Sardog, just returned from paris after 100s of hours of research. now starting to plan southern italy. when in holland in april, do not miss kukenhof gardens. visited last year. spectacular!

I think it's time to throw some fuel on the fire. So here goes!!<BR><BR>I think some Americans spend way too much time planning vacations because of insecurity. We want someone to tell us what hotel to stay in, what restaurant to eat in, what museum to visit, etc. or at least give our choices their stamp of approval. Or is it some form of snobbery?<BR><BR>Now I'll go take care of the 6 inches of snow that fell in my driveway.<BR><BR>Have fun. It's great being anonymous.

Sign me up! Definitely addicted to travel and pre-travel researching. Without a destination to look forward to, I go into withdrawal.

I don't think it's limited to just Americans, jsmith. Obsessions are universal.<BR><BR>Nobody decides anything for me, I make the final decisions based on the research from *all* of those opinions. That's the joy of it, narrowing down the selections based on personal preference.<BR><BR>I think it's all about choice and wanting the best, being very selective about something we love.

I spend every spare minute available researching and planning each trip. And, it really pays off. It's almost as fun and satisfying as the actual trip. Once I'm on the plane, I have to remind myself that I'm actually going to be experiencing all my planning. <BR><BR>I have learned, over the years, though, not to spend to much time, or obsess, over hotels (there are so many terrific places to stay with similar prices and convenience) or restaurants (you really don't need 100 possibilities for a one week trip, and there are so many to wander into not in any of the tour guides or on the web). My time is spent now more on seeing and doing and getting around.<BR><BR>I don't think, though, that you can &quot;go a little too far&quot;. Every minute spent researching and planning greatly enhances the experience during your travels, and precludes the number of &quot;contingencies&quot;, which, if and when they occur, you are far better prepared to handle.

I think it is beyond just booking hotels and research. It's looking forward to the joy of experiencing a different culture, meeting people and learning from those experiences. I could soak it up like a sponge! How sad it would be to only stay in your backyard and never venture out. I shudder to think!