Allow Me to Introduce My... Article
Planning for your next vacation can be a daunting task. It’s hard to know where to even start because there’s just so much to consider: Where do I find the best airlines and flights? What do I need to pack? How do I book the right hotels? It can all be very intimidating because of the multitude of options at our disposal and the idea that something may go wrong. You want to book the perfect trip, but you also want to find the cheapest options because you’re probably on a budget. And you don’t want to forget anything important because it can really affect your experience.
It’s one of the most popular questions I see: “how do I plan a trip?” I remember when I first started to travel on my own, I wanted to find the best options possible so I wouldn't waste my time. After all, we spend a lot of our resources on an experience that’s supposed to be fulfilling to us, right? I spent hours going over several different options for flights, hotels, activities, etc. It can be a long process that spans several days or weeks, but as long as you stay inspired and focused on your next experience, it will all be worth it.
Over time, I’ve gotten better and more efficient at my travel planning process and was able to streamline it so I wouldn’t miss anything important. Since I want to inspire others to seek new experiences by traveling, I created this guide to get you out of your house and into the world. I tried to design it for those who have never planned their own trip so it’s more simple and accessible. Just follow this step-by-step guide and hopefully your next vacation will be a much less stressful process.
Table of Contents
Step 1:
CHOOSE YOUR DESTINATION
Everyone always says, "I want to go somewhere”, but they don’t really know where that is. Some people already have a destination in mind so this step should be easy for them. But for those who don’t, it’s important to consider what you want out of your trip. It may be adventure. It may be relaxation. Or maybe it's to experience something very specific. Try to find out what your goal is and choose a destination that matches it. This way you can plan around that goal instead of just finding random things to throw into your plans.
Step 2:
DECIDE THE LENGTH OF YOUR TRIP
This can depend on your destination. The farther you travel, the longer you’ll probably want to stay. But once you decide, you’ll now have more concrete base for planning the rest of your trip.
Step 3:
RESEARCH THE COST OF YOUR TRIP
Your budget will decide what you’ll be doing on your trip. Some people will have a set amount that they’ll spend, and some will choose not to worry about the cost of their trip while they’re traveling. But it is important to get an idea so you don’t go overboard and get surprised at your bank account once you’re home. I like getting all the details down before I book anything so I have my trip planned and in my view when I’m ready to buy.
The way I research costs is to just do a quick search of the prices of normal flights, accommodations, food, and transportation at your destination, as well as some of the popular attractions you may want to visit. Google is your best friend here. There are unlimited sources of information on the web from blogs to travel directories and you can even go directly to the websites of the places you want to visit and check the information there. Some of the most common resources I use are:
Step 4:
BOOK FLIGHTS
I use google flights because it’s the easiest and has the most options/filters. But it's also very common to go directly to the airline's website and check their prices.
* A quick tip is once you choose a flight, go to the the airline’s website and look for tickets in the currency of your destination. For example I found a flight to Copenhagen from Norwegian Airlines, and when I went to the Danish version of the website, the same ticket was about $100 cheaper in USD.
* Also, another tip is to not fly directly to your destination. If there is a major city in between, you may want to visit that for a day or two and then go to your destination as it will likely be a lot cheaper.
* Last tip: Book 3 months in advance. Most of the time this is when flights are the cheapest. And it's just a good benchmark to use.
