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Planning a trip can be stressful if you’re not sure where to start or you’re afraid you’ll forget something important.
I must admit that I find immense enjoyment in travel planning, however part of that is because I utilize a comprehensive checklist and the most useful websites. Therefore, if you don’t know how to organize a trip and you want to avoid feeling overwhelmed, I’ll assist you with this guide. Below, I’ll share the steps I typically follow as well as the best programs and websites to reserve your flights, excursions, and lodging so you can travel economically.
Table of Contents
Guide to planning a trip in 10 easy steps
These are the steps that I tend to follow when planning a trip, though I may omit one or two depending on trip type and destination:
- Search for flights
- Apply for a visa
- Arrange lodging
- Configure your transportation
- Select which attractions you want to visit
- Book a tour
- Get travel insurance
- Apply for a commission-free credit card
- Buy a SIM card
- Pack your suitcase
Remember that, based on the destination and your reason for traveling, you may not need to perform all these steps. So, rather than worrying about checking off a long to-do list, relish the process of planningyour trip itinerary. For me, developing a travel plan is almost as enjoyable as traveling itself!
Things to do before planning a vacation
Before providing you a detailed examination of 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 have picked a destination and established a solid timeframe for when you will visit, you can start the planning process for the trip. Some beautiful places to visit and information about them are provided below for travel inspiration:
1. Search for flights, the first step to planning a trip
Once you`ve decided on your destination and travel dates, one of the initial steps to organize your trip is looking into flights. This is usually one of the more tedious parts of planning, but you can make it much simpler by reviewing our guide on how to find cost-effective flights.
We always utilize Kiwi and Skyscanner since they create it extremely simple to come across the best prices on flights. Furthermore, if you’re uncertain where you want to journey but you want to take an affordable trip, you can opt for the “Anywhere” choice and see the best deals, outlined from the least expensive price from your selected airport.
Kiwi and Skyscanner also display the most affordable travel dates, which is extremely valuable if you have flexibility in your itinerary schedule. Be sure to activate fare alerts to receive notifications should a ticket price change. That way, you can secure the best deal before it expires.
While hopefully you won`t need to use it, AirHelp is a handy website to refer to if your flight is cancelled or delayed. This company manages the claims process for you, although they will take a commission fee from your compensation. You can learn more about how to get compensated for delayed flights in our guide, where I show you how to potentially get up to $600 in compensation .
2. Apply for a visa, a must-do when planning a trip abroad
Step number two of carefully planning travel involves verifying the paperwork that`s essential for legally entering your destination country. Make sure what you have won`t expire before or during your trip.
For example, if you’re intending a vacation to Europe, you should be fine with a valid passport, and travel insurance for Europe. The identical applies if you’re visiting Australia, New Zealand, and most nations in South America. But be aware that most countries in Asia and Africa require a visa.
For those cases, I strongly advise individuals to check the iVISA website to determine the particular documentation required for their destination location. We have utilized iVISA numerous times without any difficulties and view it as one of the most helpful travel planning online resources.
3. Book the accommodation, an important step in any trip plan
Arranging accommodation is pivotal for organizing a trip. Numerous trip planning apps offer assistance, although we tend to use Booking. This site provides hotels, villas, apartments, and other lodging alternatives to match any budget, contributing to its reputation as a preferable choice.
The main advantage of utilizing Booking.com to organize our travels is that we can make payment directly on the website, and cancellations are usually permitted until 24 hours prior to the trip. Also, if you routinely use the website, you can upgrade to the Genius plan, which provides the best deals and discounts. So, if you want to locate inexpensive hotels anywhere in the world, even if you’re preparing a multi-city excursion, I strongly 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 concerning transportation once you reach your destination. You can either use public transportation or rent a car.
We opt for leasing a vehicle because it grants us more flexibility to discover locations that may be off the widely used routes. That said, some cities and nations have quite suitable public transportation systems, so it depends on you. When developing your travel itinerary, ponder about the destination and what you want to do during your excursion. That should assist you in deciding if renting a car or not.
If choosing to use a rental, I advise going through DiscoverCars. Undoubtedly, this represents the best option for borrowing an automobile, especially for those unaccustomed to organizing road trips. A beneficial feature of DiscoverCars is displaying a comparison of different rental sites, ensuring finding the most affordable rental vehicles.
If your planned travel route is more similar to an across-the-country journey, check out Motorhome Republic, which provides the best prices and conditions for motorhomes. We’ve used this app multiple times to plan trips around Iceland and the United States, and it’s always been a positive experience.
Again, many cities and countries have highly developed public transportation networks, so if you plan on getting around by bus or train, you can obtain low ticket prices on Omio. Simply enter your destination location, and the website will compare bus and train tickets from different transportation companies to uncover the most affordable option for you. You can even search for the cheapest or fastest route. Flixbus is regularly listed on Omio since its pricing is among the lowest and they function across the entire world. We’ve used Flixbus on multiple trips around Europe, but you can also use Flixbus in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, and more.
Finally, if you are organizing a vacation to an island destination such as the Canary Islands where ferry transport is common, I recommend obtaining tickets through Direct Ferries, which offers excellent pricing for a variety of departure times. We’ve used this site for our trips to the Canary Islands and Indonesia.
To summarize briefly, organizing your transportation can be somewhat stressful, but these travel planning suggestions 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 preparing a trip, choosing which attractions to visit is one the most enjoyable undertakings. Step number five in this travel preparation checklist is looking at which attractions and activities (free and paid) are accessible at your location.
If you plan to attend a performance or concert, Hellotickets can aid in booking tickets in advance. That said, if exploring a town which has many activities and offers attractions passes or cards, I suggest obtaining one. By doing so, you can access numerous top attractions while gaining maximum financial benefits. Therefore, if touring a popular town, check if it provides a Sightseeing Pass,City PASS, or Go City pass.
Depending on the intended location, some of these cards may also provide certain tours or tickets for the sightseeing shuttle. Therefore, I strongly suggest this option, particularly if you are intending a vacation in a major city.
Regardless of where you’re travelling to, I suggest compiling a list of all the tourist destinations you want to visit to better schedule your trip. Remember, it’s generally better to focus on seeing things that truly interest you, rather than trying to include as many attractions as possible into your .
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 excursions you intend to participate in at your destination. A tour or expedition can help you discover lesser known places and learn more history about the city you’re visiting.
While not every location requires a comprehensive tour schedule, some places are renowned for incredible excursions, like viewing the Northern Lights in Iceland, or taking a walking tour through New York.
When developing a travel itinerary and knowing the desire to take a tour, two websites are used. First, Civitatis offers intriguing excursions and some free tours around the world, while GetYourGuide has an extensive catalog of tours in virtually any destination.
Using these online trip planning websites is very easy as all that needs done is entering the destination and clicking the search button. Results can be filtered by category, price, duration, and more, so they are two of the best trip planning apps available.
You don’t want to disregard this step, especially if you’re unsure how to arrange a trip or you’re visiting a place for the first time. Booking a guided tour or two will help you maximize your trip, and since a guide will lead you, it’ll be an educational and entertaining experience.
7. Get travel insurance, something you can’t forget when planning a trip
Another essential activity when preparing travel is obtaining travel insurance.
No one likes to contemplate it, but unforeseen happenings can and do occur while traveling, and in those moments, possessing travel insurance makes all the difference. The worst-case scenario would be becoming ill or hurt while abroad and not having any of your additional medical expenses covered.
Currently, we have what is known as continual multi-vacation insurance policy with annual multi-trip insurance with Heymondo, which is considered the best travel insurance on the market based on the favorable balance of coverage and cost. You can even get a travel discount with Heymondo only for being a reader of our blog.
In addition to medical help for injury or illness, Heymondo covers lost or delayed baggage, medical quarantine expenses, and more. You’ll also benefit from Heymondo’s round-the-clock chat support, available to assist you should an emergency arise while abroad.
I cannot recommend travel insurance enough, and while it`s probably the least enjoyable part of organizing a trip, it’s the most vital. This is specifically accurate in countries like the U.S. or Japan, where medical care is highly expensive. Plus, if you opt for trip cancellation insurance, you’ll be protected if an unforeseen event stops you from traveling.
8. Get a no foreign transaction fee credit card, another important part of your trip plan
Another important aspect to remember when preparing your itinerary is to acquire a travel credit card. If you’re going abroad, you’ll want a card without external transaction costs, so you can make payments or ATM withdrawals without the troublesome currency exchange fees. Fortunately, you can benefit from some excellent options available in the market.
We employ the Revolut debit card, which can be acquired free of charge and utilized at ATMs and stores worldwide. With Revolut, one can withdraw up to $1,200 monthly from foreign ATMs with no fees, as well as exchange up to $1,000 each month.
We also carry a Wise credit card with us, which comes in handy when we need to withdraw additional funds and want to avoid supplementary fees. With Wise, you can spend money in over 50 currencies.
For more information about the Revolut card and the Wise card, I recommend referring to our comprehensive analyses of each .
9. Buy an international SIM card, a must-do when you plan to travel
One of the most frequent worries we hear regarding how to scheme a trip is related to mobile data. We’ve inspected all the possible choices for acquiring Internet for travel, and have found Holafly to offer the best solution.
The Holafly eSIM card, which can be obtained here, is a prepaid digital SIM card that can be used to access the Internet while abroad. It’s cost-effective, arrives swiftly in your email inbox, and allows keeping your number on WhatsApp and other mobile apps.
All you need to do is pick the country you’re planning a journey to and opt for the ideal international cellular network cardfor the number of days you’ll be there. Depending on the location, you can find cards for five to 90 days. After choosing your eSIM, you’ll receive the digital card via email, and you can scan the QR code to trigger it. This means you can even obtain it when you’re already abroad, so it’s the most hassle-free choice.
There’s no uncertainty that the Holafly eSIM card is the best mobile data choice, but you can learn more about it in our complete review.
The original text contains “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 completed all the tedious steps to plan your itinerary, all that remains is to pack your suitcase. If you’re traveling for the first time or you need new luggage, you’ll have no trouble finding backpacks and suitcases on Amazon.
For more extended trips, we’ve utilized this large suitcase (30 inches) for years, and it still serves us well. When planning a trip for the weekend or short term, we employ this small suitcase (21 inches) and this carry-on bag.
If you`re curious about how we prepare for a backpack trip, we follow the preceding steps and rely on this backpack (80L), ideal for longer excursions. If you`re taking a backpack trip and want some tips, check out our guide on how to ready a backpack for long-term travel.
Regardless of if packing a suitcase or backpack, bear in mind to inspect the temperatures at your destination to pack suitable clothing and footwear properly. Also, don’t neglect your toiletries and a small first aid kit since obtaining even ibuprofen abroad can be troublesome. Additional essentials that cannot be forgotten while preparing your trip are your passport, wallet, phone charger, and power bank.
Nowadays, you can store most documents on your phone, but I still advise bringing physical copies of your boarding pass, reservations, and insurance policy just in case.
Finally, if you find yourself in a scenario where you lack a place to keep your suitcase and you prefer not to carry it around the city with you, you have the option to utilize a luggage storage service. We have used Nannybag and Bounce on a few occasions and it made all the difference in how enjoyable our trip was. I also recommend keeping Apple`s Airtags in your luggage so you can locate it in the event it gets lost or stolen.
Bonus step: Pack your photography gear, an essential part of our tour planning
One of the most enjoyable aspects of traveling is viewing amazing landscapes and structures, which brings me to my extra travel planning tip. If you love photography as much as we do, don’t forget to bring your camera and other equipment with you. We always pack the essentials, especially for our photography tours, and we always keep our gear well protected.
If you lack gear for travel photography, you have two choices. You can purchase what you require on Amazon or B&H Photo, or you can lease the equipment from LensRentals, which I suggest if you’re only going to use it for that trip.
You can access full particulars about where to lease camera gear in the U.S. via our guide. I believe renting the equipment represents a wise decision if you’re not a dedicated photographer and don’t plan on using it extensively. Plus, you save 15% at LensRentals using our code ATLAS15.
Other tips when planning for a trip
Now you have all the top tips for planning a trip from beginning to end. Before I conclude, I want to recommend some trip planning applications that can make organizing your trip even simpler.
Maps.me has become a necessary travel app for us, even on our weekend trips away. This online travel planner app provides us maps of locations all over the world, which we can access even when we lose Internet connection.
Another valuable tool is TravelSpend, which makes organizing a trip with friends extremely simple since you can handle the travel costs and determine who pays what.
Of course, preparing travel plans takes time and effort, but if you follow the guidance in this guide and utilize 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 fortune, and have enjoyable preparing the trip of your dreams!
