How To Plan a Trip: Back to the Basics (with a free checklist!)

You know that feeling when you picked out the perfect vacation, the time is right and the money is long?

But sometimes all that planning can seem a little daunting.

So today we’re going to go back to basics and breaking down the steps of how to plan a trip. A kick-ass trip. If you are embarking on a road trip then you need to make sure you are insured for the journey ahead. Checking out low car insurance might be helpful. (Spoiler alert: there are only five steps!)

1. The Transportation Part

How are you going to get where you’re going? Plane, train, bus, car? Think about time and money. Make sure to shop around too. Skyscanner is one of my favourite websites for comparing airfare. Choose “whole month” for your dates and you can see what days are cheapest to fly on. There are similar websites out there for trains and buses too. Easy, breezy, beautiful travel. Those that are wanting to travel by car but budgets won’t allow for it, finding a cheap second-hand car is as easy as searching for a make and model, for example, this 2006 lexus gs300 turbo kit for sale.

2. The Accommodation Part

Where are you going to rest your head at the end of the day? I’ve always thought of hotels/hostels as just a place to sleep so spending big bucks on them never made too much sense (assuming you’re touring around a city). Hostelworld is a great and cheap hostel locator.

Pro tip: see if you have any friends or family in the city. Chances are they’re be more than happy to put you up for a night or three.

3. The Activities Part

What are you going to see, do, eat and see while you’re out and about? You don’t have do any major research but make a little list of famous monuments you’d like to see and take a glance or two at a map. If you have some concept of where you are, the trip gets 56% easier.

4. The Money Part

Ahh, yes. How are you going to fund this adventure? Check out my post on budgeting for a trip if you want some pointers on just how travel expenses all break down.

5. The Packing Part

Whatcha going to bring? These too can seem like the most daunting part but fear not! I’ve already made you a guide on how to pack. Or how to pack just an overnight bag. Don’t. Forget. Underwear.

Simple enough right?! Above is a free checklist of how to plan a trip to get you going. I always find that breaking things down into smaller parts make everything so much easier.

What’s the next trip you’re planning? Do you have any planning tips?

*image from here