Although planning a Visual Flight Rules (VFR) cross-country flight can seem like a daunting task, choosing destinations along the way is easy—for the most part. Much of the time, pilots choose to fly to the airports with the best restaurants and the best service.

There are some other things to consider, though. Under VFR, the weather must be clear enough for you to see air traffic around you. And as a student, you'll likely have certain lesson requirements to accomplish. You may need to fly at least 150 nautical miles in one stretch. Or your instructor might want you to practice in different types of airspace environments, and he might send you to an uncontrolled airfield first and then to a busier towered airport later. Make sure the lesson objectives are being met, and then you can perhaps squeeze in some practice time during the flight.

You should also keep in mind the services offered at your destinations. Make sure fuel is available when you will need it. And once you have your next destination in mind, get a weather briefing and NOTAMs before you continue to ensure you won't run into bad weather or a closed runway.