18 easy steps FOR planning YOUR next trip
Last Updated: 4/17/22 | April 17th, 2022
I remember when I started planning my first trip around the world. I had no idea what I was doing.
When I chose to quit my job and travel the world, I walked into a bookstore and purchased Lonely Planet’s Southeast Asia on Shoestring. purchasing that guidebook was my first step toward long-term travel. It made the trip seem much more real, much more tangible. It made it all seem possible.
While helpful, the book didn’t exactly prepare me for planning a trip around the world. Back then, there weren’t really travel blogs, sharing economy websites, and apps like there are today. I was thrilled and identified — but I was lost. I had to figure it out as I went, hoping I didn’t miss anything important.
Trip planning can be a daunting task. Where do you begin? What’s step one? What’s step two? What’s step three?
It’s easy to get overwhelmed, especially when you haven’t done something like this before — and especially considering just how much information there is out there these days. Blogs, social media, and guidebooks have never been much more plentiful. There’s a firehose of information out there that can in some cases make the task of planning a trip even much more challenging and overwhelming.
After a decade of traveling the world, I’ve planned numerous trips and getaways for myself, friends, family, and even group tours. In the beginning, it was trial by fire and I learned a lot of lessons the hard way. However, that helped me develop an efficient checklist that guarantees I don’t miss anything essential during the trip planning process.
After all, I don’t want to get to my next destination and then realize I forgot something. and neither do you!
There is a lot of information on this site (and even much more information packed into my book), but one question that comes up frequently is, “Matt, how do I put this all together? how do I plan a trip?”
In a continuing effort to help you get out the door and into the world, I’ve created this step-by-step guide on how to plan a trip. It works for any kind of trip and no matter how long you’re going for! just follow this checklist and you’ll be off in no time!
Índice
Step 1: decide Where You want To Go
Step 2: decide the length of Your Trip
Step 3: will you travel Solo?
Step 4: research Your Costs
Step 5: start saving Money
Step 6: get a travels rewards credit report Card
Step 7: switch to No-Fee ATM Cards
Step 8: stay Focused and Inspired
Step 9: check for last-minute Deals
Step 10: book Your Flight
Step 11: book Your Accommodation
Step 12: plan Your Activities
Step 13: sell Your Stuff
Step 14: Automate Your Bills
Step 15: tell Your Card companies You’re Traveling
Step 16: Pack!
Step 17: purchase travel Insurance
Step 18: delight in Your Trip
If you want to jump ahead, simply click on any of the links above.
Step 1: decide Where You want To Go
Defining where you want to go sets a goal to work toward. A lot of people talk vaguely about travel. They never say where they are going, just that they are going. picking a destination is immensely important, as it gives you a certain goal.
It’s a lot simpler to mentally get behind “I am going to Paris in the summer” than “I’m going to Europe” or “I’m going somewhere.” Not only will your trip become much more concrete for you and simpler to commit to, but it will make planning simpler as well…because you know what to work towards. get particular with your plans. get detailed. The much more focused and concrete your goal, the simpler it will be to actually reach it.
Resources for picking your travel destination:
200+ extensive Destination Guides
10 Destinations Under $30 Per Day
10 Destinations to visit When You’re a budget Traveler
The best tropical Islands in the World
Step 2: decide the length of Your Trip
How much does it cost to travel? Depende!
Without knowing how long you’re going away for, I can’t answer that question. and it’s a question you need to answer so you can start planning!
In purchase to figure out how much you need to save you’ll need to know how long your trip will be.
Are you going away for a week? Um mês? Um ano?
The length of your trip is a huge element in identifying how much money you need. spend some time mulling that over until you have your answer.
For example, after you say “I’m going to Paris this summer,” add “for X days.” That way you can start to narrow down just how much money you’re going to need to save. “I am going to Paris for 10 days” is a trip that you can plan for. It’s an attainable goal.
Step 3: will You travel Solo or choose Someone?
One of the most significant decisions you’ll need to make is whether you’re going to go alone or travel with someone. Both are great options — but they are decidedly different choices too.
Traveling solo gives you the freedom to go anywhere you want. No compromising. You just go wherever the wind takes you! However, it implies you have to do all the planning yourself — which can seem daunting if you’re new to trip planning.
Traveling with someone implies you have someone to help plan the trip with you. It will make researching your schedule faster and you’ll have someone to spend time with on the road. However, it also implies you’ll need to compromise sometimes. possibly on meals or activities or accommodation. It will just depend on you and the person you travel with.
At the end of the day, there is no wrong answer.
Personally, I love the freedom of solo travel. but I’ve had some amazing trips with friends too. chances are you’ll get to do both over the years. but for now, what is this trip going to be? Solo or with someone?
Step 4: research Your Costs
So you know where you’re going and how long you’ll be there, but to really nail down how much money you need, your next task is to research the costs in your destination at the style of travel you want.
Do you want to backpack, or would you rather stay in luxury hotels?
How much are hostels, hotels, restaurants, and attractions?
Knowing will allow you to estimate how much money you’ll need for your trip. here is how to research costs:
Buy a guidebook.
Check out my travel guide section.
Google prices for particular things you want to do, such as scuba diving, bungy jumping, winery tours, etc.
You don’t need to do much more than that. There’s so much information on the web that if you go down the rabbit hole of overplanning, you’ll get lost and confused by the firehose of information. stick to those four things and you’ll be set!
In our example, if you are going to Paris for 10 days and need at least $75 USD a day (not including your flight), you know you need to save $750 USD (though round up to $800 USD because it’s good to have extra) for your trip.
If you were to travel around the world for a year, you’d need $50 USD a day.
Here are some other insightful messages that will help you better estimate your costs:
5 ways to Make Your money Last When You Travel
How to know the travel info You find is Legit
How I research My Solo travel Destinations
Step 5: start saving Money
Before you can start saving money, you need to know how much you have and how much you’re spending. start to write down all your current expenses so you can identify where you are spending money — and how you can cut back.
People bleed a lot of money every day through small purchases: a coffee here, a snack there. all of that adds up. In purchase to make changes to your spending habits, you first need to understand them. Making a list will do just that. It will also put your financial needs into a better perspective.
For example, if you need $2,000 USD for the trip you’re taking in eight months, that implies you only have to save $8.33 USD per day. Couldn’t you find a way to save $8 USD per day? Heck, your daily coffee is many of that!
If you’re struggling to save money, here are 23 ways to cut your expenses and save money for travel. This will help you get started and on the road to saving money in no time!
Step 6: get a travels rewards credit report Card
While you’re working to save money, get a travel credit report card so you can earn sign-up bonuses to redeem miles and points for totally free flights and hotel stays. Collecting points and miles from travel credit report cards is how I get tons of totally free flights, totally free hotel stays, and totally free travel perks every single year — and without any extra spending too!
These days, many cards have welcome provides of up to 50,000 points when you meet their minimum spending requirement. That’s enough miles for a totally free flight practically anywhere in the world!
If you want a totally free flight, sign up for the cards that help with that. If you want totally free hotel rooms, get a hotel card. Either way, sign up for a travel credit report card and start earning points today. As long as you can pay off your monthly balance, you’ll get totally free travel credit.
You don’t need to sign up for very numerous cards either; pick one or two and focus on those. Do this the moment you decide you want to travel. Don’t wait — waiting equals lost miles, which implies less totally free travel.
Collecting points and miles (which is called “travel hacking”) is what all the experts do to cut their costs and travel longer. It’s what has kept my costs down and me on the road for so numerous years. While the best cards are only available in the US, there are still plenty of options for Canadians as well as folks from Europe, Australia, and new Zealand.
For much more information on travel hacking and travel credit report cards, check out these posts:
Travel Hacking 101: A Beginner’s Guide
How to pick the best travel credit report Card
How I earn 1 Million frequent Flier Miles Every Year
The best travel credit report Cards
The supreme guide to travel Hacking
How to Be a travel Hacker in CanadaEtapa 7: mude para cartões ATM sem taxa
Quando estiver no exterior, você vai precisar de dinheiro. Embora vários países aceitem boletins de crédito, na maioria dos países, o dinheiro ainda é rei. Isso implica que você precisará usar caixas eletrônicos para retirar a moeda local. E isso também implica que você será derrubado pelas taxas do ATM.
Se você está fora por uma semana ou duas, pagar alguns dólares em taxas de caixa eletrônico não é o fim do mundo. Mas se você estiver fora por um período mais longo, essas taxas aumentarão e mastigarão seu orçamento de viagem – um orçamento que você trabalhou duro para crescer. Não dê aos bancos nenhum de seu dinheiro suado.
Como? Usando um cartão ATM sem taxa.
Eu uso Charles Schwab, mas há muitos outros bancos (não se esqueça de verificar seus bancos locais) que não cobram taxas de caixa eletrônico. Além disso, você pode ingressar em um banco na Aliança ATM global.
Ao usar um cartão ATM sem taxa, você pode evitar essas taxas de caixa eletrônico irritantes, deixando muito mais dinheiro para o que se destinava: viajar
Aqui está exatamente como você pode evitar taxas de caixa eletrônico durante a viagem.
Etapa 8: Fique focado e inspirado
Enquanto você se aproxima do seu objetivo, certifique -se de continuar alimentando seu desejo de viajar. O planejamento de viagens pode ser cansativo e esmagador – especialmente se você não tiver apoio de seus amigos e familiares (e especialmente se sua viagem ainda estiver a meses). Muitas vezes, pode ficar desanimador e se sentir fora de alcance às vezes.
Felizmente, existem várias maneiras de manter o foco e manter seu ânimo, graças à incrível comunidade que temos neste site. Aqui estão algumas histórias de viagem inspiradoras para ajudar a mantê -lo inspirado a viajar:
Por que nunca é o momento ideal para viajar
13 livros de viagem que lhe darão sério
Como Michael economizou US $ 14 mil em seis meses
Por que um casal de 50 anos vendeu tudo para viajar pelo mundo
Como mudar a mentalidade “sou muito pobre para viajar” e dizer sim para viajar
8 maneiras de se manter motivado para viajar
Além disso, junte -se à nossa comunidade de viagens on -line na rede nômade. Você não apenas encontrará suporte (e toneladas de dicas) on-line, mas também hospedamos eventos pessoais e virtuais regulares em todo o mundo. Esta é uma ótima maneira de se inspirar, conhecer outros viajantes incríveis em sua área e obter conselhos de viagem.
Etapa 9: verifique se há ofertas de última hora
Ok, você está inspirado, preparado e a caminho de economizar dinheiro para sua viagem. Mas antes de comprar esse voo ou reservar esse hotel, verifique as ofertas que você pode ter perdido. Você pode sonhar com Paris, mas talvez haja grandes negócios para Berlin Best agora. Ou talvez você possa obter um cruzeiro de sete dias com 70% de desconto, um pacote para o Havaí pelo preço do seu voo para Paris ou 50% de desconto em viagens à Grécia.
Hoje em dia, sempre há um acordo – especialmente se você é flexível com suas datas e/ou destinos. Alguns sites de negócios que vale a pena conferir são:
Voos baratos de Scott
O acordo de vôo
Piratas de férias
Etapa 10: Reserve seu voo
Depois de usar o seu boletim de crédito e receber seu bônus de inscrição, use suas milhas para reservar seu voo. Hoje em dia, é mais difícil usar as milhas devido a menos disponibilidade; portanto, reserve com antecedência para garantir que você obtenha o voo desejado.
Felizmente, ainda existem inúmeras maneiras de evitar ser a pessoa no voo que mais pagou pelo ingresso. Meus sites favoritos para encontrar passagem aérea barata são:
Skyscanner – Skyscanner é o melhor site para pesquisar vários destinos ao mesmo tempo.
Os voos do Google – como o Skyscanner, o Google Voies são ótimos para pesquisas abertas para vários destinos.
Kiwi-Kiwi é ótimo para encontrar rotas menos conhecidas ou portadores menores.
Airtreks-Airtreks se concentra exclusivamente em ingressos para RTW com vários destinos.
Para as melhores ofertas, reserve seu voo com cerca de três a três meses de antecedência. Aqui estão dois artigos sobre como marcar um voo barato:
Como encontrar voos baratos
Reservando voos: tudo o que você precisa saber
Etapa 11: Reserve sua acomodação
Se você estiver viajando por menos de duas semanas e tiver um cronograma definido, sinta -se totalmente à vontade para reservar acomodações durante a sua viagem, se isso lhe dar tranquilidade (ou se você vai durão