Everyone plans a trip differently. Some people prefer to outsource all planning and book a flight and hotel for a week from a travel agency. Others prefer to book through a tour operator who provides expert local guides and accommodation. Some fly by the seat of their pants and just go. I prefer as much Do-it-yourself (DIY) trip planning as possible. This is very time-intensive but it offers the best way (in my experience) to learn about what the destination has to offer. It is also almost always the most economical way to take a trip. Going the DIY route is full of pitfalls, though, as a lot of mistakes can be made and time is lost adjusting itineraries or factoring in new information.
The following is a description of my trip planning process. I have found it helps to minimize mistakes while traveling while also allowing plenty of room for customization, flexibility and learning.
Step 1: Get a Guidebook
The first thing I do when planning to go somewhere new is to buy a guidebook. I have generally had good experiences with Lonely Planet, as well as Moon for Panama. I use the guidebook to get a feel for the country, its people and its history. Guidebooks are also a great resource to see recommended itineraries and highlights that must be seen. I usually take the guidebook with me on a trip, but to be honest, I use it most before the trip. Most of its utility for me is in the planning phase.
Step 2: Research and Book Flights
Airfare is a big chunk of the total travel cost (despite almost always under-estimating other travel expenses). It pays to do some research. I like to go to Kayak to check prices because Kayak has a comprehensive search engine with a useful booking calendar that shows flight costs for an entire month. This lets me find the best price over the stretch of time when I want to go.
Step 3: Seek Additional Advice
Guidebooks are terrific but they are the product of one (or a selected few) person’s advice and experiences. Each traveler is different and I often find my travel needs are completely different from trip to trip. So I like to seek additional advice from locals and experienced travelers. Some services I have found to be useful include MyTripGuru (of course!), Aardvark, and travel forums found via Google.
Step 4: Book First Night
I never stay in one location for too long so staying in one hotel for more than a few days hardly ever happens. I tend to book hotels or hostels while on the trip. But for peace of mind, booking the first night is essential. For the first night, the guidebook can be a good resource for finding a hotel or hostel that caters to the type of travel I am planning. If backpacking, I will look for a backpacking hostel where I can get some friendly advice from fellow travelers over a beer on arrival or during breakfast.
Step 5: Plan the Legs of the Trip
Next I decide which highlights I absolutely want to see and begin to sketch my itinerary around these activities. This is the most time-intensive part of the planning process, as I frequently find myself revising my plans as more information comes in. This is, however, the most exciting part of the whole process as excitement for the trip starts to build. If necessary (such as late arrivals, high season), I will also book additional accommodation.
Step 6: Prepare for the Trip
This is another fun part of the pre-trip process. This includes learning about the local culture and learning some useful phrases if I don’t speak the local language. When going backpacking, I fill up my backpack with some gear and go for a couple short hikes to get used to carrying a lot of weight on my shoulders. I also try to find out what it is like at the arrival airport. What should I expect to pay to reach my hotel or the city? This is important because arriving in a new city looking like a fish out of water makes you a juicy victim for enterprising locals who can see your inexperience all over your face. Furthermore, the first few hours in a new country are the most stressful if you are experiencing culture shock. Being prepared on arrival can limit this anxiety.
Getting to know the prices for services in general is a must for budgeting the trip. How much is transportation such as buses, domestic flights, trains and taxis? What is the cost of a budget meal and how much does a nice dinner cost? When I have gathered some idea about the costs, I sketch out my itinerary on a piece of paper and estimate daily expenses. The estimate is almost always too low, but it helps to set a budget and allows me to enjoy my trip and not worry about the cost, as I have already budgeted for the essentials.
Here are some trip planning tips that I find useful. Some have been mentioned above.
- Get to know the value of the local currency. Learn what to expect to pay in all the usual situations.
- Find out what the best way is to get cash. Is it ATM, Traveler’s Check, USD or black market money changers (a Moroccan friend recommended the latter to me before a recent trip to Morocco)
- Pack smart – if you come home with something still smelling like laundry detergent, you packed too much.
- Consider doing some time in a tanning salon if you are leaving winter behind for somewhere hot and sunny.
- Learn about the culture and language. It will make your trip more intense and help you interact with locals.
- Check your visa requirements and your passport validity before you go.
The important thing is to enjoy the trip planning process. To me, it isn’t just about being well-prepared for the trip, although that is certainly important. Rather, I find the days, weeks and even months before a trip are exciting and in going through the planning process, I am able to build even more excitement and enthusiasm for the trip. And that is what it is all about! Happy Travels!
