Don’t Start Your Planning With Where You Want to Go. Start With This Instead.

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Nobody wants to come home from Germany with regrets! In this article I share 2 important questions I ask myself before I start picking out cities to add to my itinerary. These questions are worth pondering because the clarity you gain will shape your entire trip!

This article is also available as the Germany Travel Planning Podcast episode 45. Use the player below to listen to the full version or continue reading the article below. See episode transcript on Apple podcasts

Aaron and I are starting to think our next research trip to Germany.

I love this early stage of planning!

It’s exciting because it’s all about dreaming and brainstorming. And because you get to explore Germany before you even arrive. The future is wide open and you have endless options.

Which is fun and exciting…but also a little nerve wracking…because you have so many options!

So, how can you narrow things down and create a trip filled with memory-making moments that are perfect for you?

At this early stage there 2 questions I like to include in my brainstorming:

1. How do we want to feel during our trip?
2. What kind of experiences create the memories we want to bring home?

Why ponder how you want to feel on your trip?

Because you can use that clarity as a filter to help you find the best destinations, experiences, transportation, accommodations, and travel pace for your dream trip. That way you’ll create a trip that’s filled with what’s most satisfying and meaningful for you.

So…ask yourself…how do you want to feel on your trip? Exhilarated? In awe? Relaxed? Rejuvenated? Rested? Adventurous? Connected? Immersed? Exhausted in the best way possible?

Give it some thought!

Then, when you move into planning your trip, consider which pieces of your trip are likely to help or hinder you from feeling how you want to to feel.

Too many travelers tell me they want a relaxing medium-paced trip…and then when they send me their itinerary to review it’s jam-packed with 1-night stays and long daily drives or train trips that leave maybe 1 or 2 hours for sightseeing.

I’m always happy to do these types of reviews because I know that’s not what they’re aiming for!

But they often aren’t 100% clear on whether they’d rather have a medium-paced trip or one that is fast but allows them to see everything they want to see.

So I show these clients what the logistics of do-able fast- and medium-paced versions of their trip look like so they can decide what will work best for them. That way their itinerary and pacing match how they want to feel while traveling.

The next step is to ponder what kind of memories you want to bring home…and the experiences that are most likely to create those memories.

For me, the most vivid and meaningful travel memories are sparked when I feel something deeply or have a strong emotional reaction. Like…

• Feeling such awe when walking out of the Cologne train station and seeing the magnificent Cologne Cathedral right there.
• Listening to talented musicians play Mozart in a beautiful historic room at Mirabell Palace in Salzburg, Austria — where Mozart once gave a concert.
• Feeling such a triumph over my fear of heights while taking in the stunning view from the very top of a mountain in Berchtesgaden.
• Celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall thousands of others at the Brandenburg Gate.

Note: in the audio version of this article I share more specifics about why each of these experiences are so emotional and memorable for me.

Those memories are still so meaningful and vivid because they’re tied to such strong emotions.

When I first started traveling, I didn’t really consider what sparked these feelings. So it seemed kind of random.

But then, when I started thinking about it, I realized that there are some experiences I not only enjoy but also create vivid memories I still cherish so many years later. Not only do I remember those experiences, I can still feel the strong emotions I initially felt.

Now I seek out the experiences that are likely to create a strong emotional reaction for me…like stunning views I don’t see in my daily life, music and other performances, doing something a little out of my comfort zone or an event where I’m celebrating side-by-side with locals.

So I encourage you to give a little thought to what kinds of experiences will create those vivid, cherished memories for you.

If you’re not sure, think about previous trips you’ve taken and the memories that are the still the strongest.

What’s the common denominator?

Were you in nature? Enjoying a gourmet meal? Learning or doing something new? Talking with locals? Engaging in a local event? Taking in a stunning view? Simply enjoying an unexpected moment with your travel companions? Reveling in a luxurious hotel?

There’s no wrong answer here!

We want you to return home with maximum vivid memories you’ll cherish for years to come.

That’s exactly why thoughtful trip planning matters so much.

Not just the logistics, but starting with the right questions.

Because when you know how you want to feel and what kinds of experiences create your most vivid memories, you’ll be going to Germany with a plan that’s built around you, and coming home with exactly the kind of memories you were hoping for.