a good sense of the geography.

[Maximaro]

I've been doing this a lot this past year. Basically I start off with finding a country I want to visit, or the city if I'm very specific, and just Google the heck out of it. I read forums, travel Wiki, general Wikipedia, and use a bit of Trip Advisor. If they all to visit the same places,then I mark those as the big ones.

Accomodations are one of the last parts I worry about since I do a lot of reading on which areas are fun and which areas are dangerous first. Then I usually make an itinerary of things I want to accomplish each day by clustering all the nearby ones together, and what not.

[teknoluv]

Before there was the Internet (to me), I had planned a very successful trip of 6 weeks to Western Canada when I was still living in Hong Kong back in 1993, using mostly tourist guide books. I even booked hotels/motels and car rental ahead with a few long distance calls.

[pmc]

What unknown country are you thinking of? :D

Yes if you're stuck in West Africa with no travel buddies it is a country :p

[IronMac]

But in terms of a local travel agent, is it possible in most cases to locate one when you actually get there? Would the hotel concierge (assuming that you're staying in a Sheraton or whatever) be helpful in those cases?

Definitely.

[Mulder and Scully]

Essentially you're asking, "How do I learn about something I know nothing about?" The answer is: Research.

How to get travel ideas:
- Read the travel section in newspapers and magazines.
- Read online travel forums and blogs.
- Watch TV travel shows, documentaries and movies.
- Talk to friends and family.
- Pick up a tour book at any travel agent.
- Check the online sites of tour operators.

How to find out flight pricing:
- Go to Expedia and Air Canada's websites. Select the dates you want, then select other random dates throughout the year to find out what flights might cost at different times of the year for knowledge and comparison purposes. Use other booking sites as you see fit.

How to decide on an itinerary:
- Pick up a tour book at any travel agent.
- Read online travel forums and blogs.
- Pick up a travel book at the bookstore (it's better to buy than to borrow from the library as you'll have one that's more up to date and you'll be able to write and make notes in it).

How to find lodging:
- I do a broad search on Google, then narrow it down by the area where I want to stay and then by price. I then go on Trip Advisor and read the reviews.

Most importantly:
- Use Google to search the answers to your questions. Look up local maps, reviews, the political situation if it applies, the weather, modes of public transportation, how to get from the airport to your hotel, local costs, etc. Imagine if you were moving there and think of the most basic things you would want to know.

[pmc]

If you're traveling to a "well traveled" destination, there are tourist info almost everywhere now if you're going to travel to places like The Congo, you may have to make life insurance plans :D
If you're the type not knowing when you're getting into trouble and not being able to get out of it, just stick with the guided tours.

[{PolarBear}]

I've been doing this a lot this past year. Basically I start off with finding a country I want to visit, or the city if I'm very specific, and just Google the heck out of it. I read forums, travel Wiki, general Wikipedia, and use a bit of Trip Advisor. If they all to visit the same places,then I mark those as the big ones.

Accomodations are one of the last parts I worry about since I do a lot of reading on which areas are fun and which areas are dangerous first. Then I usually make an itinerary of things I want to accomplish each day by clustering all the nearby ones together, and what not.

This is almost exactly what I do, and it works well.

[Robin Masters]

I've been doing this a lot this past year. Basically I start off with finding a country I want to visit, or the city if I'm very specific, and just Google the heck out of it. I read forums, travel Wiki, general Wikipedia, and use a bit of Trip Advisor. If they all to visit the same places,then I mark those as the big ones.

Accomodations are one of the last parts I worry about since I do a lot of reading on which areas are fun and which areas are dangerous first. Then I usually make an itinerary of things I want to accomplish each day by clustering all the nearby ones together, and what not.

+1
Trip Advisor (including the traveller pics) can be enlightening. Also check out Flickr for pics of attractions or towns.

[MoonDoggy]

I find the question somewhat weird. Unless someone or work asked you to go there, there must be something you want to see for you to plan a trip for the visit.

For myself, I generally plan what I want to do there first (thru internet), then make my reservations based on that. Recently, I've actually found minimal research to be a bit more fun because you're going with no expectation. Just ask the locals, what fun to see, then go from there.

[pmc]

I find the question somewhat weird. Unless someone or work asked you to go there, there must be something you want to see for you to plan a trip for the visit.

For myself, I generally plan what I want to do there first (thru internet), then make my reservations based on that. Recently, I've actually found minimal research to be a bit more fun because you're going with no expectation. Just ask the locals, what fun to see, then go from there.

I would advise not doing that if you're going to NewFoundland, them Newfies are like martians, same applies to those frenchies :D

[pacman99]

Trip Advisor (including the traveller pics) can be enlightening. Also check out Flickr for pics of attractions or towns.
Careful with tripadvisor though, especially when it comes to accommodation reviews. Last year when I went to Vancouver and was looking for accommodation, I found a relatively cheap hotel with excellent ratings. When we got there, it was completely opposite to what was written. It definitely wasn't family friendly at all and we could hear what people were doing in the room beside us....which wasn't exactly something a child should be hearing. We switched hotels after a night. Later we found out from locals that this hotel was a popular trucker's/single's destination and that's why we had the experience we had.

I've also read of other people have similar experiences. Here's a nice summary from about.com:

Trip Advisor is a travel opinion aggregator. Recently some hotels — especially those with less-than-glowing reviews — have tried inducing guests with discounts, free nights, gifts, and other bribes to post positive reviews that counteract negative statements. Some hotels also encourage staff members to post bogus positive reviews. While Trip Advisor aims to monitor and remove fakes, there's no way the service can totally eliminate them.
Source: http://honeymoons.about.com/od/tripcontests/gr/trip_advisor.htm

[Mulder and Scully]

Just ask the locals, what fun to see, then go from there.

Out of curiosity, how often have you yourself traveled to a random city and then went up to a random stranger to ask them "What's fun to see in this city?"

Who actually does that?