Lettie Goes Travelling

Nothing can ever guarantee the perfect trip. If you know the recipe, please do share.

But there are a few key things I always check before booking that at least give me the best chance of getting off to a flying start — no pun intended.

Everyone’s criteria will be different, but over the years I’ve developed something I jokingly call my MVT — minimum viable trip. The key “must haves” that make a holiday work for me.

And those have been built trip by trip, informed by the great ones, the mediocre ones, and the occasional “well… that didn’t quite work” experiences.

Location is a big one for me.

I now know I don’t want to be completely isolated. I love walking in the countryside, but I also like a bit of life around me — a café, a small shop, a beach or promenade where you can wander or people watch.

Then there’s the question of board basis.

Do I book B&B, half board, or all inclusive? A lot depends on the country or the resort. I probably wouldn’t choose B&B in Egypt, but in Italy I’m much more likely to.

Transfer time is another factor.

Personally, I’m not a big fan of sitting in a coach or taxi for two hours after stepping off a four-hour flight.

And flight times matter too.

I like flying out early in the morning so I get the most out of my first day, and I prefer to be back in the UK before 10pm on the return.

Those are just some of the things I now check almost subconsciously when I’m looking at a trip.

But — as with every rule — there are exceptions.

Yesterday I had a phone call from one of my favourite travel companies. Caroline, who I’ve actually met when visiting their offices, was just ringing to see how I was and what trips I had planned this year.

Now I’m not naive enough to think it was purely social — of course they want to stay in touch with their customers. But the reality is they don’t really need to sell very hard. The holidays they organise are excellent.

And interestingly, for them I break most of my usual rules.

They were originally recommended to me by someone I met on holiday. Yes, we’d only known each other for seven days — but we had chosen the same type of trip, enjoyed the same excursions and even had a little whinge about the same things.

When I first looked at their holidays, they ticked very few of my normal boxes.

Remote locations.

Transfers of 60–90 minutes.

Very structured itineraries.

Normally that would have been a hard no.

But that first holiday turned out to be fantastic. I’ve now travelled with them three more times and every trip has been brilliant.

So whilst my little checklist helps me avoid the obvious pitfalls, every now and then I’m happy to bend my own rules — especially when the recommendation comes from someone whose travel style feels similar to mine.

Because sometimes the best trips come from a curve ball you hadn’t planned for.