Step 1: Choosing Your Destination
Wow!
You just received $15,000 dollars to plan your dream vacation. You need to bring at least one parent on the vacation with you. However, you can also take one other person, as long as you stay on budget.
First you need to decide where you want to go so research some destinations using the links below or some of your own searches.
You might want to visit more than one place during your destination.
Your final project will be a detailed travel brochure about your trip with all the information and details. Other students will be looking at these to choose their favorite dream vacation.
Before moving onto step 2, check in with Mr. Malloy for feedback.
Step 2: Dream Vacation Destination Details
You need to find out a bit more about your destination and where you will be going. Research your location online finding out all of the information below.
Keep you notes to help you complete your project.
- Where is your destination? (what is it near?)
- What is the capital city?
- What are some other major cities?
- Where are the main airports?
- What big or famous attractions are there?
Print out any images that you would like to include in your vacation information brochure.
Write an introductory paragraph to tell other students about the location or locations you have chosen.
Before moving onto step 3, show Mr. Malloy your progress so far for feedback.
Step 3: Set Your Travel Dates and Graphing Climate and Weather
When is the best time to visit your destination?
Research the following information:
- What is the annual average temperature?
- When is the best (think about the temperature you enjoy) average temperature?
- What is the annual average rainfall?
- When is the lowest rainfall?
Take a look at any other weather information about your destination and then select the date you want to leave.
Create at least two graphs to show some of the weather/climate information you have learned. Write 2-3 sentences to go with each graph, explaining what the graph shows.
Then write a short paragraph explaining the time of year you have chosen to go and why.
Before moving onto step 4, show Mr. Malloy your progress and to receive feedback.
Step 4: Dream Vacation Flights and Accommodations
Flights:
Using the airports you found in your destination, research flights. Keep in mind that everyone needs a ticket (unless they are under the age of two). Some airports may not have direct flights from your local airport so you would need to book multiple flights.
You can use the airlines website directly or a website that looks at lots of different airlines (like Kayak.com below).
Feel free to adjust your travel dates if it makes it cheaper. Remember that first class plane tickets are a lot more expensive than coach. Check the prices of both.
If you need to fly between destinations, include these flights too.
Copy down all the details of your chosen flight including the total cost of all the tickets, including taxes.
Accommodation:
You then need to decide where you are sleeping.
Research some hotels or other types of accommodation in the area. You could use some of the websites below to help you work out where to stay.
Depending on how many people are coming with you, one room may not be enough. Make sure to read the details to understand if they offer extra beds. Check whether breakfast is included as this will save you other costs later.
If you want to visit more than one location, you will need a hotel for each location.
Copy down all the details of your accommodation including the total cost of all rooms, including taxes.
Helpful Links:
Before moving onto step 5, show Mr. Malloy your progress so far for feedback.
Step 5:Using Your Research, Begin to Map Out your Itinerary and the Cost Associated with Travel
Fill in the budgeting sheet to show the costs of your travel itinerary.
Include:
- cost of transport to the airport/car parking at the airport
- cost of flights
- cost of transport to accommodation from airport/car hire
- cost of accommodation
- cost of return transport to the airport
- cost of transport from airport home
- any other travel costs between locations
Find the total and work out how much of your budget remains.
Before moving onto step 6, show Mr. Malloy your progress so far for feedback.
Step 6: Research Activities, Food, and Currency for Destination
What is there to do at your destination?
All costs in your destination will not be in dollars.
Fill in the budgeting sheet below to include all of your other costs including costs of activities.
Remember your money will have to go toward feeding all the people on your trip and the activities for all of you.
Fill in the total costs on the budgeting sheet.
Before moving onto step 7, show Mr. Malloy your progress for feedback.
Step 7: Project Check In and Day by Day Itinerary
Add up the costs of travel and your other costs to check you are under budget.
Write a draft itinerary of your trip day by day, breaking down the costs into costs per day.
Complete the itinerary with as much detail as possible and neatly, for all the days of you trip.
Before moving onto Step 8, show Mr. Malloy your progress so far for feedback.
Step 8: Finalizing the Budget Including Where the Leftover Money Will Go
Make sure your budgeting sheets and day to day itinerary are neat and correct.
Then calculate how much below budget you are.
At the bottom of your itinerary, note your overall holiday total, the amount below budget you are and write a couple of sentences to explain what you intend to do with your left over money.
Before moving onto Step 9, show Mr. Malloy your progress so far for feedback.
Step 9: Create a Map Including Geographical Information Visually
You are now going to produce some extra information to go into your booklet.
Draw a map of your location, using resources from the internet to help you.
Label your map with images and notes to make it easy to understand for the reader.
On your map or in the notes around it include:
- the number of inhabitants of at least 1 location
- the airport or direction to the airport
- the hotel(s) you will be staying in
- any geographic features (sea, river, lake, mountain etc)
Before moving onto Step 10, show Mr. Malloy your progress for feedback.
Step 10: Create a Postcard
Think who would be at home whilst you are away on your trip.
You are going to write them a postcard so think about the image for the front as well as your message on the back.
What is the best thing you have done on the holiday?
What other interesting things have you seen/done?
Before moving onto Step 11, show Mr. Malloy your progress so far for feedback.
Step 11: Edit and Finalize your Booklet
Go through the checklist to make sure your project is going to get the best grade possible.
Highlight or check off each of the questions where your answer is yes.
If you answer no, try to edit your project.