Planning a trip can be fun and exciting, but also stressful! There are sooo many options at your fingertips and sometimes it’s hard to figure out which direction to go. Some people want to plan out every minute of the day, others want to relax and stay at the resort for their entire stay. It doesn’t matter what type of traveler you are, you can learn the ins and outs of how to plan a trip with some useful tips for booking travel below! Let’s begin!
1. Create a game plan – find a destination and look into neighboring activities
Creating a game plan is creating a map of where you want to go and the activities you would like to do in the area. I start with a place of travel (usually a bucket list item or a destination with raving reviews from friends, family or colleagues) and then look at a map to find relatively close areas for adventures near our destination. For example, we are booking a trip to Joshua Tree, CA and I used google maps to check the surrounding area. To our surprise, Big Bear Lake is on the way to Joshua Tree (from our direction of travel) and Palm Springs is less than an hour away from Joshua Tree.
When figuring out a destination keep in mind the mode of transportation. How close are you to your destination? Would you like to fly or drive? Will you need a vehicle once you land? What essential items will you need for your trip? When road tripping, the “extra” items can be brought, a pet can come along and you have a vehicle at your destination. Big money savers!
Tips for flights: Depending on your trip date, look at different days of the weeks and different times of the day for your flights and hotel pricing (assessing the highs and lows of bookings). Tuesday in the evenings can sometimes be the best time to book an airline ticket. For Southwest, booking way in advance (at least a month or so) will give you the best deal.
2. Book accommodations – rentals, hotels and everything in between
Once you have a destination in mind, figure out what you are wanting out of the trip. This is key, because what you want will help you decide where to stay! Do you want to be close to downtown? In downtown? Are you renting a car? How is the parking situation? Would you like to cook or eat out? Is a pet coming with you? What would you like the space to offer (yoga classes, friendly farm animals, private hiking trails)? How many people are coming? Does a hotel room or rental property make more sense? If you are on a budget, what can you get for the best price (thinking about your goals of the trip in mind)?
Now that you have an idea in mind… where to next? Start researching different websites for your specific accommodations.
- Rentals/homesteads/estates: Airbnb, VRBO, Expedia and Travelocity (under Property type: Private vacation home).
- Hotels: Expedia, Kayak, Booking.com, Agoda
- Cars: Any travel site (I mostly use Expedia), Turo (for exotic cars)
While looking into Joshua Tree, we found a rental on Airbnb that is dog friendly, has an indoor clawfoot bathtub, record player (such a plus!) with an outdoor koi pond, meditation area, private bbq, fire pit, shared pool and emus on the property! It’s your trip, so decide what you want and go for it!
Tips for accommodations: Every place has different pricing!! Check out ALL OF YOUR OPTIONS before booking anything. You may be surprised by what you can find!
3. Find the right activities for you
For many of us, the activities or events on a trip elevate the trip as a whole or even MAKE the trip entirely! But… how do you find the right activities for you?
- Start with researching the bordering cities of your travel destination. Anything intriguing? Anything familiar? Any bucket list items? Life is short… kairos your time!
- Research activities at your travel destination and neighboring cities on google, blogs (like this!), Instagram pages (look into specific hashtags), Groupon, or Pinterest.
- When looking into travel accommodations, look at the reviews. Some people will write the activities they did or restaurants close by to the place you are booking (such a great trick)!
Tips for activities: The world is your oyster! Spend time in this area of planning, as the majority of what you remember from a trip is fun excursions and unique one-of-a-kind experiences!
4. Make sure to pack the essentials
This is so important! Depending on your trip, make sure you have options! Here are some important tips for packing (besides the obvious makeup, outfits and accessories):
- Be prepared for all types of weather: at least 1 jacket, bathing suit (you never know!), different shoes (flats, sandals, sneakers, hiking shoes, heels, water shoes).
- Bring the basics for outdoor adventures: sunscreen, hat(s)/visor(s), backpack (hiking pack), water bottle, cellphone water case, Go Pro or camera plus accessories, chapstick(s), favorite book or reading device, sarong (great for sun coverage).
- Go beyond the usual items: yoga mat, hand weights, paddle boards or bikes (if applicable), emergency kit, medication and tea (very small and easy to pack!), family games or a deck of cards, Soda Stream (whatever you can fit that will make your trip perfect!).
- Don’t forget your NPS pass – America the Beautiful Pass! You may need it!
Tips for packing: Start organizing your space by putting all of your travel items together i.e. travel size products, travel pillow, Go Pro/camera and accessories, emergency kit… anything you would usually bring on your travel adventures! If you don’t have a designated area, create one (a linen closet is a great place for storing travel items)!
5. Remember to relax!
So key! Remember to relax and have a great time! Life is busy and you need time to unwind and enjoy EVERYTHING your destination has to offer (even listening to the bird’s chirp)! Things usually don’t go as planned, so put the priorities first and see if there is time for the secondary items on your trip’s activity list!
Tips for relaxing: Plan one or two must-dos every day; have some extra items in mind, but do not overbook yourself! On the other extreme, if you don’t plan anything or have a list, but no action plan, you may end up indecisive and have no direction for each day of the trip. Create a priority list with your travel buddies and draw up a rough outline for each day!
How to Plan a Trip:
Planning a trip shouldn’t be stressful! Make it a fun journey as you research, compare prices, pack the essentials and get excited about your up-and-coming adventure!
When traveling, step out of your comfort zone and be bold with your choices! Have a “yes” mentality and go on a limb with unique activities and out-of-the-ordinary places to stay.
Rewind back to March 2020, you never know when you will get the chance to go back to this destination, so plan accordingly, create a top priority list and have a great time!
Wonderfully done Bren Enjoyed all the creative,helpful information. Will definitely use this for my next trip.