Are you tired of feeling overwhelmed when it comes to planning your next trip? Do you find yourself spending hours scouring the internet for the best deals, only to end up feeling more confused than ever? Well, fear no more! After three years of full-time travel, I’ve developed a well-oiled system for planning a trip that saves me both time and money.
So in this article, I will share with you my ten-step process for choosing a destination and researching activities to do, so you can feel confident that you will get the most out of your vacation. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or planning your first big trip, this guide will provide you with the tools you need to plan a stress-free and enjoyable adventure. So, grab your notepad and get ready to learn how to plan a trip like a pro!
Step One: Decide Your Timeframe
The first step to planning any trip is to decide on your timeframe. This includes determining the dates you can get off of work or school and how many days you can be away. The type of trip you plan will be very different if you only have 4 nights versus 14 nights. So, it’s important to know how much time you are working with and how flexible you can be as flexibility is the key to saving the most money as I will show you in the next step.
Step Two: Chose Your Destination
Because there are so many places that I’m interested in going to, I’m very flexible about the destination that I’m willing to visit. l usually choose my next destination based on what flights I can afford. For example, Australia is a country that I would like to visit, but if all the flights are $2000 or more then I might delay going until I can find better flight prices. A great way to keep track if ticket prices for your bucket list destination go down is through Going which used to be Scott’s Cheap Flights. Going sends you email notifications on the lowest fares available, helping you save hundreds on your travels. So if you want to get notified when a cheap flight become available, you can sign up for Going’s free newsletter here!
In addition to getting cheap flights in your inbox, you can also search for cheap flights on Skyscanner. Skyscanner searches dozens of different search engines to find the cheapest flights. You can simply enter your hometown airport, search “everywhere”, and then search for a whole month. When you click the whole month option, you can see the cheapest flights of the month which are usually very affordable.
The best part is once you find a flight that you like Skyscanner forwards you directly to the airline’s website so you can book directly through the airline. This is awesome because it’s always the best way to book directly with the airline because if there are any flight changes or cancellations the airline can communicate with you directly without going through a third-party travel agency.
So, if you are ready to find the cheapest flights available this month, then click here to search Skyscanner now!
Step Three: Destination Research
Once you find a flight that you like, open another tab and do a bit of destination research. I like to start my research with travel blogs first. I simply search Google for things to do in whatever destination I found an affordable flight to.
I like reading travel blogs because it’s one of the quickest ways to get travel tips on things to do and what to expect in any destination. As I’m reading, if the travel blog mentions a place that I would like to see, I immediately get out my phone and open Google Maps. Then, I search for that location on Google Maps. I do this because I like reading the reviews of places to learn even more about the location and look at even more pictures. If I still like what I’m seeing after reading the reviews, I save that item to a list named after my destination.
I will repeat this process for every attraction that I’m interested in seeing, and by the end of reading the article, I will have a nice itinerary of things to do saved in Google Maps. Plus, by documenting these locations immediately, you won’t risk forgetting any attractions and having to repeat your research multiple times.
Next, I will watch a travel vlog or two on YouTube because watching a video gives you an even better picture of what the location is like. However, just like the blog, if I see the video creator go to a destination that I want to see, I immediately pause the video and add the location to Google Maps.
You can check out our full video on how to plan a trip video below!
Lastly, I use Google Maps itself to find even more attractions and travel agencies. I’ll go to the map of the destination and click the “things to do” filter to see a list of Google’s recommendations. Sometimes you will find really cool off-the-beaten-track activities that other tourists, bloggers, and vloggers rarely go to. Just make note of any important details that you read in the reviews. For example, some museums and locations require booking in advance. Make note of this in your Google Maps saved list so that you can remember to book these activities before you arrive.
Continent-Specific Research Tips
In addition to the searches above, for Central and South America, I also search for local travel agencies on Google Maps. I find that in Central and South America local travel agencies offer very affordable tours and activities that are a lot cheaper than tours posted online.
However, for Europe and Asia, I find that tour and activity prices were either the same or lower online. So, for Europe and Asia, I search for activities through Get Your Guide to find nice day trips and activities for my destination.
Putting Your Research All Together
Once I’m finished adding attractions to Google Maps, I look at the whole destination map. How many items are on the map? How far apart are they from one another? Then, I will navigate between locations to see if the distances are walkable, whether public transport is available, or if renting a car will be my only option for getting around.
Please keep in mind that while Google Maps does have public transportation information available for most cities, however, there are a few cities where public transport directions are only available on Moovit. So if you can’t find public transport on Google Maps, you should also check if any public transportation is available on Moovit. If no public transport is available then renting a car may be your only option.
While you are looking at all of your map pins, you can see the most centrally located neighborhoods for booking your accommodations. You can also estimate how many days it would take you to see everything on your Google Maps list. Be honest with yourself here because you will probably only get to visit 2 or 3 attractions per day, so really prioritize the activities that you are the most excited to do and maximize your time by visiting nearby attractions on the same day.
Step Four: Expand Your Search to Nearby Destinations
Other things to research include whether or not to extend your trip by adding a nearby city. Now, I usually say if you only have 2-5 nights, then you probably should stay in one city and that’s it. Perhaps, you can do a day trip if you have time, but book accommodation in one city for the duration of your trip.
However, if you have 6 or more nights you might want to add another destination staying 3 nights in one city and 3 nights in another to get more of a sampling of the region.
For example, if I zoom out from Vienna, Austria, I can see that Bratislava, Slovakia, another beautiful capital city, is not that far away. I use the website Rome2Rio to see all the possible ways that I could travel between Vienna and Bratislava. It’s cool to know that I can take a bus, train, or ferry to get there. Now, I would have never thought to take a ferry to get there, but that really sounds lovely way to enhance my journey, and I only found it due to Rome2Rio.
Step Five: Accommodation Research
Now, that you know the activities that you want to do, it’s time to search for accommodations that are nearby some of these sights. For accommodations, I use Airbnb for longer 4-7 nights stays and hotels for shorter 1-3 nights stays. I prefer Airbnbs because I feel more at home and relaxed when I can cook a meal, make a cup of tea, and sit on the sofa. You can’t do all three of these activities in a budget hotel room, but you can do all three in a budget Airbnb. That’s what I like most about Airbnb, you can feel at home for less.
For hotels, I like Booking.com for accommodations in Europe and Central and South America. I find Expedia does a better job in the U.S. and Asia.
For solo travelers on a budget, you might want to consider Hostelworld.com where you can find a dormitory bed for as low as $9 a night. However, if you are in a group of two or more, it’s almost always better to get a private room because usually, the cost of 2 dorm beds is the same as a private room.
Whatever your preference is for your accommodations, try to have your accommodations as close to your attractions as possible. I suggest plotting the accommodation address on Google Maps to see how close it is to attractions, because no matter how beautiful a hotel is if it has an inconvenient location it can really put a damper on your trip.
Step Six: Passport and Visa Research
Another important thing to verify before you book your trip is your passport and visa requirements. Most countries require that you have at least 6 months of passport validity before expiration. If you don’t have at least 6 months available then you will need to send your passport away to be renewed.
Another important thing to verify is whether or not you will need a visa for your destination. Now, as a U.S. citizen, I get visa-free access to over 144 countries. Nonetheless, there are still quite a few cool countries like Australia, Bolivia, Vietnam, India, Laos, and China that all require a visa to enter. So it’s worth it to do a quick Google search.
“Do US citizens, Canadians, UK citizens need a visa to visit….?”
If your destination requires a visa, then you will need to google the visa paperwork to make sure the paperwork is something that you are able and willing to complete before your trip. Once you make sure your passport and visa situation is good then it’s time for step seven.
Step Seven: Book Your Flights
Once your research is done, all that’s left to do is to book your trip. This is the exciting part because this is where it gets real and you start to put your money where your mouth is.
Now, I always start with booking the flights first because you need to have a confirmed flight itinerary in order to know when to book accommodations and activities. For example, many times you might leave on the first of the month, but you will not arrive at your destination until the second of the month. You really need to verify your landing date and time, so you are able to book accommodations and activities at the appropriate time.
Step Eight: Book Your Accommodations
Once you have the flights booked, then you can book your accommodations in a centrally located neighborhood. You always get a better selection of accommodations when you book early so book as soon as you know your flight dates.
Step Nine: Book Activities that Are Likely to Fill Up
As you we doing your activity research, I hope you made note of any activities that are likely to sell out. Once you have your flights and accommodations confirmed, then go ahead and book your most popular activities to secure your spot.
There’s no need to book everything though because you want to leave a little room for spontaneity and flexibility to change your mind to match your mood or to deal with inclement weather.
Step Ten: Organize Your Documents, Maps, and Your Itinerary
Once you book everything, it’s time to organize all of your confirmation messages in an email folder. If you know you won’t have internet access, you also might want to take a screenshot of your confirmations and save them to a photo album on your phone so you can have them available for offline use.
I, personally, always like having internet data while we travel, so I will either buy a local sim card when I arrive at my destination or I will buy an eSim package before a leave home so I can have access to navigate maps and public transportation in real-time once I reach my destination.
For an eSim, I really like Holafly. They have nice Europe plans that can cover you in over 32 countries as you make your way through the EU. Plus, with an eSim, you can activate it yourself without needing to go to a store and without the hassle of taking out your primary SIM card. Once you have data, it’s a breeze to navigate to each item on your Google Maps itinerary.
To save 5% on your eSim purchase, use the discount code lucasworldtravel here!
Final Thoughts on How to Plan a Trip Like a Pro
What I love most about this 10-step planning method is that nearly everything is paperless. So it’s easy to go out and see the world without being weighed down by a lot of paper documents and without the confusion of swiping through multiple apps on your phone. Your whole itinerary with all of your notes will be in Google Maps making it easy to see what’s next and navigate to the next location all within the same app. And your booking confirmations will all be in an email folder in case you need to check any activity dates, times, or addresses.
With such a convenient 10-step system, you really will feel like a travel planning pro that is ready to take on the whole world.
Want even more great travel tips? Check out these articles below!
- The Best Travel Gear for Easy Packing and Unpacking
- The Best Travel Apps for Quick and Easy Trip Planning
- How to Pack a Suitcase
Leaving Soon?
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- Get 5% off international data coverage using our code ‘lucasworldtravel’ here!
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