HOw I Plan A Trip

For me, planning a trip is almost as much fun as actually taking the trip. I love researching all the ways I could spend my time and envisioning what it will be like to be there. So I put a lot of effort into my travel research, probably more effort than most people are willing to expend. By the time I’m actually on my vacation I almost feel like I’ve already been there.

Here are some do’s and don’ts I follow when planning my trips, follow some or all of them, whatever works for you. I can’t tell you the best way to travel, you have to figure out what works for you!

Do: Figure out your priorities

Some people travel to sample the cuisine or spirits, some travel to take in the culture, and others travel to admire the architecture. Personally, the only food I care about are pastries and chocolate and I pretty much only drink water. I adore old world architecture and the things that we can’t find here in the States.

When I come up with the list of possible places to visit on vacation I mark the highest priority sights, the things I absolutely HAVE to see no matter what. I then plan for one (or two if they won’t take long to visit) of those main sights each day. I then find all the secondary sights nearby and plan my day around that area.

Don’t: create a detailed itinerary

If you plan your days minute-by-minute you’ll be stressed out and probably disappointed when you can’t squeeze everything in. Don’t do that to yourself. I usually only plan one time-based thing a day and only because it pays to buy tickets for busy attractions in advance.

Do: Create a Google Map

I like to pin all the interesting attractions on a Google map along with some basic information, like a picture and a description (or I link to one of the pages on this site). I can then easily find attractions on my phone while I’m out and about and make on-the-fly decisions about where to spend my time.

Do: Leave room for spontaneity

There will always be experiences that pop up unexpectedly during your trip. Leave time in your day to go on these “side quests” and you’ll be happy you did.

Do: Get Up Early

I know, I know… you don’t get enough sleep in your day-to-day lives and you just want to sleep. However, the best time to experience a destination (particularly if you want to avoid crowds) is early in the morning while everyone else is sleeping in. The streets are emptier, the light is better, and getting up early gives you more time to visit your destination. The old saying “you can sleep when you’re dead” applies here.

Do: Take Lots of Pictures and Video

I firmly believe there is no such thing as having too many photos. I’m not much of a video person, but I’m trying. Better to have more photos than you think you need than to have too few and feel regret when you get home.