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Planning a trip is a lot of work. Many people see the travel planning process as daunting. They head to a travel agent, hire a travel planner or book a guided tour instead of figuring it out themselves. If you are new to planning your own travel or want to learn how to make a travel plan more efficiently read on. I’m going to share my process with you so you know how to plan a trip using the best travel planning sites.

This trip planning guide is geared towards one week or more vacations abroad that include multiple destinations and involve using public transportation. Hopefully these trip planning tips and travel booking recommendations will be helpful regardless of what kind of travels await you!

How to Plan a Trip in 7 Steps

#1: Find Travel Inspiration

I bet you have heard of Rome, London and Tokyo and would visit the Eiffel tower when in Paris or the Statue of Liberty in New York City. But have you heard of Chiloé Island, Cachi, or Coniston? Did you know you can canoe over an aqueduct in Wales or walk through a gorge that goes between Austria and Germany?

Travel Blogs

If not that means you need to begin reading my blog and other travel blogs. One of the reasons I became a travel blogger was because I used travel blogs to learn about places to visit and plan my own travels. Travel bloggers do write about well-known places and activities, but they also write about lesser known destinations and include personal tips and recommendations that aren’t typically found in more mass produced TV shows and guidebooks.

Pinterest

I had never heard about all the places I listed above until I found posts on them through Pinterest. Pinterest is my go-to travel planning tool when I am looking for inspiration. Earlier this year I spent a couple of months in Chile. I planned a month in Santiago, but had no idea where to go afterwards. Patagonia, which I wanted to save until my leg injury was healed, was the only place I knew of. I went on Pinterest and from several bloggers’ posts I put together the perfect central Chile itinerary full of places I wasn’t aware of before!

Travel Books

Travel memoirs are another great source to inspire wanderlust. After reading The Year of Living Danishly I had my heart set on booking a trip to Denmark…and I did!

Create Pinterest boards to save ideas for what to do in different places. 

#2: Choose a Destination

Once you have a few destinations in mind, do a bit a research before you make a final decision. Here are a few things to think about before choosing a destination.

• Your Time Frame: How much time do you have to travel? If you only have a week and are coming from the USA, it will be hard to backpack through South America in that amount of time.
• Peak Season vs Shoulder Season vs Off-peak Season:  Is it the best time of year to visit your destination? It may seem obvious, but make sure what you want to do is available at the time of year you are visiting. Don’t go to Iceland in July to see the Northern Lights. Know the pros and cons of the season you are visiting. In peak season most likely everything you want to do is open, but there will typically be a lot of people and the prices are higher. In the off-peak season many places and often towns or regions almost shut down to tourists. If your schedule allows, shoulder season usually has mild temperatures, fewer tourists and opened attractions.
• Temperature & Climate: A big part of the season is the climate. If you are dreaming of beach hopping in Thailand you probably want to avoid the monsoon season.
• Cost: If you want to go to Amsterdam, you want to go to Amsterdam. With a bit more flexibility in your destination you can get a lot more bang for your buck. One week in my cozy private bedroom and bathroom in my Pucón hostel cost less than two nights at my hotel in Amsterdam.
• Experiences: What do you want to do on your trip? Does the thought of going to museums and cathedrals exhaust you? Do you live in a big city and want to spend some time in nature? A cultural week in Italy is very different than a week of adventure travel in Peru.

Decide on a destination and travel dates. Then create a google drive document to keep track of all your research and planning. 

#3: Create a Travel Itinerary

Many travelers book flights and accommodations before deciding what to do. This is understandable because typically the earlier you book flights and accommodations, the cheaper they are and the more options available. If you are planning one week in one city this usually doesn’t make as big of difference.

When traveling to multiple cities or countries during one trip you need to think ahead a bit. You don’t want to miss  out on an event just because you are in that city on the wrong day. Especially if you are traveling solely by public transportation, you want to make sure you can actually get to where you want to go, when you want to go there.

This is where the google document for your trip comes in handy. At the top of mine I put a table with a row for each day. Within each day are three sections: location, activities, and accommodation. Before deciding on and filling in the table I do some research and write it under the table.

In my travel planning process here are some things I research and take into consideration before creating my travel itinerary (filling in the table shown above).

• Public Transportation: Using public transportation or walking is beneficial both to the environment and your wallet. I always check the options for getting from the airport, bus station or train station to my accommodation. What is available at the time I arrive? What happens if I arrive late? Is there an attraction discount card that includes transportation? Should I book accommodation near the place I arrive, the places I am visiting or the place I depart from?
• Must – Do Activities: There are probably a few places or attractions you really want to visit that you know about when deciding on a destination. The one thing I really wanted to do in Vienna was visit the Vienna Opera House. I made sure to buy tickets for a ballet BEFORE deciding on the dates I would be in the city. Nothing is worse than the disappointment of arriving to a place you have always dreamt of visiting and finding out it is closed and you won’t be able to visit another time.
• Festivals/Special Events:  Like most travelers I enjoy visiting the popular tourist locations. They are popular for a reason. That doesn’t mean there aren’t other great things to do in every city and country. When I started researching my trip to the UK I had never heard of the book town of Hay-on-Wye in Wales. When I found out the annual book festival was taking place within the two week period my mom and I were to be in the UK, I knew I had to work my itinerary around being in Hay during the festival. If I would have booked my accommodation already, we may have missed out on the literary festival!
• What to Do Nearby: A couple years ago I decided to go to Frankfurt, Germany at Christmastime. My “must-do” activity was the Frankfurt Christmas Market. I knew I was basing my trip around the market and other things to do in Frankfurt. Before I fully decided on my itinerary, I discovered that the town of Rüdesheim was nearby and would make the perfect day trip. Don’t focus only on the big cities or main attractions. If you are going between two places, see what hidden gems are in between them.

You should always go into traveling with an option mind. While things may not go as planned, I find that putting in this research ahead of time makes traveling so much smoother and more enjoyable. Instead of being disappointed that something is closed the only day you are in a city or spending a fortune on taxies because you booked a hotel miles away from public transportation, plan ahead and enjoy your trip fully!

After completing my digital itinerary I print it off and bring it with me on my own travels. It is handy to have all the information in one place. I use my paper itinerary to later help me write my travel itinerary blog posts!

See some example travel itineraries!

#4: Book Your Flights

The Best Flight Booking Sites

When I begin searching for flights I use a fare aggregator. A fare aggregator is more than a flight search engine that searches individual airlines. A fare aggregator searches all the flight search engine sites. That means they find the greatest amount of flights and the very best prices. My go to fare aggregators are Kayak and Skyscanner.

Once I find the flight I want I check the price directly through the airline before purchasing through the fare aggregator site. If the price is the same with the airline I prefer booking directly through them. The reason for this is because I think it is easier to earn points, choose seats, check-in for the flight and do anything else directly through the airline.

If I recommend booking on the airline’s site why I am recommending searching through Kayak or Skyscanner first? First of all it is much quicker. Instead of trying to think of all the different airlines and enter search after search you can see the options in one place. Sometimes there is a special deal and it is worth it to buy a flight cheaper through another site. Finally if there isn’t a direct flight to your destination, sites like Kayak will let you book multiple flights with different airlines that line up. It can be a hassle to do this, but it will often save you money. You can read about my experience taking three different low-cost airlines in one day.

The Best Airlines

My go to airline within the USA is Southwest. They are one of the few airlines that don’t show up on multiple airline flight searches so you will need to book directly through them. Southwest flies to a lot of destinations in the US and some in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. They are a low-cost airline, but you can’t tell. They have one of the most generous baggage policies and their service is always helpful and friendly. Delta is another one of my favorite airlines for both domestic and international travel.

In South America I recommend LATAM and in Europe my top choices are Lufthansa, Austrian and Norwegian. I typically avoid low-cost airlines, but like Southwest, Norwegian is a quality choice. You do have to pay extra for everything on Norwegian, but the different fare choices are clear and given when you book your ticket. All the Norwegian flights I have taken this year have been on new planes with innovative features.

Start searching for flights today on Kayak or Skyscanner! 

#5: Book Your Accommodations

While deciding on a destination and creating your travel itinerary you should check accommodation options. You want to make sure there is a place to stay that meets your budget and amenity needs before fully planning out your itinerary.

Booking.com

If I am staying in one place for less than one week I always stay at hostels, guesthouses, bed and breakfasts or hotels. The best hotel booking site is Booking.com. I have tried many different sites, but Booking is the only one I use anymore. Unlike with flights where I might buy direct through the airline after searching on a flight aggregator, I almost always book through booking without checking the hotel site directly.

Why? The price is almost always cheaper on booking and it is a waste of time to check on the hotel site. After only two bookings you receive genius perks. That means 10% off most bookings. That is on top of already discount prices. Out of the 40 bookings I have made on the site in the last two years I have had zero problems with bookings not being accepted by the hotel or being inaccurate.

AirBnB

When I stay somewhere for more than a week I typically find an apartment through AirBnB. I don’t use AirBnB for only a few nights because they rarely come with breakfast and all the supplies I need for my stay. For a longer stay I really like AirBnB because it is often cheaper per night and makes me feel more at home and like a local in the place I am visiting.

When booking accommodation here are a few things to check for:

• Location: You may think you are saving money by staying outside of the main city center, but think about how much time and money you are spending getting to all the attractions. Consider where the public transportation is and if it runs 24/7.
• Breakfast: I can’t start my day without breakfast, so an included breakfast is a must for me.
• Air Conditioning: In the USA the majority of hotels have AC. This isn’t necessarily the case abroad.
• Elevators: Same with elevators! Think about the weight of your suitcase and carrying it up numerous flights of stairs before you disregard this suggestion.
• Amenities: Check-in time, check-out time, gym, pool, spa, Wifi, parking, shuttle service, refrigerator, microwave, etc — all things to think about before you get to your room and realize you need them.
• Reviews: Any place can take the perfect photos and make themselves sound amazing. The truth is in the reviews, read them!

Get the best accommodation deals today on Booking.com or AirBnB! 

#6 Book Your Activities

As you are creating your itinerary you should have a good idea on the activities you plan to do. Don’t wait too long to book attractions and tickets to events. Just because the place or activity is available and fits in your schedule months before your trip, doesn’t mean it still will be when you arrive.

I stay away from multi-day guided tours because I like having more freedom when I travel. I do like single day tours and especially kayaking, hiking and other adventure day tours. Viator and Get Your Guide are both great for single day tours in destinations around the world.

Book your attraction tickets and day tours today on Viator or Get Your Guide! 

#7 Final Details

You may think you are done once you have your travel itinerary complete and your flights, accommodations and activities booked. Think again! In my what to figure out before traveling abroad post I describe all the logistical items you need to check out before visiting a new country. From buying travel insurance to researching if the tap water is safe to drink, these details are not things you want to forget to do. They will ensure you can have a great time on your vacation and enjoy the hard work you put into planning it.

Hopefully learning about my travel planning process makes you feel more confident on how to plan a trip. Following my travel planning tips will help you create a travel itinerary that saves you money and you are excited to use. Now it is time to have a fabulous trip! 

If you are reading through this post and thinking this sounds great, but it seems like a lot of work……don’t worry, I can help! Through my Personal Travel Planning service I can plan the perfect travel itinerary to any place you dream of visiting! 

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