It is one thing to say you wish to go somewhere or do something on your bucket list, but it is an entirely different entity when it comes to following through and creating a plan. I find that this is why many people's dream trips fall through. Once they realize all of the details and hard work that goes into planning as well as cost, it becomes overwhelming and is easier to just sit back and dream of going 'one day.'
The hardest part is starting, but the trick is to start early and plan it out piece by piece. I will include all my tips and tricks below so that you can get started on traveling the world yourself!
Where Do You Want to Go and Why?
This is the easiest step! Where is it that you want to visit? What is there that you want to experience? Write these ideas down (I use Google Doc so I can always share it with my SO or whoever is going on the trip so that they can always add their own ideas). Trust me, you will come across new activities in your research you will want to add to this list later.
2. When is the Best Time to Go?
What is the best season to visit this place? Sometimes certain experiences are seasonal, make sure your must-dos will fit in during this time frame. This will help to decide when you are going.
3. Begin Organizing
I meant it when I say to write everything down! Now put everything in categories: cities you want to go to, things that are must-dos, sights you want to see, what to pack, etcetera. More specifically, find out in what cities or places you will do your activities. This will ultimately help to put together your itinerary. It will also help to decide where you will want your accommodations to be.
4. Book Flights & Accommodations
I typically prefer to do this step around six months out from the trip. This will help because costs will be lower, but this is the BIGGEST step and where the adventure becomes real!
Pro tip: Make sure you know how far away the airport is from your hotel/hostel beforehand. Especially check to see if there is more than one airport so you ensure you know where you are flying into. I once booked a hotel 20 minutes from the London airport before I realized we were actually flying into the Heathrow airport. That 1.5 hour ride to the hotel was NOT fun!
5. Now Comes the Fun Part
Now is time to start finalizing your itinerary! Refer back to your Google Doc and continuously add/adjust plans as you continue to research and discover more activities to experience or sights to see. This is where my personal document would become very messy as I refuse to erase anything, but it can be fun to puzzle together your adventure.
6. Bonus Step: Excel Itinerary
I usually do this step around 2 weeks before leaving for a trip. This is where I would make a separate Excel document that lists our finalized itinerary step by step. Oh here, I would provide activities for each day, addresses on where we would need to go as well as potential travel time or how long a tour will last. Then I print this document out so that I have it easily on hand while we are traveling. It definitely helps when having to provide addresses to a cab driver and remembering what you have going on each day.
7. Time to Explore, Adventurers!
Now it is finally time for the big day and to start your next travel adventure! You have your itinerary in hand, but never be afraid to live life on the edge and jump at new opportunities if they present themselves!
What are specific tips and tricks you like to follow when planning your next adventure?
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step."
P.S. I am not dead! SO sorry for the lack in content on here and FB/Instagram lately, I have been super busy with work and grad school. But I am always missing writing and thinking of more content all the time, so know that I have big things planned! ~Adventuring Alli
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