How to plan a vacation without getting a massive headache

Sure, planning a trip can be as simple and as serendipitous as planting a finger on a spinning globe.

But for most of us, it's a more complicated process that includes online research, poring over travel guides and talking to others who've already been to the places we'd like to go. So, we asked a few experienced Southern Nevada travelers about some of the resources they use in planning a trip.

Monica Moradkhan, development director with the UNLV Foundation and a travel blogger (www.BonVoyageFriends.blogspot.com), often uses online resources offered by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs (www.travel.state.gov) and calls herself a "huge fan" of the agency's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.

Through STEP, travelers can register their itineraries, passport information and emergency contacts with the State Department, making it easier for consular officials to connect with them in cases of emergencies, natural disasters or civil unrest, or simply a lost or stolen passport.

"And what's nice about the program is, you also receive alerts in advance of your trip and during it," Moradkhan says. "I was traveling to Amsterdam and I received an alert that if I was going to be on the street at this time, don't be alarmed by gunshot fire, because there was going to be a parade and they were expecting a ceremony that involved gunshot fire."

Vivienne Sario, director of the tourism, convention and event planning program at the College of Southern Nevada, says the consular services' website also links to such necessary trip-planning concerns as visa requirements.

"I go to the State Department all the time to double-check things," Sario says. "And just because something is true tomorrow doesn't mean that it's going to be true in six months, so you need to always kind of keep on top of it, because, ultimately, it's the traveler's responsibility to be covered."

Meanwhile, the Central Intelligence Agency's website (www.cia.gov) is the home of downloadable maps and a "World Factbook" that offers travelers comprehensive information about every country in the world.

"They have very good information," says John Padgett who, with his wife, Vicki Chan-Padgett, travels to often-remote areas of the world to perform medical mission work with Refugee Relief International Inc.

The Internet also is an efficient way to find repatriation insurance — which the Padgetts swear by — in case of a medical emergency while traveling abroad.

"There are several organizations that offer this," says Padgett, professor emeritus at Touro University Nevada's School of Physician Assistant Studies, to transport ill or injured travelers back to the United States if medical facilities in the destination country can't adequately care for them.

Chan-Padgett, former director of Touro University Nevada's School of Physician Assistant Studies and assistant dean of medical outreach, says several companies offer repatriation insurance, and "it's not expensive."

If you're planning a cruise, Sario recommends visiting www.Cruising.org, operated by the Cruise Lines International Association. There, aspiring vacationers can find direct links to cruise lines as well as a locator for area travel agents who book cruises.

If you're looking for a land tour, check out the United States Tour Operators Association's website (www.ustoa.com). There, Sario says, vacationers can plan a vacation by destination, activity or type of vacation, or find links to individual tour operators.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Travelers' Health website (wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel) offers information about vaccination requirements for and health issues that affect worldwide vacation destinations. That, Sario notes, can be particularly useful in planning around such issues as the Zika virus outbreak now occurring in parts of the world.

Note, too, Padgett says, that in addition to obtaining specific vaccinations for a particular country, "you should also make sure (your) standard immunizations are up to date — tetanus, pertussis, whatever. But also look for specific information on countries where you're going to be traveling."

The U.S. State Department's travelers' page also offers vaccination requirements for various countries, Chan-Padgett says. "For example, in Asian countries, malaria is very big, so they need to go to their doctor or health provider and get prophylaxis for medications to prevent them from getting malaria."

The CDC's website also includes links to other issues of interest to travelers, including inspection reports for specific cruise ships, available through the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program (www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp).

Knowing the weather forecast at your destination can make packing a bit easier, and websites such as Accuweather (www.accuwweather.com) offer forecasts for just about anywhere in the world.

"Just look at your upcoming destination to see what it's going to be like," Moradkhan says. "That great for planning purposes. You don't want to overpack."

Still, Padgett says, "I will tell you from experience that we've done that in the past and still found we needed another layer of clothing. So taking an extra light jacket or something with you would always be a good idea."

While Internet offers a wealth of information that's useful in planning a trip, don't be afraid to go retro.

"This is so old school, but I like to go to the library and check out books," Moradkhan says. "I get guides, and it's nice just to have an overview of wherever you're traveling to."

Printed travel guides — Fodor's or Frommer's, for instance — tend to offer "more detailed information," Moradkhan says. "I like to have that travel guide, and oftentimes they're pocket-sized and you can check it out (of the library) for three weeks. But, obviously, be careful not to lose it."

Printed guides also don't rack up data charges and can be used even in places without cellphone coverage. "Even domestically, if you're going to a national park, you may not have access to your cellphone," Moradkhan says.

Paper maps can be a convenient way to orient yourself to your new surroundings and in planning walks or travels around your the city, Padgett says.

And an even older-school resource: actual people. Seek out advice from people who have been to your destination, and when you arrive, ask locals for even more tips about where to go and what to see.

"I always ask local people about their favorites," Moradkhan says. "I don't want tourist attractions. I always ask locals because they know best."

Talk to your hotel concierge, too, Chan-Padgett says. "If you want to do a day trip or want to have a car and driver or want to get public transportation, concierges are really good resources. They'll get somebody who is safe and who isn't going to rip you off."

— Read more from John Przybys at reviewjournal.com. Contact him at jprzybys@reviewjournal.com and follow @JJPrzybys on Twitter.