How to Plan the Perfect Trip

Today, I'm in my home city for a couple weeks before hitting the road again, and that's why this is the perfect time to talk about trip planning. 

Sexy topic, I know, and most people probably don't get excited about the word “itinerary,” but coming up with a solid travel plan is an essential part of budget travel. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKtj5lDE6o8

Creating the Plan

You need to know what attractions you're going to visit, how to get to the places you want to go, how much it costs to go there and about how much it's going to cost to get there. You also want to have an idea of different restaurants and places where you want to eat.

I know how thrilling this all sounds but honestly, for me, planning for the trip is almost as fun as going on the trip. Dreaming about visiting an amazing place is not at all a bad way to spend your time, and I'm going to show you how to turn those dreams into a truly sexy itinerary. 

I'm so sorry I said that. 

The more carefully you plan your trip, the more information you can gather about your destination, the more ways you're going to find to save money. 

You will also find lots of ways to spend more money than you want and you will have to make some decisions, but once you start making them and really start to plan your trip, things get pretty exciting. 

Your dreams will start to take shape and they stop becoming dreams, because they become your reality. 

So, maybe itineraries are exciting after all. 

Research

You will start by researching your destination. That may sound boring, but you don't have to watch the four hour PBS documentary of the history of Athens before you go to Athens. That's not the kind of research I'm talking about. 

I'm talking about doing what you're already doing. Get on YouTube, get on Instagram, get online and find out what there is to do in your destination. Look for phrases like “must visit places in X location,” or “must see things in X city.” 

Look for famous places and attractions and just start making notes. Everything that looks cool or sounds cool to you, start making a list of all these things. Include anything and everything that sounds like something you might want to do or see or eat. 

Make sure you also add anything you know you want to do while you're there. You chose this destination so probably, there's at least one thing or maybe some things you know you want to see and do there.

Have fun with it! Make a note of shopping places, eating places, anything and everything that sounds fun. We can worry about things like getting to these places and how much they cost later. 

Put as many items on your list as you want. You'll never be able to do them all but don't worry. The more you research, the more you'll start to narrow down this list.

And remember that free attractions are always just a little bit more attractive because of the price. You can't do better than free. So, always look for free attractions wherever you are going. 

If there are two pretty similar options on your list, say two beaches or two museums and one is free, strongly consider choosing the free one.

You'll end up with a, hopefully, decently long list of attractions, places to eat and places to go. And while it may not look like it, this list is the beginning of a very tight, very sharp itinerary. We'll get there, I promise.

Asking Questions

But right now, all you've got is a random list of stuff. So let's start to break that down. In order to come up with a proper travel plan, you're going to have to start looking up each of these list items separately. You're looking for three key pieces of information for each of them. 

One, how much does it cost? This is not quite as easy as it sounds. Some attractions cost more in summer or on weekend days, so make a note of all prices that could apply.

Two, where is it? I don't mean that the Tower Of London is in London or the Eiffel Tower is in Paris, I mean get on your favorite map app and find out where it is in the city. 

You will find that some attractions are not actually in the city you're visiting but outside of it or way in another location that isn't close to other attractions. 

Location matters, because if you're determined to see one of these farther away locations, you'll need extra time for that. 

You have to think about budgeting your time and your money, so always consider how long it will take you to get to one of these places within your destination and what it will cost to get there. 

For example, if you're in a place like London or Paris or a European city with a castle or palace, which is a lot of European cities, you will learn that many of the royal places are actually outside the city. 

That's because royals don't often want to be too close to the regular people. I have that same problem. 

Three, what are the hours? Make a note of the days and times for these places you want to visit, because you don't want to show up somewhere and learn that the thing you wanted to see is closed. 

You will need to know opening and closing times and the availability of things you want to see, and keep a couple things in mind. Events like the changing of the guard or tours of certain places are not always available every day of the week, so check carefully.

Also, be mindful of religious holidays and special celebrations. That includes religious holidays for all kinds of religions. 

Depending on where you're going, you may need to consider important holy days for the Jewish faith, Buddhism, Hinduism, Greek orthodoxy and Catholic and Christian holidays. Some places may have large populations of multiple regions, so you should always check. 

It can really change your plans and that happened to me when I went to Greece, so you definitely want to check. 

I don't want to give too much away, but I found myself in Greece during a very important event that involved people chanting and carrying coffins through the streets, so allow me to emphasize again that you should check for all holidays and special events, no matter where you are going. Because sometimes, things get weird on you. 

The cost, location and availability information you gather during this phase will help you start to pare down that list of things to do. You'll start to find places that are too expensive or too far away from the main tourist areas, places with impossible hours, and that list will already start to get smaller and more manageable. 

You'll be left with a list of places you can reasonably afford and reasonably get to. Now, let's make sure you really want to get there.

Is it Worth It?

While you're finding out location and hours info for all the places on your list, take an extra moment and check out the highlights of the place. Look at the reviews or pictures or the little blurb description. 

You should basically have one reaction: total excitement. If you aren't utterly thrilled by this place you're checking out, if you think maybe it doesn't look so cool and you're feeling iffy about it, cross it off the list.

You only have time for places that you're stoked about, places you are so excited to see you can hardly even stand it. So If you feel anything less, delete it. There are too many amazing places to see for you to spend time somewhere that's only okay.

The exception to this is if you are traveling with your kids or with another person or persons. 

I can't really help you with that one. Having kids is super not budget-friendly, but there are plenty of kid friendly places that are also fun for adults, so aim for stuff that you think could be at least mildly fun if you're involved in a trip with multiple people.

At this point, you've got a lot done. You've cut your list down to affordable, manageable places that you're at least somewhat looking forward to experiencing.

So, before you start to do a lot of work trying to plan out routes and get this schedule cracking, let's talk about using a shortcut. 

After all, you're not taking a trip because you're having so much fun working all the time. So, let's see if we can't make things a whole lot easier by getting whole days or half days planned out for you.

Trip Planning Hack

Get back online and go to at least two of these websites: Get Your Guide, Viator, Expedia, AirBnB. There are many, many other websites that offer the same thing as the ones I just named, but these are the ones I have personally used. 

All of these sites and many like them offer experiences in destinations all over the world. This means day trips outside the city, guided tours within the city, food tours, wine tours, shopping tours, there's a guy in London who will give you a cemetery tour and a lady in Paris who will be your best friend for a whole day. You can find just about anything to do this way and a bunch of stuff you never knew you want to do.

Just type in the city or region you are traveling to, set the parameters for things like price range and the type of stuff you might want to do, and get a look at the options that come up. 

You will find all sorts of cool day trips and planned out experiences, and you might find some awesome stuff you really want to do. You will probably find some planned tours and activities that include stuff that is on your list. 

So, check out these planned activities first. You can potentially find good deals this way and these planned out activities will include travel and some will even include meals, so it's worth it to see what's out there. 

You may get a day or multiple days of your trip easily planned out for you this way.

But you probably can't schedule every day of your trip this way, and there will be stuff you want to plan out yourself. So after you've picked any planned out days or half days you want to add to your trip, put those on your itinerary.

Include the cost of those days right there on the list, which is now shaping up into more of a real itinerary, so you can keep track of your budget easily. 

Now, let's take things to a pro level, so you can schedule the rest of your trip.  

Creating the Plan

Remember our rule: a strong itinerary isn't just about budgeting for money. It's also about budgeting your time. So, now you need to get an idea of how much time you need for these places.

What I'm saying is that some attractions are going to be shorter and some longer…and it's not always the ones you think. 

Don't assume everything takes about an hour to see. That's not the case. Museums tend to take longer, as do outdoor attractions like parks and gardens. 

I tend to very heavily prepare for trips, because I work during my trips and my time has to be really scheduled well. You don't have to go quite to the level of looking up floor plans and mapping out your routes through museums like I do, but you can ask Google questions like “how long does it take to see the Louvre?” “How long do I need at Notre Dame?”

Get an idea of how much time you need at the places you want to see, and make a note of it on your itinerary. Then, add extra time. There will be lines. There will be other people. 

Unless this is something really obscure you're going to, and chances are that you're going to a popular tourist or popular local spot, you will be slowed down by other people. Even when you travel in the off season. 

For super popular attractions, you could wait in line for 3 hours. That is fortunately more rare and it only happens at the super hot spots and usually only on weekends, but figure on at least an extra 30 minutes of line time and take it up to an hour if you're going to a hot spot on a weekend. 

Be realistic about the number of daylight hours you have to work with and your own capabilities. You don't want to just run yourself ragged while you're on vacation. You also need down time and remember that you need meal time as well, not to mention travel time as you move between attractions. 

So make a note of the time you need to actually see and enjoy these places, add in time for meals, and that list of random places you started with is really turning into something now.

When it comes to meals, consider your destination. Food culture varies widely from destination to destination. In the U.S., when you go to a restaurant,  even nice restaurants, your server is going to move you along as fast as they can through every phase of the meal. 

They take your order quickly, they try to get the food out as fast as they can, they come to take the plates and they're right there asking if you need more stuff or if you're ready to get  your butt out the chair and hit the road.

Many large cities you visit will be the same. But some places are not like this at all. In Greece, for example, meals are events. It's also more like this in parts of Spain and in many Asian destinations. You're meant to spend a lot of time enjoying the meal, talking, relaxing. 

It can be utterly maddening for Americans. Servers in Greece will take their time with bringing you menus and food. With taking your order. It is a slow process. 

So try to learn about the food culture where you're going and schedule extra time for meals if needed. If you're going to a super popular restaurant, you'll also need to add in more time because you will probably have to wait for a table. Even street food might not be a super quick option because if you're going to a really popular street food area, you'll probably have to wait in line for what you want.

You have a working itinerary now that's in pretty great shape. You know where you're going on your trip, you've got some planned activities, you know how much time you're going to need for the places you're going and the meals you will be eating. 

Let's turn this into a real trip schedule, shall we? 

Getting Pro With It

You already looked up where everywhere place you want to go is located, so now go back to your map and really start looking at where these places are. 

Find the attractions that are close together  because the smart play is to go to places that are near each other on the same day. 

So under all these notes you've made, create a list of all the days of your trip. Include the calendar date and the day of the week and put each one on its own line and separate your days with some blank lines.

You can use a spreadsheet or scheduling software if you want later but I find that in the initial planning phases, it's easier to work inside a blank document in a list format. But do what's going to work for you. If it's easier for you to get organized using something else, use that. 

Include the day you arrive and the day you're leaving. Put down the time you will get to your destination that first day and the time you need to leave for the airport on the last day. Make a note of your check in and check out times at your accommodations as well.

Any days that are already scheduled due to activities you've selected can be added to the itinerary. Check the available dates and add these planned days to the list first, because these are more difficult to tweak than the days you plan out yourself. 

With those in position, you know what days you have free for all the other stuff you want to do. So, take a look at how much time you need to spend at these places, their distance from other places on the list, and start planning each day of the trip. 

If you're going to three attractions all in the same area of your destination, pick a day to go see all three of them. Schedule every day so that you're staying within one area whenever possible to cut down on time and costs traveling between activities. 

As you add plans to each day, include the time you need for each attraction and meals for the day to make sure this really is a feasible day that you can live out. Remember to include the prices for tickets. 

You know the cost of your attractions already. Include meal costs as well. If you know a specific restaurant or food option you will be going to, look that place up to get a good idea of its price range. Look at the menus and make a note of the price you expect to pay. Add a meal budget for every meal of the trip. 

You'll make changes and play around with this a lot as you fine-tune your trip itinerary.  But once every single place you want to see is added to this list on each specific day, you can take things to the super pro level.

Let's Get Serious

Because you've only done some of the work here. Now that you know what you're doing on this trip, you need to work out how you're getting there. Every place you want to go. Every day.

Yeah you guessed it. Back to the map!

You're going to start and end each day at your accommodations, so go ahead and pin that location. 

Now, let's map. Starting on day one and activity one of your trip, type in that first destination and look at the directions from your accommodations to that place. 

Google Maps is good because it will show you different ways to travel. You will get to see routes for walking, riding in a car and any public transportation that is available to you. You will even get to see what the estimated cost is, which is super helpful.

You need to do this for every single place you want to go, and remember that you have to get back to your accommodations at the end of the day. 

Be realistic about how much walking you can do. Pay attention to price differences between taking taxis or ride share compared to public transportation. Find out if the public transportation is any good. 

There are some places that have terrible public transportation – and for more on that nightmare, tune into my Bali playlist because I'm going to show you how to really be creative with some inner city travel. 

Subways tend to be very reliable, busses are not always, depending on where you are. So  consider that as you map out your routes and include the cost of every bus, every subway, every taxi you intend to take. Because while we're building our itinerary, we are also building our trip budget. 

Stick with me, because I'm showing you all the tricks over here. You're going to know as much as the Travelocity Gnome before we're done. And if you don't know who that is, he's my husband.

I married a garden gnome. Don't come at me with some anti-interspecies marriage negativity. The important thing is that we're happy, okay? We're happy.

Doing all of this and putting this itinerary together will take time. This is not a one day project. I spent two months on my itinerary for Greece, so this will be an ongoing task. 

But when it is done, you will have a good itinerary to follow and a trip budget. You'll know exactly how to get to where you need to be and you'll have a plan to follow. This will keep you on track and it will really help you manage your budget. 

...But You Can Loosen Up a Bit

With that said, this is just a plan. It's a solid plan but it is not a holy document. This itinerary was not given to you by a burning bush on a mountaintop. You do not have to follow it like it's sacred. 

Don't be afraid to break it. Be flexible. If something cool comes along, some opportunity or some cool new friends, don't be afraid to deviate because it's in the unplanned moments that great things can happen. 

I will not come for you like the ghost of vacations past if you deviate from this plan.

It is good to have a plan, to have routes to follow, to have a solid budget. But it's also important to be open to experiences. Don't take it too far. If some dude is whispering at you from an alley, you might want to consider it before you pursue whatever is happening there. But don't be afraid to go check out a club or restaurant or something you discover that looks fun. Be open, don't be foolish, is what I'm saying.

You now know how to design a perfect plan for your next trip. 

I've got to get back to my gnome now and you've got a trip to plan, so maybe I'll see you out there in the world one day. 

Now, Voyager, go forth to seek and find.