Travel Planning. It’s the secret of successful smarter, cheaper, happier travel. It can be fun, or it can be painful. There are so many choices out there that the dizzying array can get you stressed.

Don’t be. Where in the world you choose to go means you have the luxury of time and money to even think about that. So be grateful. Then remember, all travel is great. You will not make any great mistakes, because nearly all travel is rewarding in its own way. As travel writers say, “bad trips make the best stories”, so don’t worry about perfection.

We know someone who made herself miserable (not to mention her travel consultants) because she spent months trying to create the absolutely perfect safari. As soon as she saw how magical it all is, she realized she had been stressing for nothing.

So instead, let’s bring come common sense and structure to this planning process. Here are some guidelines

Make it FUN

Hey – you’re going somewhere you always wanted to go. Or maybe your partner is dragging you kicking and screaming to go to, say, Myanmar – where you hear the food sucks. Instead of making it a win/lose situation, trade off who gets to pick one trip, so you get the next. Then look for the silver lining in the place – there is always one.

It’s helpful if you do a questionnaire for yourself and your partner to help eliminate some choices. (Here’s our handy self-planner survey to get you started.)