How To Plan A Trip Itinerary
Table of Contents
Start planning early!
I find when you start planning your trip as early as possible, you end up less stressed when it’s time to head out! You can also start big and then narrow down your options based on your traveling time frame. Planning early means you’re more likely to get the best deals on accommodations, flights and even tickets to attractions.
Research the top things to do
Don’t forget to base it off what YOU’re interested in – most important. When I was younger, during my family vacations, we’d always visit the most popular sites. Why? I’m not really sure, it’s just what you did. But now, I make sure to plan according to what I’d be most interested in seeing (like my self-guided tour of street art in Paris).
My top resource is Pinterest boards – they’re a wonderful visual resource, and help you get organized. If you’re traveling with a friend, I absolutely recommend creating your own Group board – that way both of you can pin things you’re interested in doing! You’re also able to learn from fellow traveler’s experiences. For guide books, I personally use Lonely Planet guides, and just found out about their Thorn Tree forums. Such an invaluable resource!
Ask friends and family for recommendations
There’s nothing better than this. Social media is a godsend – I can send a message to a friend living abroad, or just post on my wall asking if anyone has been – a local’s perspective is so handy. For my upcoming trip to Europe, I’ve been compiling a list of recommendations my friends and natives have sent me, and I’m going through them to see what’s the best fit for me and my traveling companion.
Set a Budget
In my perfect world, traveling would be extremely affordable (international flights, I’m looking at you!) and it would be possible for us to travel everywhere on a whim. But, that’s not the reality most of us live in, and setting a budget will help you better prepare in saving for your trip.
A few things to factor into your budget: airfare, accommodation, food (breakfast, lunch, dinner), drinks, entrance fees to tourist attractions, transportation costs (train, subway/metro, etc), gifts, shopping. I usually scour travel blogs pretty thoroughly to get a sense of how expensive a city is – The Savvy Backpacker has a great post on the daily costs for visiting Budapest.
Look for discounts
If you’re a student or under the age of 26, there are plenty of discounts and deals available! Make use of them while you travel and while you still can. I turn 26 at the end of the year, so have to cash in those discounts before I start paying adult prices…sigh!
Don’t over do it
Like I said before, you won’t be able to do everything you want to, so just accept the fact and don’t over do it! When I was studying abroad, we were always going 100 miles/minute trying to see & do everything during the day AND go out and party at night. It was the most exhausting thing ever – looking back, I’m not really sure how I survived!
Planning is not easy but if done right, can be so much fun. It’s such an exhilarating experience for me – I don’t know how many sleepless nights (voluntarily, of course) I’ve had researching a place I’m about to visit, or reading guide books for the area. Just remember that a trip itinerary is not binding – it’s ok to change your mind once you’re there. Who knows what you may discover!
Do you have any tips for planning your trip itinerary? Leave a comment and share them!
