Although planning for a trip may be a fantasy in our world right now, there will be a time soon when we can get out and continue to explore this beautiful place we call Earth.  But where do you start?  That is the question most people have when thinking of taking a vacation or a trip to a new place.  But, you don’t need to be a travel agent to understand the basics of travel planning.  And before you know it, you will be off on your new adventure with no worries knowing you were completely prepared.  Here you can find the ten-step “How To” on vacation planning and preparation!

Step 1: Decide on your destination

Choosing a destination to travel to may seem like the obvious first step, but it is in fact one of the most important.  Many travelers are vague in saying where they want to go, but determining a specific location to travel to can help you to figure out the rest of your trip details along the way.  And without some guidance to point you in the right direction, you might find yourself traveling to nowhere.  Because nobody can plan a trip to “somewhere” without wasting time and resources.

Step 2: Determine the length of your trip

Determining how long you want to travel for can be a huge factor in planning your trip.  For some, it is a matter of their work schedules, and for others, it may be the cost of an extended vacation.  Finding the right balance between spending enough time to feel like a trip while not wasting time and money by extending your visit is critical in trip planning.  The average American gets usually 2-4 weeks of paid vacation, and so it has been found that they plan their trips accordingly throughout the year.  But depending on your situation, you need to find the best time for you.

Step 3: Start researching costs and expenses

In today’s world, traveling is not always the cheapest hobby to take on.  However, if you begin to research what options are available, you might be surprised at what you can find.  There are many options if you want to travel on a budget.  But, depending on your travel location, you do want to look at how much everything together will be costing you so that there are no surprises at the end of your trip and are hard to recover from.  This includes flight and accommodation prices, food, activites, services, and more.  By planning out your expenses in advance, you will also have a clear goal for how much you may have to save over time until your trip comes around.

Step 4: Look for last minute discounts and deals

Many times, looking to book vacations at certain times of the year, you can find some of the best deals that are offered throughout the year.  Summer months especially have come to be some of the busiest times of the year to travel, however, if you continue to research and look for special offers by different travel companies, you may be able to find some great deals on flights, hotels, activities, ect.

Step 5: Take care of any country-specific requirements

If you plan to travel internationally, there are several things you must take into consideration when traveling into a foreign country.  First and foremost, in order to even enter yourself into another country, you must acquire a passport.  If you do not have one already, you must apply and purchase one well before you leave.  It takes about 6 to 8 weeks of processing to obtain a passport so keep that in mind.  Also, if you are traveling outside of the country for an extended amount of time, make sure you obtain foreign currency or contact your credit card company for information on how money is transferred in another country.

Step 6: Book your flight and accommodations

Booking your flights and accommodations such as hotels and rental cars, allows you to have a secure plan in place with those companies that you book through.   However, make sure to have these things booked well before you leave for your trip.  With flights being overbooked many times and hotels being full depending on destination and time of year, you don’t want to be scrambling for these things the day before you are supposed to leave.  There are many resources that can help you to book all of these things together or at least gather information from numerous websites from all over the world.  Some of those include…

• Momondo – This is a great platform to use when searching for super cheap flights.
• Skyscanner – This is the best website for comparing the costs of flights depending on location and date.
• Kiwi – This website is a great option for finding routes that are lesser-known. Flights on Kiwi are operated with smaller carriers.
• AirTreks – Aitreks is the best site for searching deals on flights with multiple destinations or round-the-world tickets.

Step 7: Plan some activities

Depending on the location you travel to, it is important to know exactly what you will be doing when you get there.  By planning out activities such as tours, hikes, sightseeing, etc., you will have a better idea as to what your day will look like.  Planning out activities in advance also allows you to not have to worry about space being booked in terms of tours and such.  Having activities planned out, you will never find yourself bored or wondering what to do next.

Step 8: Pack

Depending on the location of your travels, you want to make sure you are packing what you need, without overdoing it.  For many travelers, it may be an exciting time to pick out what you are going to wear in a certain place, but make sure what you pack is appropriate and fits the environment you will be in.  You must also be aware that you can purchase certain items when you arrive at your destination so if you do forget something, there are options to help.  Also while packing, you might consider what you will have to carry around during your travels, so in some cases, less is more!

Step 9: Arrange plans with family, friends, work, etc.

Before you leave for your trip, you have to make sure everything at home is taken care of so there are no problems while you are away or when you return.  Some of these include letting your family, friends, and work know that you will be gone for a duration of time.  This includes taking time off of work well in advance and making sure that everything is in place in case there is a problem while you are gone.  You should also make arrangements for pets to be taken care of, if they are not traveling with you, as well as letting credit card companies know if you will be traveling internationally for security reasons.

Step 10: Enjoy your trip!

Now that you have done all of the hard work, it is your time to relax!  Spending time on vacation and traveling to new places is an exciting and memorable time for many people.  Your hard work of saving and planning are finally paying off and you get to finally focus on your enjoyment!

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