How do you decide where to go on vacation?

The (short) list of places Steve and I would love to go to is as follows…

Iceland, Hawaii, Ireland, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Australia, Costa Rica, Morocco, Portland/Seattle, Austin, Coastal California/ LA, Positano, Palm Springs (again), British Columbia, Spain, Mexico, a cross country roadtrip …

So, how do you decide on where to go for vacation?

Of course, and unfortunately, the number one factor to slice that list in half (or more actually…) is budget. Ah, the reality of money and what impact it actually has on our choices… (boo!)

The second factor we need take into account is time…How long do we actually have when you account for travel time (car or plane), time vacationing, and time returning home.

Third factor- who the heck is going on this trip? Solo excursion? Romantic couples retreat? The whole Griswold family?

Fourth: what are you looking for in a vacation? A sight-seeing excursion? A lazy beach vacay? Exploring a new city? A rustic trip? A strictly R&R escape?

I’ll let you in on a little (not so) secret- both Steve and I are terrible at making decisions! So, how do you decide where to go or what to do with a few days off?

Here’s our breakdown:

We have 5 days and 4 nights to ourselves, sans kiddos, to take a trip. We do not have a lot of cash, so that means we’ll be staying stateside. We don’t want to spend too much time in the car, so that means, either eastern seaboard, or a short plane ride away. As far as the mood of the trip, there must be; vegan food available, fun stuff to do, and relaxation occurring. I’m all for any inclusion of hipster boutique hotels, downtown areas, secluded secret spots, or something different and unique (including but not limited to roadside attractions and sleeping in a yurt). I’m currently going back and forth between stuffing my face with vegan breakfast tacos and swimming holes in Austin, to some roughing it s’mores style camping in Maine.

How do you decide the next place to visit? It seems like such a big decision since we probably won’t take many vacations without the kiddos…how do you get the most bang for your buck?! Any considerations I missed?