How to Plan the Ultimate Trip
Make sure you are fully prepped for your next adventure with this ultimate trip planning guide! After taking over 40 trips and planning many more, I am here to help you make the most out of your next vacation. Below, I have outlined for you 10 easy steps to plan your perfect trip.
Need some planning help? Contact Sara at wandermoore24@gmail.com for more information on our custom itinerary planning options!
Disclaimer: Affiliate links are used which means if you purchase via my link I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you! I only recommend products I use and love!
Trip Planning Step 1: Pick Which Type of Trip You Want
The first thing you want to do when planning a trip is deciding what kind of trip you want to take! I have found that the easiest way to start is to decide if you want a relaxation type trip (think sitting on a beach, all-inclusive resorts, or a cruise) or a see the sights type of trip (think European tour, road trip, or Safari). Some may even want to take a trip which offers both!
Those who enjoy relaxing and cutting loose on a trip might want to go for something a bit more relaxing. While those who are easily bored may want to go on a trip that has a few more activities planned.
You might also want to consider who you want to travel with. Solo Travel? Couples Travel? Family Trip? This is an important first step to take before you plan the rest of your trip.
Trip Planning Step 2: Narrow Down Your Choice
The next step to planning the best trip possible is to narrow down your choice of travel type. Do you want to go on an ecotour, bike tour, adventure tour, wine tasting tour, or beach hopping adventure? Deciding this first will help you later pick your destination! There are so many trip ideas to choose from, here are a few of my favorite for a little inspiration. Another great place to look for inspiration is, of course, Instagram, which is full of beautiful travel photos sure to make you want to hop on a plane!
Other Trip Type Ideas:
- Coffee Tour
- Beer Tour
- Ski Trip
- Cruise
- Hiking Trip
- European Tour
- Out West Road Trip
- African Safari
- Scuba Diving Tour
- Historical Art Tour
Trip Planning Step 3: Decide Your Budget
Now that you have some idea of the type of trip you wish to take, you should set a budget before selecting a travel location. Everyone’s budget is different and it is very important not to overspend on a trip. Going into debt for travel is never a good thing. So make sure you take everything into consideration when you are planning your budget. My top costs to consider include:
- Plane tickets
- Hotel/Bnb/Airbnb/Vrbo
- Gas
- Transfers (from airport to hotel or ship)
- Baggage fees
- Tour costs
- Food and Beverage
- Souvenirs and gifts
- Credit Card fees/International spending fees
- Transportation-taxi’s, trains, rental cars, etc…
- Travel Insurance
If you are looking for a great book on how to budget for travel, check out Nomadic Matt’s book- How to Travel the World on $50 per day.
Trip Planning Step 4: Pick Your Destination
Now that you have your budget all figured out and what type of trip you want to take, you can start researching locations. The best place to look for great locations with inspiring photos and in-depth information is Pinterest! Myself and many of my fellow bloggers offer their suggestions via lovely pins on Pinterest. You can easily search through the various pins to find a location that fits your travel preferences and budget.
For example, if you wish to take a ski trip, you could simply search Top Ski Resorts or Budget Ski trips or even location-based searches such as European Ski Resorts or Top Colorado Ski Resorts. From here, you will be shown tons of options for you to look through and choose from. You may even discover a few new Pinterest pages you want to follow.
Trip Planning Step 5: Book Flights
Now that you have chosen your destination, it’s time to book your flights! There are many different websites that claim to get you the best deals but my favorite is Booking.com. They always offer great flight deals, package options and have great customer service. Plus, you can book more than just flights- car rentals, hotels, and more.
You can also check out Scotts Cheap Flights. This is a subscription-based service that allows you early access to the best deals. You pay a monthly fee and you will get an email every time one of your destinations has a travel deal.
It’s also important to know how far in advance to book your flight to get the best deal. For most domestic flights, if you are based in the US, is about 50-60 days in advance. Whereas when traveling internationally, you should book farther in advance, up to 150-200 days. Each country is different so make sure to research this in advance you can get the best price.
Trip Planning Step 6: Book Accommodations
After your flights are all set, it’s time to book your accommodations. While traveling you have many options to choose from all with their own pros and cons. Some of these options include:
- Hotel
- Motel
- Resort
- Bed and Breakfast
- Airbnb
- Vrbo
- House Rental
- Home Stay
- Camping/RV
Depending on your destination, you will have to make the best choice you can. Do keep in mind your budget when booking accommodations. Hotels and resorts can be more expensive while a BnB or rental can be more economical if you are staying in one location for any length of time. If you are traveling around or doing a road trip it might make more sense to book a hotel or BnB where you will have access to locals who can help you with any questions you might have about the local area.
Trip Planning Step 7: Book Things To Do
Now that your flights and accommodations are all firmed up, it’s time to figure out all the fun things to do on your travels! This is always my favorite part. I like to use websites like Yelp and Tripadvisor to help me find the best things to do on trips. Reading travel blogs and searching on Pinterest can also help. I also like to book tours using Viator– they use great local guides which makes each tour unique- plus they have great prices!
Another suggestion would be to book all tours or tickets in advance. Many of the most popular tours book up weeks or even months in advance. Booking with local tour guides can also help too! That’s another reason I love using Booking.com – their tour guides are always the best.
When looking for restaurants, it’s good to keep in mind that there are many good places to eat and it may make more sense to eat at one along your intended route for the day versus driving or walking a great deal out of your way.
Make sure not to over-plan your activities. I like to plan one or two things to do each day and maybe one restaurant. Then I leave the rest up to what we feel like doing that day. It’s a little bit more relaxed this way and you won’t feel so pressured to be someplace every minute of every day.
Once your done booking and planning everything make sure to store all of this in Tripit– the highest rated trip planning app!
Trip Planning Step 8: Put Together Your Packing List
Up next, it’s time to put your packing list together. Now, the items you will need for your trip will vary greatly by where you are heading. But its always good to have these essentials when traveling:
- Ear Buds
- Neck Pillow
- Tablet or phone – pre-download movies or books
- Passport and Passport Holder
- First Aid Kit
- Personal Medicines- pain killers, cold medicine, prescription medicines, etc…
- Snacks and Water
- Backpack
- Water Bottle
- Power Converter
- Portable Noise Maker
- Door Alarm
- Hand Sanitizer
- Camera/video camera with extra batteries and adaptor
- Computer/Tablet
- Foreign currency (Euros for Italy)
- Credit Cards
Another good thing to keep in mind when planning out your clothes is the weather. You may think you know that California is normally fairly warm but not in San Fransisco. The bay area has a unique climate and is normally cooler than the rest of the state. On a trip there in 2006, we all ended up with San Fran sweatshirts because we didn’t pack correctly. Always double-check the weather a few weeks out or research the average highs and lows for your destination.
You can always download a list if you don’t feel like coming up with all the specifics yourself. Check out the packing list I created for my recent Italy trip. You can also use an app called Packing Pro. This app will help you keep track of everything you need in one easy, digital checklist. If you are in need of a custom-made packing list please reach out to Sara at wandermoore24@gmail.com for details!
Trip Planning Step 9: Additional Prep
Now that you have most of your trip planning complete, don’t forget these final preparation details. Some of these are easily forgettable so I tried to think of everything I could add here to help you out!
- Scan all travel documents- it’s so important to keep a copy on you and in your room/bags just in case you lose one.
- Sign up for Smart Traveler Enrollment Program(STEP)– this service allows you to register your trip with the US Embassy within the country you are traveling
- Let others know your travel itinerary.
- Get International Currency (if needed)- I find that I get better exchange rates at my local bank versus the airport- so make sure to get this done in advance
- Make sure you have met all the Visa travel requirements
- Get any vaccinations you may need.= You will need to do this well in advance, especially if you are traveling to Africa.
- Download movies/TV shows/Audiobooks on your device. Or pack a book!
- Let your bank know you’re leaving- you don’t want your debit card to get shut down
- Get an international credit card to avoid fees.
- Get Travel Insurance.
Trip Planning Step 10: Download Valuable Travel Apps
Right before you go on your trip, make sure you have all the apps you need on your phone to make your journey a successful one. Here are some of my favorites!
- RoadTrippers
- Yelp
- TripAdvisor
- Visit A City
- Google Maps
- Planningpro
- Tripit
- Booking.com (or whatever you used)
- Airbnb (if you booked with them)
- Viator( if you have tours booked)
- Banking Apps
- Airline app
- Hotel app (whatever you used to book accommodations)
Need Some Planning Help?
Contact Sara at wandermoore24@gmail.com for more information on our custom itinerary planning options!
Looking for more travel tips?
Why you NEED to take a day off after travel
Get all your Top Travel Products
Pin for Later!
Subscribe to WanderMoore
About the Author
Hi my name is Sara and I am the creator of WanderMoore! 🙂 I started WanderMoore in early 2020 after leaving a full-time job in the Communications/Marketing field to stay home and raise my kiddos, Mila and Liam. I wanted something fun to work on in my free time and WanderMoore has become one of my biggest passions! Thank you for reading my post! I can't wait to share more of my travel adventures with you 🙂
It’s the narrowing down choices I have the biggest trouble with. I always want to do everything and try to pack so much in, but I also can never decide where I want to go. Everywhere seems like it needs to be top of the list
There is always this feeling of FOMO when I plan to skip an attraction I am not really interested in visiting. Peer pressure makes it so difficult to miss any of the major attractions.
Great tips on how to plan your trip! I always struggle just picking a place because I have such a large list and I can’t seem to narrow it down!
These are great tips!
Great tips! I really like booking things to do ahead of time, but like you, I try to keep actual plans to one or two a day so that there is some room for spontaneity!
Great tips! I love planning trips. I’m planning one for July right now that I am so excited for. We’re going to Yellowstone for the first time, then we’ll end up in Seattle. Finally, we’ll hit a little of the Redwoods before driving back. I’m also excited about all the things to see along the way. My only wish is that I could travel more!
Great tips on how to plan the ultimate trip! It’s amazing how many details go into travel planning!
I love all the planning aspects of a trip!
Awesome list on how to plan the ultimate trip! I am the sole vacation planner in my household, so it isn’t always easy. I have a tendency to overplan things! LOL. Thanks to the tips.
These are great tips! Especially the details for after everything is booked…the precautionary tips that many overlook!
Very thorough planning guide! I love planning trips. It’s part of the anticipation. Your post makes me want to travel again so much!
Great tips! I can’t wait to start planning my next trip!