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Plan the Holiday of a Lifetime with Excel

Posted by Lior Weinstein on Tuesday, June 25th, 2013

It’s summer vacation time. Are you going to do the same trip that you do every year, or go to the same resort? We all get in ruts and fall back on comfortable routines, even with vacation planning. Why not use Excel to help plan a new adventure?

Image source: Rvbusiness.com

Depending on how much vacation time you get, you can plan a fabulous trip for your family, or yourself, if you are single. Do your research and make an Excel spreadsheet to contain all of that information. This will be one of the times that making a spreadsheet can actually be considered fun.

A PDF to Excel converter is a great way to ensure that your vacation planning spreadsheet includes all of the information you need. Planning a trip shouldn’t be like making a business plan. This handy and innovative software means that you can take those brochures you have collected over the years, or that information you found in PDF files online and convert them to your spreadsheet.

Image source: visually.net

Of course, a budget comes into any vacation planning. We all know Excel is the go-to tool for financials. Start with your budget, so you know how much you can do with your holiday time.

You can vacation on the cheap if you are keeping an eye on your wallet. That’s why your spreadsheet is a great take along on your mobile phone.

Let’s look at some fantastic ways to spend that time off work:

If you are one of those lucky people, like a teacher who has the entire summer off work, you can do so much with your time. Rent an RV or a travel trailer, such as a fabulous Airstream. You can save money by camping at RV parks and see the country, stopping at villages and towns in upper New York State, or drive through the deep south. Maybe cross the border to Canada. Quebec is an incredible province where you can practice your French and eat poutine.

Take the train. When was the last time you heard the sound of the rails beneath your feet? With trains come train schedules. Map out a plan to see your state. Stop in out of the way places and book a room at a bed and breakfast.

Take the Amtrak Cascades from Eugene, Oregon to Vancouver, BC. This is an 11 ½-hour ride with magnificent forests, rivers and ocean views.

Alternatively, the Amtrak California Zephyr from Chicago to San Francisco takes you from one urban center to another, passing through farmland and wilderness. It’s a great journey across America that takes over 51 hours.

Canada’s Via Rail also has some fantastic trips. Get to know your northern neighbours. (Yes, that is how they spell it, eh.)

Image source: Takeatrainride.blogspot.ca

Are you looking for a way to change your life and get your head out of those spreadsheets? Would you like to find a way to use the technology of Microsoft and the PDF to Excel converter for something that will help make the world a better place?

Take some inspiration from photographer/filmmaker Justin Lewis and writer/producer Michelle Stauffer. They are traveling from the Arctic Circle to Antarctica. It’s not just a vacation. Justin and Michelle are making a documentary called 70 Degrees West to show us the impact of our world on the environment.

This idea was conceived during a camping trip the couple took to Mt. Tamalpais in Marin, California. Sometimes a vacation is just a way to relax, and other times it becomes a life changer.