Trips usually have three parts. The first part consists of planning the trip, the second part consists of enjoying it and the third part consists of reliving it through memories and photos.
The best trips are the ones you look forward to from the moment you start planning them. Are you organizing such a trip? When planning a trip there are several aspects to take into account to make your trip the best. Let’s see what they are.
The steps to plan your trip:
- CHOOSE YOUR DESTINATION
The first thing you must decide is the destination to which you want to travel. To make that decision and choose the right destination I always ask myself the following questions.
1. How much time do I have for the trip?
If you have little time, it is best to choose a place closer to home. That way, you can spend more time at your destination and not lose valuable days moving from one place to another. If you have a lot of time, you can open the map and choose.
2. How much money do I want to invest in this trip?
When choosing a destination it is key to consider the budget you are going to spend for the trip. If you have a tight budget and want to travel low cost we have something for you. We have written a very complete guide with The cheapest destinations to travel in 2019 and 2020 that may interest you. We also have a section full of tips for travelling cheaply.
3. Who am I going to travel with?
Is it a friend’s trip where you feel like going out to party? Is it a romantic getaway? A family vacation? Or better yet, a trip to reflect and grow up on your own? Each destination offers different options.
4. What do I feel like?
- A transformative trip.
- Getting to know a new culture and learning about its history.
- Relax and enjoy.
- Adventure travel.
- Road trip, etc.
5. What is the best time to visit that place?
I check when it is high or low season. Then, I check that for the dates I plan to go there is good weather. Also, I investigate if there are any holidays in the destination that I would be interested in being there or not. For example, when I traveled to Japan, I did it during cherry blossom time. Because I really wanted to see Japan dyed pink even though it was the high season.
- CONTROLS DOCUMENTS AND VISAS
When planning your trip it is very important to check your documents and make sure they are valid. Believe me when I tell you that some people arrive at the airport and find that their passport is expired. You don’t want to find yourself in that situation, nobody does.
To begin with, we check that our documents are in order. Then it’s time to find out if the destination we’ve chosen requires any special permission, such as a visa, for residents of your country.
Generally there are three possibilities:
- That your ID or passport is sufficient.
- Another option is that when you arrive in the country, at the same airport, you have to pay a small fee and in some cases take a photo.
- You may have to apply in advance for a permit or visa at the embassy of the country you want to visit. If you see that the procedure is complex, you can go to a travel agency so that they can put you in contact with a manager or they can do it for you.
You can also check the embassy’s website to find out if you need any special vaccinations to visit that country.
- PLAN A BUDGET
The money for the trip is usually divided into: the flight, accommodation, excursions/free tours, transport at destination, food and extra expenses such as shopping or incidentals. When preparing your trip it is a good idea to estimate a budget to spend at the destination. The more detailed it is the better. The main benefit of planning a budget is that it will help you not to overspend and not to be short of money in the middle of the trip.
- BUY THE FLIGHT
When the time comes to book the flight, that’s when the journey comes alive. Generally, the flight is thought of only as a transfer from one place to another and not so much as an experience itself. This is the main reason why most of us are on the lookout for air promotions and seek to buy cheap flights.
Catching those flight offers is an art that is perfected as travel goes on. Because of this, we have written a very complete article on How to get cheap flights? We rely on professional research and our own experience to elucidate all the secrets to buying airline tickets.
In addition, we explain which is the best flight search engine and why. We also explain when to buy cheap flights, what the wrong fares are and how to get them on air tickets, among many other things.
- CREATE YOUR TRAVEL ITINERARY
It’s time to see how we’re going to distribute the days we have in the destination. There are trips that are as simple as a week to the beach and there is not much to distribute. However, there are many times when you need to plan your trip more carefully.
On the one hand, there are those who prefer to have their travel information on paper and are inclined to go for a traditional travel guide. In our case, if we are going to buy a travel guide 90% of the time it is a lonely planet. Since they are super complete and some time ago have a pocket size that we love.
- BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATION
Since we’ve already decided on our travel itinerary, now it’s time to choose our accommodation. Hotel? Hostel? Apartment? Bed and breakfast? House? Camping? The options are many. Thanks to this, there is always one that best suits your needs depending on your budget, the destination you have chosen, the length of the trip and your tastes.
We usually use the hotel search engine booking.com. We chose it because booking is a world leader. For that reason, it is the one that offers more quantity and more variety of accommodations. Besides, we have always had good experiences. In the beginning booking was characterized by offering mainly hotels.
- PLAN YOUR TRIP WHAT WILL YOU VISIT? TICKETS, EXCURSIONS AND FREE TOURS.
When you plan your trip you should see which places you will visit, which are the essential places and which are the activities you cannot miss.
There are many destinations where you must get tickets for the main sites on the web. Also, in some cases, you have to do it well in advance otherwise you won’t be able to visit that place.
Sometimes it is convenient to buy the tourist cards or the city passes that give us access to the main attractions of the city, allowing us to save and often avoid the queues.
- TAKE OUT A TRAVEL INSURANCE
Travel assistance is a very important aspect to consider when planning your trip. Most of us feel immortal and see travel insurance as an unnecessary expense. However, we need to get over that Wolverine moment (the X-Men mutant with super powers of regeneration) as soon as possible and recognize that travel insurance is a priority.
So if you travel to a distant country or the country next door, you should take out travel insurance. Why? Because you may have a medical emergency, which means that it is urgent and that it arises from unforeseen circumstances. Not only should you take out medical insurance for your health and physical integrity, but also for your wallet. Medical care without any prior coverage can be really expensive.
- CHOOSE A TRANSFER
When you start planning your trip you should ask yourself how you will get from the airport to your accommodation. There are cities that have a very good public transport system and you can find out about it on the internet.
However, there are some cities where public transport is not well connected to the airport. In that case, you may want to book a transfer beforehand. Also, it is convenient to hire a transfer when the flight arrives late at night or when we simply want to get to the hotel more comfortably. Also, if you are traveling in a group, with friends or family, you may want to hire a transfer.