bigtravelbuzzPlanning a trip is an exciting part of your upcoming new travel adventure. It’s not for everyone, as some people swear by just booking a plane ticket. Still, there are many things to consider when planning your trip, including: B. Applying for Visas, Immunizations, Determining Your Itinerary. It can be stressful and time consuming. But if you follow these 7 travel planning tips, you’ll have a stress-free vacation in no time!
1. Budget your trip
The first thing you have to do when planning your trip, and most importantly, decide how much money you want to spend on your next adventure. Your travel budget has a huge impact on how you plan your trip. B. Where you can travel and for how long you can travel.
Visit cheap travel countries such as Laos and Thailand on a budget. Shorten your vacation and visit more expensive countries such as Portugal or Italy. Alternatively, you can save money on flights by vacationing closer to home and travel by car or train.
2. Select destination
Once you’ve set your budget, the next step is deciding which amazing country to travel to. Make that decision by answering the following simple questions.
What kind of trips do you like to plan?
It’s a good idea to think about your favorite activities and best trips you’ve ever taken. Do you prefer adventure or relaxation? city or country? Or you love to try something completely new? Some countries can offer more than one type of trip, but we recommend planning your trip based on these categories. for example:
Adventure – Fancy action and heartbreak? Choose a country with lots of outdoor sports and exciting landscapes. Perfect for activities like hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, jungle trekking, surfing and diving anywhere in Asia.
Relaxation – Imagine yourself lying on beautiful soft white sand, rocking in a hammock, sipping a coconut under a breezy palm tree. If so, choose a country famous for its paradise beaches and islands. Like Maldives, Thailand, Greece.
Culture – If you love learning while traveling, plan a trip to a country that has an interesting history and traditions preserved. For example, Cambodia, Oman, Peru, etc. Understanding a country’s culture and getting to know the locals is one of the joys of traveling.
Food – Think it’s silly to choose a destination based on food? Think again! Trying local food is one of the most delicious and fun parts of traveling. Plan your trip based on your foodie favorites. For example, India, Italy, Indonesia, etc. Delicious!
Transport – Many countries are especially well known for their beautiful travels. For example, the famous train journey from Kandy to Ella in Sri Lanka, the legendary motorbike tour in Vietnam and the fascinating Silk Road in Uzbekistan.
How to plan a perfect time to travel
Perhaps you have booked a specific vacation from work. Therefore, when planning your trip, you should keep the season in mind and know which countries are best to visit at that time of year.For example:
- Research high and low seasons to find out when prices are high and when prices are low in the country.
- Study weather patterns. For example, the Philippines has one typhoon season and two distinct high seasons per region.
- Think about your reasons for visiting this country. If you are looking for green rice fields, visit Vietnam when the rice fields are at their most lush.
- Consider festivals and holidays. You may want to visit the country for a particular festival, but public holidays can cause confusion.
What are the visa requirements?
Before planning a visit to another country, it is important to check the visa requirements for your nationality. In some cases, a travel document is required to enter the destination country.
3. Location research
Research is key when planning a trip, especially if you’re planning a cross-country trip. Take the help of following resources for your research:
Plan your trip on Pinterest and Instagram
Pinterest and Instagram are great ways to find inspiration for your travel blogs and photography. Search for destinations using hashtags or the search bar. This is a great way to find hidden gems you might otherwise not know about.
Plan your trip with travel blogs and travel guides
read read read read! Travel blogs and travel guides online are a great way to get an idea of what to see in a particular country.
Other resources
- TripAdvisor is a great way to find recommended things to do and places to visit. Likewise, where do you want to stay and where do you want to eat?
- Like TripAdvisor, Google Maps offers great recommendations for dining and activities.
- Is there someone in your known who have visited the same destination? Ask them what they did during their stay and which route they took, and take that into consideration when planning your trip.
- When you arrive at your destination, ask the locals for sightseeing tips.
4. Plan your itinerary
Now that the research is complete, it’s time to put the pieces together and create a daily itinerary. Pin the places you’ve researched to Google Maps so you have a clear picture of the places and the distances between them.
Keep the following things in mind while planning your holiday:
- Distance – Uses Google Maps to calculate the distance between points of interest. This allows you to decide how many sights to visit in a day.
- Hours of Operation – Find out the hours of operation for attractions so you don’t miss them.
- Flexibility – Travel never goes as planned. Therefore, it is advisable not to over-plan your trip and take into account the contingencies. You might love a place and want to stay longer than you thought, or you might miss your bus.
Relaxation – Constant travel can be exhausting, so we recommend including a relaxing day in your itinerary. After all, it’s your vacation! - Transportation – We recommend booking transportation in advance, if possible. Book online so you don’t miss anything when you’re there. Book your transport online here.
It’s also a good idea to use forums like TripAdvisor to find out local transportation costs. For example, how much does a taxi cost from downtown to suburban attractions?
5. Book your trip
It’s an exciting time. You are ready to book your planned trip!
Book a flight or train
Book flights using search engines such as Skyscanner or Kiwi to find the cheapest options and flights with the fewest stops. It is also a good idea to compare prices directly with airlines. Sometimes airlines have special promotions, so prices can be significantly lower.
Plus, stopovers are a great way to make your flight cheaper while still adding extra places to your itinerary! Kiwi allows you to add a stopover and see if the price goes up or down.
Transportation:
- skyscanner
- Bus and Train (Europe)
- Bus and Train (Asia)
- Kiwi (with stopover search)
Hotel reservation
Use your itinerary to determine where you need accommodation and research the best areas to stay. For example, would you rather be near the attractions in the city center or near the beach to relax? Find safe reviews.
6. Plan your arrival
Arriving at your destination after a long train journey or long flight can be stressful when you don’t know where you are going. Keep the following things in mind when planning your trip:
- If you buy a local SIM card at the airport, you can use apps like Google Maps, taxi services like Uber, translation apps, and notify your hotel.
- Plan ahead how to get to your accommodation and check your contact details in case you get lost. For example, find out how much a taxi costs from the airport and where you can find one. Or calculate the subway lines required to reach your destination.
- Download a map of your first destination on Google Maps. The offline map also includes the pins we reset in Chapter 4. This method does not necessarily require a connection.
- Change your money and make sure you always have some cash on hand.
- Learning some basic phrases in the local language would be very helpful. When visiting a country that doesn’t speak your native language, it’s good to remember a few basic phrases in case you need to ask questions. Questions like “How much does it cost?” Or a simple word like “Please, thank you.”
7. Organize important documents
Organizing important documents is an important part of travel planning. Do not forget:
- Depending on whether you need it, apply for a visa online or at your local embassy. Some countries require you to apply for a visa upon arrival. This means that you may need to carry your passport photo with you. Besides, you may have to pay a fee, so make sure you have the right amount in the right currency.
- Book travel insurance. Cane before falling!
- Get the vaccinations you need when visiting countries with a high risk of certain diseases. Not fun, but necessary!
- Buy medicines you need during your trip. For example, if you travel to certain parts of Africa, you may need antimalarial medication. This is the most important while planning your trip.
- Don’t forget to order a travel card. For example, there are no fees for international withdrawals using the Wise Travel Card (formerly TransferWise). This way your money is also safer, because if your card is stolen, the thief won’t be able to access your main bank account.
- Copy and print important documents and store them safely in your carry-on so you always have access to your copies. For long term travelers:
Take an extra passport photo!