I’m a bit Type A. Here’s how I plan a trip!
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
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