If my travel guide posts tell you anything, you can probably guess I love researching and planning trips. (Type A people are ambitious, impatient, and want to see and do it all.) Surprisingly, I rarely have a spreadsheet, but I usually have a long list of notes, a detailed itinerary, lists of restaurants and sights, and a map marking all of it.

It may seem like overkill to some people, but for me, I like knowing what I’m getting into. Also, when you have limited vacation days and lots of the world to see, you try to take advantage of all the hours you’ve got. I want to know the best sights to visit, what dishes to try, and where to eat. I want to maximize my time by visiting places in the same neighborhood on the same day.

(I’m not one to plan a trip where I’m sitting on the beach for a week, though a little bit of relaxation is good for the soul. I’m all for adventurous trips to see, do, and eat!)

I’m not saying I have perfect trips. Your plan can go (and has gone in my experience) completely different from what you planned it to be. You may wake up one morning and decide you want to do something different. It’s important to pick two or three things you ABSOLUTELY want to do/see/eat on the trip and plan everything else around those things.

Here’s how I plan a trip!

1. Choose a destination.

I’ve got a shortlist of places at the top of my list and information I’ve gathered about potential trips. I think about how long the trip can be and look up the best time to travel to the destination. These days, the opportunity to dive also gets a strong say in choosing a destination and we’ve also gone on a few group trips where others have input in the decision.

(Pictured below: diving in Bonaire, one of the most fun dive trips I’ve been on!)

2. Compile a brain dump.

This task is all about information gathering. Through general Internet searches, I start a list of things to know about the place, notable restaurants to visit, sights I want to see, and hotels I might stay in. If I’m looking at visiting a country, I’m gathering information about the best cities and information on each one. I put my top hotel choices into a map to figure out which location will make the most sense. This is happening simultaneously as I try to figure out how much time I have for this trip and how much time international and domestic transportation will take.

Below is an example of a map where I’ve marked all the restaurants, sights, etc. options for a city. The different color pins signify different categories, and I’m adding pins as I find them. This map was for Mexico City and blue marked sights, purple marked restaurants, and red marked hotels.

3. Find the best flight.

I set up price alerts on a number of sites including Google Flights and Skyscanner. These sites will send me emails about price increases or drops. I monitor these to see when the best time to fly and buy are. I usually aim for a flight that will allow me to arrive early to a destination and leave late on the last day. (This is assuming a hotel will hold luggage before and after a stay.) For big trips, I aim to return for a day at home before going back to work, but sometimes it’s nice to prioritize more travel time.

Below is an example tracked flight through Google Flights.

4. Find a hotel.

There are a couple of things I look at when it comes to booking a hotel, including

• location
• neighborhood
• price
• reviews and ratings
• amenities
• overall design

I want it to be safe and centrally located to allow me to get to the majority of sights easily. I tend to lean towards boutique hotels or more unique brand hotels. I do a general search for a hotel I’m considering and read reviews on different sites, including social media reviews and posts.

If the hotels are out of my price range, I look at Airbnb options. I prioritize hotels because I like the extra security, amenities, and ability to hold luggage.

Check out this post for more tips on booking and staying in hotels!

5. Narrow down the restaurants.

Chances are, I’m considering a destination because of the food! I use reviews from Eater, Zagat, local critics, news articles, and food bloggers to pick out my top choices. These restaurant lists are ever-growing so in my foodie travel posts, you’ll likely see more recommendations than where I went. I wish I had unlimited time and stomach room to try all the restaurants but it’s good to hit the ones that mean the most to me.

When it comes to eating and drinking in a new place, I prioritize local cuisine, craft beer, and dessert (cupcakes if available!). I make sure I have a mix of highly-rated and award-winning restaurants. If needed, I’ll make reservations before the trip, like for Pujol, Room 4 Dessert (pictured below), and The French Laundry.

6. Decide the sights.

Eating isn’t the only thing I do when I travel! Sights help me get to know a place. When I travel, I enjoy historical and cultural sights, architecture, and modern art. I try to add in some outdoor/adventurous activities like ziplining, hiking, and swimming. To start, I research what a city or country is known for and decide whether or not it’s something I want to do. I also read travel blogs to see what others enjoyed. If I need to book a tour, I review TripAdvisor comments.

(Pictured below: a famous sight on Nusa Penida in Indonesia)

7. Make an itinerary.

After all the research and adding all the above things to the map, I have a good idea of an itinerary. I try to arrange it by location and proximity.

Below is an example itinerary. For the record, I had Contramar on the schedule twice and didn’t end up going there. My map was a resource for backup restaurants in the area. (See the final Mexico City guide here.)

8. Book it and go!

I have the majority of things planned out when it’s time to book everything. Usually, the flight and hotel are the first things crossed off the list. Next comes restaurant reservations, tours, and sight tickets, if applicable. As the trip gets closer, my itinerary becomes more detailed.

Conclusion

If you’re not this detailed or maybe even if you are, you might have read all of that and thought, whoa, that’s A LOT of work. It is, but I love the planning and research. There is lots of information out there from people who have traveled there and experienced it. Why not use it to your advantage to plan a trip you love? Plus, anticipation is a big part of trip happiness.

Maybe one day when I have a more flexible work schedule I’ll have the luxury of very slow, spontaneous travel, but until then, I’m reveling in being able to see as much of the world as possible.

What trip planning tips you would add?

P.S. Need more travel tips? Check out:

• 10 Efficient Packing Tips for Travelers
• How to Feed Your Wanderlust
• 15 Smart Ways to Save Money While You Travel
• How to Travel the World Like a Foodie

Keep up with my travel posts and adventures. You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Bloglovin’. You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

The post How a Type A Personality Plans a Trip appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

You might have read the title of this post and thought “are you kidding me?” Yes, today I’m talking about how to plan a trip because sometimes not knowing where to start can be a barrier to starting and if you’ve never planned a trip before, it’s nice to have a guideline! So, don’t fear, your type-A, adventure-loving, travel enthusiast is here to give you some pointers.

1. What’s your budget?
You’ll need to budget for food, transportation, hotel, activities, and souvenirs. Some cities/countries are more expensive to visit than others. Figure out your dollar amount to help you decide where to go, when to go, where to stay, and what activities to enjoy.

2. Where do you want to go?
Read travel websites like Travel + Leisure or explore Pinterest to get some ideas. Also consider doing a general search for “best bucket list trips” or ask your friends. If you’re deciding between a couple of places, think about your budget and possible activities you could do in each location.

3. When should you go?
So you’ve got your location down, now look up the best time to go based on weather and cost. For example, while it’s cheaper to go to the Caribbean during hurricane season, it’s hurricane season, which could mean rain, cancelled excursions and flight delays. Also, flying mid-week could mean cheaper flight fares.

4. How long should you go?
As long as possible! As long as your vacation days will let you! As long as your budget allows!

5. Book your flight. Book your hotel.
You usually book your flight first unless you’re unable to book certain dates at a hotel where you want to stay. Additionally, book additional connecting transportation (planes, trains, ferries, buses) if you’re visiting multiple cities or countries.

6. Make sure your documents are ready.
Passport, visa, travel insurance, and travel credit card. If you need any of these things, be sure you have enough time for them to process it for you. Read my post about things to prepare internationally for more information.

7. Plan your itinerary.
All booked? Now comes the fun part: deciding what to do. Make a list of sights and restaurants you want to visit. You can roughly plan where to go each day.

Tips to make the planning easier:
-Get started early. This will allow you to set aside travel funds, save money with earlybird tickets and keep you calm when you’re not making plans last minute.
-Quick internet searches on a location will turn up many articles. Read it all and gather the info. You may even find itineraries already laid out for you.
-Use guide books like Rick Steves or Lonely Planet. People have done the hard work for you and gathered a lot of good information. These will give you helpful hotel, restaurant, and sightseeing recommendations.
-Check my guide for efficient packing.
-All of this too much for you? Travel with type-A friends or a type-A significant other who can do all the planning for you! You could also look into cruises and group tours if you want to get your feet wet.

Have questions? Let me know!

What tips do you have for planning a trip?

The post How to Plan a Trip appeared first on Fearless Captivations.