When it comes to travelling both domestic and abroad, there are a few key things anyone can do to take their dream trip from draft mode to reality. Sometimes, pre-planning can be just as fun as arriving at your destination. Here, I’m breaking down my no frills step by step guide of how I plan my vacations!
Choose Your Destination
This might seem obvious, but having too many destinations (cities/countries) in mind can easily overwhelm you and make it seem like the task is too big — because it is! I love Europe, but I also want to go to Asia soon. Planning both of those trips at once is TOO MUCH for a beginner. I’m only focusing on my immediate upcoming vacation, while keeping some minor things for next year in the works.
I started solo travelling by booking group trips via Contiki – their website is full of general itineraries and ideas. If a place has always sounded intriguing, but you still don’t really know what you’ll do day-to-day, group travel websites (G Adventures, Flash Pack, Intrepid) are a wonderful start to understand what activities are available and get you excited to travel.
Track & Book Affordable Flights
For budget travelers, keeping an eye on flight prices is crucial. Flight costs fluctuate, so setting up alerts can help you snag the best deals. It’s ideal that you have an idea of what a typical flight to your destination costs. Once you have that information, open a few flight alerts to be notified when flights fall in your desired range.
✔️ Use flight tracking tools like Google Flights (see how to book alerts here), Hopper, or Skyscanner to monitor fare drops.
✔️ Book your flight when prices align with your budget—waiting too long can mean missing out on deals!
Pro Tip: Flexible travel dates? Consider flying midweek or during off-peak seasons for the best rates.
Book the Best Accommodation for Your Travel Style
Since you’ve already picked your key destinations (right?), go ahead and start to think about where you’d like to stay. A good rule of thumb is to stay close to a city center as that will be the most walkable and have access to public transportation if needed. Even if you try to save money by sticking to the outskirts, to me it’s not really worth the hassle of trying to make it back to the center where all the attractions are.
Hostels
Keeping your budget in mind, consider what’s most important and the vibe of your vacation. Are you a solo traveler that wants a chance to find a like minded community? Consider a hostel. There are tons of nice hostels, and many have private rooms. If you’re 30+, don’t forget to check if there are age restrictions.
Hotels
For hotels ranging from budget to luxury, my preferred accommodation tools are Google and Booking.com (don’t forget to sign up for their rewards program!). Booking in particular is an easy way to see what’s available – you don’t have to use them and can instead book through the hotel directly.
Privately Owned Homes
Finally, if you’re with a group or just want something more home-y (potentially access to cooking, unique features, etc.), AirBnB is a go to.
Build an Itinerary That Matches Your Travel Pace
Having a centralized place to house all your travel details is a CRITICAL part of my planning process. Luckily, the inclusion of AI and crowd sourcing has made things super easy! I plan my trips on Wanderlog (RIP Inspirock), which houses a ton of cool features and is pretty user-friendly. The pro version is worth it if you have an upcoming trip given the offline capabilities, and you could always cancel after.
Consider the pace of your trip along the way. Do you get tired easily? Don’t try to fit a whole city in a day. Also make your vacation your own. I’m a huge proponent of doing what I want to do – and if that means I chill on the beach and get a massage, then I don’t let myself feel the pressure to do what’s expected or “historic”.
There you have it! My four easy steps to plan a fulfilling and exciting trip. Below are some tried and tested tools I utilize both before and during my trip to provide additional ideas and make booking excursions a breeze.
Handy Tools – bookmark these!
- Rome2Rio – Sometimes, it might be easier to take a ferry, instead of a flight, drive or train. This site includes timing and potential pricing between destinations.
- Citymapper – Makes public transportation much less stressful.
- AirBnB Experiences – A lot of people don’t seem to know that this platform doesn’t just do housing, big cities have a ton of local guides who specialize in being a resource and hosting unforgettable activities. Read the reviews!
- Viator/GetYourGuide – Another great place to book classes, tours, half and full day excursions. One of my favorites was a day trip exploring the Giant’s Causeway, Dublin and Belfast where we learned lots about Irish history and even saw a site where they filmed Game of Thrones!
📍 Where are you traveling next? Drop your dream destination in the comments below! ✈️🌍