Your Personal Travel Guide: 13 Simple Steps To Plan Your Next Vacation

Planning for your next adventure? It may not be as easy as you think. Of course, this may not be the first time you’re planning a trip. However, since now you have a lot of free time to plan things appropriately, we’ve brought to you a few simple steps to plan a trip perfectly.

The right planning helps in keeping things in place while you’re exploring a distant place. Trip planning isn’t really easy and you cannot start from anywhere you wish. Keep reading to help yourself with your next vacation plan.

Steps To Plan Your Next Trip

This can be overwhelming if you’re doing it for the first time. However, blogs like this and social media pages can help you better than anyone else. Knowing others’ experiences will aware you of the complexities and areas that require more concern.

Here are a few simple steps to plan a trip:

1. Where To Go?

When you know your destination it gets easier to set goals and make plans accordingly. Vague talks about travel are common but if you want to be led somewhere worthwhile, it’s important to be specific. In order to decide a definite goal and plan you should first decide the place, you’re going to. This way you can implement more concrete ideas instead of wasting time beating around the bushes.

You will know what you want to do and be specific with your plans to execute your travel idea. Focus on details to be successful. “I am going to New York this year” or “I am going to the US this year” what sounds clearer? Of course, the first one. Therefore make sure you have a clear idea about where you are going.

2. For How Long?

The total cost of traveling places depends on several different factors. One of those is how long will you extend the trip. It is, therefore, one of the most important questions to answer when you start planning a trip. While you need to know how much to save to explore your favorite travel destinations, decide how long will you be there.

The duration of the vacation will determine the costs you will have to incur. Until you find an appropriate answer keep working your mind over it. Definite decisions make goals easily attainable. To maintain clarity make sure you have answers to all the important questions like this.

3. Traveling Solo Or In A Group?

Whether you will go alone or with someone is an important decision to make. While both are amazing options, the choices are likely to differ for everyone. Solo travel allows you the freedom of going places, making decisions and flowing with the wind.

However, planning all on your own for yourself may be difficult if you’re new to all this. On the other hand, when you’re traveling with someone, you have someone to plan with you.

You can certainly go through and pick up the best itineraries faster. You will have someone by your side. But along with that, there may be times when you have to compromise.

There can be various moments when your opinions or choices differ. Based on the person you are traveling with. As said before, this choice may vary and there’s no wrong decision.

4. Research Costs And Start Saving

So, when you know where you will be going, you’ve completed a big task. But wait! There’s another really important task that needs to be done. According to the type of travel you desire, you need to research the costs that you’ll have to bear.

Answer a few important questions again. Are you planning for backpacking or do you prefer luxury hotel stays? What options are available with regards to hotels, hostels or restaurants?

Answering these questions will give you an estimate of the money you need to spend. Here are a few ways to research costs:

1. Get a good guidebook.
2. Refer to an online travel guide.
3. Join communities and ask these questions on relevant Facebook groups or forums.
4. Use Google to search for prices of specific things.

Do not get too deep into research that you end up getting confused. A little bit of clear insight is enough to go with the flow.

Now, you need to begin with saving. Before you start, make a note of how much money you have and how much are your expenses. Write down all the current expenses to see what’s unnecessary and can be cut down. Before you can actually change the habit of spending understand them. Listing them down will help you gain a better perspective of your financial position.

5. Dealing With Your Credit And Debit Cards

While you’ve been trying your best to save money, getting a travel credit card would prove to be of great help. It allows you various sign-up bonuses and points for free hotel bookings or flights that let you redeem miles. With travel credit cards you can seek the most valuable travel perks every year without spending extra.

Most of the cards these days tend to offer up to 50,000 points on meeting their minimum spending requirement. With this, you can make it up to almost anywhere in the world. You may get your travel credit card now so that you can earn enough travel credits till your vacation. Don’t waste time anymore. And sign-up for your travel credit card soon.

You will need money once you’re in a foreign country. While there are places where you can use credit cards, most countries only prefer cash. ATM fees can, therefore, hit you hard during this time. For shorter trips of a week or two may not affect you much but during longer expeditions, you would need a solution.

You cannot afford a dash on your budget to which you’ve put so many efforts. Get a No-Fees ATM card. You can withdraw from banks that do not charge any fees. This way you will be left with more money that can be later used for travel.

6. Focus And Inspiration

While you’re very near to accomplishing your dream trip, it is important that you keep encouraging the traveler in you. Since travel planning is often overwhelming and exhausting it can turn out to be discouraging at times. However, there are many ways you can keep yourself encouraged and boost your morale. Websites like this are a medium of support you require.

Look around, there are millions of travelers around the world who once struggled for their first trip just like you. Connect with them through their blogs and social media accounts. For help read our blog: 10 Best Travel Bloggers On Instagram Who’ll Show You the World.

7. Seek Last-Minute Offers

While you’re done with some important and simple steps to plan a trip, filled with inspiration and saving money; there’s something you should do before booking flights or hotels. Make sure to check for deals that you may have missed.

Although you’re planning for Switzerland (suppose), there may be a good deal with 70% off for Paris. All you need is to be flexible with the dates or destinations. Companies these days are never short of amazing offers. Make sure you check out the best ones.

8. Book Your Flights

You may have used your travel credit cards until this time and received enough sign-up bonuses. Look for appropriate flights and deals and get your tickets in advance. Since it may be hard to use the miles you’ve earned these days, make sure you book early and get a flight you desire.

There are many more ways you can save yourself from paying more and protect your pocket from the airlines. Go through our blog: 7 Important Air Travel Passenger Rights You Need To Know.

9. Book Your Hotel Stays

For shorter trips, you can book a hotel for the entire duration of your trip. However, if you’re traveling for more than two weeks or for a month or two or more, book a hotel only for the starting few days. This will help you with stays on your arrival.

Once you reach there, seek guidance from other travelers or hotel staff and plan the next steps you will take. There are times you may want to change your plans. Therefore, booking for a longer duration isn’t savvy.

If you wish to stay at different hotels during your trip, sign-up for a hotel credit card before leaving home. It can earn you bonus points and save you a lot. Consider connecting with communities if you’re traveling on a low budget and want to know more about the locals.

There are communities that offer free accommodations for long-time travelers. To save more, read our blog: 21 Smart Travel Hacks When You Run Out Of Money.

10. Plan Your Activities

To give your budget a final check, list down the major activities you will be doing during your trip and the expected cost for them. Also, keep your savings flexible enough for last-minute adjustments so that you’re not short of funds.

You will have to find out whether any reservations are required for the activities you want to do. You can look for discounts online. Several countries offer cheap deals while others provide discounts. Research these with regards to your itinerary and save money.

For shorter trips, you can book for the activities in advance so that you get the tickets on time. For longer trips book when you’re there. Apart from everything prioritize activities according to your desires before leaving home.

This will save you from running out of time or money. You can focus on the activities that matter the most to you. Also, cross-check if there are any holidays or any other days when the activities are closed.

11. Inform Card Companies That You’re Traveling

No matter how long you will be traveling. Informing your card companies about your trip is always a good decision. This way your transactions will not be regarded as fraudulent and your card may not be blocked. Who will want to be busy on phone settling matters with the credit card company instead of enjoying their vacation?

Also, ensure that you have multiple debit and credit cards. This way even if any of the cards get lost, stolen or blocked, you will have an alternative. Therefore, always keep a few backup cards.

12. Start Packing

Packing is another crucial thing you need to do. You may often be tempted to take everything with you You don’t have to carry your entire wardrobe to explore a place. You don’t need a bulky backpack unless you’re traveling to a place with a different climate. Make a proper packing list and knock out everything that’s unnecessary.

Although requirements are going to vary based on where you go, make sure you don’t pack everything you have. Several things you need can be bought on the road. At the end of the day, you will be required to carry everything you bring to different places. Therefore it’s better to take less.

13. Travel Insurance

While many people think they don’t need travel insurance because they are absolutely healthy, they fail to realize that it can cover various other losses for them. It includes a flight cancellation, a camera breakage or an emergency return due to the death of a family member. “It’s better to be safe than sorry”.

You never know what the next moments bring. It is better to be prepared to overcome an unseen loss. Therefore get appropriate travel insurance based on your travel plans.

Enjoy Your Vacation!

Visa requirements may differ for everyone and that’s the reason we haven’t discuss them here. Well, when you finally reach out to your favorite travel destinations, make sure you make the best out of every moment.

Don’t get nervous, Chill and let it all flow. Remember that you waited for this moment for very long and when it’s with you don’t run away or get distracted.

With these simple steps to plan a trip, you can surely look towards an amazing holiday!

Keep Traveling!