plan a trip yourself

49 Things You Need to Do to Plan Your Best Trip (Free Travel Research & Planning Checklist)

• Updated: 07/02/2024

Before you jet off on your next adventure, ensure you have all your travel research and planning in order. To help, use this ultimate travel research checklist  to guide you through the necessary steps for more enjoyable planning and a stress-minimized trip.

I love to travel, though I do not necessarily enjoy all the tedious steps required to get out the door and start having fun. So, I rely heavily on checklists like this planning list , a packing list , and a prep and close-the-house list  to streamline my departure. Leaning on these saves me time and money and helps to avoid unexpected situations, making for worry-free trips. I hope they can do the same for you.

So, whether you are a seasoned traveler or a first-time adventurer, I have designed this travel research and planning guide to cover the things you must cross off your to-do list before leaving for a trip. 

From the fun stuff like flights, accommodation, and local attractions—to the necessary details, especially for more complicated international travel, like getting visas , knowing about local customs, and purchasing travel insurance , use this list to explore the world confident you have things covered. 

Table Of Contents

Download your free travel planning checklist here.

Prefer not to print? Jump to my explanation of the 14 stages of trip planning  with 49 separate things you should do below. Otherwise, click the image beneath to access and print my free Travel Planning Checklist .

The Importance of Travel Research

Before setting off on any adventure, it is crucial to do your research. Travel research helps you gather information about your destination, allowing you to make informed decision s and avoid unnecessary stress. By taking the time to research and plan, you can uncover hidden gems, know about local events, find the best deals, and arrange your itinerary to maximize your trip enjoyment. 

Plus, conducting research helps travelers be more thoughtful and respectful visitors by being aware of local customs.

Sign up for my monthly Discovery Newsletter & get a free Trip Budget Calculator !

Learn how to further simplify your trip research, planning, and organization for every stage of your trip in “ 5 Proven Ways to Simplify and Organize Your Travel Research .”

When to Start Planning a Trip

When is the ideal time to start planning a trip? Whenever you decide to go! Though—several months, or at least six months in advance , is generally best. However, some destinations, like high-demand national parks with limited visitor and lodging capacity, may require planning up to 12 months or more in advance. 

Plus, it depends who is traveling . Solo or couple travelers can more easily plan last-minute trips as they tend to have more schedule flexibility (i.e., not following family school break schedules) and can choose from more affordable double or single-room lodging options, which tend to be more abundant.

Because families usually require more of everything , from plane tickets to more spacious lodging and even bigger rental cars, planning further in advance becomes more necessary, especially as it allows them to secure the best of these resources at the best pricing. If you are a family traveler or part of a big multi-generational group, you will want to begin planning further in advance—six months to a year is ideal.

14 Stages of Trip Planning & 49 Tips

How you follow these 14 stages of travel planning depends on how long you have before you depart for your trip and your comfort level with leaving things to the last minute. 

Because I do not enjoy the feeling of big to-dos being undone or last-minute scrambles, I aim to complete all 14 stages of travel planning anywhere from one to several months in advance. Alternatively, you may feel more comfortable playing your timeframes looser. 

Step 1: Decide on Your Destination (7 Questions)

Step 2: International Travel: Understand Visa & Vaccination Requirements & Travel Restrictions/Warnings (4 Tips)

Step 3: On Budgeting, Know What You Can Spend (Budget Template)

Step 4: Set a High-Level Itinerary (Get Shortcuts)

Step 5: getting there, find the best deals on airfare (3 resources).

Step 6: Getting Around, Rental Cars & Local Transportation Options (6 Tips)

Step 7: Choose Where to Stay (Shortcuts & Resources)

Step 8: Decide, Save & Book the Things You Want to Do (4 Tips)

Step 9: Focus on Food, Reserve Restaurants & Learn About Local Dishes (2 Recommendations)

Step 10: Create, Update & Finalize a Detailed Trip Itinerary (Resources)

Step 11: Plan for Emergencies & Unexpected Situations (3 Tips)

Step 12: Packing & Prepping Your Home Before Your Trip (Resources)

Step 13: Make Your Finances Accessible on Domestic & International Trips (13 Tips)

Step 14: Stay Connected While You Travel (Resources)

You may have several destinations in mind for an upcoming trip—or none at all. To get assistance narrowing down your options, consider your travel wants, needs, and limitations by answering the seven questions below to help you figure this out.

How long do you have to travel?

Your work and school schedules or family obligations may dictate the duration of your travel. Or perhaps budget  constraints cap the number of your away-from-home vacation days.

So, before you choose where to go, know how long you can spend there. If your holiday break is limited, you will want to minimize the time or expense of transportation, guiding you to pick closer destinations or places with direct flights.

What do you want to do?

Do you want a warm week lounging on the beach within reach of an easy and affordable nonstop flight? Or are you looking for a city trip with cultural activities? Perhaps the pull of nature is strong, and you want a hiking adventure? Or a bit of all of the above? Know what experiences you or your group would like to have during your time away and pick a place that meets it best.

This question is linked to the one above but digs deeper. Confirm your potential destination offers the right breadth and depth of activities and cultural or culinary highlights. Are there enough things to do and experience to last your trip and meet your wants and needs? Determine whether these options will make for an ideal visit. 

How to get there?

Explore how to get to your potential destination. Does getting there require a multi-day drive? Or a flight with a long layover? Gain a high-level idea of the time and cost involved with the “getting there” part of travel and confirm your time off can easily accommodate long transit times if required. Then, further dive into this step by learning your best options for getting around  once you arrive, here .

When is the best time to go?

To avoid destinations during their rainy seasons and less ideal temperature times, look up historical weather averages for your potential vacation spot before you commit. Use a helpful site like SunHeron  to look at month-by-month temperatures and rainfall for nearly any destination. Doing this will give you a better chance of having the weather be a helper for a great experience instead of a hindrance

What do you want to pay?

It is never fun to start digging into a trip to an incredible place only to realize a few steps in that you cannot afford it. This exact situation happened to us. Several summers ago, we did not plan far enough in advance for a family summer trip to pricey Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Limited availability and expensive lodging options forced us to backtrack and find a more budget-friendly alternative destination—surprisingly, Vail, Colorado.

So, before committing to a spot, set your budget , then do quick hit searches on the costs of available transportation, lodging, activities, and dining to confirm they fit what you can afford.

Is it safe?

Ensuring your health and safety during your trip should be a top priority, especially when visiting an international destination and you are unfamiliar with the customs and language. Before you go, look up travel warnings , read recent traveler accounts on blogs or social media channels, and even message the account owners with your safety questions. Then, check the local news sites. Gathering information about recent on-the-ground experiences will help you decide if this destination is right for you.

Step 2: International Travel: Understand Visa & Vaccination Requirements & Travel Restrictions/Warnings (4 Tips)

This step is for international travel. Before buying your plane tickets, understand entry requirements related to passports and visas, if applicable. 

Ensure you have an up-to-date passport & learn about visa requirements.

For international travel, always ensure your passport will not expire soon and it will be valid for your dates of entry. A good rule of thumb is your passport should be valid for six months after entry . However, sometimes it is less. Confirm exact entry requirements by researching this with the official government customs and tourism organization for the country you plan to visit.

A quick online search should get you the answers you need. For US travelers, check and confirm destination requirements on the helpful “ Learn About Your Destination” page of the US State Department website.

If your passport is expired or set to expire within a validity window, like six months, take immediate steps to renew it. In the US, obtaining a new one can take weeks, if not several months. Get all the details you need about obtaining and renewing US Passports here .

Review travel advisories, security alerts, vaccination & other health requirements.

For US citizens planning to travel abroad, search for your destination on the US State Department website , look for travel advisories, security alerts, and detailed information about health matters, including links to vaccination requirements. Or go directly to the US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) Destinations page for extensive health recommendations.

Additionally, maintain your safety by booking lodging  in busier and well-known areas and following the tips I recommend here  to prepare for unexpected emergencies .

If traveling to Europe, know about EITAS, a coming-soon travel permit requirement.

Also, if you plan to travel to Europe, learn about the new electronic travel authorization (ETIAS) for visiting Europe. This coming-soon authorization is not a visa. It is a travel permit. As non-EU Schengen members, US travelers must eventually apply for this new travel authorization before entering Europe.

US travelers, enroll in STEP.

For US travelers for an extra measure of security and safety, consider enrolling your trip with the US State Department as part of their Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, or STEP . Doing this will share your travel status with the US government which will allow you to receive important safety information about your destination country and help the US Embassy contact you in an emergency. Enroll here. 

Step 3: On Budgeting, Know What You Can Spend

Does your budget determine where you can go? Or does your destination determine your budget?  An essential part of your travel planning is being realistic about what you can afford . There are few better ways to ruin the effect of a top-notch vacation than to return home after it, realizing you overspent, and then having to contend with the pain of outsize credit card debt and the regret that comes with it.  Instead, book a trip to a place that meets you where your money is. Memorable travel experiences do not have to cost a fortune.

Use a budget calculator like the one I provide for free with signups to my monthly Discovery travel newsletter , shown above. Or create your own budget that includes the major expense items like transportation, lodging, activities, meals, and incidentals that cover anything from souvenirs to travel insurance to pet sitting.

Once you decide on your destination , determine if you will stay in one place or move around and make multiple stops. Will your path of travel be circular—where you end up in the original place you began so that you are flying into and out of the same airport? Or will it be linear? A linear path means you will fly to one destination and return home from another—requiring plane tickets commonly referred to in the travel industry as open jaw tickets. 

Your budget and available vacation time may dictate staying in one place. Or it will allow you to include several different stops in one trip.  Get shortcuts to quickly determine a high-level itinerary for any destination in this article .

Flights and related on-the-ground transportation costs can often be the most significant expenses of any trip.  To find the best airfare deals, compare prices across multiple airlines. Consider flexible travel dates to take advantage of cheaper fares and rates. Additionally, look to redeem frequent flier miles or sign up for travel credit cards that give you miles bonuses.

Maximize your savings by learning to find the best fare deals using Google Flights Explore and Google Flights price tracker . Or read this overview of how to track down the best airfare deals .

Step 6: Getting Around, Rental Cars & Local Transportation Options (6 Tips)

Familiarize yourself with these six transportation tips for taxis, public transit, rental cars, and safe walking routes applicable to any new destination.

Plan for how to get around.

Knowing in advance how you plan to get around your vacation spot will impact where you decide to book your lodging . If you plan to rent a car and drive, you will want vacation accommodation that provides easy vehicle access—and ideally nearby and free parking. Or, if you plan to rely on ride shares and public transportation, you may want to ensure close lodging proximity to taxi stands or train or bus stops. 

Familiarize yourself with local transportation options.

Before you arrive at your destination, familiarize yourself with the local transportation . Research different options, such as public buses, trains, ride shares, and taxis, to determine the most convenient and cost-effective ways to get around. These alternatives can be very different in international destinations. 

For example, the most recommended rideshare in Malta, which we visited for a spring break trip , was Bolt, followed by a few others I was unfamiliar with, like eCabs and Ryde.

If you learn about these things in advance, you can pre-download the apps , set up an account, and link payment methods before you arrive. Additionally, consider purchasing local transportation cards or passes, as these often offer discounted rates for multiple journeys.

Get rental car tips & gather resources.

If you plan to rent a car, review these 15 rental car tips which will save you money, reduce potential hassles, and explain how to get complimentary upgrades. Then, understand whether you need to buy rental car insurance —something that even the most experienced travelers get confused by—with this thorough overview .

When traveling internationally, research to find out if you need an international driving permit for your destination. If you do, get this permit in advance, as sometimes the paperwork may take a few weeks. Check to see if you need an international driving permit via this helpful article . 

Learn the (local) rules of the road.

For any international travelers, you will want to familiarize yourself with the local driving rules in the country you plan to drive in advance. Doing so can help you avoid unintentional penalties and minimize the chance of on-the-road incidents. 

US travelers can understand driver safety abroad by referencing this State Department page . This page provides helpful country links and outlines local driving rules—from default speed limits to signaling requirements to where to park.

Consider pre-booking an airport pickup.

Especially for international trips, if you do not feel confident about your understanding of local transportation options, make things easy for yourself upon arrival. Consider requesting your lodging to arrange a pickup for you . This reserved ride will likely be more expensive, though it will give you peace of mind that you will not get things “wrong” when you arrive.

Then, when at your destination, ask for assistance from your accommodation manager or concierge to help better explain your on-the-ground transportation options .

After an international overnight flight, our family sometimes pre-books airport taxis, as we did on a visit to Rome . When exhausted and running on empty from a long and likely sleepless flight, it is a relief to know our in-town transportation is reliably taken care of. 

Know safe walking routes.

If you plan to explore a new destination on foot, familiarize yourself with safe walking paths . Research this ahead of time. Or ask once at your accommodation. The front desk staff and management, who generally live locally, are a valuable resource for sharing the best routes, areas, and times for moving around safely.

Step 7: Choose Where to Stay (Shortcuts & Resources)

Pinpointing the right location for lodging is never easy. To figure it out fast—my first stop is to use the “ Where to stay ” button on Google Hotels , which will show neighborhood-by-neighborhood descriptions and ratings for all major destinations, allowing you to quickly zero in on the right neighborhood for you to stay in. See where to find it in the quick clip below.

Alternatively, run an AI or online search on “ best places to stay in [your destination] ” and review the results. Or, reference up-to-date travel guidebooks , which generally provide a helpful point of view on the best areas to stay. 

Additionally, since I find great lodging in top locations has an outsize positive impact on our travel experiences, I put a lot of effort into finding the best places to stay.  Get tips on how to do this for your lodging searches in this article .

Step 8: Decide, Save & Book the Things You Want to Do (4 Tips)

Now that you have the framework of your trip set, it is time for the most fun part—figuring out things you want to do once you get there.

Search for things to do online.

If your best trip experience includes seeing top attractions and activities, you will want to research the top things to do in a destination that best fits your interests. Run AI searches or look online for “things to do in [your destination].”

Travel blogs, social media, and sites like Pinterest or Reddit are helpful for this. Or read a guidebook  or visit Google Travel , searching your destination to get an idea about the top attractions and get recommendations for more things to see or do.

To determine what you want to do most, read reviews from fellow travelers to understand what to expect. Then, consider purchasing tickets or making reservations for the most popular attractions to avoid long queues and secure your spot.

Save your favorites.

My preferred way to keep track of things I want to do in a destination is to save them to a custom list in Google Maps . Doing this gives me quick access to my favorites on my mobile phone via my Google Maps app while traveling. I share why and how to create similar custom lists in this article . 

Check out the guided activity and tour options.

Another good way to round out your research for what to do in any area is by checking out tour booking sites like Viator , Get Your Guide or Airbnb Experiences . Use them to look at the top-rated experiences for your destination. You might discover a cooking class, photo tour, guided hike, history walk, and so much more—activities that could be one of the more memorable parts of your vacation.

Ask for recommendations.

Before your trip, ask your friends, family, and acquaintances for suggestions for what to do in your planned destination if they have already been there.  T hen, when your trip is here, and you finally and excitingly arrive— connect and chat with your lodging managers, taxi drivers, tour guides, servers, and any other locals you can befriend to ask for their recommendations. 

By doing this, we have learned about many things we would have missed if we did not connect with locals, like off-the-radar restaurants, event-related parades, holiday processionals, or the best spots to catch sunsets. While traveling, we value these local recommendations so highly that we often will reshape our entire plan for how we spend a day to accommodate them. 

Step 9: Focus on Food - Reserve Restaurants & Learn About Local Dishes (2 Recommendations)

Does your culinary experience matter to you on vacation? I have a food blogger and cookbook author friend who makes researching places to eat and reserving restaurants her immediate third activity after booking airfare and lodging for any trip. So, if incorporating an epicurean experience into your travel is important, include the two steps below in your pre-trip planning.

Make restaurant reservations.

Search online to get a list of top eateries in your destination. Reference Google Maps, articles, blog posts, or run AI inquiries. Or ask other travelers who have been to the area recently, as they are always happy to share their favorites. Prioritize the places you want to eat and make reservations. If you cannot do this in advance online, do not sweat it. Do it in person when you arrive. Or ask your lodging for dining recommendations and assistance with booking reservations.

Learn about the food before you go.

Although international trips provide ample opportunities for new food experiences, you do not have to go far from home to indulge in regional food specialties while on vacation. For example, on a fall getaway to Door County, Wisconsin , near our hometown of Chicago, we were sure to order cheese curds, a Badger State specialty, paired with local brews. 

Before your trip, search online for “best food to eat in [your destination]” to see what tops the list. On a spring trip to Rome , it was Jerusalem artichokes. When in Malta , it was a rabbit dish and many other unfamiliar foods.

Eating at different places and trying new dishes, drinks, and snacks can be one of the most memorable aspects of your travel. To get a head start, take a global tour from these food guide and cookbook recommendations .

Step 10: Create, Update & Finalize a Detailed Trip Itinerary (Resources)

Now that you have your transportation, lodging, activities, and possibly even your dining planned or loosely set, it is time to put it all down to paper.  Use an online app like TripIt to keep track of your bookings and day-to-day plans. Or go semi-old school like I do and put it in an Excel document . Since I have yet to find an app that functions exactly how I want, I created my own itinerary framework that includes all the elements I prefer.

I share this free framework  downloadable in four file types in this article . In it, I also link to more places to find free or affordable trip itinerary templates. 

Then, for safety purposes , share your itinerary with family and friends so they know where you will be when you are away from home.

Step 11: Plan for Emergencies & Unexpected Situations (3 Tips)

Follow these three recommendations to help you avoid or quickly recover from emergencies and unexpected situations while traveling.

Conduct practical safety prep.

Before each trip, familiarize yourself with local emergency service numbers and healthcare facilities in your planned destination. When traveling internationally—particularly to an area at risk for conflict, know where to find your local embassy or consulate.  Additionally, ensure your family and friends know where you are going and how to reach you. If you created a detailed itinerary  share it with them. Then, continue to check in throughout the trip.

Buy travel insurance.

It is an extra expense every traveler would love to skip. However, given the cost of your vacation and what is at risk—your trip budget, your health, and your property—the cost of travel insurance should be considered an essential and non-negotiable expense, especially for international trips. Read about why to get travel insurance and where to find it in this article .

My preferred resource for buying travel insurance is InsureMyTrip.com , an online travel insurance agent and search engine that I use to shop policies from different insurers, buying from the ones with the highest user ratings.

Know what to do in case of theft.

Do you have a plan for what to do in case your wallet, phone, computer, or passport is taken or goes missing? Do you know how to protect your sensitive data? Or how to quickly replace credit cards or a phone? Or get a replacement passport so you can get home?

If not, familiarize yourself with these steps in case your phone goes missing , or read this account of a traveler who had to navigate getting her phone stolen out of her hand in Cartagena, Colombia.

Then, make front-and-back print and digital copies of all IDs, passports, credit cards, and travel insurance policies, keeping copies easily accessible in case of emergency, theft, or loss. Share copies of all items with a trusted friend or family member who can quickly send them back to you if needed.

Step 12: Packing & Prepping Your Home Before Your Trip (Resources)

Taking care to pack efficiently will make your trip a more comfortable one. Before you go, research weather conditions at your destination and plan accordingly. Make a checklist of essential items, such as toiletries, medication, electronics, and travel adapters. Pack versatile clothing items that can be mixed and matched for different occasions and temperatures. And remember a travel first aid kit with essential medical supplies.

Because I bring many repeat items every time we travel, I spent a year carefully crafting, updating, and tweaking a universal and printable packing list to reuse for every trip. Using this helps me avoid “recreating the (packing) wheel” every time I leave home, which helps save time and minimizes prep. 

Access, download, and print this universal packing list , which includes a comprehensive medical kit, here . 

Additionally, since I am a fan of checklists and streamlining tasks, I created a second checklist to close the house and prep for packing—that includes to-do items like buying trip-specific gear or picking up medical prescriptions in advance to avoid last-minute scrambles. Check out the list here. 

If you are new to traveling and packing, get 25 of my best packing tips that I follow for every trip.

Step 13: Make Your Finances Accessible on Domestic & International Trips (13 Tips)

Before you go on any trip, be sure to have a plan for how to pay for all expenses, access your cash, and use your credit cards.

On domestic trips: two tips on spending and cash.

If your getaway is domestic, this step should be relatively easy, as how you spend will be similar to what you do at home. However, there are two things you may want to consider before you leave. Getting extra cash from a local no-fee ATM and ensuring you have up-to-date logins with mobile pay apps like Zelle or Venmo. 

Even in this age of high connectivity, it is still relatively easy to encounter a market vendor, fair, or pop-up snack shop that does not accept credit cards. So, you will want a cash supply handy . Doing this will help you avoid unnecessary and out-of-the-way stops at high-fee and out-of-network ATMs. Sometimes, vendors will also accept mobile payments from apps like Venmo or Zelle. 

For example, during a recent domestic trip to New Orleans, our family enjoyed listening to musicians who accepted tips via Venmo, allowing us to scan their QR code and drop some cash—in appreciation of their talent and time. So, before you leave for your trip, if you use these apps, ensure you are actively logged in and can access your accounts.

On international trips: 11 tips for spending, credit cards, cash, and safety.

Prearranging and maintaining comprehensive and secure financial access requires a few more steps when traveling internationally. Here is a list of 10 things you will want to plan for: 

1. Determine which credit card(s) you plan to use . Ideally, choose the one(s) that offers the lowest, or zero, foreign transaction fees.

2. If you use a mobile hands-free payment like Apple Pay, ensure your default credit card linked to your mobile payment account is the card with the lowest foreign transaction fees. 

3. For travelers who do not already use a hands-free payment method like Apple Pay, consider setting it up, as it is a convenient wallet-free way to pay when traveling. Keeping your wallet tucked away may also make you less of a target for potential pickpockets who tend to mark international travelers.

4. If you plan to use a credit card while traveling internationally, process your transactions in the local currency . At the point-of-sale, avoid converting the transaction to your home currency since this often translates into a less advantageous exchange rate. 

5. Know the currency exchange rate between your home and destination country before you leave home—this will help you better manage your spending and budget. Download a currency converter app like XE , to easily translate local prices to your home currency.

6. Plan to take out the local country currency from an ATM when you arrive. Some travelers prefer to pre-buy foreign currency at their local hometown bank before they leave for their trip. However, we are always comfortable doing this at the airport upon arrival.

Know which local ATMs offer the lowest fees for international visitors for cash withdrawals and which charge the highest—and should be avoided. Visit traveler forums and social media groups , or read guidebooks  to learn this information.

7. Bring back up cash in your own currency , which you can exchange in an emergency. Include small bills if you can. You can often use these in a pinch for tips and when you run short on small denominations of local cash. However, local currency—depending on the country—is generally preferred.

8. Remove all unnecessary credit , identity, membership, and banking cards from your wallet that you do not plan to use while traveling and store them safely at home. Doing this is preventative in case of wallet loss or theft. Keeping so many cards at home means you will have fewer to cancel or replace.

9. Make copies of both sides of your banking and credit cards . Keep print or digital copies accessible. For a backup— share them with a friend or family member who will be staying home and can send them to you in the event of loss or theft. 

10. Have a plan for keeping your wallet and valuables safe while on your trip. Assume on an international trip, you may be a target for pickpockets. Make it difficult for would-be thieves by using secure carrying bags and backpacks with zippered pockets.

Practice never leaving your personal items unattended or on the back of chairs. If you need to set a bag down, wrap a strap securely around a leg or arm. Also, ensure all openings are fully zipped and face inward toward your body. Depending on your destination, consider sewing hidden interior pockets to pants or using money belts under clothes to keep cash and IDs secure.

Another helpful step you can take includes being aware of your surroundings and avoiding being distracted in public by your phone while traveling. It is relatively easy for a cyclist or motorcycle rider to whip by and grab an unlocked phone from unsuspecting hands.

11. Finally, before you go, move ample cash into your checking or ATM-linked account to fund your trip and to fully process automatic bill withdrawals to eliminate the possibility of overdrafts or other unpleasant financial surprises that could happen while you are away. If you do not have auto bill payments set up, pre-pay all upcoming bills before you leave.

Note: Many credit cards and banks no longer require you to alert them when you plan to leave the country as they track trip-related purchases like plane tickets, taxis, and hotel bookings. 

However, check with your banking and credit card companies before you go to understand their travel recommendations and to avoid possible suspicious-activity freezes on your accounts.

This step is easy for domestic journeys, as depending on your data plan, you can ideally use your mobile phone to text and call to stay in touch like you would at home.  However, constant connectivity gets more complicated for international trips. When traveling abroad, you want to determine how you plan to use your mobile phone .

Will you stay off-network and use it only when connected to Wi-Fi? Or pay a daily network international roaming fee—up to a pricey $10 per day with networks like Verizon? Or, instead, buy a data plan from a local network using e-sim technology?

Does this feel complicated? Even to me, a regular international traveler, and others—it does also. Based on your budget and connectivity needs, you will want to figure out which way of staying connected is right for you. To decide, price out international plans from your mobile carrier and then learn more about going the eSIM route with info in this helpful article .

Once you know how you plan to stay in touch, download apps you anticipate you may need to use. When traveling internationally, this may include downloading What’sApp , a global messaging app and voice-over-IP service heavily used outside of the United States.  When abroad, I frequently use this app to communicate with lodging contacts and tour guides and to confirm reservations.

Additionally, be sure to have all lodging or tour booking apps downloaded and updated on your phone. You will want to access the messaging functionality within apps like Airbnb, Booking.com, or other hotel apps, which you may need to use to send and receive communications. 

Hands-down, thorough travel research is the key to a stress-free adventure. By taking time to gather destination information so you can make informed planning decisions, you can ensure a smooth and memory-making journey. 

From researching your destination and finding the best deals to understanding local customs and preparing essential travel documents, each step plays a vital role in creating your best travel experience.

So, before you embark on your next adventure, check off the items on this ultimate travel research checklist. With research and planning complete, you can explore the world with confidence and peace of mind. The more you know, the better prepared you will be for any unexpected challenges or opportunities that come your way. Happy travels!

Related Reading

If you are searching for more travel planning assistance to help you save time and money and to stay organized, check out the related articles below.

• Google for Travel: Plan Better with These 8 Tools
• Why You Will Love Google Maps for Trip Planning
• Travel Better: How to Best Use Google Flights Explore
• How to Save Time & Money with Google Flights Price Tracker
• 5 Proven Ways to Simplify and Organize Your Travel Research
• Rental Car Insurance: When You Need It & When You Don’t
• Pack Faster & Better with This Universal Printable Packing List
• 25 Expert Packing Tips to Help You Travel Better
• Pre-Trip: A Practical Checklist to Close the House & Pack

Additional Trip Planning Resources

To further help you with travel planning, I share my go-to resources for every trip below. 

Google Flights. My first research stop for affordable flights for every trip. Learn why here . 

Google Hotels . Use its “ Where to stay ” button to discover the best neighborhoods to base your visit.

Booking.com. For hotel and rental bookings, I appreciate its flexible cancellation, candid user reviews, discounts, loyalty program, and easy-to-use interface.

Viator , Get Your Guide , & Airbnb Experiences . Quickly find and book highly-rated tours and activities on these sites.

Google Travel Things to Do & Google Maps . Find more things to do in your destination on Google Travel, then record where you want to visit on a custom Google Maps list. 

AllTrails . Love to hike? Me too. I religiously use AllTrails to discover hiking and biking trails and download its offline maps to manage my hikes.

Guide Along . 5-star self-guided audio tours that are GPS-compatible for US road trips and national parks. We loved the Glacier National Park tour .

Insure My Trip. I never travel internationally without trip insurance. Learn why here . My preferred place to shop and compare policies is InsureMyTrip.com . 

Plus, check out the 15 travel apps I use on trips, my preferred guidebooks , and my free customizable travel itinerary template , downloadable in four file formats.

About the author:  Janice Moskoff is a travel writer and blogger who loves hiking, exploring the world, and reading. She writes to inspire travel-loving families, adult friends, and couples on her blog,  Gather and Go Travel . Check out  her bio , learn how she became  a blogger , and discover how to  work with her . Sign up for her monthly  Discovery Newsletter  to get her latest travel recommendations and  how-to’s .

Love to travel? Sign up for m y monthly Gather & Go Travel Discovery Newsletter and get a free trip budget calculator.

Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links on this page may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I only recommend products and companies I use. And the income goes to keeping the site community-supported and ads minimal.

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Welcome to  Gather and Go Travel , a blog inspiring families, adult friends, and couples to explore US and international destinations and to get outdoors. I am Janice, a world traveler to 50+ countries, a travel writer/blogger, and a book lover. Learn more  about me , read  our story , and how to  work with me . Get my latest updates, how-tos, and trip ideas in my monthly  Discovery Newsletter .

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How to Plan a Trip Like a Pro: The Only Trip Planning Resource You’ll Ever Need

last Updated: December 8, 2022 travel tips

FYI: Affiliate links may be sprinkled throughout the awesome, free content you see below. I’ll receive a small commission when you purchase from my links (at no extra cost to you), which I’ll totally blow on adult things like boba tea and avocado toast. As always, thanks for the support.

Wondering how to plan a trip without all the headaches? Yeah, travel planning can be quite the doozy.

It’s time-consuming, overwhelming, and downright confusing; there’s flights to book, currencies to convert, time to take off, and activities to plan. And that’s not even considering all the getting around once you actually arrive!

Don’t let the stresses of travel planning get in the way of heading to your dream destination. I get it, though, I really do, there’s a lot to do. Planning a trip can seem like a daunting task. But I’m here to help with my travel planning tips! 

Luckily, I’ve planned dozens (and dozens) of trips, from quick weekend jaunts to Napa Valley and Lassen Volcanic National Park , to faraway exotic destinations like Bali and Morocco (with ridiculously detailed itineraries).

After lots of trial and error (and making tons of mistakes on my part) I’ve figured out a way to ease the travel planning process. I’ve narrowed it down to an easy 18 steps on how to plan a trip, so you, too, can take the trip of your dreams. Whether it’s a 5-day beach break or a culturally diverse 2-week trip to Thailand , follow my advice below and you’ll be off before you know it.

I’m kinda known for my crazy-detailed itineraries, and get lots of people asking me for help on others. I haven’t been everywhere, so wanted to provide this trip planning resource so you can plan epic trips of your own!

This is my exact trip planning method – it’s kinda ingrained in me now, but after getting it all down on paper, I realized I actually prefer doing things in a set step-by-step basis! Perfect for you because you can copy how I plan my trips!

So if you’re looking for a STEP-BY-STEP guide (made for busy professionals like you), continue reading, because this trip itinerary planner is juuuust the thing you’re looking for. Don’t blame me if you plan too many vacations. :p

→ Read Next: How to Travel More (with a full time 9-5 job)

How to Plan a Trip: Actionable steps to planning a trip of your dreams

Step 1: inspiration + fun/general research.

Before we get started on the specifics of how to plan a trip, start with some travel inspo! And sometimes, just getting inspired is half the fun of actually booking the trip (at least it is for me). 

I like to use Pinterest , Instagram , good old fashioned travel mags (at the dentist/doctor or when strolling through my favorite store Target), and of course, travel blogs.  I constantly find myself swooning over photos I see, and sometimes even book a trip based off of one photo alone, like that time I begged my sister to head off to Chefchaoen with me (I’m a highly visual person if you haven’t noticed). 

Since my mind goes into overload during the inspiration phase, I make sure to organize what I find right away as efficiently as humanly possible.

Enter, Google Maps. As soon as I find a spot I wanna visit (whether it be as specific as a restaurant in a little town or a country as a whole), I type it into Google Maps and hit Save → Want to Go. This way, all my finds are kept neatly in one place, and already plotted on a map to see general locations. You should see my Google Maps – it’s covered in those little green pin markers.

A few posts for some inspiration right over here:

• My Life-Long Bucket List
• Most Beautiful Places in California
• 25 Perfect Week-Long USA Itineraries
• Where I went in 2013 , 2014 , 2015 , 2016 , 2017 , and 2018
• 35+ Winter Weekend Getaways in the USA (snowy and warm)
• My Travel Bucket List: USA Edition
• 14 Adventurous Places to Travel 
• The Best Beaches Around the World
• The Ultimate South East Asia Bucket List

Specific Bucket-list worthy experiences:

• Meeting the Dragons in Komodo
• Bobsledding in Park City, Utah
• Sailing the Greek Islands
• Staying in an Overwater Bungalow
• Beach bumming Hawaii

Once you’ve narrowed down your list to a few places you wanna go, figure out how much time you’ll need and the best time of year to visit. Make this quick – no need to do intense research just yet. We’re still in the beginning phases of how to plan your trip. They’ll be time later for lots and lots of googling, reading, and finalizing.

Jot it down on paper in 3 columns: Places I Want to See, Time Needed, and Best Time of Year to Visit (based off of weather). I quickly google “best time to go to ____”. Example here:

Step 2: Decide on your Destination and Trip Length

How much time are you allocating to this trip? Are you able to use a bunch of PTO and make it an epic adventure? When can you travel? Before you even begin to plan your trip, you’ve gotta know where you’re going and for how long!

Be as specific as possible. Instead of saying “I want to go to Europe”, specify the exact country, and then cities within. “I’m headed to Barcelona and Valencia!” sounds much more real, and you’ve got a much more specific goal to work towards. 

Think about the type of trip you want – are you a “see-as-much-as-possible” and “cross-it-off-the-list” type of traveler, or do you want to take a few days to really get to know a place inside and out? I’m more of the first type (hey, yolo, right?), but I’m starting to appreciate spending ample time in destinations I really love.

What kind of weather do you want? Are you looking for a frozen, ice-filled fantasy or longing for a few days basking in the sun ? How do cultural and foodie experiences sound? Are you looking to stay close-ish to home or are you prepared to travel far? All questions you gotta ask yourself when choosing a destination.

TIPS FOR SHORTER TRIPS (up to 7 days)

If you know you’ll only have a few days, don’t pick a place that’ll take you 2 days to get to. We want to maximize the amount of time you’ll actually have in your destination.

And Psst – don’t think there’s much around you? Think again. There’s likely loads within a few hours.

• For example, from NYC, you can get to London in just under 7 hours, the Caribbean/Central America in 3/4 hours (depending on where), Iceland in just 5 ½, and the other side of the country in 6.
• From San Francisco, you can get to Japan in 10 hours, Mexico City in 4 ½, and Hawaii in 5.  Cliche, I know, but the world really is your oyster.

Only have a few days? Check out these sample itineraries I’ve created to see exactly how much I’m able to fit in in just a few days!

Coming from the States:

• Long Weekend Trips from San Francisco
• Long Weekend Trips from New York City
• 5 Days in Maui / 3 Days in Kauai
• 3 Days in Mexico City 
• 3 Days in Las Vegas
• 3 Days in Washington DC
• 3 Days in Portland, Oregon

Coming from Europe:

• 3 Days in Vienna
• 3 Days in Barcelona
• 2 Days in Venice
• 3 Days in Santorini
• 2 Days in Athens

Coming from Asia:

• 3 Days in Ubud
• 3 Days in Tokyo
• 3 Days in Taipei
• 2 Days in Bangkok
• 3 Days in Singapore
• 3 Days in Hong Kong

TIPS FOR LONGER TRIPS (1 week+)

Longer trips are undeniably much harder to plan, since there’s a bunch of logistics involved in getting from place to place. You probably won’t be staying in the same exact spot for all 7+ days. But as long as you start your research early and follow my itinerary planning advice below, you’ll be a step above everyone else blindly crafting their schedules. P

ractice really does make perfect, so the first long, multi-destination trip you plan will be the hardest. Expect a few hiccups, but just go along with it; that’s just part of traveling!

If you’ve got a longer amount of time, check out these bucket-list worthy destinations for inspiration (and plus, I already planned out the bulk of these itineraries = less leg work/heavy research for you):

• 2 Weeks in Thailand
• 10 Days in Japan
• California Coast Road Trip
• 10 Days in Norway
• 2 Weeks in Croatia (+Bosnia)
• 10 days in Panama
• 2 Weeks in Spain and Portugal
• 10 days in Bali + Komodo National Park
• A Week in Iceland
• 10 days in Greece

And right after I decide on a destination, I always research to see if a visa is involved. Some you can get upon arrival at the airport, while others you need to apply and wait for.

Don’t book a ticket without knowing the visa situation, as airlines don’t check for proper documentation before you book your flight (and it’s possible you’ll get turned away at the airport and need to go back home just as soon as you arrive into the country which requires a visa – not fun!).

Step 3: Choose your Approximate Travel Dates

If you’ve done your due diligence and filled out your own travel planning worksheet above, you already know the best time to visit your dream destination. However, when considering the best time to travel, there’s quite a few factors to think about. 

No one wants to get to their destination after planning for months only to realize they forgot to look into the weather patterns. Will it be rainy season? Hurricane season? Ridiculously over-the-top blazing hot (sweating profusely is no fun for anyone). I’ve had friends visit Bora Bora (a wildly-expensive once-in-a-lifetime trip) in the rainy season and I crossed my fingers for sun for them.

I always like to visit a destination in either the high season or shoulder season, for the best chance of perfect or near-perfect weather. I’m someone who despises rain with a passion (some may like it, but just think about if your activities will be dampered because of some precipitation). This is extra important to me, and I’d rather pay a bit more money for higher possibilities of sun and no rain/clouds.

Of course, you cannot predict the weather months from now, but I always look at the expected weather trends in my intended travel month and stay away from the rainy/hurricane season.

For the best combo of pleasant weather and minimal crowds, it’s wise to travel in the shoulder season (weeks/months outside of high season). This will of course change from destination to destination, but in general, late April-early June and September-October is shoulder season in many parts of both Europe and the USA.

Think about when kids are back in school – if you visit when school is in attendance, you’ll have less families traveling and therefore fewer overall people.

Note that high season typically sees higher costs (but hey, it’s high season for a reason!). If you can visit when kids are back in school, you’ll have higher chances of finding a good deal. Visiting during a holiday? If you can plan your travels bypassing Christmas and New Years, you’ll automatically save a whole bunch, as this is the most expensive time to travel to most places.

Attending a Specific Event

Is there a specific festival/event/animal migration you want to attend/witness? For example, Oktoberfest in Germany, whale watching in Monterey, safari in Africa, and Burning Man in Nevada. Full Moon Party in Thailand and the Day of the Dead in Mexico are two other examples.

You’ll need to obviously plan your trip around these dates/months. Do note that it’ll most likely be one of the most costliest times to visit, so plan to book flights and accommodations way in advance.

No need to plan exact dates just yet, just know the general timeframe of when you want to go. For example, this could be 1) early June 2021, 2) between Thanksgiving and Christmas, 3) birthday month, etc.

Step 4: Decide on your Travel Partners

Are you planning on traveling solo or with friends/family/significant other? 

Traveling with Friends/Family/Children?

Traveling with other people can be a bit more difficult to plan (you’ve got other people’s interests and budgets to cater to), but the memories will be even sweeter when you can reminisce about your fantastic trip together in a few months.

Planning a trip with family? You’ll likely be deciding on your destination together. Remember – it’s all a compromise. If I want a few days of running around a major city, we always make sure to head to smaller towns/spend a day or two relaxing on the beach for my husband later on in the trip. Everyone should be part of the decision-making process.

When I’m traveling with friends, I like to have my desired destination in mind as well as approximate dates. Don’t go to your friend and say “wanna travel next year?”. It’s way too open-ended, especially if you have a general idea of where you wanna go. I just started planning a trip for Spring Break, so asked my friend if she wants to accompany me on a trip to Jordan in late March. See, much more specific.

Always know the type of accommodation you both prefer, if this will be a budget/mid-range/luxury trip, and how the other person feels about spending some time solo (if one person wants to do something but the other really doesn’t want to). Your bestest of friends may make the worst travel buddies – be upfront about as much as possible and you’ll have the greatest chance of a smooth trip.

Traveling Solo?

Never traveled solo before? Don’t fret – I just started traveling solo a few years ago and fell in love with the whole concept ! It’s all so freeing! You can pick and choose all your activities, have cupcakes for breakfast (guilty!), and take as many photos as you want (64597 or 0)! Things do end up being a bit more expensive because you’ve got no one to split the bill with, so I typically stay in hostels and eat tons of street food to help with costs. 

When traveling solo for the first time, I recommend heading to a country that speaks your language, has an easy currency conversion, and is known for being safe and with a good tourist infrastructure. I loved traveling solo in Iceland , London, and Croatia solo, and would highly recommend these countries for first-time solo travelers! 

→  All my female solo travel tips over here (useful for you men as well, but it’s catered towards women, just FYI). 🙂

Step 5: Research Trip Costs

Before you can you do research on trip costs, you’ve gotta know where you’re going (obviously, because places all cost a different amount of money), how long you plan to travel for (more days = more money, usually), and when you aim to go (high season vs. low season can be wildly different in terms of financials). 

See, this is why you need to figure out how long you’re planning to travel for before you do your research on trip costs. Every night at a hotel, plus food and activities per day, will add up quickly. 

But it’s true – a vacation is only as expensive as you make it. Don’t expect baller champagne on a beer budget. That being said, you still can have a hell-of-a-time without spending a fortune.

Everyone told us that Japan would be over-the-top expensive, and we found it pretty in line with other trips we’ve taken. Must have been those inexpensive AirBnBs we found and eating cheap street food everyday.

If you’re traveling solo you won’t have many opportunities to cut these costs down (hostels are great for solo travelers), but if you’ve got a travel partner and are planning on sharing accommodation, you can automatically save 50% on hotels, car rentals, some activities, etc. 

Make a rough outline of how much you think the trip will cost, approximations of course. Be sure to note flight, hotel, meals, activities, transportation, and any possible extras. The more research you do, the fewer surprises you’ll have later on.

In addition, when thinking about your budget, think about areas in which you could save some money, and what hotels/activities/experiences you feel comfortable splurging on. Would you rather stay at that posh 5 star resort for 2 nights or take a helicopter ride in Maui ? Do you prefer a fancy spa treatment or a night out at the opera? It’s wise to pick and choose a few things you know you can’t live without, and try and cut corners in other areas. 

For example, we sometimes stay at airport hotels if we’re arriving late into our destination, which saves us money as they are typically less expensive than hotels in downtown. The next morning we check into the more expensive hotel, but have already saved a bunch of money by spending a night at the less expensive hotel, without impacting our travel plans at all!

Make sure to think about transportation costs too, as these can vary greatly depending on where you’re going. I’m not talking about transportation to your first destination, but how you’ll actually get around once you’re there. You can get anywhere in NYC for $2.75 (which I miss greatly), but if you wanna take day trips outta the city it’s a whole other ball game.

Think about if you’ll be traveling to different cities/places during your trip – be sure to account for a car rental, trains, buses, public transit, Uber, taxis, domestic flights, etc.

*** Always overestimate the cost of travel. There are lots of unexpected and unforeseen costs involved (unfortunately).  It’s always best to over over prepared, especially when it comes to finances!!! And if you don’t use all the money you save, you can always allocate the funds to your next trip. Boom!

And once you’ve figured all this out, you can set a rough budget for yourself. I say rough, because things are gonna change. Travel can be wildly unpredictable (especially if you haven’t done enough research).

Step 6: SAVE, SAVE, SAVE!

Time to get saving, my soon-to-be world-traveling friends. Because, well, hate to break it to ya, but you need a large chunk of change to pay for all your fun. You don’t need to save up enough cash for your entire trip all at once, but make sure you have a plan as to how you’ll do so before your trip arrives.

As you’re booking flights, hotels, activities, and as other trip-related expenses come up, you’ll want to have a sufficient amount of money to cover these things straight away.

NEVER go into credit card debt to travel. Just please don’t. Wait an extra few months/year to travel if you need to. The world ain’t going anywhere, but the credit card companies will charge you a hell of a beast of interest, that’s for sure.  

To make your finances black and white, write down all the things you spend money on each month (rent/mortgage, car payment/insurance, groceries, gym memberships, etc). Then look at your credit card and write down all the miscellaneous stuff. You may be surprised to see that you’ve spent ~300/month on coffees or ~$80/month on that pilates membership you haven’t used since February.

See if you can split the cost of Amazon Prime/Spotify/Netflix with a friend/family member, as even saving an extra $40 per month can get you a few nights in some places.

Think about ways you can slightly alter your everyday life to save for your trip. Every time you forgo that expensive morning latte or night out at the club/bar, you’re a few dollars closer to your dream trip.

Your friends don’t understand? Get new friends. Haha – but really, explain to them that a night out can cost as much as entry to the Vatican or a few days bumming around in Belize.

Get rid of those weekly/monthly subscription boxes, make your morning coffee at home, and save dinners out for special occasions. There are a billion ways to save money, you just gotta be creative sometimes.

And if you’re lucky, you’ll already have some extra cash lying around to plan your trip- but just remember, never take money out of your emergency fund to go off traveling. Set up a different bank account, with the sole purpose being money saved for travel.

Step 7: Apply for a no-fee ATM card

And since we’re talking cash, now’s the time to apply for a no-fee ATM card.

If you want to avoid those pesky ATM fees every time you take out cash while away, simply look into a no-fee debit/ATM card, such as one through Charles Schwab (which I have and love). You can use the card at any ATM in the world, and Schwab will reimburse you all the ATM fees at the end of the month. Pretty neat, right?

It’s by far the best debit card for traveling Americans. We transfer some money into our Schwab account before a trip, and use that as our spending money (do note that it takes a few days for money to transfer between banks, so do this a few days before jetting off).

More info on Charles Schwab here.

ATM fees quickly add up, with many banks charging around $5 or so per transaction. When traveling, I don’t like to keep a whole lotta cash on me at hand, so rely on local ATMs to take out small amounts when need be. Why shell out money when you don’t have to, right?

Step 8: Apply for a travel rewards credit card

Not all credit cards are created equal. I repeat. Not all credit cards are created equal. If you plan on traveling quite a bit (or even just once), it’s wise to look into a travel rewards credit card for the bonus miles and perks that come along with it.

There are many to choose from, including more general travel cards as well as airline/hotel/brand specific. 

We currently use and love the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, which not only gives us $300 a year statement credit for travel, but grants us access into Priority Pass airport lounges worldwide, provides free auto insurance when renting cars, lost luggage reimbursement, and even a concierge service, (and oh so much more).

Don’t let the $450 annual fee scare you; it’s actually only $150 once you spend $300 on travel. Chase typically has great promotions, so be on the lookout for ones providing ~50k+ bonus miles (good for a roundtrip flight to almost anywhere in the world). There’s also the Chase Sapphire, which still comes with heaps of benefits, but you don’t get lounge access and other perks.

In addition, we also use an airline specific credit card, the Delta American Express, since my husband’s airline of choice is Delta. Whenever we book Delta flights using this card, we get extra bonus miles, which we can put to use for future free flights. I wouldn’t recommend only traveling with AMEX though, as many places around the world only take VISA/Mastercard. Hence our need for both.

Other recommended cards include Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card, The Platinum Card® from American Express, and the Chase Ink Business Preferred Card. 

When looking for a travel credit card to apply for, check to make sure it has no international ATM withdrawal fees, no currency conversion fees, and reward points for travel (airlines/hotels/cars/etc).

And just FYI, Travelers Checks are kiiiinda a thing of the past, so be sure to have a credit card ok for international use.

Step 9: Book Flights

Booking flights is one of the most nerve-wracking parts of the travel planning process for me. And why? Because not only do flight prices fluctuate daily, but once you book, you only have 24 hours to cancel (as long as you’re booking from the USA). I find it incredibly intimidating, especially because I’m always trying to get the best possible price. And all those options! So confusing!

I rely on Skyscanner and Google Flights when looking for the cheapest possible flights, and sometimes also look on Kiwi . I tend to sway towards Skyscanner the most because it allows you to search an entire month (or time of year) to find the absolute cheapest flight available.

If I ever purchase a flight through a third-party, I make sure to call the airline and confirm my reservation number. 

However, 99.99% of the time I book directly through the airlines themselves. Once you find a good deal on Skyscanner or Google Flights, go directly to the airline website to book the flight. And don’t forget to input any airline numbers you are a partner of to rack up those skymiles for later use!

→ Psst – check out Skyscanner and set up price alerts to snag the best deal.

However, always be sure to check low-cost airlines, as they are not always included in third-party sites.  A good list can be found here . Southwest and Frontier Air are good options in the USA.  More tips on getting the best price on airfare here . 

Don’t be that person who paid the most on a flight → be flexible, use miles if you can, and sign up for email notifications (I like to use Skyscanner and Google Flights for this). If you’re a bit more flexible with your destination, make sure to sign up for Scott’s Cheap Flights and The Flight Deal, as you’ll receive insane flight deals. The more flexibility you have, the better your chances of scoring a great price. Be willing to fly midweek and off-hours, at the least, if you can.

Search for low airfares and hit BUY when you feel comfortable (don’t wait as flight prices can drastically change within hours)! Here are some additional tips on finding cheap airfare ! I’m a serial advanced planner when it comes to expensive, long-haul flights, but some of my friends score good deals by waiting until a month or two before. It all depends on your comfort level. 

Before booking, you’ll want to have a general idea of your travel route, as this may impact your flights. Will you be flying into one city and out of another? Are you booking a round trip ticket? 

An important note on Passports : Traveling internationally? Can’t leave the country without a valid passport, am I right?! Many countries require at least 6 remaining months on passports before you leave or in order to even enter the country.

If you need to order a new passport, you can check out this passport guide for help, and if you’re traveling within 6-8 weeks (amount of time it usually takes to process passports), you’ll need to get an expedited passport which you’ll receive in approximately 3 weeks for an extra $60. Well worth the money if you find yourself in a pinch and desperately need that passport ASAP.

Step 10: Book Hotels/Accommodations

I like to book hotels relatively early on in my planning process. Why? If you’re traveling during high season (which happens to be me more often than not), there’s a chance your desired hotels could be all booked up! We tend to book hotels that we can cancel, just in case our travel itinerary changes or we find accommodation that suits us better. Most of the time refundable rooms cost a bit more, so just something to keep in mind.

When searching for rooms, I typically do a quick check on HotelsCombined , since they find the best price by checking dozens of booking sites.

→ Search for the best hotel prices on HotelsCombined 

When booking accommodation, think about how far the hotel/apartment is from the city center and the activities you want to do. Sometimes, booking a hotel that’s way cheaper will end up costing more than a slightly-more-expensive hotel if you need to shell out extra dough to get yourself places.

Think about how much time you’ll be spending in the hotel. If you’re planning to be out and about all day, why book a fancy room when all you’ll be doing is sleeping and showering there?

We book over-the-top resorts/hotels when we know for a fact that we’ll be able to enjoy all the amenities. Like that time in Bali we stayed at a resort with our own private pool, lush jungle views, and multiple infinity pools. But we were planning on spending an entire day taking advantage of the hotel so it made sense. In Tokyo when we’re out stuffing our faces all day? Not so much. 

A few additional places we look for accommodation:

Hotel Tonight : My go-to for last minute deals.  Think road-tripping and spontaneous weekend trips.  We once paid $23 for a (really nice) hotel in Reno, Nevada.  You can now check and book up to seven days in advance. Top tip: download the app in advance in case you’re stuck without wifi for a bit.  Use my promo code JKLEINER for a free $25 towards your first booking.

AirBnB : In some cases, we find ourselves wanting a more local experience, so we look to AirBnB for an apartment or condo. With AirBnB, you can rent out private rooms, entire apartments, and even full houses! We’ve had some fantastic experiences and wonderful hosts, and saved a ton of money!  Save an additional $40 off your first stay here !

My number 1 tip: heavily research where you are staying – read all the reviews and make sure the property owner is readily available to contact. Always check the cancellation policy. 

→ New to AirBnB? We’re giving you a coupon of $40 off your first stay of $75 or more !

Expedia : So great for package deals, as you can literally saves 100’s by purchasing flight and hotel together.  Plus, with their rewards program, you can store your points for even greater savings down the line.

Step 11: Get Vaccinated/Medications if Needed

It’s always wise to schedule a travel appointment with your doctor so you can decide what’s best when it comes to vaccinations and precautionary medications with trained medical staff. In addition, I always check the CDC website for recommendations on the such.

Some are more standard vaccines you can get with your primary care doctor, but others (like Yellow Fever for our upcoming trip to Africa), you’ll need to arrange for in advance.

It’s wise to know which vaccines you’ll need early-ish on in the travel planning process, as some need to be specifically ordered and other vaccinations you’ll need multiple, specifically timed spaced-out appointments. Some vaccines are only recommended if you’re visiting particular parts of a country, so don’t feel like you need to get them all if you aren’t even visiting the infected areas.

In addition, research if you need to show proof of vaccines upon arrival into a particular country (they may not let you in without the proper documentation). Ack! 

It’s also a wise time to talk to your doctor about any medications (like Malaria pills we took in Thailand and Bali) you may want to bring along.

Step 12: Decide on WiFi/cell service

Some like to be away from it all and go wifi-free, while others will feel more safe and secure knowing they can use their phones. It all comes down to personal preference. I rely on my phone way too much to go completely data-free, so always make sure I have a set plan in place before leaving on any international trip.

Personal Wifi Hotspot

Although you will most likely have wifi at your accommodation, it’s a good idea to bring along a pocket-sized personal WiFi hotspot , to keep you connected during your time abroad. WiFi hotspots are a cost effective option to ensure you can use GPS apps like Google Maps, check your emails, and catch up with friends and family while away.

With this portable device , you’ll have WiFi wherever you go (even if your phone doesn’t have service), unlimited internet (on up to five devices at a time!!!), and it’s fast and reliable. At less than $9 a day, this device can’t really be beat.

Note that some cell phone plans allow for international use, but many of these are costly. I accidentally turned on my phone service for LESS THAN 2 MINUTES once and got charged $150 by my phone carrier! I desperately wished I had a personal WiFi hotspot with me then!

Find more information and plan options here . HIGHLY RECOMMENDED especially when you don’t speak the native language of the country you’re visiting. A true life saver.

Other Options

Other options include bringing along an unlocked phone so you can use local SIM cards, and looking for plans which include international data.

If you’re thinking about doing a bunch of international travel over the next few years, it may be worth switching to T-Mobile if the service is decent in your home area. My husband and I currently use T-Mobile, and get access to free data in over 210 countries (excluding the one country I was charged an obscene amount of money in – but that was my fault).

Some teched-out cities even have free wifi throughout the city – need to check beforehand (don’t count on this as it’s a relatively new thing, and I wouldn’t rely on the free wifi in case an emergency occurs).

Psst: I always bring a portable battery charger to recharge throughout the day since I rely on my phone heavily for directions!

Step 13: Research + Map Out Activities/Restaurants

Ohhhh, this is where it gets really fun in my eyes. Activities are the bulk of your trip, and probably the main reason you’re visiting the area (besides the food, of course).

Here’s how I like to do it:

1. First, I do some research on things to do in the area (this includes food tours, beaches, museums, popular attractions, hikes, etc), day trips which peak my interest, and anything else I find exciting on Get Your Guide , Viator , and AirBnB Experiences (use this promo code for $15 off your first AirBnB experience). 

I’m a BIG FAN of Get Your Guide and Viator when it comes to perusing activities and signing up for tours (they have SO many options). I’ve been using both of these sites for years, and can honestly say 99% of the time the tours are downright AWESOME and a good bang for your buck. I like to plan in advance (sometimes too far in advance), and being able to book specific activities (with the ability to cancel if need be) is something I love about Get Your Guide and Viator.

I recently started using AirBnB Experiences , as they offer some more local-type experiences, such as cooking classes in chef’s homes (I learned how to make macarons in Paris this way!), photography sessions, and more niche city walks.

I also like to use travel blogs from those writers I trust (not all travel bloggers have the same credibility unfortunately, so if something sounds odd/wacky, I do further research/cross reference facts). In order to do this, I usually google  destination + “blog”, and pick them out one by one in the search results. You tend to get additional tips and insights you normally wouldn’t have on other large-party sites.  

Depending on the destination, I’ll peruse Lonely Planet for even more must-do’s. I used to rely on TripAdvisor, but after I learned that many reviews are fake/bought, I stopped using them entirely. 

2. Plot each “attraction/museum/beach/restaurant” on a map → I’ve been using Google Maps lately and love it! If you prefer to use paper maps, get a large one so you can easily see all the spots! But why waste paper and money?

3. Look at the map, and take note as to where these activities fall. I then separate the activities into different areas. This helps figure out which attractions you should see together on a particular day. You don’t wanna be running back and forth across the city/town/destination out of stupidity silliness. Group attractions together that are in the same proximity/close distance.

4. Think about how much time each activity will take. Some attractions will only take a few minutes, while others you may want to devote entire hours. Don’t aim to see a whole bunch of super-intensive things in the same day; try and space them out if you can.

5. Star your top “things to do” in each location. These are the things you’ll aim to see on your trip, while the others will be extra bonuses. Because, lets face it, if you only have 3 days in Paris, you probably won’t have time to see all 235232 museums.

At the end of this process, you should have a handful of main activities you wanna check out, as well as a bunch more less time-intensive ones, listed out by location/proximity to each other. 

Depending on the type of traveler you are, you may want to book a few guided tours of the city/area you’re visiting. When I travel (especially on my solo jaunts), I tend to book a few guided tours and day trips. I always meet a few chatty people and end up hanging with them the entire day!

It’s also nice to have someone guide me around for a bit (solo travel gets exhausting). Guided day trips are great if you don’t wanna worry about getting lost on public transport and/or don’t wanna rent a car.

Inspiration for Things to Do/Tours/Day Trips

• Get Your Guide 
• Viator  
• Airbnb experiences
• Travel Blogs (like mine !)

If there’s a particular + popular restaurant/dining experience your longing after, it’s wise to make a reservation in advance. When we went to Mexico City , we had to book our table a few months ahead of time, and there still wasn’t much availability! 

Step 14: Plan Your Day-to-Day Itinerary

Don’t overplan , but definitely keep track of the tours you booked and other sites on your wishlist. I tend to make exceptionally long Google Docs (for easy access without wifi), and roughly plan out my days. This makes sure I don’t forget what’s going on each day; especially helpful if your trip consists of a few different towns/cities/etc.

I always put the date, day of week, and location in the left column, then details about my day in the right.

Some tours are only offered on certain days, so you may need to play around with your day-to-day itinerary until it works out. 

The example below (a random few days during my two weeks in Croatia ) is not as crazily detailed as my normal ones, but you get the picture:

Once the itinerary is all set, I then go ahead and book all tours and skip-the-line tickets for popular attractions (imagine not booking a ticket in advance for Frida Khalo’s House in Mexico City, the Louvre in Paris, or the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona). Don’t waste your time waiting in line. Spend 3 minutes booking your tickets now and you’ll be thanking yourself later on during your trip.

Step 15: Book a Car Rental (if need be)

Heading off on a road trip (one of my favorite types of trips)? Don’t forget to book a car rental for the duration of your stay! 

In order to save some money, think about if you’ll actually need the car for your entire trip. Are you staying put in your first destination for a few days? Can you get around on foot or inexpensive public transport? Will you really need a car then? Book the car rental for the night before/morning of your first real road trip day.

→ Search for the cheapest car rentals over here !

And if you’re primarily visiting one city and doing a few day trips, can you move all your day trips to the beginning/end of your trip to only book the car for 3 days, instead of say 7? It’s silly to pay for an extra day if the car will just sit there all day.

But always check how much a weekly car will cost – sometimes there are deals, and a rental may end up being cheaper in total if you book for longer (crazy, huh?)! It’s wise to think about parking fees and such before getting too excited though.

Additional Reading: Tips and Tricks for your Next Roadtrip

Step 16: Buy travel insurance

Confession time:  I was always that girl who never really understood the value of travel insurance.  Honestly, I thought it was a complete waste of money. After checking out the highly recommended Safety Wing , I finally came to the realization that it really is worth the (small) extra cost, and it’s just plain stupid to travel without. 

Safety Wing is not just for medical insurance, but also helps when luggage is lost, you need to cancel a trip, or when your gear is stolen or damaged when traveling. 

Even better, you can purchase at home or overseas (while already traveling) & make claims online from anywhere in the world. There’s really no excuse, especially since the insurance only costs a few dollars a day. You’ll be kicking yourself mid-trip if something goes wrong and you’ve got to pay tons out of pocket.

They say if you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel.  Now I won’t travel without it. Get a FREE quote . Planning a trip abroad? Just get the insurance. No excuses.

Step 17: Before you go action items

Thought you were done? So close, just a few more things to do when planning a trip! These last-minute items can literally be done in the few days leading up to your trip. Some only take a minute, but are oh-so-important.

• Tell your credit card companies you’re traveling (you don’t want any cards to get denied because of suspected fraud/theft)
• Arrange for pets to be watched and plants to be watered.
• Get familiar with currency rates. They obviously vary from country to country, and can sometimes be as easy as moving the decimal point a few spots, or as confusing as dividing everything by 7.3. Download a currency converter for your phone for easy conversions on the road (I like Currency XE).
• Learn a few important words/phrases in the local language. I find Duolingo quite fun!
• Do some research on safety, common scams, and any areas to avoid in the destinations you’re visiting. It’s also wise to check out any cultural norms/basic manners in your destination.
• Let friends and family know you’re traveling. Be safe – someone at home should always know exactly where you are, especially if you’re traveling solo.
• Transfer money into Schwab account: remember, this takes a few days, so be sure to transfer as much cash as you think you’ll need for the beginning of your trip. I like to make it easy and just do one bulk transfer before we leave. Remember, using Schwab saves you all those precious ATM fees!

• Buy necessary items: Depending on where you’re going, you may need to pack something specific. Traveling internationally? You’ll most likely need a plug adaptor ( this one works in all countries ) and possibly a converter for voltage. You’ll probably wanna pack a wide-brimmed hat and reef-safe sunscreen for warm-weather destinations. A sarong to cover up with for visiting temples in Asia. 
• Credit cards you are bringing
• Travel insurance documents
• Rough itinerary
• Flight/Hotel/Activity reservations 

I also like to print out a copy (or 2) of my passport and keep in a separate place. If I’m keeping my passport in my purse with me, I also put a copy in my suitcase/husband’s carryon just in case.

A REALLY IMPORTANT EXTRA TIP: Figure out how you’ll get to your accommodation/into the city from the airport before you take off. The last thing you wanna do when you’re completely drained from sitting on the plane for 10 hours (with potential jet lag) is to figure out how to get to your first stop.

Be kind to yourself and at least write it down (on your handy-dandy Google Doc) beforehand. Consider the time you’re arriving, as public transport may not work all hours of the night.

Step 18: Start Packing!

Phew – so close! I suggest starting to take things out a few days before your trip so you don’t forget anything important. Make sure you’ve got your passport, additional form of ID, copies of credit cards and other documents, and your itinerary. You’ll also want to check the plug/socket type and make sure you have one/a few which fit.

A few of my top packing tips:

• Know your airline’s baggage fee policy. Don’t wanna show up at the airport expecting to get 2 huge suitcases for free and end up having to pay $$$ for them. A great list can be found here , but it’s always wise to triple check on the actual airline website.
• Pack light. Most people take way more than they actually need. Think about the activities you planned earlier, and pack according to that. Put everything on your bed and take out half of the clothing you think you need (yes, half). Not only will this reduce potential fees at the airport, but it’ll make it easier to get around with less baggage.
• Keep all your absolute essentials and one change of clothes in a carry-on. Lost baggage happens; don’t let it ruin your trip. Always keep medications and expensive electronics on your body, as well as a toothbrush!
• Come prepared. We always take along something for motion sickness, altitude sickness, stomach bugs (anti-diarrheal), and other general over-the-counter meds including fever-reducers, pain reliever (Tylenol or motrin), an antihistamine, and antibiotic ointment. Throw a bunch of band aids in your bag as well. You just never know what’ll happen and if you’ll have access to these quickly and easily on the road.
• Use packing cubes. I don’t know how I managed to travel before packing cubes came into my life. They are oh so helpful for organization and to keep my bag from exploding. And if you haven’t ordered packing cubes in time, you can always use large plastic bags. Better yet, roll your clothes into packing cubes and you’ll be golden.

Step 19: And you’re off!

You did it! You planned your trip! Now go enjoy the fruits of your labor and have the time of your life! Just remember to stay safe and take lots of photos! Be sure to read how to stay entertained on long flights before you leave so you’re first 3, 7, or 10 hours of travel isn’t a complete bore!

Hope this ridiculously detailed guide on how to plan a trip helped! Where are you hoping to travel soon?! Now, go help a friend plan a trip, pronto!

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June 15, 2020 at 5:27 am

This is so so so helpful! I am a hyper planner as well so this is pretty much exactly what I do. Love this!

June 16, 2020 at 9:15 pm

Yassss! Planners unite! Everyone thinks I'm crazy, but then I go ahead and plan the best trips!

August 5, 2020 at 12:33 pm

Planners unite! Everyone thinks I’m crazy!

September 22, 2020 at 5:24 am

Hi jess, Amazing post! You share some useful blog every time. I appreciate your planning and Your planning always working for me. Thank you for sharing your travel plan.

January 24, 2021 at 4:18 am

An informative read Jess. You’ll have to visit Tenerife one day and do a review of the island.

March 21, 2021 at 9:55 am

I plan to travel to Croatia in 2022. Yes it is more than a year upfront. I like your blogs a lot and will definitely use them. Any suggestions for traveling the Croatian coastline. Want to fly to Rome and travel per train to Venice and from there with a bus/train to a destination in Croatia where I can rent a car. Preferably Poreč then Pula and all along the coast to Rijeka to Zadar, Split and all the way to Dubrovnik.

December 29, 2023 at 6:34 pm

Hi Jessica! Thank you so much for this article – it was very informative! My husband and I are planning on taking a trip to Japan in Spring of 2025. Do you speak Japanese? If not, did you find it difficult navigating the county? I am trying to figure out if I should book a tour group, or if we would be okay just going by ourselves. 🙂 Thanks so much for your help!

December 29, 2023 at 6:36 pm

Sorry! This comment was supposed to be on your Japan article! I don’t know how to fix it. LOL.

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10-Step Guide for Planning a Trip

Home | Travel | 10-Step Guide for Planning a Trip

When traveling abroad, get a policy from one of the  best travel insurance companies . You can get a  5% discount   on Heymondo , the only insurance that pays medical bills upfront for you, HERE!

Planning a trip can be stressful if you’re not sure where to start or you’re afraid you’ll forget something important.

I have to admit that I love travel planning , but part of that is because I use a detailed checklist and the most helpful websites. So, if you don’t know how to organize a trip and you want to avoid feeling overwhelmed, I’ll help you out with this guide. Below, I’ll share the steps I typically follow as well as the best apps and websites to book your flights, tours, and accommodation so you can travel cheaply .

Guide to planning a trip in 10 easy steps

These are the steps that I always follow when I’m planning a trip , although I might skip one or two depending on the type of trip and where I’m going:

• Search for flights
• Apply for a visa
• Book the accommodation
• Set up your transportation
• Decide which attractions to visit
• Book a tour
• Get travel insurance
• Apply for a commission-free credit card
• Buy a SIM card
• Pack your suitcase

Remember that, depending on the destination and your reason for traveling, you may not need to do all these steps. So, rather than worrying about checking off a long to-do list, enjoy the process of planning your trip itinerary . For me, making a travel plan is almost as much fun as traveling itself!

Things to do before planning a vacation

Before I give you a detailed look at my checklist for planning a trip , I want to point out that choosing your destination is the real starting point. Not only is deciding where to go an important part of any travel plan , but it’s also a good idea to learn some crucial information about it. For example, you should research things like the best time to visit and what the weather will be like when you go.

Once you’ve chosen a destination and you have a solid timeline for when you’ll visit, you can begin the trip planning process. If you want some travel inspiration, here are some beautiful places to go, as well as some information about them:

Best Countries in Central America

Best countries to visit in Africa

Best countries in South America

Best Caribbean Islands

1. Search for flights, the first step to planning a trip

Once you’ve chosen your destination and travel dates, one of the first things to do to organize your trip is to look for flights. This is usually one of the most tedious steps, but you can make it much easier by reading our guide on how to find cheap flights .

We always use Kiwi and Skyscanner since they make it super easy to find the best prices on flights. Moreover, if you’re not sure where you want to travel but you want to take a cheap trip, you can choose the “Anywhere” option and see the best deals, listed from the lowest price from your selected airport.

Kiwi and Skyscanner also show you the cheapest dates to travel, which is extremely useful if you have flexibility in your trip plan calendar . Don’t forget to activate flight alerts to receive notifications when a ticket price changes. That way, you can jump on the best deal before it runs out.

While I hope you don’t have to use it, AirHelp is a handy website to turn to if your flight is canceled or delayed. This company handles the claims process for you, although they will take a commission fee from your compensation. You can learn more about how to get compensate for delayed flights  in our guide, where I show you how to get up to $600 in compensation .

2. Apply for a visa, a must-do when planning a trip abroad

Step number two of planning a trip is to check what type of documentation you’ll need to enter the country you’re traveling to. Even if you already have the proper paperwork, double-check that it won’t expire before or during your trip.

For example, if you’re planning a vacation to Europe, you should be fine with a valid passport, and travel insurance for Europe . The same applies if you’re visiting Australia, New Zealand, and most countries in South America. But be aware that most countries in Asia and Africa require a visa.

For those cases, I highly recommend going to the iVISA website to check what kind of documentation you need for your destination. We’ve used iVISA several times without any problems and consider it to be one of the best travel planning websites .

3. Book the accommodation, an important step in any trip plan

Another crucial part of organizing a trip is booking your accommodation. There are lots of trip planning apps to help with this, although we almost always use Booking . Here, you can find hotels, villas, apartments, and other types of lodging to suit any budget, which is why we consider it to be one of the best options.

The main advantage of using Booking.com to plan our travels is that we can pay right on the website, and cancellations are usually free until 24 hours before the trip. Also, if you use the website frequently, you can upgrade to the Genius plan, which offers the best deals and discounts. So, if you want to find cheap hotels anywhere in the world, even if you’re planning a multi-city trip , I highly recommend Booking.com .

4. Set up your transportation, an essential part of any travel plan

The next step in this trip planning checklist is to think about transportation once you get to your destination. You can either use public transportation or rent a car.

We prefer renting a vehicle because it grants us more freedom to explore places that might be off the beaten path. That said, some cities and countries have very good public transportation systems, so it’s up to you. When creating your travel itinerary , think about the destination and what you want to do during your trip. That should help you decide whether or not to rent a car.

If you decide to go with a rental, I recommend going through DiscoverCars . Without a doubt, this is the best option for renting a car, especially if you’re not used to organizing road trips . A nice thing about DiscoverCars is that it shows you a comparison of different rental websites, so you’re guaranteed to find the cheapest rental cars .

Of course, if your planned travel route is more like a cross-country trip, take a look at Motorhome Republic , which offers the best prices and conditions for motorhomes. We’ve used this app several times to plan trips around Iceland and the United States, and it’s always been a positive experience.

Again, many cities and countries have great public transit networks, so if you plan on getting around by bus or train, you can get low ticket prices on Omio . Simply enter your destination, and the website will compare bus and train tickets from different companies to find the best deal for you. You can even search for the cheapest or fastest route. Flixbus is often listed on Omio since its prices are some of the lowest and they operate all over the world. We’ve used Flixbus on several trips around Europe, but you can also use Flixbus in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, and more.

Public transportation or renting a car, tips for planning a trip

Finally, you may be planning your vacation to an island destination like the Canary Islands, where ferry transport is more common. In that case, I recommend getting your tickets through Direct Ferries , which offers excellent ticket prices for all kinds of time slots. We’ve used this site for our trips to the Canary Islands and Indonesia.

To sum up, organizing your transportation can be a bit stressful, but these travel planning tips and websites will streamline the process for you .

5. Decide which attractions to visit, the most fun part of planning a trip

Among all the steps for planning a trip , choosing which attractions to visit is one the most enjoyable. Step number five in this travel planning checklist is looking at which attractions and activities (free and paid) are available at your destination.

If you’re going to see a show or a concert, Hellotickets can be useful in reserving tickets in advance. That said, if you’re visiting a city that has lots of things to do and offers attraction passes or cards, I recommend getting one. This way, you can access several top attractions while getting the maximum savings. So, if you’re visiting a popular city, check if it offers the Sightseeing Pass , the City PASS , or the Go City pass.

Depending on the destination, some of these cards may also include certain tours or tickets for the sightseeing bus . So again, I highly recommend this option, especially if you’re planning a vacation in a metropolitan city.

Regardless of where you’re going, I suggest making a list of all the tourist attractions you want to visit to better organize your trip . Remember, it’s usually better to focus on seeing things that really interest you, rather than trying to cram as many attractions as possible into your itinerary or planner .

6. Book a tour, a key step in many tourist plans

The next thing to do when planning for a trip is to book any tours you’re going to take at your destination. A tour or excursion can help you discover little-known places and learn more history about the city you’re visiting.

While not every destination calls for a detailed tour plan , some places are known for incredible excursions, like seeing the Northern Lights in Iceland, or taking a walking tour through New York.

When we’re creating a travel itinerary and we know we want to take a tour, there are two websites we use. First, Civitatis offers interesting excursions and some free tours around the world, while GetYourGuide has an extensive list of tours in practically any destination.

Using these online trip planner websites is super easy since all you have to do is enter your destination and hit the search button. You can filter the results by category, price, duration, and more, so they’re two of the best trip planning apps out there.

You don’t want to skip this step, especially if you’re not sure how to plan a trip or you’re visiting a place for the first time. Booking a tour or two will help you make the most of your trip, and since a guide will lead you, it’ll be an informative and entertaining experience.

7. Get travel insurance, something you can’t forget when planning a trip

Another must-do when you’re travel planning is to get travel insurance coverage.

No one likes to think about it, but unforeseen events can and do happen while traveling, and in those moments, having travel insurance makes all the difference. The worst-case scenario would be getting sick or hurt while abroad and not having any of your extra medical expenses covered.

Currently, we have annual multi-trip insurance with Heymondo , which is the best travel insurance on the market with the best coverage-to-price ratio. You can even get a travel discount with Heymondo just for being our reader.

5% OFF your travel insurance

In addition to medical assistance for injury or illness, Heymondo covers baggage loss or delay, medical quarantine expenses, and more. You’ll also have Heymondo’s 24/7 chat, which is available to help you should you run into an emergency while abroad.

I can’t recommend travel insurance enough, and while it’s probably the least enjoyable part of planning a trip , it’s the most important. This is particularly true in countries like the U.S. or Japan, where medical treatment is very expensive. Plus, if you opt for trip cancellation insurance , you’ll be covered if an unforeseen event prevents you from traveling.

Best travel insurance

Cheap Travel Insurance

Annual [multi-trip]

Cancellation

Europe travel insurance

Travel insurance for the USA

Medical Travel Insurance

The best only medical travel insurance

Cancel for any reason insurance

The best cancel for any reason plans

Pre-existing conditions

Best insurance for pre-existing conditions

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Best family travel insurance

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8. Get a no foreign transaction fee credit card, another important part of your trip plan

Another important thing to remember when planning your itinerary is to get a travel credit card . If you’re going abroad, you’ll want a card with no foreign transaction fees , so you can make payments or ATM withdrawals without the pesky currency exchange fees. Fortunately, you can take advantage of some great options on the market.

We use the Revolut debit card, which you can get for free and use at ATMs and stores around the world. With Revolut, you can withdraw up to $1,200 a month from foreign ATMs without fees, as well as exchange up to $1,000 a month.

We also carry a Wise credit card with us, which comes in handy when we need to withdraw more money and want to avoid extra fees. With Wise, you can spend money in over 50 currencies.

For more information about the Revolut card and the Wise card , I recommend reading our full reviews of each .

9. Buy an international SIM card, a must-do when you plan to travel

One of the most common concerns we hear about how to plan a trip is related to mobile data. We’ve looked at all the possible options for getting Internet for travel , and have found Holafly to be the best solution.

The Holafly eSIM card, which you can get here , is a prepaid digital SIM card that you can use to get Internet while abroad. It’s cheap, quick to arrive in your email inbox, and allows you to keep your number on WhatsApp and other mobile apps.

All you have to do is select the country you’re planning a trip to and choose the best international SIM card for the number of days you’ll be there. Depending on the destination, you can find cards for five to 90 days. After selecting your eSIM, you’ll receive the digital card via email, and you can scan the QR code to activate it. This means you can even buy it when you’re already abroad, so it’s the most convenient option.

There’s no doubt that the Holafly eSIM card is the best mobile data option, but you can learn more about it in our full review.

5% OFF your international eSIM card

If your phone does not support eSIM cards , you can also opt for a physical SIM from SimOptions , which is another very good option.

10. Pack your suitcase, the last step when planning a trip

Now that you’ve done all the tedious steps to plan your itinerary , all that’s left to do is pack your suitcase. If you’re traveling for the first time or you need new luggage, you’ll have no problems finding backpacks and suitcases on Amazon .

For longer trips, we’ve been using this large suitcase (30 inches) for years, and it still holds up. When we’re planning a trip for the weekend or the short term, we use this small suitcase (21 inches) and this carry-on bag .

If you’re curious about how we plan for a backpacking trip , we follow the steps above and depend on this backpack (80L), which is ideal for longer trips. If you’re taking a backpacking trip and want some tips, check out our guide on how to prepare a backpack for long-term travel.

Whether you’re packing a suitcase or a backpack, remember to check the temperatures at your destination so you can bring the appropriate clothing and footwear. Also, don’t forget your toiletries and a small first aid kit since even getting ibuprofen while abroad can be difficult. Other essentials you can’t forget while planning your trip include your passport, wallet, phone charger, and power bank.

These days, you can keep most documents on your phone, but I still recommend bringing along physical copies of your boarding pass, reservations, and insurance policy just in case.

Finally, if you find yourself in a scenario where you don’t have a place to keep your suitcase and you don’t want to drag it around the city with you, you can opt for a luggage storage service. We’ve used Nannybag and Bounce a few times and it made all the difference in how enjoyable our trip was. I also recommend keeping Apple Airtags in your luggage so you can locate it in case it gets lost or stolen.

Bonus step: Pack your photography gear, an essential part of our tour planning

One of the best parts of traveling is seeing amazing landscapes and architecture, which brings me to my bonus travel planning tip . If you love photography as much as we do, don’t forget to bring your camera and other gear with you. We always pack the essentials, especially for our photo tours , and we always keep our equipment well protected.

If you don’t have travel photography gear , you have two options. You can buy what you need on Amazon or B&H Photo , or you can rent the equipment from LensRentals , which I recommend if you’re only going to use it for that trip.

You can get all the details on where to rent camera gear in the U.S. in our guide. I think renting the equipment is a great idea if you’re not a dedicated photographer and don’t plan on using it too much. Plus, you save 15% in LensRentals with our code ATLAS15.

Other tips when planning for a trip

Now you have all the top tips for planning a trip from start to finish. Before I say goodbye, I want to recommend some trip planning apps that can make organizing your trip even easier.

Maps.me has become a must-have travel app for us, even on our weekend getaways. This online travel planner app gives us maps of places all over the world, which we can access even when we lose Internet connection.

Another great tool is TravelSpend , which makes planning a trip with friends super easy since you can organize the travel expenses and determine who pays what.

Of course, travel planning is a process that takes time and effort, but if you follow the advice in this guide and use the websites I mentioned, it’ll be much easier. If you have any questions or want to share your trip planning experiences or tips, leave me a comment below. I’d be happy to hear from you!

Until then, good luck, and have fun planning the trip of your dreams!

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and the only one that pays all your medical bills upfront for you!

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How To Plan A Trip: Easy 15 Step Travel + Vacation Planner

by Mark and Kristen Morgan

Published: July 17, 2019

UPDATED: December 31, 2023

This ultimate how to plan a trip guide will transform your destination daydreams into travel reality within just 15 easy-to-follow steps.

Adventure is calling! But where should you go? How do you get there? And what do you need to organize before you leave home?

This one-stop travel planning resource covers all you need to know about preparing for any trip.

But how can you trust us to cover all of the important travel planning aspects?

The goal is to walk you through 15 simple and stress free steps, from ideas to bookings and from packing to walking out the door. We’ll take you on a journey from idea to reality.

Personally, when we plan a trip, we know that breaking the process up into sections works best. We feel less overwhelmed when we plan in manageable pieces.

Follow the steps in this guide and you’ll see just how easy planning a trip can be. Let’s travel plan!

The Travel Planning Rollercoaster

Planning any vacation is like being on a rollercoaster called the Emotion Overload. In the beginning the rollercoaster climbs slowly, building your excitement before plummeting into overwhelmed anxiety.

The second climb is determination and hard work, followed by a loop de loop as information spins around your brain in circles.

And just when it seems the ride will never end, the carriage comes to an abrupt halt: your plans are finally ready.

Break Up Planning A Trip Into 3 Sections

We are all different. Genetics, personality traits, habits and attitudes make us all unique. But although we are all unique, common patterns emerge among travelers.

Most long term travelers tend to book the first week or month in detail. Once comfortable with the whole idea of backpacker life, they tend to plan just a few days in advance each time they move.

Because who knows what might come up? Those taking shorter trips, such as a 2 week vacation, typically plan almost all specific details in advance.

Because who wants to lose valuable time planning what to do that day with just 2 weeks away from work

No matter how you prefer to travel or how long you intend to travel, the planning process can always be broken down into 3 manageable sections. You will make life easier and less like your brain might explode.

Plan, Book And Pack

These 3 travel planning sections encompass the same repetitive processes we all follow, every time we travel. When we repeat them enough times, they become autonomous.

You plan your travel goals, you book the essentials, you pack your bags and you go.

But even when taken back to basics, each travel planning section can be time consuming, frustrating and overwhelming. We know from first hand experience when planning multiple long term travel routes.

The key is to break down each travel planning section into smaller, easier to accomplish steps. That way you will eliminate stress and feel the positive reinforcement each time you complete a step.

Follow the easily achievable steps listed below within each travel planning section. Begin to plan your trip in advance, take each step one at a time and we guarantee you will avoid feeling overwhelmed.

All you need to do then is watch your dream trip create itself before your eyes.

Need help with packing? You might like to use our ultimate travel packing resource .

Section 1: Establish Your Travel Goals

Let’s start at the beginning, the daydream stage.

You know it’s time for a vacation or a long term trip but right now you’re just floating ideas around.

Ask yourself these important travel planning questions (H and 5 W’s):

• How much time will you spend traveling?
• When do you want to leave?
• Who will you travel with?
• What shape are your finances in?
• Where in the world do you want to go?
• Why is it so difficult to save up for your trip?

This is one of our favorite parts of planning a trip because everything sounds wonderful! But before you can book or pack for your potential trip, you need to figure out the basics.

Research Is Key To Planning Effectively

The fundamentals of how to plan a trip begin and end with research.

Every aspect of your plans will require research, from booking flights to buying travel insurance and from packing your bags to visa requirements.

But research starts all the way back at the beginning, before e-tickets arrive in your iPhone wallet and you’re debating between packing your tan vs black shoes.

Research begins with deciding on the most basic of travel planning principles. But don’t confuse basic with a lack of importance. The goals you set at this stage will consequently shape your entire trip.

You will spend a lot of time on google, the same as we do before every trip. If you embrace the research you will do just fine.

By reading this post you are already well into establishing your travel goals and researching travel planning techniques.

That gives you a hand up over other travelers.

You will be more prepared and ultimately have a better trip. The first section of travel planning is designed for you to turn daydreams into actionable reality.

By the end of this section, you will know everything you need to know about the trip you’re going to take. Then, you can start booking!

Consider Your Travel Limitations

We don’t want to rain on your parade but it is critical at this point to manage your expectations and be aware of your travel limitations.

Every one of us is guilty of getting carried away in life, but when it comes to travel planning, be very careful not to take on more than you can chew. Or afford.

Our advice at this stage is to be honest and realistic about what you think is achievable.

• Can you realistically finance a trip to country X and city Y with your budget?
• Is it safe to go to hiking in National Park Z in Winter?
• Do you really want to travel solo or would you prefer company?
• Can you quit your job sooner and still afford your year around the world?
• Are you able to squeeze and extra few holiday days out of your job?

1. How Much Time Do You Spend Traveling?

The thrill of choosing where you want to go on vacation or long term travel is by far the most exciting part of planning a trip. There’s no question about that.

However, before you conjure up your dream Vietnam itinerary or US road trip route , the first piece of the planning puzzle is determining how much time you have on your side.

Time is one aspect of life no amount of money can control.

• On a short beach or hiking vacation from work, will you travel for 7 days, 10 days or 14 days?
• Are you able to take a 3 month sabbatical to backpack South East Asia?
• Or maybe you’ve been thinking about quitting your job to travel without an end date in mind?
• Are your dates flexible or do you have to stick to specific timeframes?
• Do you work remotely or at a physical location?
• Are the kids back in school on Monday morning?

Carefully consider the time you have available and remember there are implications to consider with the amount of time you allocate for your trip.

Example : You will need more money to finance a 4 month trip when compared to 2 months. It sounds obvious, but the point is to ensure you get the balance right between time and travel funds.

Once you establish the amount of time and any specific dates you have to play with, move onto the next planning steps.

2. When Do You Plan To Leave On Your Trip?

The date you are aiming to leave on your trip is vitally important to your personal travel planning process.

Are you planning a trip way in advance? Or are you last minute planning? The subsequent steps will change focus depending on the answer to those questions.

For those planning a last minute spontaneous trip, you will need to double down and get to work.

Conversely, if you are planning a summer vacation that’s 6 months out, you can relax and take each of the plan a trip step slowly.

It is important to remember that people work more efficiently in different ways.

For us, Kristen works more efficiently when planning early and taking things at a gentle pace, whereas Mark works best under pressure with the clock ticking.

Timing Is Crucial

Consider the timing of your proposed trip.

You will have to account for high, shoulder or low season as well as weather conditions for the time of year you visit and finances will be impacted by how well you plan your leaving date.

Example : Your trip is shaping up to be a 3 week European adventure in Summer. You better believe it is going to cost you! Would you be better off planning to leave in Spring or Fall to suit your budget more appropriately?

If you plan to quit your job in 6 months and travel the world for a year, now is the time to get stuck into planning. A year is a long time and the world is a big place.

Leaving a trip like this until the last minute means you could risk missing out on once in a lifetime opportunities.

Working out the most effective time leave on your adventure gives you the framework to set achievable planning and financial  goals . 

Remind yourself of the 7 P’s of planning: Piss Poor Planning Promotes Piss Poor Performance.

3. Who Do You Plan To Travel With?

Chances are high you already know exactly who you will travel with before you begin to plan a trip. Maybe you’re going on a family holiday or a romantic couples weekend getaway ?

In which case, your travel partners are nailed on. The same applies for us. We always travel as a couple which makes Step 3 obsolete when we plan a trip. 

However, many travelers planning trips are undecided between exploring solo or with a friend.

Our world adventures have enabled us to meet hundreds of others traveling. Solo travelers and those traveling as couples or larger groups.

There are pros and cons to all types of travel, just like most things in life.

The important thing to understand for first time travelers who feel anxious about traveling solo is that you will meet people along the way. Even as a couple, you will meet dozens of other couples on longer trips, particularly in Asia and South America.

So, don’t be afraid to plan your dream trip if you don’t have anyone to travel with initially, you will make a ton of friends on the road.

4. What Shape Are Your Finances In?

Working out a rough travel budget is arguably the most important aspect of planning any trip. That remains true if you are leaving tomorrow or in a year.

Take a cautious approach rather than an overly optimistic approach. You will spend more money than you think, trust us on that one.

It’s better to have money left over than run out of cash a long way from home. We’ve seen it happen.

• How much money do you currently have saved up for your trip?
• How much money can you save between now and the date you plan to leave?
• Do you need to get a second job or a second income to bulk your budget out?
• Do you have any cash in reserve in case of emergency?

Before you start dreaming of your 2 week luxury beach vacation to the Maldives or 3 months backpacking through Australia and New Zealand, you need to be realistic about your budget.

Travel Smarter, Not Harder

A good rule of thumb is to consider yours destinations around your budget.

Instead, consider your budget and travel to a place where that same amount of money will allow you to have a much better experience.

See how much we spent in 1 month in Vietnam to use as a reference for travel costs.

If you are planning a short vacation, you will have much more control over finances. You know you’re going to get paid from your job again, so a splurge isn’t out of the question.

In contrast, long term travelers will constantly be checking finances. Once they leave for their trip – that digital bank balance value will decrease every single day until the end.

Travel Tip : When planning a trip around your budget, always always always leave some room for buffer in case of emergency. We’re all used to living to our means and it’s easy to plan down to the last penny but trust us, you never know when you might need a spare US$ 100.

5. Where Do You Plan To Travel?

Now and only now, despite wanting nothing else but to start planning your travel itinerary. It is time to plan your travel destination and route.

You will thank us for leaving you hanging this long because now you have a firm grasp on your travel budget, whether you will be traveling alone or with a group, how long you can travel for and when you want to leave.

Here are some of our top travel inspiration suggestions :

• Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks in Wyoming, USA.
• Budapest is a wonderful European city break.
• New York State Parks like Letchworth and Buttermilk Falls are perfect day trips.
• The Atacama Desert in Chile is mind blowing.
• Los Angeles , San Francisco and San Diego are awesome cities to discover.
• Andalusia in Spain is a stunning region to explore.
• Pacific Coast Highway , Utah and South Dakota  are epic road trips.

The beauty of leaving this step until you know your budget is having the ability to plan your vacation or itinerary with a clear understanding of which places are feasible and which places you will have to exclude based on price, distance, safety and so on.

Planning travel itineraries takes a lot of work. We find it to be our favorite and least favorite part of traveling – in equal measure! Excitement and frustration.

It is vital you consider public transport routes, airports, safety, hotel availability, time of year, activities on offer, food and so much more.

Choosing A Travel Route

A question we often get asked is: “How do you know where you want to go?”

We do something our ancestors have been doing for over 2000 years: Look at a map!

Seriously, buy a huge map and stick it on your wall. Study each continent and indicate places you would love to visit using pins or colored sticky notes.

If looking at maps doesn’t help, here are some excellent alternatives to find travel inspiration:

• Read the wide range of destinations we write about on our travel blog !
• Read other blogs too. There are hundreds of fantastic first hand resources on the internet written by people who have been to the places you want to visit.
• Change up your google searches to ‘the best place to travel in X year’ or ‘the most obscure travel destinations’.
• Be creative, look for specific events, festivals or concerts around the world.

Once you have a shortlist of dream destinations, fire up google maps and prepare to lose yourself for hours. Design mock travel itineraries lasting 10 days, 2 weeks, a month, 3 months or however long you plan to travel.

6. Why Is It So Hard To Save For Your Trip?

You’ve meticulously planned your next adventure. Now, you need to stump up the cash to pay for it.

Whether you are going on a one week trekking holiday, a one month live aboard scuba diving course or traveling through Africa and the Middle East for six months, you will need to save up enough money to pay for the pleasure.

You already worked out your finances and travel plans in steps 4 and 5, so you have an actionable target to reach. Is your departure date 3 months away? 6 months? A year?

However far ahead you plan to leave, you might need to put a savings process in place to make up the difference.

Saving for vacations or long term travel is HARD. Your excitement is at fever pitch but time seems to stand still. Days at work start to drag more and more the closer you get to the big day.

Be Disciplined

The key to financial success can be found in one simple word, Discipline .

It’s easy to start well with the best intentions but it’s equally as easy to lose focus. Put yourself on a strict no-spending regime if you don’t have the money in savings to pay for travel costs in advance.

Make judgement calls on every single expenditure – is it want or need? Do you want that thing or do you genuinely need it?

If it’s a want, don’t spend the money, save it. Be disciplined .

Once your bank account begins to swell, fight the temptation to ‘treat yourself’. If you think you won’t be tempted, think again. 

That 80″ TV you wanted is only US$ 1,000 and you now have 10 of those saved for your trip – can you get by on US$ 9,000?

No you can’t! Put the TV back! Be disciplined .

Plan A Trip Section 1 Complete: Your Tentative Travel Plans Are In Place

You are officially one third of the way towards being travel ready.

There are more challenges to come but you’ve nailed down the hardest part of travel planning.

Narrowing down where to visit and formulating the perfect itinerary is by far the most difficult part of planning a trip for us.

The word perfect was used for a reason, we both have FOMO (fear of missing out) so it takes us an age to finalize our trips.

With the whole world as your travel option, deciding where to go and where not to go can be overwhelming.

Personally, we just take it one step at a time based on our budget and places on our travel bucket list. We systematically include and exclude places, activities and routes until we agree on a winning formula.

Do not feel disheartened when you think you’ve cracked your route and budget but for whatever reason it just doesn’t work out. Go back to the drawing board and start again fresh. You will end up with an even better itinerary.

Section 2: Take Action + Book

We can all daydream about vacations or backpacking the world for a year. Or imagine ourselves lounging on a beautiful powdery white sand beach in Thailand  and hiking into the Grand Canyon .

But until you bite the bullet, until you commit by clicking the buy now button on flights and hotels, a dream is all it will be.

Once you take that giant leap, it becomes tangible.

How many times have you planned a travel route mentally and thought about how amazing it would be and all the things you would do on your trip only to snap back to reality in the office?

Be brave and courageous. Take the plunge and book the important elements of your travel plan. Does this sound like a good story?

“Well, I was going to book a life changing 3 month backpacking trip through South America, but didn’t bother in the end.” That sounds like missed opportunity to us!

Myths About Booking In Advance

Like many other things in life, travel planning gets easier with experience. You learn which aspects of the way you planned and booked your trip worked and which aspects caused problems or lost you money.

However, one thing even the most savvy or accomplished traveler doesn’t always get right is how much of the trip to book in advance.

Here’s the problem travelers face on every trip:

If you book in advance, you plan ahead, book all hotels, buses, trains, activities and flights on your trip.

But what happens? You have no flexibility. If you love a place, you can’t stay longer. If you hate a place, you can’t leave immediately.

And if you don’t book in advance, you plan nothing and have complete flexibility. But you spend all of your travel days booking the next place to stay that night or your flight the next day.

Last minute flights and hotels will have far fewer options and may have seriously inflated prices.

How To Successfully Book A Trip

Here are a few tips to help you book your next trip:

• Find the perfect balance between being organized and flexible.
• Book all of your major trans-continental long haul flights before you leave home.
• Book any hotel splurges you have identified.
• Book any bucket list activities (such as W Trek in Chile) in advance.
• Leave the rest of your trip open ended.

We meet travelers with binders full of confirmation documents who prefer to plan the entire trip down to the ground, even dinner reservations.

Then there are those who prefer to book nothing more than a one way flight and decide everything on the fly (pun intended).

There is no one size fits all best practice or answer to this relentless travel quandary. It depends entirely on your own preferred travel style.

7. Book Your Major Flights To Seal The Deal

Now the real work can begin.

Booking your first flight is the single most exciting and nerve racking moment of travel planning. In one single moment of commitment, you turn your daydream into a reality.

There are numerous flight searching platforms and you can use any you prefer. We personally use – every time we fly and recommend to our friends and family:  Skyscanner .

We’ve used each of the major flight search engines and we find Skyscanner to offer the easiest user experience, have the most flight options and consistently lowest prices.

But our favorite aspects of Skyscanner are having the ability (and flexibility) to search for flights by whole month and whole country.

Example: Let’s say you want to fly New York to London.

Instead of selecting an exact date with +/- 3 days (which is what most flight searches offer) you can select by whole month of May for example.

A flight calendar will show the prices of flights on every day that month and between all airports in New York / London.

Check flights with Skyscanner here and start searching for your next flight.

Avoid Flight Price Myths

Booking flights can go one of two ways:

• You prefer to search for a flight, find one at a price you feel is fair and book it. 
• You are the type who prefers flight price roulette, playing the algorithm game.

But the thing is you can save money on flights if you put in some research and effort. That being said, there are a lot of myths and legends about booking flights.

Booking International flights on a Tuesday or domestic flights on a Sunday will save big money. Not necessarily true. Prices fluctuate many times a day, week and month.

Clearing cookies and searching incognito will save money. Unfortunately not, no evidence to support that.

Quick Tips On Booking Flights

Our number one tip for booking flights is to be flexible. That’s the way you will save big money.

Look at prices around the dates you want to fly using Skyscanner, you will see how drastically different they can be.

Book your long haul flights as far in advance as possible. The last thing you want is a mammoth cost on your flight home.

Keep an eye on prices 9 months in advance, 6 months 3 months in advance, 1 month in advance and last minute. Watch how much they fluctuate over time.

Research thoroughly, search regularly and build up patterns of prices.

Put flight alerts on specific flights of interest to you. You will receive notifications of changes.

If you see a flight you want and it’s cheap, book it! Don’t wait for it drop by US$ 5 because you’ll find it will go up by US$ 50 instead. Know the right time to pull the trigger.

Flight booking search engines are built on algorithms like everything else online. The key is not to outsmart them, just work them to your advantage.

READ MORE : How to book cheap flight when you travel

8. Book Ground Transport

Booking ground transport in advance depends on where in the world you are traveling, the timing of your trip, the length of your trip and how rigid and flexible you plan to travel.

Example : When we traveled 3 months in South America, we booked a 24 hour bus from Bariloche to El Chalten in Argentina before we left the UK. But we did not book any sleeper buses or trains in Vietnam in advance.

We visited Argentina in January, during Peak Season. Flights from Bariloche to El Calafate were expensive (and a bus to El Chalten is required) so we took the much cheaper bus.

The bus books up in advance and we wanted to guarantee seats so we booked in advance.

Conversely, we visited Northern and Central Vietnam in October and knew we would be able to jump on any bus or train we wanted. No need to sacrifice flexibility.

Most Cost Effective Transport Methods By Region

• Europe – Cheap budget flights with Ryanair, EasyJet etc between countries / Trains within countries.
• SE Asia – Cheap flights with Jetstar, VietJet, AirAsia, Scoot, LionAir, TigerAir etc between countries / Sleeper Trains & Buses within countries.
• South America – Flights hit and miss for price. We found Chile and Peru had cheaper flights than Argentina. Best way to get around is by Bus but be aware, some of them are LONG!
• North America – Road trip is the best way to explore. Buy a cheap second hand car or hire a car drive point A to B. Trains and domestic flights are expensive. Traveling by bus is a cheap option but not a great one.

The take home is to understand the region you plan to travel through.

How are public transport prices impacted by season? Variations in prices if booking in advance vs last minute?

Example : Let’s say you’re traveling Europe by train but not Interrailing. Booking trains in advance WILL save you money. Do not leave European train bookings until the last minute.

By researching and understanding these things, you can quite literally rescue your travel budget from total annihilation.

If you prefer to drive yourself around a new place to taking public transport, always check prices for hire cars with Rental Cars for most options and best value.

9. Book Accommodation

Booking accommodation can be both extremely rewarding and extremely frustrating.

Some travelers embrace the best deals hunt, whereas others despise losing time trawling through endless lists of hotel prices.

As with all other aspects of travel planning, the key is to find the right balance between how much time you invest and how much money you can save.

There are a limited amount of flights you can choose between, right?

It’s the opposite for accommodation, there are SO many options for where you will sleep at night, no matter where you travel.

If you let it, this process will overwhelm you within seconds. How do you choose between 1000 hotels? When do you stop searching for an even better deal?

The scenario of your trip will affect the benefits of booking hotels in advance.

Example : Beach vacations and resort hotel complexes can go either way. Sometimes you can pick up big money saving last minute deals. It’s a risk but it can pay off.

However, if you’re on a tight budget and backpacking for a month through Thailand in low or shoulder season, it would be worth turning up in person to negotiate a better deal.

Use Hotel Booking Search Engines

Something we find fascinating when we meet travelers on the road is the diversity of platforms everyone uses to book accommodation.

Some swear by Airbnb, others use Agoda or Hostelworld and a high proportion use Booking.com. Personally, we use Booking.com to book our hotels.

We have been using Booking for years and still to this day we are staggered by how many hotel owners pull faces at us or make comments like ‘wow, you guys must have that booking genius thing, this is the lowest price I’ve seen.

We do have Booking Genius Level 3 and you can have it too by simply creating a free account and booking your hotels with Booking.com .

The same applies to Hotels.com, Agoda, Airbnb, Priceline and many others. Find a hotel booking service you like, create an account and reap the loyalty benefits.

That’s not to say hotel search engines have the best prices period.

We ask certain hotels for a price directly and if it’s more than what we can see on our Booking.com app, we simply book a room on our app right at the check in desk.

Quick Tips For Booking Hotels

Similarly to booking ground transport at the trip planning stages, we only book certain hotels in advance before we travel.

Typically, we will book hotels as we go to allow total flexibility. However, there are three scenarios when we book hotels in advance:

• If we plan to visit a big city like London, New York City , Hong Kong or Dubai in shoulder or high season.
• When planning itineraries including rural N ational Park s with limited hotel options.
• Big splurges on a luxury hotel so our travel budget doesn’t take a huge mid-trip pounding.

When searching for hotels, always use filters and sorting to cut through the crap and display exactly what you are interested in.

Search engines by default will display hotels based on featured. So what is featured?

It is hotel search engines listing hotels in their own order, but we like to sort by user rating and review count.

If a hotel has 2,500 reviews and a guest review score of 8.7, we would add it to our shortlist.

Once we have enough hotels in a shortlist we look at their locations, nearby amenities, nearby major attractions and transport hubs etc.

READ MORE : How to book cheap hotels for travel

10. Book Bucket List Experiences

Your final bookings at this stage of planning your trip are reserved for any bucket list experiences.

You’ve planned a route through a country or continent, so you should know all of the bucket list places you will be visiting. However, unless you research thoroughly, there’s a small chance you might miss something.

Life is about learning from mistakes.

One of ours when traveling Europe was when we visited Interlaken and Grindelwald in Switzerland but we hadn’t researched things to do before hand.

So we didn’t know about the Jungfrau rack railway line through the Eiger to the top of Europe at 3,454m. Once we discovered it, we’d already spent our allocated budget which isn’t difficult in Switzerland.

Plan major activities ahead. Make a spreadsheet or a checklist, even book some ahead of time if you have to or prefer to plan your whole trip in advance.

The more planning you do in advance, the less you will miss on the road. There are times when you will have no choice but to plan months ahead.

A few examples are the W trek in Torres del Paine (Chile), Half Dome hike at Yosemite National Park (California) and hiking down the Narrows at Zion National Park (Utah).

Not planning ahead will result in missing something epic. If you don’t typically plan things like this in advance, now is the time to learn some new core skills.

Section 2 Complete: Major Bookings Are Made

You’re almost over the hill and it’s plain sailing from here. The hard work has paid off, now all that’s left is preparing and packing for the adventure that awaits you.

Booking flights, transport, hotels and activities is part of the travel planning experience.

Try to enjoy the process. If you feel overwhelmed at any point, step away for a few hours or days. That is a tried and tested method of successfully planning a trip.

There have been times where we’ve had to walk away from planning for a day or two.

Remember, you can book hotels anywhere at any time, you don’t always have to book your entire trip before you leave. 

If there’s one particular leg of your journey where you can’t quite make transport work or there are no cheap hotels available, just go back a few steps and alter your route accordingly.

This is a common travel planning stumbling block. 

It can be infuriating to have a route perfected, only for something not to work and find yourself back at the drawing board.

But consider this, would you rather be at home with this problem? Or in a foreign city with no idea where to go next, how to get there or where to sleep that night?

Section 3: Prepare And Pack

You’re on the home stretch. There are just a few important admin tasks to complete before you can finally say you are ready to leave on your trip.

Get stuck into these last few steps as soon as possible, tick the boxes, put your feet up and enjoy a nice cup of Yorkshire tea.

Section 3 of travel planning is about giving yourself the best return on your expenses, travel safety, insuring your property and packing the right gear for your trip. 

It would be easy to switch off once you’ve secured your important bookings but you would be shooting yourself in the foot.

Instead, keep the ball rolling into this final section. Use the momentum to make the best choices possible as you complete your travel planning process.

11. Travel Rewards Credit Cards

You might be from a country where paying with debit and credit cards is the norm. Heck, you probably even pay for things with your phone these days.

However, when you travel through certain regions, such as parts of South East Asia, you won’t always be able to pay for goods and services with your cards.

Cash is often king in developing countries or countries with few tourists.

Example : We spent a month traveling North/Central Vietnam and can count on 1 hand the amount of times we paid for anything using a credit card. In order to withdraw cash from ATM’s without incurring a fee, we used our travel rewards credit card.

So, aside from always carrying a handful of US dollars in cash as a safety net, here’s the best money saving advice for any trip you ever take abroad, limit the amount you use your debit card.

If you use your debit account, you can kiss goodbye to your travel budget. The local bank will charge you a fee and your bank at home will charge you a hefty fee. Double whammy. Not fun.

What To Do Before Your Trip

Sign up for a no foreign transaction fee on all withdrawals and purchases travel rewards credit card.

On longer trips you will be taking money out of ATM’s regularly. Local ATM withdrawals will yield better exchange rates than airport exchanges.

Always choose local currency when withdrawing money, not your home country currency.

Research the best travel rewards card before you leave on your trip. Residents of the US are fortunate because competition is fierce, which drives fantastic offers on travel credit cards.

At a minimum, you should be able to pick up a travel rewards credit card giving you 1.5% cash back on all purchases and withdrawals.

Some offer points instead of cash back, which can be saved and used to pay for a flight later in your trip. Look for any special points and bonuses for spending X amount of money in Y amount of time.

Choose the card that offers the best perks for your travel style.

Example : Bank A will give you 1,500 points bonus if you spend US$ 3,000 within 90 days. Those bonus points equal US$ 150 that you can put towards a flight.

12. Tell The Bank About Your Travel Plans

It would blow your mind if we told you the amount of people we meet traveling the world who have experienced blocked credit cards.

Blocked cards in turn lead to no money and expensive phone calls back home to unblock said cards.

The banks are doing it for your protection but when you’re stuck in the back of beyond and can’t pay for anything or withdraw money, you will be in trouble.

Example : You have a Bank of America checking account, a Capital One Venture travel rewards card and an American Express travel card, you need to tell every one of those banks what your rough travel plans are.

It doesn’t hurt to keep them updated as you travel because plans can change.

We will contact our banks each time we move to a new continent and give them a rough idea of the countries we intend to visit, plus an estimated duration. Remember the 7 P’s of planning.

13. Get Travel Insurance

We’re not going to frighten you into buying travel insurance with gruesome tales. We’re simply going to say it is not worth the risk to travel without insurance.

You may be debating running the risk because insurance can be expensive.

We understand, it’s a bit of a blow when you think all your costs are nailed on the head and you see how much travel insurance is going to set you back.

But believe us, skipping it is not the smart move. Especially if you are backpacking for longer periods. Knock on wood, nothing serious has happened to us yet on the road.

No lost backpacks, no serious injuries, no muggings. But that could change at any moment, all it takes is being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Travel Insurance Is Worth The Peace Of Mind

Could you imagine the cost involved in being repatriated to America with a serious illness or injury sustained on the other side of the planet? No insurance would leave you in financial despair for years.

Example : You’ve just bought a brand new Sony A7R IV mirrorless camera for US$ 3,000 for your trip and you lose it or have it stolen on your first day traveling. You don’t have insurance. Imagine the pain!

There are plenty of travel insurance providers, such as Allianz, AIG and Travelex but right now we use and highly recommend World Nomads.

The company was created by travelers for travelers and they will tailor an insurance plan to suit your trip. You can get a free quote and choose between Standard or Explorer plans.

Be sure to do your own research but use World Nomads as your reference. See if you can get better coverage.

14. Check For Last Minute Travel Bargains

This is where we hope you don’t find an amazing last minute deal that’s US$ 200 cheaper than what you booked back in section 2.

Last minute deals are a gamble. Sometimes they pay off but mostly, they don’t. Never leave any of your major flight routes or bucket list activities until the last minute.

It’s always worth keeping an eye on hotel and flight prices, even for things you already booked that may include free cancellations or free changes to the booking.

If you can pick up the odd money saving last minute bargain, great. But don’t leave your entire trip to chance.

In the days leading up to your departure, check prices on (non-major) flights, trains, hotels and tours that you are interested in taking.

There are always flash sales on things, it’s often a case of being fortunate enough to stumble across them at the right time.

Here’s something important to remember if you started planning your trip months ago. High season might have moved into shoulder season or low season in a place you want to go.

But be aware that the opposite may also occur.

You could have planned on last minute deals because when you were researching the prices looked amazing, only to have unwittingly transitioned into peak season for the place you are visiting.

Last minute deals are going to cost you and your options will be greatly diminished in peak season.

15. Pack Yours Bags It’s Time To Leave

Your travel plans are in place, you’ve booked the important things and prepared efficiently. All you need to do now is pick the perfect backpack and fill it with the right gear for your destination.

If you think you can handle traveling with just 40L of space which means you can carry on to flights, don’t miss this review of our top rated travel backpack, Osprey Farpoint 40 .

For those who will carry a larger main pack and need a second smaller backpack to carry on, read our review of the innovative and versatile backpack perfect for travel photographers:  Peak Design Everyday Backpack .

We won’t go into a huge amount of detail with this planning step. Instead, you can find all you need to know about packing for your trips in our detailed  Travel Packing resource.

Here are a few addition packing tips for your trip:

• Be sure to pack according to where you’re going. If there are varying climates on your itinerary, pack for warm and cold weather conditions, even if that means taking a bigger backpack.
• Pack carefully, make sure every single item is fit for multi-purpose use. Do not pack fancy shirts and jeans if you will only use them once, you will end up throwing them out half way through your trip.
• We all have our own dress styles and preferences but our best advice for packing is to take plenty of comfortable gear.

Just remember, the most successful travel planners are the ones who can accept when they need to take a few steps back in order to take many steps forward.

More Travel Resources

• E-Books – Shop our travel guidebooks
• Packing List – The ultimate travel packing list
• Gifts – The best gifts for a traveler

Want more travel content?  Head to our  Travel Blog to discover new destinations around the world.

We hope these 15 steps help you plan the perfect trip!

Please let us know if you have any questions about this trip planning guide in the comments below.

Happy Travels ,

Mark and Kristen

Enjoy This Trip Planning Guide? Pin It For Later!

Note : This article contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase using one of these affiliate links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

All Rights Reserved © Where Are Those Morgans, LLC. Republishing this article and/or any of its contents (text, photography, maps, graphics, etc.) in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.

Mark and Kristen Morgan are travel, hiking and photography experts. Over the last 6 years traveling full time, they have explored more than 40 countries and 30 US states.

Where Are Those Morgans has been featured in USA Today, Gestalten, Get Your Guide, CityPASS and Condé Nast Traveler along with various other publications. Read more about us .

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How to Plan Your Own Trip (& Save Big Travel Bucks)

E ven for the biggest of wanderlusters, trip planning can be a keyboard-head-banging task. Where to go? When to book? How much to schedule ahead?

The “oh crap” moment of having 8,000 tabs open in your browser and virtually nothing booked is an all-too-familiar  blah . For far too many, this makes tours and all-inclusive vacations a tantalizing lure. It's easy to see why; they just seem EASY .

But what if you could save yourself major cash and take that dream trip? What if you could see the same sites as a tour, at a fraction of the cost? Spoiler alert: YOU CAN! In this post, we'll show you step-by-step exactly how to plan and book your own trip, and save HUGELY.

Step 1. Choose a destination

The slightest of research can help you understand which countries will serve your travel budget best. $50USD/day in Paris will hardly stretch beyond activities and food, while the same budget in Bangkok will more luxurious travel for days. Here's some factors to consider when deciding where to head.

Pick countries where your dollar will go far

Aim for places where your home currency is high against the native dollar. Need inspiration? Check our top budget destinations for 2020 , plus our other list of budget countries here .

Another point to consider is current events and currency deflation (e.g. Britain's “Brexit” made England much more affordable for some travellers). Curious about how expensive a place is? Numbeo provides a quick snapshot of average prices for every country. Need destination ideas? Here's some suggestions to start.

• South Africa
• China (check our guide here )
• Philippines

Eastern Europe

South america, consider shoulder season travel.

Off-season travel is a simple but effective money-saver – just make sure that your destination is still safe and won't be entirely ruined by weather. Google your desired destination and find its slower months. Tripadvisor forums can be a good place to get local opinions.

Keep open eyes and ears for deals

Flights are often the biggest ticket item of any trip (we've got plenty of hacks on flight booking  here ). Keep an eye out for error fares,  which aren't always last minute and regularly pop up on international (and even business class) routes.

Travel deals on hotels and package vacations can be found on sites like  Travelzoo  and  Groupon (always check reviews & read the fine print). Don't forget to follow airlines & travel sites on social media and newsletters to hear about sales.

Step 2. Find out travel visa requirements

Once you've chosen a destination and before booking anything , check if you require a visa for your visit and how long it's valid for. Check your country's government travel advisories online, such as here below:

• Australia (click on country of choice for info)
• Canada (click on the country of choice, then “Entry/Exit Requirements”)
• Europe (info for Europe-based travel here , worldwide visa requirements viewable on the map here )
• United Kingdom (select country and click “Entry Requirements”)
• United States (type your country of choice in the search box, click it, then select “Entry/Exit Requirements”)

Step 3. Plan a (rough) itinerary

Once you've chosen a place, you'll want to familiarize yourself with it. Where do you want to go? What do you want to see? How long is your visit? The amount of pre-planning here is up to you. There are benefits to having loose travel plans (or none at all), you just have to decide what suits you best.

If you want to plan a route, here's some ways to do it!

Check tour company itineraries

Tour companies like G Adventures and Intrepid Travel have itineraries freely listed on their website. These are handy for getting a snapshot of destination highlights, duration, and modes of transport. If you've decided on a country, Lonely Planet writes great guidebooks with detailed information. Travel blogs *ahem* are also a handy source of information.

Note: when viewing group tour itineraries, keep in mind these are often  fast paced.  You may wish to add more buffer room and lazy days for your own trip. You don't need to copy sample routes & durations to a tee.

Read trip summaries online

Many travellers share extensive itineraries and trip summaries on forums like  TripAdvisor . This is a great way to hear ups and downs, get itinerary critiques, and genuine local advice.

TripHobo is another service where people share detailed day-by-day itineraries, and you can actually earn money by posting your own.

Pinterest is a great place to find sample itineraries and tips on destinations. Many regions of the world have expert bloggers with extensive destination-specific knowledge and experience. Simply use the search bar with terms such as your country of interest and “itinerary”, and pin away!

Step 4. Book ahead (or wing it!)

For those with limited flexibility in dates or destinations, waiting last minute is an absolute gamble. If you're travelling openly or long-term, then booking as you go based on deals can certainly work (and is what we did during our 2+ years of nomadic travels). Regardless of your trip style, here's how to get booking.

Use broad search engines with flexible cancellation

As a general rule of thumb, your best bet when possible is to book ahead and “hold” a good price on sites with fee-free cancellation policies. Here's our recommendations.

If you do a broad search (ideally searching for “entire month” as opposed to specific dates), you can identify the cheapest dates to fly. In addition to our flight-booking hacks , keep watch for error fares , and try to book flights 4-6 weeks ahead.

Our recommended broad search engines to use for booking flights:

• Airfare Watchdog (good for error fares)
• Secret Flying (good for error fares)

Car rentals

Nearly all major car rental search engines offer free cancellation. For this reason, a car rental should be one of the first things you book for a trip , as prices tend to increase as supply goes down. For hacks on getting the best car rental price, check our guide here . These are the search engines we use for car rental bookings:

• Booking Buddy (lets you search many car booking sites at once)

Accommodation

As with car rentals, most hotel-booking booking websites offer free cancellation ( always  double check!). This means you're best to snag a bargain in advance, even if your plans change . For tips on booking the cheapest accommodation, check our article here . Broad search sites to use for hotel bookings include:

• Booking.com
• HotelsCombined
• AirBNB (always check hosts' cancellation policies as these can sometimes incur a cost)
• Hotwire  and Priceline (good for Mystery Deals on major cities for bargain rates on swanky hotels. Note: You CANNOT cancel mystery bookings!)

Step 5. Find cheap & free activities

Once you've chosen a place, route, and places to stay, you'll want to scope out activities for your trip. You needn't plan every minute, but it can be wise to get some ideas in advance.

WikiVoyage and Lonely Planet are good resources for quickly finding a list of ways to keep busy in a new place, including free things. Walking is one of the best ways to do this, and is definitely the local approach to experiencing a place. Here's some more tips & tricks to explore for less!

Check walking routes and/or free walking tours

Nearly every major city on earth offers free walking tours, and this can be a great way to explore a place on foot while getting a bit of history. Note: “free” walking tours are not  actually free (you are meant to tip at the end), but they usually provide great value and interesting information about a place.

Don't have the time or patience for a group tour? You can still scope out walking routes from Free Walking Tour websites, or simply search Google or Pinterest for ideas and inspiration. Lonely Planet books will often include self-guided walking tours as well.

Seek out free or discounted museum days

Read ahead to see if a city has free or discounted entry dates to attractions. Sometimes museums and art galleries offer free admission in the last hour, or a discounted day of the week. Having an ISIC card can pay off big time if you're a student, especially in Europe where students (with ISIC ID) gain free entry to many sites.

Explore sharing economy options

The sharing economy or peer-to-peer lending has created infinite activities and events for travellers offered by locals themselves. We've compiled a comprehensive list  of sharing economy services around the world and there are MANY on offer! After all, what's more alluring than dinner with a local, or a city tour from someone who's lived there their whole life?!

Visit local markets & events

Tripadvisor  and Lonely Planet are good places to read up beforehand on markets, events and happenings that locals know of. TimeOut Magazine and Metro News (often available for free in public transit stations worldwide) are also great at listing free/current events and activities.

Stalk group buy sites for activity deals

Sites like  Travelzoo  and  Groupon  frequently offer attractive discounts on activities and tours. Always double check expiry dates and the fine print (especially for use on weekends)!

Step 6. Keep your plans organized

If you aspire to be as tidy as a travel agent with your plans,  TripIt is a great and free service we recommend and use. We've been active users it since 2012 during our initial jam-packed once a year trips. As a bonus, this service also tracks travel points by linking with accounts like Aeroplan or AirMiles (note: this is a paid add-on).

You can of course use your own alternatives like Google Docs, but TripIt is great for the “lazy” (or disorganized!) planner. Once you make an account, it will coordinate any relevant info for your trip, no uploading required . Either give TripIt access to your e-mail, or forward each of your booking confirmations to [email protected] , and it will automatically build your itinerary. That means flight tickets, hotel and car bookings, etc. are all kept track in one place . Another plus is being able to share access to trip itineraries (simply add a friend's e-mail address). Definite bliss for planning group trips!

TripIt does have an upgraded membership that offers attractive features like texting you real-time updates of flights, gate changes, etc. We paid for this account in 2016 when I was doing some extensive travels with a friend. All of our planning was done while we were on opposite sides of the globe, so it was quite helpful. I also received realtime updates on her (repeated) flight delays and cancellations, long before she could notify me herself.

All that said, the basic (free) account definite suffices for regular planning. But the paid upgrade does have its perks and is handy for group trip planning.

The Thrifty Gist

• Consider travelling to budget destinations and/or in the off-season to reduce costs
• Use existing itineraries ( Tripadvisor , tour websites) to get a quick snapshot of highlights and routes
• Book refundable trip items (e.g. hotels, car rentals) ahead of time on broad search engines
• Search broadly for flights and keep eyes peeled for error fares
• Check out the sharing economy , walking tours, and online resources like Pinterest for activity ideas
• Keep your plans organized in one place with free services like TripIt

Whew, you did it ! You've now got the basics on how to plan your own trip. With even a slightly organized approach, sorting your own travels can be a breeze. Happy planning!

What tips do you use for planning your own trip?

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How To Plan A Trip Like A Pro: The Ultimate 8-Step Guide

• April 1, 2024
• 12 minute read

Psst, FYI – this post may contain affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission (at absolutely no extra cost to you) and ads keep this blog free for you to enjoy. Thanks for supporting the free content on this site (and for sponsoring more doggy treats for little Albus!)

Travel planning can seem daunting at first. But over many years of planning trips for my family, I’ve found the best processes and methods to plan a trip efficiently. Follow along on my ultimate 8-step guide and learn how to plan a trip like a–dare I say–*gasp* professional travel agent!

I’ve been traveling ever since I can remember, and I feel so blessed that I have had the opportunity to. When I was younger, my family and I had a group of family friends who would go on organized tours; the kind where you feel like you’re herded like a flock of sheep.

Gradually, my dad took on the role of the designated travel planner and organized our trips for us. From sorting out visas to booking hotels and flights–he did this all.

And if you’ve ever planned a trip before, you’d know that this is no easy feat, especially planning a fully-comprehensive vacation for a large group; All while juggling a full-time job, no less.

Once I was old enough, I took over the reins and started planning our family trips. Since then, my style of travel planning has evolved. I’ve learned the best ways to accomplish certain travel-related tasks and found the best websites and processes to find cheap flights, or how to plan a day-to-day itinerary.

I often get asked for my travel itineraries and travel advice, so I hope this guide will help you learn how to plan a trip and realize that it isn’t as difficult as it looks!

Alright, let’s begin!

As you go through this guide, you might want to use my printable Ultimate Planning Guide as a checklist and fill in the blanks as you go! Just enter your e-mail below and you’ll get access sent to your inbox.

Click here to show form

• 1 STEP ONE: Pick A Destination
• 2 STEP TWO: Decide the Length of your Trip
• 4 STEP THREE: Book Your Flights
• 5 STEP FOUR: Book Your Accommodation
• 7 STEP FIVE: Plan Your Itinerary
• 8 STEP SIX: Purchase Travel Insurance
• 9 STEP SEVEN: Planning Your Arrival
• 10 STEP EIGHT: Enjoy Your Trip!
• 11 I still can’t do this…
• 12 MY TOP TRAVEL TIPS & RESOURCES

STEP ONE: Pick A Destination

The first step is the easy one. Maybe you already have a destination in mind, or you just have a long weekend break that you’d like to get out of the country but have no idea where to go.

Inspiration is everywhere, and these are my favorite sites to scour and narrow my search down to a few places of interest.

⇢ Instagram . Nowadays, it’s so easy to find travel inspo on Instagram , especially if you follow a lot of travel accounts. A good one to start with is @NatGeoTravel .

⇢ Next, I hop on to one of my favorite travel planning tools: Google Flights . I love its Explore feature because I can just input my departure city, and put in flexible dates and it’ll churn out recommended destinations! I can even be as vague as I want, for example, I can say I’m looking for a 1-week trip sometime in the month of May, and my interests are the beach, and then you’ll get a list of cities you can fly to!

In deciding on where to go, you should ask yourself the following questions:

How much time do I have?

If you only have a 4-day weekend, you wouldn’t want to be taking an 8-hour flight somewhere and wasting almost an entire day flying. But if you have more time to spare, you can consider an overseas destination that’s further away.

What are my interests?

You need to know what interests you because you wouldn’t want to be stuck in a foreign country doing things you hate! If you don’t enjoy city life, then maybe Tokyo or New York isn’t a good idea. If you enjoy the beach, then you wouldn’t choose a land-locked country like Germany.

Also, determine what type of trip you want this to be. Do you want to be actively exploring the city, or do you just want to lay by the pool with a book all day? Or maybe a mixture of both?

Do I need a visa?

You’ll need to check visa requirements with your local consulate as some visa applications take a long time to process.

When to go?

It’s important to check the time of year you plan to be visiting for a few reasons: Weather, events, and crowds.

I admit that I’ve overlooked this point on a few trips, but it really is crucial. I once went to Myanmar during the dead of Summer, with humid heat reaching up to 40ºC. Safe to say we weren’t so keen on doing much sightseeing in this heat…

Before you decide on your destination, be sure to check what events, holidays or festivals are going on around your planned destination period. For example, during the Lunar New Year, businesses in China shut down for a few weeks, so almost all activity ceases during that time of the year. On the flip side, you might want to plan your trip to coincide with a specific event, such as Japan’s cherry blossom season. So you’ll have to refer to the cherry blossom forecast and plan your trip accordingly.

Planning your trip around high and low seasons can be a big budget saver. Prices for flights, hotels, and tours usually go up during high season, which is obvious if you think of the economics of supply and demand! So if you can, try to visit in low season. You’ll also enjoy the city all to yourself without having to contend with other tourists.

Keep in mind though that there is never really a perfect world… In some cities, such as Dubrovnik, which thrives on Summer tourists, almost all activity ceases in the low season. You won’t bump into many tourists but that’s because most shops are closed and some tour companies don’t operate, so you need to be okay with that.

STEP TWO: Decide the Length of your Trip

So you’ve found your dream vacation, but what exactly is there to do there and how many days will you need to budget for your trip? This is how I determine that:

⇢ You might think Google would be the first go-to, and it could very well be, but my personal favorite is Pinterest ! Pinterest is a visual search engine similar to Google but is much more visually pleasing. Instead of seeing results in plain text, you’ll see them as images and you can pick the ones that catch your eye! You’ll usually find really quality travel articles and itineraries on Pinterest . Plus, you get to save/pin your favorites to your own board and compile them for your upcoming destination. Way to stay organized!

⇢ Next, I’ll look up the city on Tripadvisor and look for their Top 10 Things to Do. This will give you a general feel of what’s popular in the city. So if they interest you, then you’ve hit the jackpot!

⇢ Lastly, I’ll type “how many days in [insert destination]” into Google search and that’ll give me a rough idea on how long most people spend in that city.

STEP THREE: Book Your Flights

So you’ve found your perfect destination, and you’ve decided the length of your trip. Now it’s time to get those credit cards out and turn all that research into reality! A few preliminary questions to ask yourself:

How much time do I have to spare traveling?

If you’re short on time, you might want to book a direct flight as opposed to a flight with a layover . However, if you have more time to spare, you could even spend a little bit of time in your layover city and get two holidays in one!

Who do I want to fly with?

If it’s a long-haul flight, and your budget allows for it, it might be wise to be traveling in comfort and choosing a premium airline as opposed to a budget one.

Also, I suffer from flight anxiety so I only go with airlines in Skytrax’s Top 10 Airline List, just to be safe. Some of my favorite and trusted airlines are EVA Air , Qatar Airways , Etihad Airways , and Singapore Airlines .

Searching for flights

So this is where my inner perfectionist kicks in… and I honestly sift through soooo many websites to find the best prices. After years of doing this, I’ve found the ones that consistently find the lowest prices and are trustworthy. I will go into more detail on finding the best prices on flights in a later post, but here is my usual process:

⇢ Google Flights is still my #1 stop, so I’ll know the best dates to travel, on which airline, and exact timings.

⇢ To confirm, I use ITA Matrix : This one is amazing because I can actually input a few different departure cities and arrival cities, and it’ll all produce a matrix of options that are cheapest. This is great if your itinerary is still quite flexible and you’d like to know which airports are cheaper. Sometimes traveling to an airport a little further from you might save you a few hundred bucks!

⇢ Once I’m set on all the nitty-gritty details, I’ll go on to a booking site. My favorites are Skyscanner , Momondo , and Kayak .

⇢ Lastly, I’ll check the prices on the actual airline website to see if there are any price differences.

⇢ If you want to check average prices for your flight, I usually use farecompare.com . I love that it collects statistical data on price trends like the best months to travel, price changes over time, the best months to purchase tickets, etc.

⇢ So there is this whole fuel-dumping, “hidden-city ticketing” trend that is oh-so-complex and worthy of a post of its own that I probably couldn’t explain… but basically there are websites like Skiplagged that take advantage of loopholes in airline ticketing systems. It might be worth checking and you might be surprised at the savings you can get!

Read more: 9 Secrets to Outsmart the Airlines and Find the Cheapest Flights Every Time

STEP FOUR: Book Your Accommodation

I’m gonna be real with you here. I will literally open like 50 tabs of apartments and hotels, compare them down to the tiniest details, and then filter them out. It’s a really extensive process but you don’t have to do that… I hate to admit it but it’s just symptoms of being Type A. Any other Type A’s in the house?!

⇢ I always start my search on Airbnb because I love the homes here. You usually get cooking and washing facilities in most apartments which is a huge bonus. Plus, you can usually get an entire apartment for almost the same price as a hotel room! (I go into detail about this here .) Airbnb is my preferred option when booking with my family, as we usually need multiple rooms. If traveling as a couple, I’m quite happy to stay in a hotel.

⇢ My second favorite site is Booking.com because they have a really good interface for looking up apartments as well! So it’s pretty much like Airbnb , except without the Airbnb fee. Yay! You can also get 10% off your booking via my special link here !

⇢ Once I find a hotel or apartment I like, I’ll look it up on a hotel aggregator like HotelsCombined.com and Trivago to see if there are any better prices out there.

⇢ Sometimes if I’m booking last minute and my favorite choices are no longer available, I’ll expand my search to some of these other sites I love:

Agoda Hotels.com Wimdu VRBO FlipKey by Tripadvisor HomeAway

⇢ To find out more about booking on Airbnb, check out my guide on Everything You Need To Know When Booking On Airbnb (Even If It’s Not Your First Time!)

STEP FIVE: Plan Your Itinerary

Now, this is where it gets fun!

⇢ I usually start off with Tripadvisor and check the Top Things to Do in that city, and then write it down in a spreadsheet, along with opening times, suggested visiting durations, costs, whether tickets need to be booked in advance, etc.

⇢ Another trick I have is to check out Free Walking Tours in the city I’m visiting. If you’ve been reading my other itineraries , you’ll know how much I love them Free Walking Tours. They are a great money-saver as you get to learn about the history and culture of a city, all for a price that you deem fit! Okay, so the trick is to go on to that Free Walking Tour group’s website and check out the locations they will be hitting on their tour. So you’ll know for sure that they are must-sees! If you prefer to take a more laidback approach to planning your itinerary, then you can just schedule a Free Walking Tour on the first day of your trip, and then ask the guide for tips on where to go! On the day of the tour, the guide will usually take you to all the must-see spots in the city, but only on the exterior. So if you like a certain attraction, you can always head back on your own time.

⇢ If there are day trips that you need to do from your destination city, then research tour companies that can take you there. I usually look for the smaller tour groups so you don’t feel like you are herded like cattle.. and I use Tripadvisor to find the top ones. Reviews don’t lie! Alternatively, you can find tours on Viator and GetYourGuide .

⇢ If you plan to visit a popular attraction like the Alhambra in Granada or Universal Studios in Japan , make sure you are booking your tickets well in advance, as they are usually sold out weeks or months before.

⇢ Save locations to Google Maps as you find them. This will give you a feel for where everything is. This way you can lump attractions that are close together on the same day, so this helps in your day-to-day planning.

STEP SIX: Purchase Travel Insurance

Murphy’s Law states that “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.” and this is so applicable, especially when you are traveling hundreds of miles to another country (or even in your own country!).

A lot of people ignore this aspect of travel planning because it’s so boring. So unsexy.

But this is the real world, and shit happens. You never know if your flight might get canceled, or your luggage goes “missing”, or you leave your passport in a bathroom stall (#truestory).

Travel insurance will cover you in case of any unexpected mishaps during your trip. And what better travel insurance than one that was created by travelers for travelers? World Nomads Travel Insurance is exactly that and covers residents in over 150 countries.

With World Nomads , you can purchase your travel insurance online 24/7, even if you’re already started traveling and forgot to purchase it prior!

Limited time offer! If you’re planning a trip this year, now’s the best time to get your travel insurance. Click here to get 10% off your World Nomads Travel Insurance! Hurry, offer ends 31 Jan 2019 . Get a quote now.

STEP SEVEN: Planning Your Arrival

So you’ve got your flights and swanky hotel booked, travel insurance bought, bags packed, and now all you’ve got to do is put on your noise-canceling earphones and jet set off to your holiday destination.

But wait, you wouldn’t want to arrive at the airport not knowing the address of your hotel, which bus to take and not knowing a single word of the local language??? No bueno!

Make sure you get the following in check before leaving home!

⇢ Bookmark your hotel address on your phone. Google Maps has an offline option where you can download maps for a specific city, so you can still get access to it without data.

⇢ Find out how you can get to the hotel. There are so many ways you could get to your hotel, depending on your budget and preference; be it a bus, train or taxi. Nowadays, with ride-sharing apps, I prefer to get an Uber from the airport. In highly connected cities like Japan , taking the train may be a quicker option as you avoid all traffic on the road. Bear in mind your arrival time though. If you are arriving after midnight or really early in the morning, check to see if public transportation is still running at that hour. Alternatively, if you want to travel in style, you can always pre-arrange a private driver to pick you up at the airport.

⇢ Check-in to your flight. Make sure to double-check and triple-check your flight times and check-in early ! I can’t believe how many times I’ve heard of people misreading their departure times and completely missing their flights. Check-in online early and if the airline permits, select your preferred seat!

STEP EIGHT: Enjoy Your Trip!

Now you’re ready to plan your own trip! Fly, pretty bird, spread your wings and fly! No, but seriously. I hope this has helped you to plan your own little vacation and realize that travel planning isn’t as tough as it seems. And it can be a whole lot of fun!

Was this guide useful? You can now put it to the test along with my printable travel planner specially hand-crafted by me!

I still can’t do this…

If self-planning still isn’t your thing, that’s okay too! There are plenty of group tours that can help you plan all that so you can have a stress-free vacation 🙂

Here are some reputable tour companies:

⇢ Contiki Travel : For the youngins. Group travel for 18-35 year old’s. They have a YOLO way of life, called #NOREGRETS.

⇢ G Adventures : Small group travel focused on adventures like safaris and expeditions.

⇢ Intrepid Travel : Small group tours focused on traveling like a local.

If you know someone who could use some tips on planning their own little vacation, share this with them! I’d love to know how you went with this, and also, please let me know if you have any other travel tips to add in the comments below!!

Til then, happy traveling! xo

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MY TOP TRAVEL TIPS & RESOURCES

Here are my top travel tips and resources to help you save money and plan your trips effectively! If you're looking for more tips, head over to my travel tips resource page or my comprehensive guide on trip planning .

• Booking Flights: When it comes to finding great flight deals, I always start my search on Google Flights or Skyscanner . To save some cash, consider flying mid-week or on the weekends, opt for carry-on only with budget airlines, and be open to red-eye or early morning flights. Check out my in-depth guide on how I find the cheapest flights .
• Accommodations : I'm a stickler for finding the absolute best deals on my stays, so I will obsessively oscillate between a few booking sites: Booking . com (in general) and Agoda (for Asian destinations). When it comes to vacation rentals, there's Airbnb or VRBO .
• Travel Insurance : It's always a wise decision to purchase travel insurance for international trips. I can't stress this enough - it's highly recommended! For international travel insurance, I suggest considering World Nomads or SafetyWing . SafetyWing , in particular, stands out as one of the few policies that cover Covid-19. They also offer excellent monthly policies that are perfect for digital nomads and long-term travelers!
• Travel Credit Card : My go-to travel credit card for booking trips is the Wise travel card. I love that there are no foreign transaction fees, so I can pay like a local and never get any surprises at the end of my trip. You can also withdraw cash from the ATMs wherever you are. With  Wise , you are always guaranteed the best exchange rate, and I have saved  sooo  much money just by using this card. Most of the time, I get charged the exchange rate I see on Google, plus or minus a few cents.
• Tours: Most times, I prefer traveling independently but sometimes, getting a guide and a local's perspective makes the experience all the more enriching. When it comes to tour bookings, I trust Viator and GetYourGuide to provide me with excellent options. In Asia, I choose Klook as they are the biggest provider in the region. Plus, you can often get entrance tickets and discounted prices!
• Transportation : To navigate through public transit options and plan my journeys from one place to another, I rely on Rome2Rio. When it comes to rental cars, I compare rental companies and find the best deals through DiscoverCars .
• Connection : It's essential to me to have seamless connectivity wherever I go. I need it to navigate to new places, Google what's around me, and keep in touch with my loved ones. But fumbling around with multiple SIMs has always been a nightmare, which is why I choose Airalo when I travel. No more switching SIMs, just purchase a plan on your phone, on the go, anywhere, and stay connected.
• Luggage Storage : Whenever I need to check out early or take advantage of a long layover, I securely store my luggage with Radical Storage . It's a reliable service that allows me to roam around freely. As a bonus, you can use this link to enjoy your first hour of FREE luggage storage on me!
• What to Pack : I always have packing anxiety once I've left home— you know the phantom feeling that you've forgotten something even though you've checked 372836 times . So I made my own packing list and use it religiously before every trip, and by religious I mean I tick off that list at least 7 times before I zip up my bag. Check out my in-depth packing list here.

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Hi! I’m Steph. You probably ended up here because just like me, you have an insatiable thirst for trotting the globe, or are just curious about travel. Get ready for brutally honest and in-depth travel guides that will be your trusty companions on global adventures. No fluff, just real talk and practical tips to make your journeys smooth. Join me as we conquer the globe, one epic destination at a time! Together, we’ll uncover hidden gems, laugh at mishaps, and create unforgettable memories. So grab your passport, pack your sense of adventure, and let’s embark on this thrilling journey!

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11 comments

Thanks for a great guide! It really takes everything into consideration 🙂 I really love your spreadsheets by the way! I am a total excel-nerd and put everything possible in them too, haha 😀

Thanks for reading Louise 🙂 Yay, I’m glad I’m not the only one in the Excel-nerds club! ?

Nice post! Thanks for sharing awesome tips. I also love the style of your site. Are you using Ashe Pro? It looks like another version of the one I’m using 🙂

Hey Eva, thank you for your kind words! 🙂 I was using Edge, and it’s a free theme!

Excellent tips. I have noted down a couple of them. I wasn’t familiar with ITA Matrix, I am so going to use it for my next trip.

ITA Matrix is a really powerful tool. Good luck with your trip plans! 🙂

Some great tips here, especially your spreadsheets, I use Excel to plan EVERYTHING in my everyday life but hadn’t even considered using them for planning travel too. Probably going to give it a try this afternoon for our next trip to the South of France as there’s so much I’d like to see! Thanks for sharing. Shan xoxo

Excel is SUCH a lifesaver when trying to get everything sorted out for travel. If you’re already using it for everything else, I promise you’re gonna love it for your travel planning 🙂 South of France sounds like bliss! I’m gonna have to make a trip there someday soon. Have a blast there! xo

Great informative posts, and great tips. I love planning trips and this is a informative guide to follow. Bookmarked!!

Enjoyed reading the post, however, at times, the flight fare is usually the first thins to get booked, and then the real planning starts.

Yep, everyone has their own way of planning. I usually like to confirm what activities are there to do before I book my flights so I know the exact dates I need for the trip 🙂

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How to Plan a Trip for Beginners (5 Easy Steps)

Planning a trip can seem overwhelming to beginners, but I promise you that it’s simple. You only need to do a few things to plan a trip…and a great trip at that!

Keeping things simple will help you keep the nerves at bay and make your overall experience more smooth. There’s no need to overthink your travel plans. You don’t need to follow an 11- or 18-step plan to learn how to plan a trip.

So if you want to easily plan a trip without any drama, just keep reading!

This post includes affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  See disclaimer.

#1. Choose your trip destination

First, you need to decide on where you want to go …which can sometimes be a difficult task since there are thousands of travel destinations all over the world.

Keep in mind that certain destinations will require a little (or a lot!) more research or pre-travel prep than other destinations (such as visa or vaccination requirements). They make for more complicated travel planning.

If you’re planning your first trip, I highly recommend that you keep your first destination simple. You can always make more complicated plans for your next trip.

Consider trying:

• A domestic trip
• A destination just a few hours’ drive from your home
• A simple weekend getaway

When choosing a destination , cost is often going to be a major factor. You can choose your destination and then set your travel budget or choose your destination based on a travel budget you’ve already set. Either option is a viable choice.

We tend to start planning trips up to two years out and we’ll set our budget based on where we want to go and how much time we have to save up the money we think we’ll need.

This leads me to one of my favorite travel tips (which also doubles as a personal finance tip): do not go into debt to travel. Only spend the money that you have.

For more help with budget travel, see my article outlining all my best practical tips for affording more travel .

For more help with building your travel budget, check out this post on creating a travel budget that works for you . It includes basic guidance for how much of your travel budget to allot for certain expenses such as transportation, accommodations, food, activities, etc.

Sometimes we find we have some extra time and money and we’ll choose our trip destination and trip length based on the money we have available.

For help with choosing your travel destination, you can:

• Brainstorm a list of places you’ve always wanted to visit. Inviting your travel companion(s) to give their input is a great way to get them involved in the planning process.
• Check out Pinterest for inspiration
• Read your favorite travel blogs (hint hint)
• Ask friends and family about their favorite trips
• Consult your travel bucket list to remind yourself of the destinations you’ve always dreamt of visiting.
• Do Google searches for ideas such as “Affordable beach vacations in the U.S.” or “best family vacation destinations in Europe.”
• Consult with travel guidebooks

Once you’ve chosen your destination for your perfect trip, you’re ready to get on with planning your trip.

#2. Decide how you want to get there

Once you’ve chosen your travel destination, you’ll need to make arrangements for getting there.

Now, sometimes there will be only one obvious transportation option for your destination. But sometimes there are non-obvious options such as taking a cruise to Hawaii instead of flying or traveling by bus or train.

If you live in the “lower 48” in the U.S., more often than not you’ll be flying or driving to your destination. We generally prefer to stick closer to home and drive for short trips. For a long trip, we’re always willing to fly.

Google Flights

My go-to site when I start my trip planning is Google Flights . Use the “Explore” tool to browse for great deals from your chosen departure airport. You’ll get the best results if your travel dates are flexible…though this can be said of any cheap flight tool. 

See my post on how to use Google Flights for more information.

Formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights,  Going  is a flight deals subscription service that sends travel deals straight to your email inbox. And Premium members get weekend getaway deals in addition to amazing deals on international and domestic flights.

In my opinion, a  Going Premium subscription  is well worth the money and is the best way to get the best deals on flights especially if you have flexible travel dates and want to see a new place. I especially highly recommend Going for international travel (from the U.S.).

You can even try it for free for two weeks to decide if you think it’s worth the money.

For more about this service, see my full  review of Going .

Secret Flying

Another great resource for finding amazing deals on flights (including error fares) is Secret Flying . Secret Flying is totally free.

You sign up for alerts on their website , but they don’t offer alerts from any airport you want in the U.S. They do offer alerts from airports outside the United States, unlike Going.

Another tool in my trip-planning arsenal is the Hopper app . Hopper predicts prices to help you decide whether you should book now or wait for a better deal to come along. I like to use Hopper when my travel dates aren’t as flexible, but I have time to wait for prices to improve before I book.

For more details about all the options for pricing flights, see my full post on how to save money on flights .

Road trip! I love driving to our travel destinations whenever we can. No airport security. No worrying about missing connections, etc.

I also love that I can be a lot less fussy about my packing. If it fits in the car, it can go.

Not to further complicate things, but you might also want to fly to your first destination and then road trip from there to see a few cities. This does make travel planning more complicated, but if you opt to do that you’ll want to look into renting a car.

A less complicated option is to choose one destination to serve as your “home base” and then day trip from that one location to see more of the area.

AutoSlash Find a great deal on rental cars with  AutoSlash . You can also use AutoSlash to track your rental, and they’ll notify you of price drops. 

Costco Travel If you have a Costco membership, you can also find great deals on rental cars through Costco Travel . I always check both. I used to always get the best deal through AutoSlash, but lately, Costco has been offering me the best price.

Employee or association discounts Check with your employer or your alma mater’s alumni association to see if they offer any rental car discounts you can take advantage of.

For more help with your road trip, check out:

• Road trip pros and cons
• Tips for those planning their first road trip
• Things to do on a long road trip to pass the time
• Great road trip questions to spark fun conversation
• Entertaining road trip trivia & questions
• Essential road trip tips for couples

#3. Figure out where to stay

Now that you know where you’re going and how to get there, you can decide where you’re going to stay once you’re there. Unless you want to travel on a shoestring, you can bypass the typical “gap year” options like hostels and couchsurfing.

Your main options then will be to stay in a hotel (or resort, inn, or bed & breakfast) or use a vacation rental through a platform like Vrbo or Airbnb.

The choice of staying at a hotel, inn, or resort will depend a lot on how you like to vacation and what amenities you’re looking.

Those who travel regularly might choose a major hotel brand to frequent so that they can earn points for their stays and loyalty status for access to more amenities and upgrades.

Vacation rental

Using a vacation rental can often (but not always) save you money.

Keep in mind when looking at options on Vrbo or Airbnb that the added fees can be significant, meaning that at some destinations or for shorter stays a hotel might cost you less per night.

And there are plenty of affordable hotels that offer helpful amenities like free breakfast.

On the other hand, your vacation rental will typically come with a full kitchen, allowing you to bypass eating meals out at restaurants if you wish, which can also mean significant savings in your travel budget.

Vacation rentals are also a great option if you’re traveling with a large group that would require multiple hotel rooms. Dividing the cost of a larger vacation rental home with several bedrooms will very often save money over booking multiple hotel rooms.

There are websites (like booking.com ) that allow you to look for a wide variety of accommodation options at the same time: hotels, inns, B&Bs, condo rentals, homestays, etc); however, a downside with using a site such as booking.com is that choices can be overwhelming, making it difficult to make a decision.

My recommendation for new or anxious travelers who are having difficulty choosing a place to stay is to:

• Use a map to choose an area or two in your destination where you would like to stay
• Set your budget
• Do a little research to find 3 or 4 accommodation options in a location you like and that are within your budget then stop searching there
• Compare the amenities of those options and book

#4. Choose what you want to do

Now that you’ve settled on where you’re staying at your destination, you need to make some decisions about what you want to do on your trip.

What do you enjoy doing when you travel?

• Popular tourist attractions
• Theme parks
• Guided behind-the-scenes tours
• Walking tours
• Arts performances
• Outdoor activities
• Historical sites
• Natural sites
• National parks
• Scenic drives

There are so many options!

TIP: Keep track of all of your important travel details with a digital travel planner like this .

Depending on your destination this may require a fair amount of research and pre-booking tickets or tours. Or it could be as simple as just brainstorming a few ideas for things to do if you get bored.

Here are a few tips for building out your itinerary:

• Be honest with yourself about what your “must-do” attractions and activities are. Prioritize the most important thing early in your itinerary then add in any lower priority items.
• Don’t overbook your itinerary. Make sure to give yourself some breathing room between activities to account for travel delays, rescheduling for bad weather, etc. Check out my tips for striking a good balance between sightseeing and relaxation .
• For longer trips, give yourself half a day or a full day with no pre-booked activities so you can get some extra rest, go back to a spot you enjoyed, or accommodate any extra sites/activities you discover at your destination.

See my post on planning a travel itinerary to learn about the exact process I follow when I plan my trips.

#5. Build your packing list

With your itinerary built, it’s time to figure out what you want to take with you on your trip.

Your packing list will be a reflection of your destination, the season/weather during the time of year you’re traveling, and your planned activities among other things. And don’t forget to pack your important documents such as your passport, etc.

Here’s more help to get you packed and out the door:

• Travel Light Packing List for a Week (in a Carry-on)
• The Best Carry-on Packing Tips for Traveling Light
• How to Pack Toiletries in a Carry-on Bag
• Weekend Packing List (For Any Kind of Getaway)
• Don’t leave behind these common items people forget to pack

Other things to consider before you travel

While we just went through all the major steps you need to take to plan your trip, depending upon your destination and personal life situation there may be other things you may need to take care of before you leave town .

Visa, travel advisories

If you are traveling out of the country, you must understand what the entry or visa requirements (if any) are for your destination.

Don’t be like the honeymooning bride who didn’t know that her passport needed to be valid for three months beyond her planned date of departure from France at the end of her trip. It would have taken her literally two minutes to find that information and avoid the heartbreak of not being able to take her honeymoon. 

You’ll also want to be aware of any travel advisories or health requirements/recommendations. U.S. citizens traveling internationally should check the U.S. Department of State website for helpful information.

Travel insurance

When you travel, it’s a good idea to purchase travel insurance in case something goes wrong. We use World Nomads for peace of mind whenever we travel internationally.

Miscellaneous considerations

Other things you may need to think about as you plan your trip could include:

• Arranging care for pets
• Arranging for your mail to be picked up or held
• Making sure that you don’t miss any bill due dates while you travel

The bottom line

Traveling for the first time or planning a trip yourself for the first time can seem scary, but it’s actually a pretty simple process.

Certainly, some kinds of trips are more complicated than others or destinations that require more advanced prep before you visit, but beginners and anxious travelers can still plan wonderful trips on their own.

Just remember that you only need a few things to have a great trip: a destination, a way to get there, someplace to stay, and things to do.

More articles to help you plan a trip

• Essential travel planning resources
• The best travel guides (books and online resources)
• Find the best personal item bag for you
• Checklist of the last-minute things to do before you leave for your trip
• Travel myths to ignore
• The worst travel advice ever
• Travel tips for beginners

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Darcy Vierow is a busy professional and travel planning expert with years of experience maximizing travel with limited time and on a less-than-average salary. Her tips have been published by Forbes, MSN.com, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, Aol, Newsbreak and GOBankingRates. Read more about Darcy Vierow .

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How To Plan a Trip: 13 Step-by-Step Instructions

If you’re wondering how to plan a trip, you’ve come to the right place. I think I can say I’ve mastered the art of planning trips since I’ve been doing it consistently for myself around the world since 2011!

I absolutely love finding a destination, seeing all the possibilities for exploration, finding out about all the cool things to do, see, and learn about a place, and putting all the puzzle pieces of a trip together.

I’ve conquered the art of trip planning, and now I am here to help you become a pro yourself! I’ve thought of all of the possible things that you need to put together—step-by-step—for a successful trip!

Here’s everything you need to know on how to plan a trip, PLUS some things you may not have even thought of!

Table of Contents

How to Plan a Trip— 13 Step-by-Step Directions!

Clueless about how to plan a trip without a destination in mind, keep in mind the seasons, wrapping up planning your destination, research costs, 4. how long is your trip, 5. choosing travel credit cards for your trip, tips for banking abroad:, tips on booking flights:, don’t need a flight, how to get around, are you staying for longer, planning your trip with these booking sites:, finding free accommodation, 9. planning things to do on your trip, 10. packing for your trip, 11. traveler insurance—don’t forget this when planning your trip, vaccines, meds, etc., getting things “done” abroad, how to stay in touch, download helpful apps, safety reminders, how to plan a trip: last minute stuff, save and sell, automate everything you can, find work abroad or online, 1. how to plan where to go on your trip.

Honestly, this might be the most challenging topic of them all! Choosing WHERE TO GO?! And of course, you won’t know how to plan a trip when you have no idea where you want to go… because you want to go everywhere!

If you already have clarity about this, that’s amazing! However, there still might be a few important points in this post for you to consider when planning a trip, so hang tight and read through this section anyway.

So, how to plan a trip when you’re not sure where to go? Let’s help you narrow down your possibilities…

• Deals – Sometimes, you can let the deals show you the way! If a place is on your list and is sporting some very attractive flight deals, then perhaps the destination has chosen YOU!
• When to go – Sometimes, a destination is best visited during a certain time, and maybe you have set dates in mind. Planning a trip around specific times and seasons will help narrow down your choices.
• Budget -Sometimes, figuring out your budget will be an easy indicator of which countries can rise to the top of your list, and which will fall off because the budget won’t allow for it.
• How long – How long are you planning for your trip to last? This will likely depend on your budget and how many days you can get away for, and it definitely plays into planning a trip. Unfortunately, a road trip around the entire US isn’t going to fit into a long weekend.

Don’t worry, we’re going to go into all of these in a lot more detail so buckle up. I’ll help you figure out how to plan your trip by helping you think of everything needed to have a successful and epic getaway!

Are you indecisive like me? Is everything on the list and you have decision paralysis? I get it! And I have a fun option to help you choose. I call it Destination: Anywhere.

This “game” is best “played” if your dates are flexible – more on this below. But the idea of the game is very simple. I use Skyscanner’s “everywhere” feature to help me choose my next destination.

I type in the airport that I’m leaving from and put “Everywhere” as my destination. Skyscanner will now spit out a list of destinations from cheapest to most expensive. I look down the list and choose one of the cheaper destinations as my next destination!

If your dates are not flexible, you can do this, but choose the month you need to travel in for a list of the cheapest destinations for that month.

This is my favorite “game” to play when I’m in the first phases of how to plan a trip, being indecisive, and obviously, it’s a great way to find deals to the cheapest places if you can be flexible!

Are you mega flexible and want to play more? I also play this game on Kiwi because they allow multiple continents and countries in the “leaving from” and “going to” boxes, which gives you tons more options to play around with when planning a trip.

Google Flights also has a great option for exploring deals, with flexible dates and flexible destinations too! Their map allows you to zoom in on specific continents and countries or zoom out to get a worldview of the best deals.

2. Choosing When To Go On Your Trip

Choosing when to go on your trip is pretty darn important, and you will need to go about it in one of two ways:

• Either your dates are fixed and can’t be moved – Which means you can choose destinations that are best *insert your time frame.*
• Or you can choose a destination that you want to go to and accommodate your dates to fit that country. In other words, *insert country* is best in XYZ months…

This is an easy one to forget when you’re first figuring out how to plan a trip, but we have hemispheres. Don’t bring a bikini and some tank tops to New Zealand in June; you’ll be freezing! Your summer is someone else’s winter.

Next, you’ll want to be sure to search for a country’s shoulder seasons. Simply Google “shoulder season for XYZ country” and you’ll find the info you need. Shoulder season is the border months between high and low seasons.

This is when the weather is still pretty good, but the prices have started to lower, and the crowds have thinned out. This is an ideal time to consider visiting when planning a trip.

If you come during the low season, prices will be even lower, but the weather might not be the best. Alternatively, if you come during high seasons, prices will be at their highest and everything is crowded.

You can expect great weather, though—So it’s a trade-off! That’s why aiming for shoulder season is a great option if you can make it happen.

Lastly, you’ll want to double-check check there aren’t any holidays that you are not aware of happening for your dates! If you accidentally visit Mexico during Dios de Los Muertos, it will be an epic visit but you will be shelling out more cash for reservations and buses, and flights might cost more or be booked up!

If you’re purposely traveling during a holiday, book early!

SO! I think that gave you something to chew on. Hopefully, by now, you have an idea of WHERE you want to go. Get some inspo on travel blogs (see my fav destinations ), on social media, or by literally just clicking around on a map and looking at Google Images! Yes… I do this too!

Again if you’re flexible, letting the destination “choose you” can be a great way to go. This is when you allow your dates to be flexible and see where’s good to travel for the lowest cost rather than solidifying a destination and certain dates and then being “stuck” with whatever it’s going to cost for that specific time.

3. How To Plan a Trip Budget

Your budget will have a massive effect on planning your trip, and this can only be determined by you!

There are tons of ways to save money while on the road like:

• Getting travel credit cards to earn miles (which equals free travel)
• Ways to find free accommodation
• Lists of budget tips around the world
• And tips to travel for *almost* free

Other things to think about:

• What kind of traveler are you? Do you backpack? Flashback? Are you a luxury type of traveler?
• What types of things do you want to do? Lazing on the beach is usually free, but you’ll need a bigger budget for tours if you want to hike mountains and zipline.
• Are you squeezing in a lot? We will talk more about this later, but the more you squeeze in, the faster you go… The more money you spend!

Hopefully, by now, you’ve decided where you’re going so you can try to find out if your budget is going to match the costs this trip will take.

Don’t try to find out every single nickel and dime you will spend—just give yourself some roundabout numbers. Here’s how I do it by simply Googling:

• Accommodation – Look up the costs at the main areas you will be going to, find a place you’d actually book, and then take an average. Times this number by the number of nights you’ll be there.
• Food – Find average costs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (or groceries!). Get an average for the day and multiply it by the number of nights you’ll be there.
• Transportation – Grab the flight cost, and then find out how much buses, trains, or rental cars cost around XYZ country. Find out a rough number here.
• Fun – Find a few tours you’d want to do or find out the cost of a few activities. Add these up, then tack on a bit extra for surprise fun and get a total.
• Extra – There should always be a misc category of money when thinking about how to plan a trip. Set aside a few hundred bucks to accommodate anything random.

Total all this up, and you’ll have a rough budget for your trip! Make sure to go higher rather than lower with your numbers. Inflated numbers are better, so you can be happily surprised when you’re under budget.

A huge thing you need to know when trying to figure out your budget is how long your trip is going to be. This makes a massive difference. Are you going for a long weekend? A couple of weeks? A few months? Never-ending?!

If you’re here looking for long-term trip info, I got you! Everything I’m going over will help you on how to plan a trip, and I’ll have extra sections for you on other things to consider with resources too.

For the rest of you wanting to travel for a few days, weeks, or a few months— Deciding how to plan a trip according to length will be is an important factor in figuring out your budget.

If you plan on squeezing in five countries around Europe in two weeks, you’re going to spend a heck of a lot more money than if you only did two countries in two weeks. So keep in mind if you’re trying to keep your budget down, one of the biggest things you can do is not move around too much.

Of course, there are always going to the more affordable countries in the world, but then you have to accommodate for the flight, which may be more expensive. That being said, if you’re traveling for longer, you could accommodate a more expensive flight IF you’re staying in the region for an extended period.

I can’t always get a deal on a flight, so when I’m paying a bit more, I make sure I’m really using it! It doesn’t sting so bad to pay $1000 for a flight when I’m staying in that region for 4-5 months. But only 4-5 weeks? Ouch!

When doing this exercise, it’s important to remember that it’s just a rough estimate, so don’t go TOO deep yet and always highball yourself. I always guesstimate on the high end of things, so when the numbers come out lower, it’s a good day!

Or at the least, I spent a bit more, but I had overbudgeted anyway, and the numbers aren’t a total shock.

Here are some budget articles to help you plan your trip better…

• 11 Budget Travel Tips for Thailand
• New Zealand Travel Tips + A Budget Breakdown
• How to Travel Europe for Cheap! How Far a $2k Budget Can Get You
• How to Travel on a Budget: My Best Budget Travel Tips
• 27 of The Cheapest Countries to Visit in the World
• 31 of The Cheapest Places to Live in the World: Under a $1000!

So if you’re about the hit the “book it!” button, hold on for a quick second! You might want just wait a bit and make sure you get a really good travel credit card.

Before you finish planning your trip and start booking, grab yourself a perfect travel card and put everything you book ON this card. I use the Capital One Venture X credit card —this is one of the best travel credit cards right now.

You can review and compare travel credit cards here , and when you finally receive your travel card, you can start racking up the points on your new card, start receiving benefits from day one, and get to use those points to save on your travels!

Aside from points, if you use a travel credit card, you can get other perks like a few hundred bucks in travel credits, access to Priority Pass Lounges at tons of airports, as well as a host of other extras!

Remember you can just set your credit card up to pay for things you are already paying for like gas, groceries, your phone bill, etc. Then just set up auto pay. You don’t need to buy anything extra, you can earn points from your daily and monthly purchases that you’d be making anyway.

You might be thinking, SO WHAT’S THE CATCH!? And there isn’t one… EXCEPT:

If you’re not great with credit cards and have difficulty paying your full amount each month on your credit cards, SKIP THIS STEP. This step is ONLY for people who can pay their credit card balance off IN FULL each and every month.

Otherwise, you’re paying interest which means you’re essentially paying for the perks and more. If you pay off your card every month, these perks will remain FREE.

READ MORE: The Best Travel Cards (For Any Traveler) That Save and Earn You Money!

6. Dealing With Banking Abroad

We’re going to make this quick and painless my friend—Don’t you dare go abroad without an ATM card that doesn’t charge you fees. You can search for one, or just do what I do: Get a Charles Schwab checking account!

You won’t be charged fees when using ATMs abroad, and you will be reimbursed each month for any ATM fees you are charged. Easy! Now you can access your cash from abroad for $0! This is choice advice for how to plan a trip with a budget in mind!

• When going to the ATM abroad, it’s wise to use an ATM attached to a bank for safety.
• Always wiggle the card in and out in case there’s a skimmer.
• Apply for TWO accounts so you have a backup account and card with you.
• Always “cancel” the currency conversion that pops up on the ATM. It looks like you’re canceling the transaction, but really, you’re canceling their conversion and leaving it up to your bank, which will give you a worse rate. (This is common at ATMs in Europe)
• Don’t exchange money if you can avoid it. You should really only use the ATM to get cash, and that’s it. Exchanging money is a pain and can be rife with scams. Plan on only using your ATM card to get cash.

7. How to Book Your Flight for Your Trip

It’s time to start actually BOOKING! How exciting… So let’s recap a few things and talk about some tips before you hit purchase.

• Skyscanner is fun to play around with if you’re flexible on where you’re going and when. Set your destination to “everywhere,” or at the least set your dates to just specific months to find the best dates to book.
• Kiwi also has some features. You can set your “from” and “to” to be continents or multiple countries, so it gives you tons of flexibility.
• The map feature on Google Flights is also a great tool to play around with.

• Sometimes using a VPN and incognito can help mask your searches and interest and therefore display better rates.
• Play around with your flights if possible. For example, if you’re heading from Portland to Bangkok, you may find cheaper flights going from Portland to Seoul and then Seoul to Bangkok. And now you get a bonus trip to Seoul!
• Sign up for Airline Reward programs—It’s an easy way to rack up points easily from carriers which can be equal to upgrades and other perks if you collect enough.
• Don’t forget to book with your new credit card for those miles and extra perks!

Not every trip takes you up in the air, and there are plenty of ways to get around on the ground, especially abroad! If you need to get around by bus, boat, or train you can use:

• For getting around Central America and Mexico, check here .
• Need to get around Europe? Check here .
• Hopping around Asia? Check here .
• Interested in seeing any given country by bus? Check here .

If you’re traveling by car:

• You can find car rental deals here .
• Should you want to rent a van or RV to forgo the hotel room when road-tripping around the world, check here .

READ MORE: One Way to Everywhere: The Intrepid Souls Guide to Fly Anywhere on Cheap Flights

8. How to Book Your Accommodation

Depending on the type of traveler you are and how long you’re going for, whether or not you should book everything ahead of time will be up to you to decide.

If you’re going on a trip for a few weeks, you might want to book everything out so you don’t waste time on the ground trying to figure out where to stay each night. You may also miss out on some deals.

However, if your trip is a bit longer and you’re trying to be a bit more flexible, you may want to hold off on booking out too much. Perhaps you can book your first few nights, then slowly book out as you move along your trip.

Planning your trip TOO much and booking too many things out can be constricting, especially if you have the flexibility not to do this.

With this in mind, how and where does one book?! I got you! Here are some things to consider when choosing a place to stay.

Massively important! Where can you stay that agrees with your budget while also being safe and practical? You might want to book in the city if you want to walk around a lot, but if prices are too much for you, you may decide to book further out.

I usually choose this when I start to dig deeper into the things I want to do so I can make sure I’m in a centralized location.

Somewhat related to the above, you will want to know how to best get around. If the city is expensive but has easy and cheap transportation, then it might be worth spending the extra penny to stay closer to a metro station, for example.

If it’s cheap and easy to get Ubers, then you might just choose the space that’s the coolest… There’s a lot to consider here depending on where you are in the world.

If you’re staying for a decent chunk of time, then you’re going to want to think about comfort for the long term. You will most likely want something homier.

You should find a place that has a kitchen as it would be crazy to eat out consistently every day for all of your meals.

There is usually a “conflict” when finding a long-term place. You have to choose between these two main methods:

• Convenience  – Sometimes, booking a month online can give you a hefty discount as it’s an extended stay. It’s also super convenient to land and have a home for the next month. If I’m staying longer than I booked for, I extend my reservation in person to cut out all the fees. This is often not the cheapest option, though, as either way, you’re paying a bit more because you’re booking online.
• Cheapest  – Book a week using anything I mention below, and then shop for a spot on the ground! Ask in specific local Facebook groups, walk around, ask around, look for signs… It’s actually pretty easy and definitely gets you the best deal. Plus, you can see the place before paying, which is always nice.

So after considering everything above, it might now be time to actually book a place!

To book a hotel, apartment, or holiday home, these are the main sites I use:

• Booking.com – Genius discounts!
• Hotels.com – 11th night free!
• VRBO / Airbnb – Longer-term spots/most likely to have kitchens.
• Expedia.com – Easy and has deals.
• HostelWorld – Mostly hostels, not for me, but good for those on a budget.
• Agoda – Great site for booking around Asia.

Oh, surprise! Hi, yes, there are ways to get FREE accommodation! If you’re only traveling for a couple of weeks, I’d say this isn’t really for you. But if you’re traveling for a few months or indefinitely, this is for you!

FREE Accommodation!

Yes, it’s true, there are ways to get FREE accommodation! Here are my top favorites:

Trusted Housesitters

Get FREE accommodation by house and pet sitting around the world! Use this link for a 25% discount (auto-applied at checkout).

Not sure if this is for you? ➡️ Check out this review to read more about it.

Worldpackers

Get FREE accommodation and immediate local friends! Trade some of your skills to help a local and get a free room (and sometimes food and activities too!). You can do this around the world! Use this link for a $10 discount!

Not sure this is for you? ➡️ Check out this review to read more about it.

Credit Cards

Get FREE flights and hotels through your credit card points! Grab my fav credit card here , or read more about travel credit cards here .

Other ways on >>> HOW TO TRAVEL FOR “FREE” /LESS!

Other ways on >>> HOW TO GET FREE ACCOMMODATION!

Now another difficult decision—what do you want to do on your trip?! There are probably a ton of possibilities no matter where you’re going. But breathe, and focus!

Don’t run yourself dry on your trip and book too many activities. Alternatively, if you’re not looking for a 100% relaxation type of trip, don’t hold back and miss out on the fun activities!

It’s a fine line to walk… I know…

So what I like to do is simply Google “Things to do in ____” and go from there. You’ll get a huge list of things from Google, check out blogs from travel bloggers (ehem… Hello!), and even dip into Google Images to find inspiration for cool things you can do and see!

While a lot of times you can explore the country yourself or even do certain activities on your own, sometimes getting a few tours under your belt will be the best thing.

• If you’re traveling solo, I encourage you to book a tour on your first or second day! I promise you, you’ll meet some friends!
• You can speak to the local that’s running your tour for extra tips and tricks while you’re in their country, and you’ll be able to use that advice while planning the rest of your trip!

Tours are a great way to get a bit of deeper meaning while traveling a country. I know we sometimes think they can be a bit cheesy, or maybe you want to explore and have the place to yourself. But there’s definitely a layer missing when you don’t have a knowledgeable local telling you what’s up!

So with that said, I’m sure you’ll find a nice balance of using tours and adventuring on your own when planning a trip.

If you do want to book a tour and get your spot booked up, here’s where to book:

• GetYourGuide

I don’t know about you, but I hate packing. Yes, even though I’m a traveler, I can’t stand packing! And if I’m being totally honest with you, I still kind of suck at it after 11 + years of experience.

BOO! Pakcing sucks! I can do it, but still somehow, miraculously and weirdly enough, I always end up bringing a few extra things that I don’t use. It’s inevitable!

BUT the good news is, I know the basics of what you should bring. I’m not great with choosing my clothes, but the basics and the other stuff? I got it down!

• Best Anti Theft Backpacks, Bags, and Purses + Tips for Keeping Your Stuff Safe!
• 16 of The Best Travel Backpacks for Women—For ALL Trips!
• Choosing the Best Hard Shell Luggage for Your Trip (+ 11 Great Suitcases)

Packing Tips:

• The Essential Beach Packing List (+ Fun Items and Tips!)
• Your Road Trip Packing List—Tips + PRINTABLE Checklist!
• 54 of the Best Travel Accessories for Women

Packing lists for certain destinations:

• The Ultimate Europe Packing List, What NOT to Bring & The Best Bags to Use
• Southeast Asia Packing List: Everything You Need (for Men and Women!)
• Iceland Packing List: What to Wear in Iceland No Matter the Season
• Your Mexico Packing List: What to Pack for Mexico + What NOT to Pack!
• The Ultimate Philippines Travel Packing Checklist
• What to Wear in Morocco Packing List: All Your Must-Have Items
• What to Wear in Thailand: Your Thailand Packing List
• Read more about packing lists here .

Hey, wait a sec! Don’t go anywhere without travelers’ insurance. It can be pretty cheap and save you tons of money in case something happens.

I know we don’t like to think of the negative things that could happen to us while we’re having fun around the world, but it can happen! And these types of surprises are never fun.

Make sure you’re covered with travelers’ insurance when planning a trip. The one I use is for almost everyone, but especially long-term travelers. I use Safety Wing because it’s the easiest. It’s subscription-based, so it covers you until you turn it off (or you can set certain dates if you know.)

They cover all the major emergencies you’d need and are affordable. Get your quote here!

READ MORE: A Guide to Finding The Best Long Term Travel Insurance

12. Misc Stuff You Should Think About When Planning a Trip

There are so many little things you can forget while thinking about how to plan a trip. There’s only so much you can remember! I hope these reminders are helpful…

Hey, have you thought about visas yet while planning your trip? Or are you ignoring this part because it’s scary? I know this can be daunting, but if you’re from the USA, Australia, Europe, and Canada, you can probably go almost anywhere without needing a visa!

You’ll most likely get a visa on arrival, or the country just stamps you in—so it’s really nothing to worry about. But you still need to make sure!

So, simply Google “tourist visa for XYZ country for US citizen” and you’ll probably get your answer in two seconds.

If you do need to apply for a visa, I can guarantee that you need to do that before you get on a flight – so don’t forget to do that!

If all of this is scary, doesn’t make sense, you don’t understand what the Schengen Visa for Europe means, or if you want to get a working holiday visa or something else—You’ll want to read my guide to visas for US citizens .

RELATED: The Longest Tourist Visas for U.S.A Citizens, How to Extend Visas and More

Does your destination require any vaccines upon entry? Do you need to get any prescription refills to bring with you? Do you require anything special that you may need to order before your trip? Or to see if you have access to it abroad? Go speak to your doctor!

Here’s a weird one you may not have thought of, but aside from souvenirs, is there anything you want to bring back from the place you’re visiting?

What about procedures? Like going to the dentist or buying a year’s supply of contact lenses for less?

These can often be much cheaper abroad and a relatively easy thing to throw into your getaway.

For example, if you’re going to Thailand and know you flying in and out of Bangkok, you could join Facebook groups for Bangkok aimed at travelers or expats, and inside those groups, you’ll find suggestions for dentists in the area.

Stay an extra day in Bangkok before your flight out, and you can get some easy dental work done for less before heading home! I’ve done quite a few things abroad, including dentists in three countries, LASEK in South Korea, and even going to a dermatologist in Mexico.

If you’re going on a trip for just a few weeks, double-check with your carrier and see if they have a decent international plan they can put you on temporarily. T-Mobile usually has a decent plan for trips under three months if you’re already with them.

Another option is to pick up a SIM card on the ground. This is usually pretty cheap and very easy to set up. You can do this in almost any country in the world, and they usually have stands for picking up a SIM card in the airports, too.

Lastly, you can check here for more SIM card options . There are other plans and even e-SIMs you can purchase to make sure you’re able to get data and phone usage on the ground anywhere in the world!

READ MORE: Best International SIM Cards & How to Keep in Touch When Traveling

• Google Map – Obviously! But also, make sure to download maps for offline use.
• Maps.Me – Offline maps that are a good backup, great for trails, as well as other offbeat roads.
• Google Translate – Invaluable! Especially its camera feature to translate signs and menus.
• Money Lovers – I like this app for keeping track of my spending.
• AllTrails – My fav hiking trail app!
• WhatsApp – This is the ultimate texting app when you’re abroad. It’s not mega popular in the USA, but you’ll definitely use it abroad!
• Regardless if you’re on a short or long trip, you’ll want all crucial documents scanned and emailed to yourself and a loved one in case of an emergency.
• Always Google safety tips for whatever country you’re going to. You can also check here for safety tips you can use worldwide.
• We spoke about travel-friendly cards already, but you’ll need to make sure you have a backup in case you lose one! Personally, I have two ATM cards and two credit cards and I don’t have them all in my wallet. They are spread throughout my bags in case I get robbed or somehow lose a piece of luggage.
• Keep everything you have protected! I like using anti-theft backpacks , a hidden pocket scarf , and an AirTag to keep track of checked luggage.
• Another reminder for travel insurance !
• Call your banks and make sure they know you’re traveling. You don’t want to be stuck abroad without the usage of your cards because you got locked out!
• Double-check their customs and some cultural differences. Certain gestures might be offensive. Something that you can do to show you’re well mannered as a guest in the country. Knowing these things can go a long way.
• Look up the basic phases of the places you’re visiting. Hello, Thank You, Bathroom – the most useful ones!
• Do you have everything booked? If not – don’t worry! You can sort the rest as you go along. Booking things while on the go doesn’t have to be scary! With that said, maybe book your first few nights and make sure you know how to get to and from the airport before jetting off.
• Confirmations should be double-checked. If you do have some things booked, triple-check the dates, places, things needed, etc.

13. Extra Things To Think About—How To Plan a Trip for Long-term Travelers

Are you planning a trip for an indefinite amount of time? Amazing! Everything above will help you along your journey, and I’ve been sprinkling in some tips for long-term travelers But, there are a few other miscellaneous items you should wrap up and think over before jetting off.

If you’re thinking of making big moves and traveling for the long term, then this section is for you!

Start SAVING! Here’s my story on how I left the US and saved for two years by working three jobs . Cut back where you can. Part of this lifestyle is to learn that you can actually live with less than you think.

Pick up odd jobs, start looking for freelance work online , and do whatever you can to make or save an extra buck or two.

Another thing to do is to sell. it. all.

Yes, sell all of your stuff! Avoid a storage unit if you can. They will suck you dry every month while your stuff gets older and dustier. You probably need to get rid of everything save for a few boxes you can hopefully leave with a family member or friend.

One of the smartest things I did when I was planning a trip and left home was NOT store my stupid furniture, TVs, and clothes—I sold or donated it all, made a few bucks, and didn’t accrue any monthly storage fees.

If you’re planning a trip, put auto bill pay on everything you can think of. Honestly, do this anyway! Traveling or not! It’s too easy.

Click “go green” on everything you can so all the institutions sending you mail stop doing so, and you get everything via email.

If you’re heading off into the world to live, work, and travel indefinitely—WOO! Go you! But uh… You’re going to need some income, I’m guessing? I got you! We won’t get super detailed here because this is a massive topic, but I have resources for you to look into so you can take your next steps to find work.

You can check out my massive how to live around the world resource page and also check out these other great guides that go into great detail on tons of other options for finding work abroad.

• 73 Travel Jobs—How to Make Money While Traveling!
• How To Work Abroad & Travel The World
• Working Holiday Visas for Americans and Other Ways to Work Abroad (That Nobody Talks About)
• 20 Online Jobs With No Experience Needed (So You Can Travel More)
• 18 Digital Nomad Visas for Remote Workers

Phew! I hope this guide on how to plan a trip helped you! I know it’s a lot, and you’re welcome to refer to this guide as you flow through your trip process. It gets easier, promise!

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Nina Ragusa is an adventurer, messy bun master, breakfast fan, and full-time travel blogger. She's been abroad since 2011 and blogging on Where in the World is Nina? for nearly as long. Nina helps people like you move around the world while making money. She loves talking about how to work abroad and online to travel longer! Read more about Nina

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Travel Planning – How to Plan a Perfect Trip

Are you about to plan a trip? This can seem like a challenging and overwhelming task.

Maybe you don’t know where to start, or maybe you wonder how proper travel planning can make the most of your trip.

Whatever the case may be, planning a trip doesn’t have to be difficult at all !

Traveling has been an important part of my life for as long as I can remember. From planning short weekend getaways to trips to remote destinations that lasted months.

I love travel planning and the anticipation of going somewhere new.

In this article I want to help you with your travel planning. No matter where you are going, who with, or for how long, this guide will share the tips I use when I plan a trip.

How to Plan a Trip

1. choose your destination.

Logically, this is the first part of travel planning. It all starts here.

If you haven’t decided on the exact destination(s) of your next trip, let’s plan this out first.

Ask yourself: what kind of trip do I want to go on? Do I want to go to a sunny destination? Discover new cultures? Backpack? Stay in luxury hotels? Travel on a budget ? Learn a new skill? How long do I want to travel?

Take a look at your finances and decide how much money you want to spend on this trip. Once you know your budget and how many days you have, research the average cost per day in your favorite destinations.

When you’ve got all of that clear, it will be a lot easier to choose your destination.

• Bucket List Destinations for a Once in a Lifetime Trip
• The Best Caribbean Islands to Visit & Why
• The Most Beautiful Cities in the USA

2. Find the Best Flights and Dates

When we’re planning a trip, we want to find the best deals, right?

You’ve probably heard hundreds of different tips and tricks, but the ones that really work are: traveling off-season, being flexible with your dates, and doing a lot of research.

I’ve found the best and cheapest flights on Skyscanner.com . You can search for multiple destinations at the same time or set your destination to everywhere (this might come in handy if you haven’t made up your mind yet), you’ll then get an overview of all the cheap flights around the world.

If you do know your destination but your dates are flexible, select “whole month” and then “cheapest month” to check the best time to travel.

Of course, most of the time when you plan a trip you both know your destination and your exact dates. Then as well Skyscanner is my go-to website because it compares prices for almost all airlines anywhere in the world.

I go into much more detail about finding flights in this article: How to Find the Cheapest and Best Flights .

Traveling by Bus, Train, or Car Instead?

If you’re going on a road trip with your own car, please check your car before leaving. The last thing you want is to end up with car trouble during your trip!

And if you decide to plan a trip by train or bus, make sure you book your tickets early. Depending on where you are going, I’ve seen train and bus tickets for longer distances booked out weeks or even months in advance.

It might also be worth signing up for the newsletter of the train or bus company you plan to use, as they will often email special discounts.

3. Choose Suitable Accommodation

So you’ve chosen your destination and you’ve found a good flight or other modes of transport. What’s next? Booking a place to stay.

Whether you’re planning to go on a short or a long trip, you’ll need to choose suitable accommodation, at least for the first few nights.

A few questions to ask yourself here:

• Do you prefer to stay in a hotel or would you rather have your own kitchen and more space?
• Are you on a limited budget or are you looking for some luxury for this trip?
• Is a good location the most important or is a unique or beautiful property more important for this trip?

Once you know what type of accommodation you’d like to book it’s time to search the web again.

These are my go-to websites whenever I’m looking for accommodation:

• Booking.com . This is the first place I search for hotels, anywhere in the world. And these days they also offer apartments and houses for rent, plus a number of hostels and smaller guesthouses.
• Hotels.com . Although Booking.com is my go-to website, I often use Hotels.com to compare their options. Sometimes they have a good deal or offer a few different hotels.
• Airbnb and VRBO . If you know you want to rent an apartment, house, or just a room, then these websites are the best option. And if you are looking for a unique place to stay, a treehouse or a stay on a boat for example, these websites can offer some great options.
• Hostelworld . If you are traveling on a budget or just like the social aspect of hostels, Hostelworld is the best website to find a hostel anywhere in the world.
• Pros & Cons of Staying in a Hostel
• Important Things to Look For When Booking a Hotel
• Cool Hotels in Amsterdam
• Where to Stay in Valencia, Spain
• The Best Hotels in St Maarten, Caribbean

4. Find Out How to Get to Your Accommodation

Some airports offer great public transport, others do not.

And even if they do, public transport might not take you anywhere close to the place you are staying.

After a flight, while lugging around your bag or suitcase, the last thing you want is having to figure out how to get to your destination.

So, don’t forget to make this part of your travel planning!

Find out how exactly you will get to your accommodation.

Check Google Maps first. In most places Google Maps will show you the different ways you can travel from the airport.

Second, ask your hotel/hostel/Airbnb what modes of transport they recommend and if they perhaps offer any transportation themselves.

It’s a small thing, but knowing how to get to your accommodation will make the start of your trip a lot more stress-free.

Tip: if you plan to rent a car, book it online long before you arrive. Prices often go up close to the travel date and if you wait too long there might not be any cars available anymore.

5. Explore Your Transportation Options

How will you get around during your trip?

It’s nice to know what your options are before you arrive.

You could research the following things:

• Is there good public transportation? If so, what’s the best option, and how does it work?
• Is it possible to walk to most places or rent a bicycle? More and more cities have bike share systems these days.
• Would it be better to rent a car and can you do so online?
• Can you easily find a taxi or Uber? Some countries have a local version of it – for example, when traveling to Spain , Cabify and Blablacar are popular options.

Google Maps is a good tool to figure out what’s available at your chosen destination. And a simple Google search for ‘how to get around in [your destination]’ will also generally answer all your questions.

If you’re traveling in Asia, 12go.asia is the best website to find out how to get around and book bus, train, and ferry tickets, plus some flights.

Also Read: Tips for Driving Abroad for the First Time

6. Plan Your Activities

Now that you’ve planned the logistics of your trip, it’s time for some fun!

But where do you start? What are the best things to do?

If you want to plan and book tours and activities, I’d recommend you to use the following websites, they’re all really useful:

• Get Your Guide . This is generally the first website I check for activities in any place I visit because of their wide offer.
• Viator . I find Viator slightly better in the USA so if I travel in the US I check Viator before Get Your Guide. But, Viator also offers activities all over the world.
• Klook . Klook is expanding quickly. I used them a lot for activities in Asia, and they would still be my first choice there. But these days they also offer activities in many other parts of the world so it might be worth having a look no matter where you travel to. And in some places they offer nice hotel deals as well.

7. Find Places to Eat & Drink

Unless you’ve booked an all-inclusive stay you’ll have to find places to eat.

And if you’re anything like me, trying local food, local restaurants, and popular cafés is one of the things that makes traveling great.

To find out about local favorites I love asking my Airbnb host or the hotel staff for their tips.

But reviews on Google Maps are also very helpful. And before I travel I often read other blogs about the best places to eat, hidden gems, and, a personal favorite when I travel to cities, nice rooftop bars with views of the city.

• The Best Rooftop Bars in San Diego, California
• The Best Rooftop Bars in Medellin, Colombia
• Paella Restaurants in Valencia for an Authentic Paella Experience
• Where to Eat in Vilnius, Lithuania
• The Best Cafes to Work From in Amsterdam

8. Get Travel Insurance

This is definitely one of the least fun aspects of travel planning, but please don’t skip it.

Of course we’re going to assume nothing will go wrong, but it does happen. I’ve lost my luggage, had my laptop stolen and even ended up in an Indonesian hospital with dengue fever .

Believe me, when anything like that happens you’ll be happy you have travel insurance!

I’ve written a separate article about what to look for in travel insurance , because it depends on how you travel, where you are going to and even where you are coming from.

9. Find Out if You Need a Visa & Check Travel Advice

Do you need a visa to travel to your destination?

Depending on your passport, there are many countries that will allow you to visit without a visa. But, not all.

If you aren’t sure whether or not you need a visa, check it directly with the embassy in your home country . And do so long before you travel , because if you do need to apply for a visa it might take time.

An embarrassing personal story about that: a few months ago I traveled to Canada . I don’t know why, but I just assumed I could fly there on a European passport without a visa. It wasn’t until I was checking in for my flight online, 24 hours before the flight, that I found out I did need a visa! Thankfully Canada’s visa process is very quick, but that was stressful!

Apart from checking if you need a visa, I’d also recommend you visit your government’s website for more information about the country you are visiting. This would be information on security, local laws, natural disasters, mandatory and recommended vaccinations, and how to find help once you’re abroad.

Keep in mind that if your government gives out negative travel advice, your travel insurance might not cover you.

• Things to Know Before Traveling to Europe as an American
• Things to Know Before Traveling to New Zealand
• 12 Things to Know Before Traveling to Colombia
• Important Travel Tips for Mexico

10. Make Sure Your Passport Is Valid

Sometimes we’ve been so busy planning our trip and focusing on other things, that we totally forget to check our passports. If you’re traveling abroad, do double-check if your passport is still valid!

And, more annoyingly, some countries want your passport to be valid for at least another six months. If your passport isn’t then make sure this won’t cause issues when entering the country you are visiting.

11. Decide What to Pack

This can be a challenge in itself, don’t we all know it?

Luckily, there are lots of useful packing lists for different destinations online. Although I hardly ever stick to everything these packing lists suggest, they are a great help. Simply Googling ”what to pack for [your destination or type of trip]” should give you plenty of good results.

Tip: use travel cubes ! I’ve only recently started using them and they’ve made it SO MUCH easier to organize things and to keep them organized during the trip.

And remember: don’t pack too much! You always need less than you think.

Also Read: Essential Things to Pack for a Trip to Europe

12. Enjoy and Leave Some Room to Get Lost

As much as I believe planning a trip is important, a big part of the fun is leaving some room to get lost and to get off the beaten path .

If you plan every minute of your trip you risk trying to fit in too much and will end up stressed and annoyed when things don’t go according to plan.

Relax, take in your surroundings, enjoy spontaneous encounters, and dive into the unknown!

Travel Planning – Conclusions

Travel planning doesn’t have to be difficult, boring, or challenging – in fact, it’s all about the joy of anticipation.

I hope this guide helped you find ease in planning your perfect trip. And wherever your next trip is taking you, have a great time!

• 5 Practical Tips to Make Travel Planning Easier
• Things to Do Before Traveling – Checklist of Things to Do Before Any Trip
• Tips for Traveling Alone – Planning a Solo Trip
• How to Stay Safe While Traveling
• How to Meet People While Traveling
• How to Take Good Travel Photos
• The Benefits of Traveling With Family

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Travel Guides · January 2, 2019

How to Plan a Trip: A Guide for Beginners

Wondering how to plan a trip, and not sure where to start? You’re not alone!

For experienced travelers, booking flights and throwing together an itinerary is second nature. But I remember the first time I planned a trip all on my own, I was kiiiiind of a nervous wreck.

Sure, I was excited as hell for my first independent travel experience. But I had ZERO clue how to efficiently create an itinerary, search for flights, find places to stay, or figure out transportation. Needless to say, I second-guessed myself at every turn.

But, not anymore! All these years later, and I’m something of a trip-planning pro (…I did have a brief stint as a travel agent back in 2016, after all!)

I receive dozens and dozens of emails and messages from soon-to-be travelers, and I thought it would helpful to create a detailed guide for anxious first timers (or even experienced travelers who happen to love checklists and helpful tidbits – I like them too).

I crammed as much knowledge and as many resources as possible into this “How to Plan a Trip” guide. I hope you’ll find it helpful, but as always, drop any questions in the comments section and I’ll do my best to answer them!

(Short on time? You can find a condensed list of my favorite travel resources here .)

1. Pick a Destination

Researching and choosing a travel destination is by far one of the most exciting parts of planning a trip.

At this point in time, the whole world is your oyster. You can go anywhere, and do anything!

Then again, the world is a pretty damn big places, so it’s good to have a strategy for narrowing down your options.

Here are some methods for picking a travel destination:

• Seek inspiration. One of my favorite resources for finding travel inspiration is The Travel Book by Lonely Planet . It features brief overviews of EVERY SINGLE COUNTRY in the world along with some seriously stunning photos. I’ve wasted away many hours flipping through this book! I also like browsing Pinterest  and Reddit  for travel photos and itineraries. And of course I follow many travel bloggers on Instagram and Bloglovin ‘!
• Choose the destination that’s cheapest to fly to.  Open to going anywhere in the world? Save yourself some serious money by simply booking the least expensive flight you can find! Sign up for a service like Scott’s Cheap Flights , which sends you airfare deals from your local airports. You can also use the Explore tool on Kayak to shop around for cheap flights to anywhere.
• Build a bucket list. Sometimes when I’m browsing online and stumble across a new destination or interesting attraction, I’ll jot it down in the notes section of my iPhone. I keep a “local” bucket list (filled with all sorts of destinations near where I live in California) as well as a global bucket list. It can be easy to forget what originally caught your eye about a city or country, so having some notes handy when it comes time to book a trip can help with your decision.

Pssst – I own all 3 of these coffee table books, and they’re amazing for finding travel inspiration!

2. decide how long your trip should be.

Four days? A week? Two weeks? A month?

There’s no right or wrong answers when it comes to the length or your trip, but typically this decision will come down to a few factors:

• Vacation time. How much of it do you have? How much of it do you want to spend on this trip?
• Travel time to the destination. In general, the further away you’re traveling, the longer your trip should be. If your destination is only a three-hour flight away, you can definitely spend just a few days there and get your money’s worth. If you’re spending 20 hours on a plane, however, you’ll likely want a full week (better yet, two) at the minimum in order for the travel time to be worth it.
• Time needed to enjoy the destination. Countries come in all sizes, and the time needed to “properly” explore China vs. Costa Rica (for example) would be drastically different. It’s true that you’ll likely never see everything a country has to offer, no matter how much time you have. But if you’re visiting a large destination, or one that really fascinates you on a deep level, it’s smart to budget more time.
• Monetary budget.  Generally speaking, the longer your trip, the more you’ll spend. Which brings us to…

3. Set Your Budget

Some people may prefer to set their budget earlier in the process; for example, even before deciding on the destination or length of trip. And this probably makes sense if you’re on a very strict or limited budget.

For example, if you know that you absolutely cannot spend more than $1,000 total, then it’s smart to make that decision first, and then look for destinations that fit into your budget (either because they have a low cost of living, or because they’re cheap to fly to).

But personally, I tend to already have a dream destination in mind, and then  build my budget around the airfare and average destination costs .

For example, if I’ve picked Mexico (which is a short flight away, as well as a relatively cheap destination) I will set a much lower budget than if I had picked Germany, which costs more money to fly to, on top of being a more expensive country.

Again, if you know that you have a limited budget, it makes sense to rule out unaffordable destinations right off the bat. But if you have a bit of wiggle room, it makes sense to be flexible in your budgeting based on the location.

But how do you actually set your travel budget?

Essentially, you just figure out how much you’re able to comfortably spend, and then force your expenses to fit into that budget. Easy, right?

It can be helpful to think in terms of dollars per day; for instance, if you have $2,000 available to spend (not including flight costs) and want to travel for 10 days, you know that you can spend $200 per day on accommodations + food + activities, etc.

Having this estimate handy can help you make decisions about hotels and activities later in the planning process.

4. Start Researching Flights & Dates

Super important rule: flights should ALWAYS be the first thing you book. 

Airline prices and availability are much more volatile than hotel or activity prices and availability.

If you a book a flight, and then discover that the hotel room you liked is no longer available, there’s still a good chance you can find someplace to stay that will meet your needs and fall within your budget.

But what if you already booked your hotels, only to find that the flight you were looking at has doubled in price? Or is no longer available at all? Or is significantly cheaper the day before or after you had planned to start your trip?

You’ll also need to know your arrival and departure schedule in order to build your itinerary.

For instance, factors such as whether your flight arrives in the morning or evening may determine how much time you spend in your arrival city before moving on to the next destination.

Here are some variables to consider while researching dates and flight routes:

• When can you comfortably take time away from work or school?
• What season do you want to travel in? What will the weather be like in your destination at that time?
• Do you want to travel during high season (typically the best weather, but most expensive prices) or low season (fewer tourists and lower costs, but may have poor weather or other inconveniences)?

I personally like using Kayak to search for flights, but I always book directly with the airline. Why? If something happens (like a delay, cancellation, or missed flight) third party vendors will be less equipped to help you than the actual airline.

Once you’ve locked down your dates and identified a flight you’re happy with, I still recommend creating a rough itinerary before actually booking your flights. Which brings us to…

5. Create Your Itinerary

At this stage, I like to make a list of all potential cities, sights, and activities within my destination that interest me. A Word document or the notes section on your phone is a good place to make this list. I’ve even used PowerPoint if I want to include images in my notes.

…this list is usually WAY too long.

If you have a week to explore a country, you’re not going to fit visits to 5 different cities in. You’re just not! Narrow down your list to the 2 cities that interest you the most.

If your trip is longer, scale up the number of destinations accordingly; for instance, in 2 weeks you could reasonably visit 4 (or possibly 5) cities.

Some personal rules of thumb:

• 2 days per city at an absolute minimum
• For major cities (like Paris), double that number
• 3 days is my sweet spot for most mid-sized cities
• Avoid single-night stays…even for small towns. It’s just too much of a hassle with checking in and out of hotels; no time to actually relax!

Factors to help you narrow down your list and choose which cities to visit:

• Travel accessibility and time between cities (if one city is a 9-hour bus ride away, and another city is a 1-hour shuttle ride, I’d almost always pick the second city)
• Things to do in each city; what interests you the most?
• Accommodation availability in each city

And here’s something most guide books probably won’t tell you: there is no such thing as a must-see city or attraction.

Seriously! It’s all relative.

If your dream is to bicycle around the French countryside exploring small villages and tasting local wines, and the thought of walking through city streets and touring art museums sounds like hell, why would you spend any of your precious time in Paris during your week in France?

I know, it sounds like a sin to skip a city as great as Paris…but honestly, I believe it’s worse to skip those destinations that set your imagination on fire and fill you with excitement, in favor of someone else’s “must see.”

I don’t believe in skipping touristic sights just for the sake of going off the beaten path (truthfully, popular sights are usually popular for a good reason) but if they truly don’t speak to you, follow your heart.

…Sorry, that was a bit of tangent! But here’s where I’m going with that: I know it’s hard fitting everything you want to see into your itinerary. For me, it’s usually more than hard – it’s impossible!

My advice: Accept the fact that you can’t see it all, choose the places that excite you or interest you the most, and trust that you’ll have such an amazing time visiting those places, that you won’t even think about the places you had to cut.

It’s the truth, I promise.

6. Start Booking!

Once you’ve settled on an itinerary you’re happy with, it’s time to lock it all into place by finally booking your flights, accommodations, activities, and any other transportation.

Book Your Flights

Boom! Done.

This is always a super exciting moment for me, because no matter what happens next…there’s no turning back now, you’re going on your trip!

Book Your Accommodation

After securing flights, accommodation is always the next thing I book.

More often than not, I end up booking a place to stay via Airbnb . I find that you can get some really amazing value from Airbnb, for the same cost or lower than what you’d find at a hotel. A lot of the homes I’ve rented have amazing views or amenities, and are usually in great locations.

(Psst – get $40 off your first Airbnb stay!)

When I’m not staying in an Airbnb, I like to search for hotel rooms on Booking.com .

Not only is it a useful search engine for finding available rooms, you can also view photos, read user reviews, and see ratings of features like location, cleanliness, and overall value.

Unlike with flights (which I prefer to book direct with the airlines), I’m happy to book hotels through third party vendors like Booking . You can sometimes find better deals than what you’ll see on the hotel website, such as free breakfast or flexible booking.

That said, I always recommend shopping around to see where you can find the lowest price!

When I’m traveling on a budget, HostelWorld is my go-to source for finding dorm rooms, or even private rooms in hostels.

If you’ve never stayed in a hostel before, my advice is this: don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it! They can be great for traveling cheaply and meeting likeminded travelers.

Whichever service I’m using to book my accommodation, these are a few things I always look for:

• Location, location, location. No matter how stunning or unique a hotel is, it’s hard to pass up accommodation that’s perfectly located. You can save so much time and stress by picking someplace that’s walking distance to the city center, major sights, good food and nightlife, etc.
• Character/charm. Why book a cookie cutter room when there are so many quirky hostels, boutique hotels, family-owned guesthouses, or beautifully decorated Airbnbs to choose from?
• Views. Not a must-have, but I take ’em where I can get ’em!

Plan/Book Other Transportation

How will you travel between the various cities you’re visiting? How about any day trips or excursions?

Booking transportation may not be something you need to do in advance, but it is something you should definitely research and plan for.

• If you’re renting a car, I highly recommend reserving in advance.
• If you’re traveling by train, it may depend on the destination whether or not you need to book in advance. Look up train schedules to see how frequently they depart for your destination, and browse forums like Reddit or TripAdvisor to see what other travelers say about booking in advance vs. after you’ve arrived.
• If you’re traveling by bus, you most likely don’t need to book before you arrive…but again, it doesn’t hurt to double check.

Plan/Book Activities

This part is always a lot of fun!

Much like you did while selecting which cities to visit, I recommend compiling a big master list of all the possible activities and sights you’re interested in: walking tours, day trips, museums, architectural or historic sites, food tours, bar crawls, hikes, snorkeling, etc.

Here’s where I like to search for things to do and see while traveling:

• Travel blogs (like this one 😉 )
• TripAdvisor
• Rough Guides  (I love their “Things Not to Miss” sections)
• Lonely Planet

Once you have a good idea of your possible options, go back to your list and narrow down your choices to your personal “must do’s.” When deciding which activities to cut, consider factors like length of time, cost, location, and – most importantly – how much each attraction or activity interests you.

Here’s another tip: you don’t need a minute-by-minute itinerary for every single day of your trip.

Everyone has different travel styles; some prefer to leave their plans wide open and make decisions on the fly, while others like to plan and pre-book as much as possible.

Either way, I recommend leaving some amount of wiggle room in your daily itineraries.

My personal preference is to 1) make a list of all the activities, attractions, and restaurants I definitely want to try, and then 2) loosely “assign” them to various days. This tactic allows me to ensure that I can fit everything I want into my schedule, while still keeping it flexible.

Remember: travel should be fun! Don’t force yourself into anything just because it was originally on your itinerary; if you’re not feeling it anymore once you’re in the destination, or you think you’d rather experience it on another day, it’s no biggie!

7. Make a Detailed Arrival Plan

Arriving for the first time in a foreign country always leaves me with butterflies in my stomach…and not just the good kind of butterflies.

What if I get lost? What if I get scammed? What if, what if…

These are all perfectly normal thoughts, but making a detailed arrival plan can help alleviate some of these anxieties.

Plan for factors such as:

• What’s the best way to get to your hotel/hostel/Airbnb? How much should it cost? How should you deal with taxi drivers who try to overcharge you? (Tip: refuse to accept a ride unless they turn the meter on)
• Where/how will you acquire the local currency? (An airport ATM is usually a good option)

I also like to screenshot the name and address of my hotel (in the local language if possible) as well as my booking confirmations. That way if there’s an issue with connecting to WiFi, I still have everything I need to get checked into my room, which is the most important thing on Day One.

8. Plan for These Not-Very-Fun-But- Super -Important Steps

Visas – Do you need a visa to visit your destination? For Americans visiting most countries, the answer will usually be no. But it’s always smart to double check visa requirements , as well as passport validity requirements (note: most countries will require your passport to be valid for at least six months after your return date ).

Vaccines – On the CDC website , there is a section where travelers can input their destination and find recommended vaccinations, as well as health risks.

Travel Insurance – You should never travel without proper travel insurance! We would all like to assume the worst will never happen to us while traveling abroad…but the truth is, none of us can plan for these things.

If you’re seriously injured or become sick abroad, having insurance can make a world of difference to ensuring you get the care you need. Especially when it comes to major illnesses and emergencies! World Nomads is a favorite among experienced travelers; you can pop your travel details into the tool below to see a pricing estimate:

Tell Your Credit Card Companies Your Travel Plans  – Typically, if your bank sees a sudden influx of charges on your credit card coming from a foreign country, what are they going to do…? Flag the charges as potentially fraudulent and freeze your card, perhaps?

This would be considered great service most of the time, but could become a nightmare situation for someone traveling abroad. ALWAYS let your bank know about your travel plans; almost all banks allow you to input this information online nowadays. If not, just give them a call.

9. Have the Time of Your Life!

Planning a trip definitely takes work, but it’s one of those things that gets easier and far less stress-inducing the more you do it. And hey, the effort definitely pays off – you’re going to have a blast!

Enjoy your trip – eat all the food, see all the sights, soak in all the culture, and take all the photos. Happy travels!

Are you in the process of planning a trip to somewhere amazing? What questions do you still have about how to plan a trip? I can do my best to answer them in the comments!

Note: This post contains several affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of these links, I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. My affiliate income helps offset the cost of running this blog, and allows me to keep this site free of ads and sponsored posts. So, thank you!! 

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January 5, 2019 at 6:28 am

January 6, 2019 at 4:01 pm

Thanks Emily! I like to provide basic but essential tips like these every now and then!

January 6, 2019 at 7:08 am

January 6, 2019 at 4:03 pm

Haha, I definitely plan trips that I have no intention of taking in the near future, too! And that’s awesome – it’s good to try out different styles of travel and see how you like them. I definitely think there’s a time for both quick and slow travel, but usually do skew towards the slower side. Let me know how you like it 🙂

January 14, 2019 at 9:23 pm

This is such a good read, very detailed that’s why it is more understandable. Great tips too. Thank you for sharing!

January 16, 2019 at 7:08 pm

Thank you so much, Hannah!

February 8, 2020 at 1:45 am

March 10, 2020 at 8:48 am

Totally agree!

April 25, 2021 at 10:31 pm

As you mentioned, I also have zero clues on how I can plan my own wellness travel. It has been a really hard year for me and I feel like I deserve to rest. However, to enjoy good itineraries and follow a smooth schedule, I think I might have to turn to experienced travel planners to organize it for me.

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How To Plan A Trip: Important Questions To Guide You

I’ve done several posts focusing on different aspects of how to plan a trip, but this one is following the immortal advice of Fräulein Maria (you know you want to sing it…)

I wanted to back up and focus on the very beginning stages of how to plan a vacation or trip (yes, there’s a difference), particularly when it’s your first time, or when you’re not fully sure of really critical details…you know, like where to go, when you want to travel, what your personal “travel style” is.

In other words, this is focused on how to START planning a trip.   As I’ve mentioned before, an amazing trip depends on what it means to YOU, what you were hoping to get out of it.  A chill long weekend vegging out at the pool can be just as perfect as a week in Thailand—it’s all about the expectations you had and what types of things you enjoy.

And while I wish I could simply give you a formula for how to plan a trip, every person is different.  I can’t tell you what *you* or the people you’re traveling with will love.

Instead, over the years I’ve identified some key questions that you can ask yourself to help guide your decisions and help you get to the most enjoyable version of your trip possible.

This is part of a series on how to plan epic trips.  I’ve linked to the others at the bottom of this post, and you can also  download my free e-book  for dozens more trip planning tips on flights, housing, itinerary, and more!

How to plan a trip: questions edition

Hopefully these questions will really get your brain juices going and help you narrow in on the travel ideas that really excite you.  If you’ll be traveling with other people, they make great conversation starters as well.

What is your travel style?  What do you love and hate?

This really can be summed up in “know thyself”.  There is no one right way to travel, or right kind of trip.  Do you like a jam-packed itinerary and seeing as much as possible?  Do you like to make sure you have plenty of time to just chill and drink some coffee while people-watching?

If you know your personal travel style well already, then my advice is not to ignore your gut when planning.  For example, I sometimes try to convince myself that I like more raw, “roughing it” type trips in less-developed countries, and while they can be valuable experiences, they never are my favorites.

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When I ask myself these questions, I have to acknowledge that I’m not into big cruises, camping, museums, or (generally) group trips/tours.

I like to splurge sometimes on luxury, unique, or adventure options on many of my trips.  I prioritize food and drink exploration, beautiful architecture and landscapes, with self-guided, fast-paced travel that almost always includes alcohol 🙂  I always look for a way to be on a boat, and I occasionally love a lazy beach vacay.

If you DON’T know your travel style, it’s really worth it to try and figure it out.  Some of that is trial and error, experimenting as you travel.

For example, the next time you’re going somewhere (even if it’s just a quick local weekend trip), choose one activity that you’d normally never think of.  A cooking class, a segway tour, a boat trip, visit an offbeat museum, stay in a different type of accommodation for a night…you get the drift.

Having it be just one element of your trip makes it lower-commitment in case you don’t enjoy it.

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What do you want out of the trip?

Beyond just your personal travel style, it’s important to know what you want out of the trip.  If it’s amazing photos, then rainy season can be dicey.  Is it pure relaxation, parking yourself under an umbrella at the pool?  Adventure?  An epic story you can tell friends later?

Are you traveling alone or with a companion, or trying to coordinate a bigger group (whew, let me tell you about the logistics of family trips…!)??  That will impact everything from housing options to transportation logistics, so take that into account very early on.

As an example, I was planning a (sadly aborted) Greek Isles trip with my aunt and two cousins, but then she asked about inviting all our other aunts and uncles…I was like WHOA okay, island hopping and all the logistics on tiny islands may not be the best idea with 8+ people, so let’s look at a different destination.

Are you already set on a specific place?  Sometimes the hardest thing to figure out is where you want to go.  If you’re hardcore dreaming of a getaway to Bali, that’s one thing and quite specific enough.  But if it’s more vague like “I really need a beach vacay” or “an amazing girls’ trip”, then you’ve got some more work to do.

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Where do you want to go?

This is almost a subset of the previous one, because the two go hand-in-hand.  Do you have a specific destination in mind or are you a bit lost on WHERE to go??

I go into greater detail on some tips that can help you choose a destination in my post on my travel planning process , but here are a few initial thoughts.  First, I always recommend keeping a running list of places you’d like to visit…anytime you read an article, a friend gives you a recommendation, etc., just throw it in a running Word doc or email draft.

You can also do Google and Pinterest searches for specific attributes (e.g. “chill solo beach vacation”, “south american itinerary using public transportation”, “best roadtrip itineraries in Europe”).  I use Google Flights “map search” sometimes when I know my dates but not where I’m going.

Obviously in the world we live in right now, specific COVID testing/vaccine/quarantine requirements are a critical factor in where you can go, so make sure to research that as well.  I’ve found this constantly updated post from Smarter Travel helpful.

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How flexible are you?

This is super critical, and now we’re starting to really get down to brass tacks.  Ideally you’ve chosen a destination, but even if you’ve narrowed it down to a few, it’s now important to “pressure test” what’s feasible and what will fit your needs best.

One aspect is timing…are you set on exact dates or even an exact time window?  How much time can you take off work, and is there a day or two of wiggle room?  These all affect how you search for flights and what flight times and dates will work for you—and obviously affects costs.

Are you okay with shoulder or off-season to avoid crowds?  Or are you wanting peak season due to a specific event (e.g. cherry blossoms in Japan) or ideal weather (like avoiding monsoon season in southeast Asia)?

Another thing that impacts both costs and timing is whether you prefer to go as direct as possible, or if you can accept longer travel times and more layovers to get better deals.  Again, asking yourself all these questions as you plan can help you hone in on the best times and right costs for your specific needs.

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How open are you to winging it a bit?  

Personally I believe you want to go “off script” sometimes.  If you only approach travel as checking the boxes on someone’s “must do” list, then you’re going to miss out on some amazing experiences.  But this goes back to knowing yourself—for some people, the idea of that is really stressful.  I still recommend doing it in some way though!

It might be as simple as stopping on a road trip whenever something takes your fancy (for me, that’s basically any roadside farm or food stand), or building time in your itinerary to just wander little streets or sit at a café with a drink and people-watch.

This is also why you don’t want to cram your itinerary so tightly that you don’t have any room to let things just…happen.

I’ve had so many absolutely delightful experiences that were unplanned, where I went with my gut.  From a whole day spent exploring a local’s favorite spots in Costa Rica , to discovering a ruined castle on a seaside cliff in Scotland or stumbling upon the best rooftop bar in Lisbon , I’ve never regretted having time built into my itinerary to seize on a local’s recommendation or great find.

But you don’t ONLY have to wait for things to happen.  When I’m researching before a trip, I always do some searching for “unique things to do” or “local secret favorites” in wherever I’m going.  Take a chance on something that doesn’t have gobs of reviews, an interesting cultural experience, or something outside your comfort zone.

What does epic mean to you?  

This is closely related to the previous point.  As I discuss further in my post on how to many any itinerary at least a little epic , “epic” means something different to everyone.  And to me, even something different depending on the trip.

The question to ask yourself could be…when I come home, what types of experiences will I love telling people about??  It might be a cool secret thing, a big bucket list adventure, or an accidental find.

Epic might be splurging on something really well-known but expensive…a luxurious afternoon tea in London , a glacier boat trip in New Zealand, the Norway in a Nutshell fjord tour, or snorkeling between continents in Iceland.

Or something that just takes more effort to plan or get to…like seeing   Petra lit up by hundreds of lanterns at night, marveling at Argentine’s Iguazu Falls , or taking a boat to Scotland’s tiny epic Isle of Staffa .

For me it also often means finding a bucket list item to experience while I’m there…seeing the Northern Lights , sailing along Turkey’s coast , or going on an African safari (which I’m still dying to do!).

But “epic” doesn’t have to mean massive or expensive.  Trips can be epic in many small ways.  I love taking a small-group walking food tour in a new city to explore the cuisine.  Often transportation can add a unique twist, like a cool train ride or even hopping on a ferry for a different view.  Getting out into nature, maybe for a beautiful hike, is great.  Or staying in an interesting residential neighborhoods.

Just do something that you’ll want to tell people about later!

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Now, what do you need to know?

To be fair, this is less about getting started, and is further down the process of how to plan a trip, and I have a separate post outlining my own process from inspiration to realistic itineraries.

But once you’ve either settled on a destination and time, OR when you’re getting close and just need help deciding, there are some amazing resources out there to help—particularly the TripAdvisor forums.  In most cases you won’t want to start asking the forum questions *too* early in your planning process.  There are two main reasons for this.

First, if you go on there just asking super generic questions (“what should I do in Paris?”) without having done your own research, the forum folks will get annoyed with you because they can’t really help and you’re just wasting their time.  Second, you need to have a good idea of what you’re looking for/trying to do before their advice will be useful to YOU.

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So I’d say seek out advice…but take it with a grain of salt.  Obviously everyone will have their own experiences and opinions, and they can be helpful but only you know what truly works for you.

As an example, I often get told that my itinerary is too ambitious and I’m trying to cram in too much, that I’m going to feel rushed.  But go back to question #1—I know myself well enough to know that my “normal” speed is most people’s “rushed”, so I thank them for their input, take specific ideas to tweak it, and move on.

Here are examples of the types of questions/advice that can be especially useful in the TripAdvisor forums:

• “Here is the rough 4-day itinerary I’m thinking, can you help me figure out what doesn’t work or any additions?”
• “I’m trying to figure out whether to fly into Rome or Florence for this itinerary, which would you recommend?
• “Need help with clarity on visa requirements & customs process in Argentina”
• “Best ways to get to Cappadocia that aren’t flying, within 10-day Turkey itinerary”

As you can see, make sure you already so some research and have info for them to react to, and then ask questions with some specificity.  Plus, make sure you give them any pertinent info about yourself, your travel companions, likes/dislikes, and budget.

So now that we’ve talked about the big questions that can help with how to start planning a trip (INSPIRATION), the posts below dive into the actual PROCESS I use and how I plan individual elements of my trip!

My Travel Planning Process: Inspiration, Research, & Realism

How to Find (& Choose) the Right Flight For You

How to Pick the Perfect Hotel or Rental Every Single Time

How to Create Epic Itineraries…Whether Weekend Getaway or Bucket List Trip

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Comments (1)

Elina Brooks

April 5, 2023 at 4:13 am

I love traveling to different countries with friends, but this year, I have decided to go on a solo trip for the first time and chose Kenya as my destination. I’m thankful you told us to also be flexible during our trip since approaching travel as checking boxes on a to-do list will make us miss out on amazing experiences instead. I’ll make sure to keep this in mind while I look for a Kenya vacation planner to hire and help me with the preparations I need for my trip.

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I'm Jessica!

Who am I? I’m not a digital nomad or backpacker. I have a demanding full-time career but still find ways to fit in tons of travel. I believe that sometimes you save and sometimes you splurge, and I’ll help you figure out how to have the best experiences regardless. My goal is to go everywhere, see everything, eat all the pastries, and soak up as much food, wine, culture, and amazing views as I can in this crazy life!

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Personal Finance

How to travel on a budget: 12 tips from our expert.

Our evaluations and opinions are not influenced by our advertising relationships, but we may earn a commission from our partners’ links. This content is created independently from TIME’s editorial staff. Learn more about it.

Most people want to travel. Too few people pull the trigger—often because they assume that their bucket list dreamcation is too pricey.

The truth is that Instagram influencers have ruined the idea of travel. You don’t have to stay in an overwater villa with a two-story water slide to have a fulfilling trip. Abide by a few practical tricks, and you can travel without spending a small fortune. Let’s look at 12 ways to travel on a budget.

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Disclosures:, 12 best money-saving travel tips, 1. let the deals guide you.

Did you know that tools exist to help you find the cheapest travel to anywhere from your home airport? If you don’t have a firm destination in mind, sites such as Google Flights and Skyscanner allow you to leave your destination airport blank. You can then sort your search results by the cheapest fares and choose a destination that fits your budget. You’ll be surprised how far you can get for a ticket under $50 each way.

2. Book airfare from hubs when traveling internationally

If your travel aspirations lie outside the U.S., your best tactic to save money is searching for flights from major U.S. gateways to your destination—instead of from your home airport.

For example, if you live in Punta Gorda, Florida, you’re less likely to find a screaming deal to Europe from your home airport of Punta Gorda (PGD) than from Miami (MIA) or Orlando (MCO). Driving the 2.5 hours to either of these airports could save you $500+ per ticket. It could even be worth flying to a hub airport just to catch the cheaper transatlantic flight.

Similarly, try to be flexible with your destination airport. If you’d like to visit Paris, take a look at other European airports, such as Frankfurt (FRA), Dublin (DUB), Madrid (MAD), etc. If you find a fare several hundred dollars cheaper, you can book an inexpensive hop from that city to Paris fand save some serious money.

3. Earn a credit card welcome bonus

It’s the golden age of credit cards intro offers. There are currently many welcome bonuses that reward you with potentially more than $1,000 in travel after meeting minimum spending requirements.

For example, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card currently offers 75,000 miles if you spend $4,000 in the first three months after you open the account. They are worth $750 when you book travel through Capital One’s travel portal—and potentially more through using its convert-rewards option with partners. Check the airfare and other prices to be sure you’re getting the best value.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. You can cash out these points for a $600 check, or you can redeem them through Chase Travel at a rate of 1.25 cents each toward airfare, hotels, cruises, and more (a value of $750). You can also transfer these points to airline and hotel programs for an even greater value. Read the TIME Stamped guide to Chase transfer partners for more details.

Compare these two cards here.

4. Eat like a local

If your idea of vacation is lounging on a beach chair with a bottomless tequila sour cup in your hand, you’re probably going to spend a lot of money. But if you can pull yourself away from the large resort properties that pride themselves on sequestering guests from local culture, you’ll save money and eat better food.

Whether you’re traveling domestically or internationally, try to eat where the locals eat. You’ll find cheaper prices and deliciously authentic food.

5. Book an Airbnb (or even a hostel)

Nowadays, it’s hard to find a room at a hotel—a respectable one, anyway—for under $100 per night. You can do significantly better than this by booking an Airbnb, particularly for extended stays. Many hosts offer steep discounts for bookings of at least a week. And if for some reason you’re staying a month or more, you’ll sometimes find whopping 50% discounts.

Depending on your travel style, you may also consider staying with a host family. Airbnb offers the option to rent a room in someone’s house instead of the entire home. This can be incredibly cheap, and also gives you a chance to better understand the local culture.

Another alternative to hotels is hostelling. It gets sort of a bad rap for being a bit seedy and communal, but there are some excellent hostels out there that you can reserve for a fraction of the price of even an Airbnb. If you’re willing to pay slightly more, you can even reserve your own room instead of the standard dormitory setup.

6. Buy your own alcohol when staying at a resort

Alcohol can be a crippling expense at resorts—sometimes as much as $30 per mixed drink, depending on the class of property you visit. If you expect alcohol to be a meaningful expense during your trip, pop over to the local supermarket or liquor store and buy your own stash. You’ll likely be able to get a full 750ml bottle for the price of a single drink from the overpriced bar.

True, it won’t be quite as magical as ordering the property’s signature drinks, but isn’t it worth saving potentially hundreds of dollars during your stay?

7. Book a room with a kitchen

Whether you rent a hotel room, an Airbnb, or otherwise, you can save big by choosing a space with a kitchen. Extended-stay properties like Home2 Suites by Hilton, Hyatt House, or Candlewood Suites have full kitchens that you can use to buy groceries and cook your own meals as opposed to eating out every single day. Not only is it cost-effective, but you’ll probably end up eating healthier.

8. Hold (and use) the right credit card

Airline and hotel credit cards often come with benefits that can lower your out-of-pocket in a powerful way.

For example, airline credit cards such as the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card offer a free checked bag for you and other travelers on your reservation. Because checked bags typically cost $35 each way, this could save you and a travel buddy $140 during a single trip. If you travel with a large family, you’ll save even more.

Many hotel credit cards, such as the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card , confer automatic Gold Status that comes with benefits like breakfast privileges during your stay. This benefit alone can save you hundreds of dollars during a stay, depending on the hotel.

Also, some premium travel rewards credit cards, like the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card , offer complimentary airport lounge access to over 1,400 lounges worldwide. You’ll often find free food and alcohol inside a lounge, saving you from having to pay exorbitant airport restaurant food prices.

Just note that many travel credit cards incur annual fees, so be sure to examine all benefits of the card to decide if it’s worth the investment.

9. Book a destination where your dollar goes further

If you’re looking to save money during your travels, don’t pick a location like St. Barths or Monaco. Find a place where the U.S. dollar is strong.

Southeast Asia is a perfect example where, as long as you stay away from tourist traps, you can find great food and accommodation for a small fraction of what you’d pay for a domestic trip. If you can spring for the flight to a country like Thailand or the Philippines, you’ll be astonished at the favorable exchange rate.

10. Avoid tour groups

There are innumerable benefits to traveling solo as opposed to booking a tour group. Yes, you’ll forfeit a few interesting tidbits about the area relayed by a tour guide. But you’ll gain complete freedom over your schedule and by extension, the ability to avoid massive crowds.

And, of course, you’ll be able to eat where you want instead of inevitably being shepherded into a random gift shop/diner in the middle of nowhere with outrageous prices.

11. Stay inland

The beach is the quintessential “vacation,” and hotels capitalize on that. Plan a vacation away from the beach, or at least stay a mile or two away from the sand to avoid the surcharge that comes with the privilege of a 10-second walk to the ocean.

12. Choose areas that are rich in scenery

The best budget vacations are those that involve the outdoors. Hiking, swimming, even strolling through stunning scenery is often completely free (or reasonably priced, if a park pass is required). The prettier your destination, the less you’ll spend to entertain yourself.

TIME Stamp: Being flexible will save you big on your next trip

There’s no such thing as a free lunch. But using a handful of these strategies can take potentially thousands of dollars off your travel bill.

Most important is flexibility. Stay open minded enough to follow the cheap deals—though you may end up in a place you wouldn’t have otherwise chosen, you may discover your new favorite destination.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

What is a reasonable travel budget.

A reasonable travel budget is impossible to pinpoint, as everyone’s idea of “budget” is different. That said, many experts recommend sticking to between 5% and 10% of your annual income for your travels.

How much money do you realistically need to travel?

The amount you need to travel depends on many factors, such as whether you’re flying, where you’re going, the size of your party, the length of your stay, and the quality of your accommodations. But no matter your budget, you can craft a vacation that fits your financial restraints. Just try not to go into debt for it.

How can I travel for little money?

Collecting airline miles and hotel points through credit card welcome bonuses and everyday spending is the best way to travel for little money. With a single intro bonus, you could earn enough rewards for a week’s stay at a hotel or a round-trip flight to Europe.

What is the most cost effective way to travel?

Staying at hostels or with host families during your trip is an excellent way to travel for little money. Also keep an eye on travel deals that pop up and allow them to dictate your destination.

The information presented here is created independently from the TIME editorial staff. To learn more, see our About page.

5 Google Maps Tips You Need To Know When Planning Your Next Trip

W hether a brief weekend escape or an extensive expedition across continents, planning a trip can be a daunting task. The challenge of selecting the ideal destinations, navigating through unfamiliar territories, and ensuring that you experience all the essential sights without overlooking anything, can quickly become overwhelming for any traveler. This is where online maps come into play, and one prominent tool that almost everyone has used at some point is Google Maps.

Google Maps goes beyond basic directions . It offers a suite of features designed to make trip planning not just easier, but also more enjoyable. You can map out itineraries, discover new attractions, get insights into local restaurants and services, and even find electric vehicle charging stations . The platform's real-time updates, user reviews, and detailed information on points of interest can help you make informed decisions while exploring new destinations. Moreover, its customization features allow you to create personalized maps that cater specifically to your travel plans, which are also shareable. Here are five essential Google Maps tips that every traveler should know. These tips will not only help you streamline your trip-planning process but also ensure that your travels are as smooth and enjoyable as possible.

Read more: 12 Smart Gadgets You Didn't Know Existed

Utilizing Offline Maps

When you're heading out on a trip, one thing you definitely don't want to worry about is losing access to your maps when your signal drops. That's where offline maps come in handy. Google Maps allows you to download maps for offline use, ensuring you never get lost even when you're off the grid.

Downloading maps for offline use is a straightforward process. Follow these steps:

• Open the Google Maps app on your smartphone or tablet. 
• Tap on your profile icon in the top-right corner.
• Choose Offline maps.
• Tap Select your own map in the following window.
• Drag the map window to your desired area.
• Select Download.

Depending on the size of the area you're downloading and your internet connection speed, this process may take a few moments.

Once the download is complete, you'll be able to access the map even without an internet connection. Offline maps are not only convenient, but they can also save you time and frustration. Imagine hiking in a remote area and losing your cell signal — having the offline map ensures you can still navigate your way back to your starting point without any hassle. This is also one of the many secret Google Maps features that can come in handy.

Customizing Your Route With Multiple Stops

We all have days packed with errands or sightseeing, where we just wish we could plan the routes efficiently. Google Maps allows you to do that by customizing your route with multiple stops. It's a nifty feature that can save you time and make your trips more organized.

Follow these steps:

• Open Google Maps on your device and enter your final destination.
• Click on the three buttons next to your starting point and select Add stop. 
• You can add multiple stops by repeating this step. 
• Rearrange stops by dragging the three lines next to each destination.

Now, Google Maps will calculate the most efficient route for you, taking into account all your stops along the way. This is perfect for those days when you have several places to visit or errands to run, but you want to make sure you're not zigzagging all over town. It can also save you time and fuel. Plus, it's a great way to ensure you don't forget any important stops along the way. 

When customizing your route with multiple stops on Google Maps, keep in mind to arrange your stops in a logical order to minimize backtracking and optimize efficiency. Additionally, consider traffic conditions and estimated travel times between each stop to plan your schedule accordingly. Lastly, ensure that all stops are accurately inputted to avoid any confusion or missed destinations along the way.

Taking Advantage Of Live Traffic Updates

This feature provides real-time information about traffic conditions, allowing you to avoid packed routes and save valuable time.

As you navigate with Google Maps, the app constantly monitors traffic conditions along your route. If there is heavy traffic, accidents, or road closures ahead, Google Maps will highlight the problematic area on the map using yellow or red markers.

To enable live traffic updates, open the Google Maps app and enter your destination. Once your route is set, Google Maps will display real-time traffic information along the way, including any incidents or slowdowns. You can then choose to follow the suggested route or explore alternative options based on the traffic conditions. 

When using live traffic updates on Google Maps, keep in mind to regularly check for updates throughout your journey to stay informed about changing road conditions. You can also report problems on the road yourself on Google Maps . Lastly, be flexible with your travel plans and prepared to follow alternative routes suggested by Google Maps to avoid congestion and minimize travel time.

By taking advantage of live traffic updates, you can make informed decisions about your route and avoid getting stuck in gridlock. Whether you're commuting to work or heading out on a road trip, this feature can help you reach your destination more efficiently.

Exploring Nearby Attractions And Restaurants

When you're in a new area, or even just exploring your own neighborhood, Google Maps can be a great tool for discovering nearby attractions and restaurants. 

To start exploring:

• Open Google Maps and zoom in on the area of your interest. You should see several options below the search bar, including Restaurants, Gas, Coffee, Shopping, ATMs, and more. 
• Click on the option you want to explore. For instance, if you are looking for places to eat nearby, select Restaurants to see a list of dining options in the area. Each restaurant will be marked with its location on the map, along with details such as the establishment's name, its rating, and sometimes photos or reviews. 
• Refine your search further by applying filters for rating and distance. 
• After selecting a restaurant that catches your interest, click on it to view more detailed information, including its address, hours of operation, contact details, and directions on how to get there. 

Google Maps also allows you to call the restaurant directly from the app if you wish to make a reservation or inquire about menu items.

You can explore all these categories by swiping right on the options pane below the search bar. To view the full list, click on the More button (three dots) at the very end.

Create A Custom Map To Share With Friends And Family

You can also easily create a custom map and share it with whoever you want on Google Maps. It's a great way to collaborate on travel plans, recommend must-visit places, or simply share your favorite local hangouts.

• Open Google Maps on your computer and sign into your Google account. 
• Click on the menu icon and choose Saved > Maps > Open My Maps. 
• Start a new map by clicking the Create A New Map button. 
• Give your map a title and a description that encapsulates the essence of your adventure or theme. This could be anything from "Family Road Trip to Yellowstone" to "Best Coffee Shops in New York City." 
• Populate your map with markers. Click on the marker icon, then click on the location on the map you wish to mark. For each marker, you can add a detailed description, upload photos, and even include links for more information. 
• Additionally, Google My Maps allows you to draw paths and shapes, perfect for outlining routes or highlighting areas of interest. 
• Once your map is ready, click on the Share button. Here, you'll be prompted to set the map's privacy settings. You can choose to make it public, share it with specific people, or keep it private with a link.
• Finally, invite your friends via email or simply send them the link.

Read the original article on SlashGear .

'No one plans on security issues' while traveling: How to stay safer on your trip

The frenetic summer travel season is a fading memory. The pandemic lockdowns and masking requirements are history. So is it finally – finally – safe to get out there and travel?

Maybe, maybe not. Experts say travel is still fraught with danger, and you could quickly find yourself in trouble. 

There are still threats, including an uptick in COVID-19 cases and several geopolitical dust-ups. But the biggest threat is – well, you .

“The mistake travelers make is believing the biggest security risk is some external force," said Adam Bardwell, a former U.S. Army Green Beret and a security operations supervisor at Global Rescue . "In reality, the biggest security risk travelers face is their poor planning, lack of knowledge about the location and ignoring indications of danger.” 

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Learn more: Best travel insurance

You don't have to look far for recent examples. Just last month, a British tourist died after trying to climb the Stairway to Heaven in Dachstein, Austria. It's a 131-foot ladder suspended in midair over a deep gorge. I grew up near Austria's Alps, and if there's one thing I know about those mountains, it's that you can't be too careful.

Earlier this summer, another British man (I'm sure that's a coincidence) died after trying to drink every cocktail on the menu at his hotel's pool bar in Jamaica. The resort serves beverages with names like the Club Stinger and Kamikaze, which should have been enough warning. 

I'm not bringing up these incidents to embarrass anyone, only to say that you can enjoy the thrill of climbing the Alps or chilling with a cold one by the pool without dying. It just takes a little planning and some common-sense precautions.

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Is it safe to travel now?

Probably, but there's a giant asterisk next to that answer.

A quick scan of the State Department Travel Advisories suggests that the usual suspects for international travel are relatively safe. Popular countries for American visitors, such as England, France and Italy, are all good to go, according to the government. But that doesn't necessarily mean they're safe for you.

John Gobbels, chief operating officer of the air medical transport and travel security program at Medjet , said hotspots can sometimes flare up faster than the government can keep track of them. 

"Growing political tension between China and Taiwan, and the Ukraine-Russia conflict potentially expanding, definitely has people traveling to Asia and Eastern Europe this fall on edge," he said. "The riots in France, protests across Central and South America, earthquakes, fires, hurricanes and Christmas market tragedies past don’t help traveler confidence either."

Even if you avoid all those places, travel is still risky, he said, adding that you could go someplace perfectly safe only to get sick. That's more of a problem now than it was this summer.

"We're already seeing our usual fall bump in calls from members hospitalized with respiratory issues," he said, "and this will only increase the rest of 2023 and early 2024."

What if you're traveling domestically? The State Department doesn't rate U.S. travel safety, but Canada and the U.K. do. You can visit Canada's travel advisory site to find out how dangerous traveling in the States is (and it is ). The U.K. advice is deeply troubling ("Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in the USA.") 

What kind of precautions should you take before you travel?

This is no time to let down your guard, experts say. 

“It’s a good idea to dial up your usual safety precautions when traveling,” said Christina Tunnah, general manager of marketing and brands at World Nomads .

Here's a short list:

◾ Research your destination carefully . Plan your itinerary to avoid any dangerous places and activities.

◾ Ensure all your routine and travel vaccinations are current, especially if you're traveling abroad.

◾ Buy adequate travel insurance and a medical evacuation membership like Medjet or Global Rescue .

◾ Have a plan B in case something goes wrong. Carry a list of emergency contacts and discuss the game plan with your travel companions in the event something goes wrong.

Of all these, the most overlooked may be careful planning. Consider what happened to Daniela Shields, whose daughter Alli was an exchange student in Hong Kong in 2019. When she bought a Global Rescue membership for Alli, she had no way of knowing that her daughter would be caught in the violent protests. But when the demonstrations started, Alli knew where to turn. Global Rescue quickly arranged for Alli to fly back home and out of harm's way.

"No one plans on security issues when they travel," said Shields, an endodontist from Paducah, Kentucky. "When it happens, you need to know how to get help."

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How to stay safe when you travel

I love reading other travel stories that claim they can keep you safe when you travel with a few easy tips. What nonsense! 

Travel will always be dangerous, to a certain extent. Even the safest places can be problematic. Tourists die or disappear in countries with sterling reputations. 

But there are things you can do to mitigate the risk. Narendra Khatri, principal of Insubuy , said he's seen more travelers asking for extra safety features on their policies, like telehealth and lost passport assistance. 

"We’re also seeing more interest in standalone kidnap and ransom insurance, particularly for high net worth individuals," he said. "Many customers who feel they are at risk or traveling to a part of the world where abductions are possible can get a little extra peace of mind with this coverage."

That's sound advice. Double-check your travel insurance policy to make sure it covers everything that could go wrong.

But most importantly, don't be the problem. You can travel more safely by planning for trouble. Don't assume that travel is safe just because the summer crowds have thinned and the lockdowns are a distant memory. 

Because travel is not completely safe, and it never will be. Take it from me, someone who is on the road 365 days a year.

"Remember," said Angela Borden, a product strategist of Seven Corners , "anything can happen when you're traveling."

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Taking a trip this fall? Here's the one travel tip you should follow

Elliott's strategies for staying safer

◾ Focus on your health : Fall is a time to double down on your health – and especially this fall. "It's essential to consider the heightened risks associated with the colds and the flu," said Rajeev Shrivastava, CEO of VisitorsCoverage , an insurance marketplace. COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are also rising, so consider taking common-sense precautions like getting vaccinated, masking up on the plane and packing hand sanitizer.

◾ Stay connected : One of the biggest mistakes travelers make is turning off their cell phone's wireless plan when they're abroad to save a buck, said Katie Crowe, a spokeswoman for travel Insurer battleface. "Making sure you're connected is critical for safety," she said. The workaround? A better connection. Battleface recently teamed up with eSIM company Celitech to allow customers to buy and install an eSIM within their mobile devices through a QR code activation. 

◾ Know who to call when you run into trouble : Few travelers plan for the worst, even after years of the pandemic. "Who is going to help you at 2:30 in the morning when something goes wrong?" asked John Rose, chief risk and security officer at ALTOUR. It can be your travel adviser, travel insurance company, or medical membership. (And while we're at it, you should sign up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program if you're leaving the country. That way, if something goes wrong, the nearest embassy or consulate can help you get home.)

Christopher Elliott  is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. He founded  Elliott Advocacy , a nonprofit organization that helps solve consumer problems. He publishes  Elliott Confidential , a travel newsletter, and the  Elliott Report , a news site about customer service. If you need help with a consumer problem, you can  reach him here  or email him at  [email protected] .