Step by Step Guide on How to Plan a Trip

Step by Step Guide on How to Plan a Trip

The thought of having to plan an entire trip by yourself can give you quite a scare or even overwhelm and discourage you especially if it’s your first time doing so. Organizing and planning an amazing trip that goes your way can be easier than you’d imagine if you know exactly where to look and what to do.

Below are steps you should take to plan a trip:

1. Decide On Where You Want To Go

The very first step to planning any trip is deciding on a destination that you are heading to. Picking a destination depends on your reasons for travel. Making research on locations that suit your needs and budget is always a first step in the right direction.

2. Check Out Travel Advisories of Your Preferred Destination

The travel advisory website is where you’ll get all the relevant information on every requirement needed to travel to your preferred destination including travel documents, visas, vaccinations, security, local laws for visitors among other things.

3. Decide on How Long You Wish to Stay

To help you figure out how much money your trip will take from you, the next step to take is to plan on the length of your trip to help you with budgeting for accommodations, feeding, etc while on the trip.

4. Count the Cost and Start Saving Up

Having decided on your location and length of stay, the next step is planning on how much money you’ll have to spend to see your trip through.

Determine the cost of flight tickets, bus passes or whatever means of transportation you’ll need, the daily cost of accommodations, restaurants, activities and attractions then multiply these by the number of days you wish to stay. That way you know how much money you need to put away for your trip.

5. Buy Travel Insurance

Things can go terribly wrong during a trip even though nobody ever wishes for it, which is all the more reason why you need to purchase your travel insurance to cover you when traveling.

This insurance suffices for when you fall ill while traveling, if your flight gets delayed or canceled as well as for lost, damaged or stolen items.

6. Book Your Flight

Take your time and research on cheaper flight options and book in advance to avoid any last minute surprises. Also, endeavor to read all about the policies of your preferred airline pertaining to luggages, children and pets to avoid encountering inconveniences at the airport. Best platforms to help you find cheap flights are Skyscanner and Google flights.

7. Book Your Accommodations

It’s best to book at least your first night so you can have a place to lay your head and keep your bags when arriving at your destination. Travel experts recommend booking for an entire stay if your trip does not exceed two weeks. To find the best prices on accommodations, try searching for places using Hostelworld, Airbnb or booking.com

8. Draft an Itinerary

To avoid any surprises or spending out of pocket, ensure proper budgeting is carried out and an itinerary prepped beforehand of all the things you want to do and see throughout the duration of your trip. Booking for attractions and activities before you leave the house always seems like a sure way to secure tickets as well as saving some coins.

9. Bill Payments

Automate bill payments while you’re gone, cancel phone any internet plans if you’ll be heading out over a long period of time.

10. Pack Your Bags

To prevent over packing or forgetting essentials at home, make a checklist of what you’ll need and stuff your bags according to what’s on that list. Apart from the clothes you’ll wear during your trip, items you shouldn’t fail to pack include: first aid kit, travel chargers, travel documents, towels, water bottle, toothbrush, medication and credit cards.

Conclusion

Once every step on this list has been carried out, ensure to double check for anything you may have missed, make photocopies and digital copies of important travel documents just in case you lose originals. Lastly, take a deep breath and head out to the airport, board your flight and go see the world on your own terms.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the things you should do to prepare you for your trip?

Top four things you shouldn’t miss before traveling are: ensuring your boarding pass is intact, securing your passport on your person, filling your prescriptions and getting all of your travel documents in your carry-on.

What is a travel checklist?

Your travel checklist is a list of items you shouldn’t forget when packing for a trip as they are either difficult or impossible to replace such as your cell phone, boarding pass, hotel reservations, wallet, etc.