If you’re tired of small weekend trips and long to see the sorts of sights and destinations you’ve only dreamed about, perhaps it’s time to rethink your future travel plans.

Think about it: wouldn’t you rather enjoy an awesome, epic vacation where you see everything that you want to see versus settling on second best?

The benefits of planning a long-term, epic vacation are well-documented, including…

• The ability to truly “get away from it all” rather than take small trips which can be the source of major stress
• Exposing yourself to new experiences and insights: it’s difficult to grow personally when you never venture far beyond your own backyard
• Making the most of life: perhaps it sounds dramatic, but oftentimes our window of opportunity for long-term travel closes as we get older

In fact, one of the most common regrets of the elderly is that they didn’t travel or see the world to the extent which they would have liked. So, if you have the chance or financial means to go on a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, what’s holding you back?

Maybe you don’t know how to make your dream vacation a reality. If so, keep the following four tips in mind to make it happen.

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Find a Travel Partner

Whether a friend, family member or your significant others, it always pays to have a travel partner. Both for the sake of safety and splitting the cost of food and lodging, having someone else join you on your adventure is a good move. If you prefer solo travel that’s totally fine; however, bear in mind that you’ll be footing the bill on your own.

Pick the Right Time of Year

Timing is everything when it comes to travel. From avoiding tourist crowds to understanding when you can realistically take time off work, don’t ignore the calendar while planning your trip. Also, you may need to book certain accommodations or attractions months in advance (campsite and tours, for example) and don’t just assume you can “wing it” once you’re there.

Don’t assume that you don’t have what it takes to go on a truly memorable vacation that’ll stick with you for a lifetime. With these tips in mind and the right game-plan, your epic vacation may very well be a few months away.