The first step is to ascertain what you want to experience. For me and my traveling daughter we like nature, food, art, and some activity like hiking, scuba diving, skiing etc. When we decided on Argentina for her school break in June, we had to plan it around their winter season which stopped us from going to Ushuaia and Patagonia. Another time, another season.
2nd- Get books from the library to map out the main areas that you want to see. Once these are mapped out, work your transportation plan. Is it best to drive, fly, or take buses or the train. In Argentina as it's a vast country, we chose flying to and from the main areas and renting a car when we arrived. I prefer Kayak as my search engine to determine prices and times. Mapquest is a great way to determine driving distances and directions. If you have internet while you're on the road then you can just access Google maps or mapquest (however Roaming can be very expensive) or to be on the safe side, print it out before you leave.
3rd. After you have mapped out your general route, start planning your activities and the time you need to comfortably accomplish them. Reading and asking questions on Fodors forums, reviewing Trip Advisor, and general internet searches helps in deciding your hotels,car rentals, and staying within your budget.
4th Once you have your main outline, book your transportation, then your car rentals, and finally your hotels. You can start filling in the details now- activities, restaurants. Keep things open but have your general ideas in your mind. I always like to ask at our hotel, the car rental agency and local information for their advice. Nothing beats just taking a walk and exploring. Sometimes you find a real gem and other times a real bomb but it's all new experience and a great laugh. For example, the fondue in Bariloche was something we fell into and it was so amazing to sit by the fire in June and have hot dogs, potato puffs, and bread in this cheesy fondue with some cold beers. Or stopping at Llao Llao hotel for lunch and doing your own tour of this magnificient hotel.
5th-Plan your luggage-Just a carry on is all you need- good walking shoes, boots ( in the winter), some tees (long sleeve), some tanks for layering, some scarves, fleece in winter, hat, gloves, toiletries. I found the zippered containers are convenient and really don't take any more room, just a great way to stay organized.
6th- Enjoy, take pictures, speak the language and meet the locals.
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