PLAN YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE – DON’T GIVE UP YOUR DAYDREAM!!
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Contents
Travel Planning System
The Basics – where, when, who & how
Passports & Visas
Planning YOUR Travel
Getting There & Around
Accommodation
Tours & Activities
Budgeting & Saving
Packing Needs
Other things to consider
A Travel Planning System that keeps your daydream alive
It’s never too early or late to start to plan your next adventure, so you don’t have to give up your daydream!!
Many people find travel planning overwhelming & stressful, often the smallest decision filling them with anxiety. This was me once, not knowing where to start. With the current global climate, planning is becoming a crucial part of travelling. We know how much work can go into planning a trip & want to help you plan YOUR next adventure.
This is one of the main reasons why we developed our FREE Printable Checklists & Travel Planning System. The planning system will help you stay organised when planning your next adventures, no matter how big or small.
Whilst we encourage people to only travel where you can safely go! It is the perfect time right now, for you to start planning! Our system isn’t just meant for those daydreams but for future travelling also.
To be honest our first trip was very loosely planned. Several opportunities missed, we thought ‘it’s fine, we’ll book when we get there’. Sadly they were unavailable when we landed & tried to book.
We discovered during that trip we really aren’t dedicated ‘wing it’ type of travel people. Though we love to have ‘wing it’ moments & days where we wander off. Having a base plan is an integral part of our travels now. This one reason why we are strong advocates for you to plan your next adventure.
Whether for us as a couple or helping family & friends plan their next adventure. I love to research our destinations, finding out about the area & looking for things we love to do.
I want that for you too so you can plan your next adventure with excitement & confidence.
Let us help you plan your next adventure!
It’s become a passionate endeavour of mine to help people create extraordinary memories out of their travels.
The words, ‘we are thinking of planning a trip‘. Has me saying, ‘travel planning’ yes please, ‘Let me help you’!!
Read on… As we want to help YOU research & plan your next adventure. Curious about just who are these Wanderers, read about us here!!
We want to alleviate some of that stress & anxiety right here & now. Whether it’s the where & when to go, what to do, how to get there or how much money to take or save. I’m a bit of a nerd when it comes to planning & travel planning is one of my favourite things.
So yes… we created a FREE Printable Travel Checklists to help you start your travel planning journey. It is our wish take some of the stress out & assist you in your travel planning.
Are you:
- Dreaming about that amazing trip
- At home with time on your hands
- Looking to save for your ‘once in a lifetime’ trip, or trips
- Wanting to explore your home country or dreaming of far off places
- Have had an awesome trip & want more or the travel bug just bit you and you are itching to plan that first, second or hundredth trip
‘Let us help you’, take some stress out of what an amazing relaxing time travelling the globe should be .
How we travel…
Personally, for us as a couple our travel style & planning runs in the comfortable to luxury theme, though we do like to keep to a budget. That said, the basics of planning a trip are the same no matter your style. Whether it’s a weekend, a week, month or a year or even two.
I hear all the time ‘I just like to wing it’ & that’s fine with me as so do we on occasion. Though our ‘winging it’ usually starts once we get to our initial destination, yet even ‘winging it’ can require some things to be planned.
So let’s get started, plan your next adventure!! I have to add here that Greg (my husband) jokes that I’m a cat as I can’t be trained!!
SO that means I get at ‘least’ NINE!! once in a lifetime trips, right???
The Basics – Where, when, who & how?
These are all important questions that can shape the type of trip you are planning & assists with budgets. If you know all about your where, when, who & how…Please read on at Planning YOUR Travel.
Where?
Many people have ‘a list’ of places they wish to go to, commonly referred to as a ‘Bucket List’. It’s been recently brought to my attention & rightly so that the term ‘bucket list’ is reminiscent of what you want to achieve before you leave this earth or ‘kick the bucket’ & we aren’t planning on doing that anytime soon.
So, you know what, we kicked that bucket list to the side & from now we are calling it our ‘Destination DO list’.
If you DON’T have a Destination DO list & want build one or if you want to add to yours. Our FREE Printable Travel Checklists has a fun way to get you started. You already have your Destination DO list?? The travel planner has an awesome checklist you can enter yours in. This will help in sorting out the where first, when & how long.
We’ve used this tool to help us create & add to our DO list over the last few years. It’s especially great if you can’t decide or prioritise what to do first. It’s been an enormous help for prioritising our travel, based on desire, budget & opportunities presented to us.
Let me show you how we use our Destination Do Decider to plan your next adventure.
Get more out of your ‘Destination’ when you plan your next adventure with a bit of research
Once you have your ‘Destination’ a search in Google can help you research the area to find other things of interest. You can divide & map out large cities, states or countries into separate areas to make researching the area easier. Whilst a generic search like ‘best things to do in [+country]’ or ‘must do’ are good as a base. The more specific you are in your search the better the results to plan your next adventure. When your search results are displayed, go to ‘tools’ & choose ‘past year’, which gives the most current results. Our article on the 6 Steps to create YOUR perfect itinerary expands on this further.
When to go?
You have your destination all picked out, how long you want to or can go for. Now when do you go!! To be honest there is not always a ‘perfect’ time to travel. However, if you have a particular event in mind, your travel planning will gravitate around that date. Date specific holidays, such as birthdays or Christmas markets in Europe as an example. These can add limits to when to plan your next adventure e.g. European Christmas markets are Mid November to January for some. But it’s not all about the destination!!
Future travel plans for us include a trip to the Speyside and Highlands whisky festivals, which are on in May. For these types of trips, it is just a matter of building our travel planning around these dates… Let me show you how we do it…
Which Hemisphere is in your travel plan?
If you don’t have a specific event or time. Another major factor is whether you going to be in the northern or southern hemisphere. This alone, can greatly affect how you plan you next adventure especially packing lists.
We always do a search in Google, for the ‘average temperatures & climate in [+country] by month’.
Whilst you can always find somewhere to swim in many places even in winter. Hawaii & Australia for instance (though you need to pack a coat for the south of the Australia). I am sure the same can’t be said for Canada or Sweden!! Unless you like the frigid dips after a sauna!!
Shoulder seasons & when they are, is another good time frame to research. We do this for two reasons.
Firstly whilst we like our comfort & I ‘LOVE’ a deal, these times can help with getting some great deals.
Secondly, it can reduce the amount of people around hence reducing crowds (this is important for my husbands sanity & recommended in todays climate)!!
Caution: For many popular destinations, time may not make a difference for crowds at least.
Who’s going, what style?
Who’s going can contribute & dictate how long and your travel style;
- Will you be travelling as a couple, wanting a romantic escape or just some time to enjoy each other?
- With family or a group of friends?
- Where you will be looking for more group-based activities that may include children and multiple tastes.
- Or are you travelling solo? Having the freedom to do as you desire?
Most of our trips are couple based. However, we often join family & friends and travel as a group.
When travel planning of any type but especially as a group including all in the travel planning is essential. Even then ‘I don’t mind what/where we go or do’ people (looks at Greg as I type this).
It has been our experience travelling with our family or a group, one size doesn’t always fit all. The ‘Destination Do’ decider tool in the free printable travel checklists is a dream for deciding on activities & events. Allowing everyone to contribute to the travel planning, even the kids/grandkids.
How Long do you plan to go for?
How long you wish to be travelling is a thing to consider in your initial planning. It’s like asking how long is a piece of string.
‘Is it a weekend escape, a week or 4, or a longer term, 1 year or more.’
For us when travelling outside the country (Australia) flights are often more than 20 hours. We always take a minimum of 2 weeks. The cost of air fares also adds to this decision. Trips around Australia, we look from a long weekend escape to a week or more (it’s a big country).
Passports & Visa’s, do you need one?
Does your travel planning include countries that require you to have your passport & visa?
No you are travel planning for a local area then skip to ‘Planning your travel’.
If your answer is Yes, please read on!!
Passport and visa requirements
Most countries have limits on how long you can stay in their country. A restriction may also apply to how long you to have left on your passport for entering/staying.
Oh yeah this has happened!! On our last trip to Europe I had to get a new passport. As the expiry date was over (2 days) the 6 months from departure date that is required.
You can check this by doing a quick search ‘passport & visa restrictions for [+country]’,then go to tools & limit your search to the ‘past month’.
Smart travelling
I strongly recommend (‘essential’) when you plan your next adventure to check with the local government tourism/visa sites of your desired destination/s. This ensures you are getting current information on all their requirements. With changes occurring so frequently in the current global travel arena. We recommend checking frequently, even up to the week before travel.
Most countries of origin have smart traveller sites, which offer information on an individual country’s safety etc relevant to your country of origin. As an example, for Australia the website is ‘Smartraveller’.
For instance, if coming to Australia you can apply for a variety of visa’s. However, there are guidelines & criteria that must be met. For example Visa finder is the page that helps with decisions for the right visa when travelling to Australia. Check your destinations consulate or immigration pages for their destination specific information.
Advice: Join your countries travel advice/subscription website.
Planning YOUR Travel!!!
Now you have your where, when, how long your style & whether you need a passport/visa. You can start looking at the basic things you need to plan & book.
There are specific pages in the Travel Planning System that allow you to compare all the following options. Firstly we look at your travel insurance needs.
We use and recommend 6 Steps to create YOUR perfect itinerary will also help you further in your planning.
Travel Insurance
This is a no brainer for us, we always have travel insurance. Yes, it’s one more expense, but we look at it as an investment. Sadly, unfortunate things & accidents can happen no matter how careful you are or where you are in the world.
If one of us had an accident overseas this could run into the tens of thousands of dollars. Whilst we have been accident free, our family & friends have not. From broken bones & doctors & hospital visits in Bali, thankfully they were covered.
However, if you are on the fence thinking “Do I really ‘need’ travel insurance” ~ ‘I am fit & healthy’? Think beyond your health, as travel insurance isn’t just about medical expenses.
It can also cover the, dropped phone/camera that breaks, your cancelled flight, or something gets stolen. However, the biggest thing for us is if something was to happen to a family member & we had to come home. The peace of mind insurance gives us whilst travelling is worth every cent.
We have always used Covermore for our travelling around Australia, & they have always been great. Though, as we travel more, we always research & compare other options. Another we have found to who offer very competitive rates and inclusions is World Nomads. If health insurance whilst out of your country is a must for you look at Safetywing who offer this.
Still not sure? Read further in our article Travel Insurance – Do I really need it? Where we provide a comparison sheet for three some insurance providers & what they offer.
Tip: Traveling more than once per year? Look at the cost of multi-trip yearly insurance.
Getting there & around – Planning
How to get there & around on your trip is next. Even travelling locally choosing to fly, driving or catch a train should be one of the first things look at.
Tip 1: Having your transport to & from your arrival/departure point organised, is especially helpful for those ‘winging it’.
Planes
If you still haven’t locked in a destination or have a few choices, you can shop around. Our go to for getting prices is Expedia, this makes looking for the best deals for a variety of times & destinations simple.
The multi city function is fantastic, we have used this on several occasions when time is limited or we have several destinations. This option is often the cheapest & mostly but not always, a time efficient way to go. We always spend some time looking at alternative ways & options. With the Travel Planning System you can compare & decide what’s best for you.
Do you have several destinations you want to do? Yeah us too!! The Skyscanner app will send you notifications when a great deal comes up for one of your chosen destinations.
If you have set times you have to take holidays & travel, plan you flights around this. No need to stress, you can still look for the best deal up to 11 months before you travel. Include your dates & destination in Expedia, then sort by the cheapest price.
Once you have an idea of the rates, we recommend checking the airlines to be sure you are getting the best price. If you use rewards programs check to see if there are any special deals on offer.
Trains
Trains can be a great way to get around and an amazing experience, especially the fast trains of Europe & Japan (so I’m told). They can also take the stress out of driving around an unknown city. We recommend doing some research for your destinations, comparing time, price & any deals for alternative transport.
Whilst you can easily do some research & a Google search for ‘train from +point A to +point B’. Getting a rail pass where possible for one or more countries is a fantastic way to get around.
A range of passes can be obtained from Eurail, RailEurope, Viarail or Amtrak. All offer flexible or continuous travel, for a variety of days including popular options of 7, 15 and 30 day passes.
Individual train companies in Europe (DB, SBB, ITALIARAIL) are some we have used & often have exceptional deals. So, it never hurts to shop around, our last trip to Europe we chose a cheap return flight. We then organised our internal transport booking short flights, trains & buses.
Automobiles
Hiring a car can be a cost effective way of getting around and give you some freedom throughout your trip. This offers you the freedom to go where you want when you want. We always stick to Europcar, Budget, Hertz & Avis, these are global brands & have offices around the world.
Trains & planes are our preference, though there are times we want to take it slow & look around not being tied to a schedule. We also do a lot of walking during our trips, so cars are a convenience for us. Where we can use them to get from one point to another. This often is the case when doing a self-drive trip in one area or travelling to an out of the way destination.
On our first trip to Europe we hired cars to get us to my family’s home village in the Dolomiti. We again hired a car at the tail end of our trip whilst in England to travel around the countryside & return to the airport.
Tip 2: To be safe, we recommend getting an international license, this ensures you are covered by insurance.
Accommodation
I am not going to lie, when travel planning, I have in the past booked all our accommodation in advance.
Whilst, this is not always necessary as many good deals can be found with last minute bookings. Though for our style, (comfortable to luxury) this has not been my experience & I have checked. But never say never!! it has happened for others!! Accommodation is also a big ticket expense so I like to have it covered.
Short stays & Hotels
As we are members of a few rewards programs we look there first for our short stays & hotels. This has saved us hundreds of dollars when booking hotel accommodation.
Do you use your points? If you have a rewards program attached to a hotel group I would recommend looking there first.
We generally book hotels making our decisions from Hotels.com, ALL – Accor Live Limitless (our paid membership) & Expedia. These are our choices built up from our experiences using these providers over the past 10 years. We also recommended you check Expedia & Tripadvisor for reviews before booking. However, be mindful that not everyone has the same experience as you.
Don’t have a hotel rewards card? Then for ease when booking we recommend Hotels.com, Booking.com & Expedia. These sites offer the cheapest rates available to them from a variety of hotels & a great place to start.
Like to know more about why we stick to 2-3 companies read our article on Points or Pay.
Tip 1: If you have a hotel group membership always check there first.
Long stays, Homestays & Hotels
When staying for a longer time (7+days) in one place we have a preference to book homestays/apartments.
Looking through one or all of the following; Stay 22, Stayz, VBRO or AirBNB, gives you some great options & deals. Remember I LOVE a deal! This has become our practice mid-way through a trip, for longer stays as a base & often at the end.
Apartments & BNBs can also be found on Hotels.com, Booking.com & Expedia. if you have a preference to stay on one site.
Having a larger space, allows you to eat in, (sometimes), which can be very economical adding savings to your budget.
Homestays also allow you to catch up on domestics (washing), freeing up laundromat waiting time & cost. Giving you more time & money to explore.
House sitting is new to us but something we are looking at for our future travel. I have been doing a bit of looking into this & will share my thoughts soon!!
Tip 2: Pre-booking & paying for accommodation helps reduce any budget anxiety you may have.
Tours & Activities – Do you have a plan?
Planning tours are among the top things we look at when planning, budgeting & booking. Standing in lines is not something we enjoy, & why we book our tours early (lesson learnt).
Small group tours, are our preferred choice, though we have been known to take a large bus tour.
Small vs Large group tours, some thoughts & insights coming soon…
I smile as I write this… Having once missed a skip the line tour for ‘The Last Supper’ in Milano through Viator. Needless to say I was devastated!! Smiling here, because Greg thought ‘YES!!’ no 1/2 day tour art museum for us. We looked to get tickets when got there but the lines sheeesh!!
Whilst I am yet to see ‘The Last Supper’!! its still on the list though! Poor Greg!!
Self-guided walking tour around Chateau de Chillon
Mostly our tours & activity plan involves walking, food, wine, spirits, museums or an old castle or three. Though anything about the culture of the area we are visiting has us enthralled.
A few of our favourite planning sites
The online tour agencies we’ve used in the past & recommend to start your travel plan are, Get your guide & Viator for tours & Cookly for cooking classes. We have found these have excellent choices & competitive rates.
You are also able to book a ‘skip the line’ option, with Get your guide & Viator. If you are like us & not fond of lines, we strongly recommend including this in your plan. Ensuring you get into your ‘must see/do’ activity, especially if you only in one place for a set amount of time.
That said, we also have ‘wing it’ days, where we just go wandering about & get a feel for the city, we are in. Visit places we have fallen in love with from past trips like Chateau de Chillon above. Take that last minute ‘Ohhh let’s do THAT’. We like to call these my ‘Ohhh shiny thing, moments’.
Walking tours are our favourite, especially with locals & food! ha ha an excellent way to walk off what you eat. One thing we have discovered during our travels & Love are ‘FREE’ walking tours (cost of a tip to the guide). Our recommendations here are Freetour & Freetoursbyfoot. These are mostly led by locals that know the history & the not so well known sights, we recommend including some in your travel plans.
Tip: Look for ‘free tours’ when travelling these are usually locals & all it costs is a ‘tip’.
Budgeting & Saving Plan
Whilst our travelling style is comfortable to luxury, I think I have mentioned I ‘LOVE’ a deal. Who doesn’t right!!! This is a big reason why we plan our trips around a budget. We like to get the most from our trips, for the time we have, at our chosen destination.
Once you have your destinations, do a bit of research for comparisons & map out a (very) loose budget. So when you plan your next adventure you have everything covered.
But what comes first the Plan or the Budget… The old chicken or egg debate…
Our 9 tips for your perfect plan and budget, helps you decide and prioritise some essential steps.
A few budget planning hints…
A bit of a spoiler alert on our tips and things to add in to the main budget when plan your next adventure. Any flights if needed (sometimes a big expense), internal transport, car rental, accommodation & tours. A rough daily allowance for food, spending money & incidentals, gives you an idea on what you need to save.
Belonging to a few reward programs, using points has meant reducing our costs or getting that upgrade. You can do this to… We highlight this in our points or pay system article.
You can break this down further & change priority accordingly. With a high price ‘must do’ tour, try to reduce your budget on accommodation or transport. If you love to wander about cities, once you get to a place internal transport may not be a priority. Good local food is top of our list, & essential to life…everyone must eat. However, I recommend when you plan your next adventure, doing a little research on the cost, then adding it to your average daily meal allowance. I never budget a lot for incidentals, these are often the brush or razor you left at your last hotel or forgot to pack!! yes I did that!!
I do like to shop (usually for others), so spending money for trinkets on our trips is a secret pleasure. Our immediate family is relatively large & I like to bring things home to share our experiences with them. Plans for future travels will be more small things like a set of photos we now will be liked. These can be framed once we get home. However, for our grandchildren I budget a particular dollar value for each. Sometimes that works, sometimes not so much. Did I mention I like to shop for others & my grandchildren are at the top of that list.
Gift an Experience
One thing that can help save money, when we you plan YOUR next adventure is getting or giving ‘Experiences’ it helps us (& family) greatly. These can be given as presents for Birthday, Christmas or any occasion. Its a great to way to get & give something to build a memory. We have received some great gifts from weekends away or kayaking adventures….Are you looking for that last minute or perfect gift for your travel loving addict? Let us help you…
A gifted experience is a great place to start with your travel plans. We want to help you plan out your exciting, relaxing trip & not stress over money. Vouchers, money cards or coupons don’t have to be boring, see how we get creative with the gifting.
Our awesome travel planning system was created to help you keep your budget and other things on track…
Tip 1: Have all the costly items paid for before you leave.
Tip 2: Get or give experiences to & from your family.
Money
Credit cards, debit cards global cards & cash
We always use a credit card to make any pre-booked flights, cars, tours and accommodation purchases. However, we insure these are free of debt before we leave & carry with us only in case of emergencies.
However, when accessing money or making purchases in a foreign country international transfer fees often apply to your debit/credit card/s. A global travel card is great for this, there are many to choose from. I would recommend shopping around.
We use Citibank’s Global Currency Account, after reviewing the options, this gives us the flexibility & benefits that fitted us. The card is a Visa debit card, & we found withdrawing from any ATM that accepts Visa so simple. Stay connected as we investigate other brands for you to compare…
Getting a global card when you plan your next adventure, frees up the need to carry so much cash as. Additionally you can consolidate all your international currencies into one place. Having access to up to 10 currencies & being able to switch between them is so much easier & cheaper. We have found this extremely beneficial.
There were no transfer or ATM fees (when we withdraw in the local currency) which was incredibly attractive. Through their app you can transfer between currencies, with updates on exchange rates every 10 seconds.
You can also receive & send free international transfers in the 10 currencies. This is held in your account until you wish to exchange.
All that said we still recommend taking some cash. Or at least have a plan to withdraw it at your destination, ‘know where some ATM’s are’. We have learnt not everyone takes cards.
Tip: Thoroughly check with your banking institutions to get the best deal.
Tipping
We always check if tipping is required or just desired in a country we are visiting. This can then be included into your plan. That said, when we receive great service & food, we always tip it’s our way of showing appreciation.
Packing – Plan to travel light
I will be the first to admit this has NOT been one of my strengths. Packing way too much for the time that we are away. Not that I don’t plan to pack light, & I am getting better, practice makes perfect right? I think we should also practice some more.
This is complete opposite to Greg who believes a packing plan is having an extra pair of underwear & shirt, buying the rest later.
Remember above when I mentioned being frugal well ‘we’ (meaning, I) pack differently now, it also helps to have a strategy.
When planning your trip consider your destination, the length of time & the types of things you will need. The types of activities you want to do often is a big dictator of the packing.
Keeping in mind, each trip & person are different, we have set out some fantastic guides below to help you.
Would you like to learn how I went from a chaotic serial packer to close to minimalistic?…Yes I did say ‘close’… I’d love to share ‘The art of packing’ article with you in the near future, join us on our journey for more information.
Packing Strategy
The strategy we now use involves minimalistic checklists. These can be found in the Free Printable Travel Checklists & the Travel Planning System. They include checklists for all our packing needs.
Checklists;
- Essentials – don’t leave home without them
- Overnight – for short trips and long weekends
- Carry on only – for those who wish to travel light
- Checked bag – for those extra long trips or the shoppers (meaning me)
Some climates require special attention, which is why we focussed a whole article on essentials to pack for cold climate destinations.
Other things to consider in your plan
Devices
What devices you take with you is a purely personal choice. We always take a phone with international roaming (just in case), a laptop & sometimes a tablet for on board reading. In the past we have taken cameras, though more & more people are leaving the camera behind opting to use phones. I still have a preference for a camera but that’s an individual choice.
Apps
We always plan ahead making sure any apps we regularly use during a trip are downloaded to our devices beforehand.
Medication
If there is any special medication you are required to take, make sure you have enough for your trip. Some medications may be restricted in some countries, it pays check government websites beforehand. It is also prudent to have a letter & copy of scripts from your doctor outlining what the medication is for & it is for your personal use
Don’t leave home without:
We provide a comprehensive list in our FREE Printable Checklists, however a few of our must do’s are:
Notify banks
Let your banks know you have travel plans & what destinations you will be going to. This can often be done online & stop any possible freeze on your cards when you use them.
Automate bills
Always plan to set our recurring bills up for automatic payment. If you don’t have a house sitter, also cancel any subscriptions whilst travelling.
Make copies
When traveling whether it’s a short trip or extended one, always have copies of your itinerary plan & essential identification. With technology as it is these days, take photos & store in our email, though we are working on something exciting for this. also send this to one or more contacts ‘just in case’ they need to contact you.
Pet/House sitters and mail
Always organise for someone to come & collect the mail every few days. Another option is to look at getting a house or pet sitter (if you have one). This can save costs of boarding your pet & ensure that your house is always secure. House sitting is another cheap form of accommodation that many recommend, we will bring you more about this in the near future.
Other Planning Articles you will find helpful
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I have a trip coming up and I am super excited. This post is helpful in assisting me with my travel preparations.
Thank you I am so glad it helps
So wonderful you found a passion for helping people create extraordinary memories out of their travels! This is a great, expensive article on all the best travel tips and tricks. Thanks so much for sharing your expertise.
Thank you it really is something I am passionate about, especially helping others creating memories of their own
This is quite informative, thanks for sharing!
Thank you I did try glad it’s working
These are such great tips! I believe in a well executed plan to lead to an amazing outcome! Daydreams are what brings color and joy into our lives! Keep dreaming!
Thanks and I will never stop always somewhere to dream about
Love your wordplay with Destination Do List! Your article makes me want to plan another road trip. Usually, I prefer to start a new adventure with little planning to not spoiler the destination. But you make some good points in making the most of the time travelling.
Thank you… I know many don’t plan but we use a 60/40 rule where 60% is planned and 40% planned not to plan…especially for our big trips that way we have the best of both worlds
Great suggestions, I an with you on the not.being able to pack light. We are spending 3 weeks in Orlando from the UK and I have everything packed so far that I can think ofnthat will help cool my son and partner down to snacks for the plane. They will be getting moved round to different cases nearer the time but I am so not a light packer.
Oh I hear you and I have got better over the years…so there is hope if that’s what you want to do
This is an excellent guide and thank you for sharing it with us. Loving the travel checklists!
I’m pinning it on my Travels pinterest board <3
I am so glad this was helpful as that is our mission to help people plan independent travel planning… thank you
This post breaks down all the aspects of traveling beautifully. This is extremely helpful, as I tend to get overwhelmed when planning big, in-depth trips. Thank you for sharing!
I am so glad you found it helpful and this helps take away the anxiety and feelings of being overwhelmed
I want to travel so much right now, but find it difficult with little kids and budget constraints
Oh I hear what you are saying I’m the same at the moment with going to Europe…want to be there badly but difficult with constraints…but you can make a plan and start to save… build up to it and research the area
I love using Get Your Guide and Viator! I also use an affiliate link to save even more money. 😉 Thank you for all the great tips!
Ha Ha glad you liked the tips and yes they are great tools for booking
This is a great and thorough post on how to plan a great trip! I have discovered firsthand that I love winging it, but if there are things I definitely don’t want to miss, it’s better to plan ahead and book it. I also second the tip about medications – we ran out on our last big trip, and although it wasn’t life-threatening, it did make the trip more stressful.
We love to wing it also, but I get too stressed if I don’t have some outline if not a full blown plan…I do love to wing it more and more just finding those hidden gems…running out of medication whilst not a problem for us at the moment, I can see how that would be extremely stressful.
This post is so helpful. I’ve bookmarked it to come back and refer to it as my planning progresses. I don’t feel as nearly overwhelmed planning this trip than my last thanks to your checklist!
I am so glad it is helpful and you are using the checklists they really do help keep you on top of everything.
Very detailed post! I have learned to break it down when planning my trips, book hotels first, find things to do next, etc. otherwise I end up just winging it.
Thank you…Yes we try and sort out transport, and hotels first though that’s usually based around what we want to do and a few wing it days in between
I find your article very useful. I am planning to travel to Indonesia for 3 weeks next year, so this is perfect for me, especially the budgeting section.
Thank you I am so glad it was of help to you…Indonesia is beautiful you’ll love it
A very comprehensive resource! A great post pandemic reminder too, after the past few years of no travel or trips limited to home ground. It feels good to be planning again and feeling like we can get back to the big travel dreams.
Thank you.. and I agree we have to change the way we plan and it’s great that we are starting to plan and get back to bigger travels
Thank you for all the great tips — and the Checklists are such a wonderful idea!
Thank you and you are welcome, I just want to help people plan their travels, glad they are helpful
I like your post
Thank you… these are my favourites
Great suggestions and palnning. Love to travel a lot and a lot of your tips will be implemented.
Thank you!
Thank you, we love to travel also and have found this type of planning invaluable.
This is an amazing motivational post and I needed to see this! Thanks for sharing.
You are most welcome… I am so glad this motivates you… that is exactly what I hope for…
LOVE this post!! So many great ideas and resources! We are always looking for new ways to organize all of our trip ideas. We use a Trello board to compile all our ideas for each destination we hope to visit. It’s never too early to start!
Thank you…I am glad it has given you some options I need to go look at Trello ha ha
great tips for travel planning, I also like to book everything in advance that has cancellations policy and coordinate with them personally if I need transport
Thanks Jeannie, it’s especially important for us at the moment with so many changes here and around the world… I like to organise transport if needed…
This is such a helpful, comprehensive guide. You guys have thought of everything!
Thanks, I have tried to get everything in…
It’s always best to have a Plan- Your travel planner is a must have!
Thank you & yes we always plan most things also…leaving enough room for a few suprises
Hi Jeanine,
Thanks for the information and detailed trip planning post, especially the budget hints. There are some tips I’d love to apply to my next trips.
Thank you I am glad you found the information helpful & I love planning & budgets mainly because I don’t won’t to worry if we can do this or that whilst away.
I like to plan out my trip so that I kind of know the lay of the land when I get there. At the same time, I like to keep some things up in the air so it doesn’t feel like work. A little balance.
Hi Krysten, I totally get this we are the same we have ‘wing it’ days where nothings planned and we just breathe in the atmosphere of a new place… a plan not to plan LOL
I will admit, I am one of those people who gets overwhelmed planning trips. So much so that my husband, who is actually really good at it does the heavy lifting. Usually when we get to the destination, we end up winging it most of the time! I know that we have missed out on a few amazing adventures because we didn’t follow through with planning. Thank you for your very detailed and informative article. So helpful!!
Thanks Victoria, I hear you but I love to look around (per se) before we go it keeps me focussed and I get to find those not so frequented gems…that said we have a few days we plan not to plan and just wander about…