My blog buddy, Tony Newboult, who blogs at A Wobbly Rotten Neutron, is planning to visit New York City this fall with his two teenage children. It’s not their first trip to the Big Apple but the first one that I’ve promised to help him plan.

I asked him a few preliminary questions when he told me but once I started making a list of things they should do when they’re here, I realized I needed a bit more information. The list I came up with below is one I think a travel agent would probably need but it can be used by anyone who’s planning a trip.

Here are some questions I came up with:

• Where do you plan to go?
• When do you want to go?
• What’s the purpose of your trip?
• How long do you plan to stay?
• How many people will be traveling with you? What are their ages?
• What type of accommodation do you prefer? Hotel, Guest House, Villa, Bed and Breakfast, Hostel, etc.
• Will (name of place) be your primary destination or will you be traveling around?
• If you’re planning to travel to other places, do you want to fly, go by train, bus, car, etc.?
• What do you like to do when you travel?
• What’s on your must see list?
• Is there anything you don’t want to do/see?

Although it’s not listed above, one of the most important considerations is budget. How much Tony or anyone has to spend will determine what kind of trip he will have.

Since Tony’s British, he won’t need a visa for the U.S. He also won’t need vaccinations.  But he should consider getting travel insurance and bring any medications he needs. If he or any of his children has food allergies or is a vegetarian, he should disclose this to the airline so other arrangements can be made.

With answers to these questions, it’s easy to plan your own trip or one for a friend.

What do you think? What other questions would you include?