How you can Plan a Journey: A Month-by-Month Information

Posted: 4/2/2024 | April 2nd, 2024

Journey planning generally is a daunting activity. Flights, insurance coverage, gear, itineraries, lodging, and a lot extra all must be thought of and sorted out earlier than you go.

It’s straightforward to get overwhelmed, particularly while you haven’t performed one thing like this earlier than.

After over near twenty years of touring the world, I’ve deliberate numerous journeys and holidays for myself, mates, and household, even group excursions. At first, it was trial by fireplace. I realized quite a lot of classes the exhausting means. Nevertheless, that helped me develop an environment friendly guidelines that ensures I don’t miss something essential throughout the trip-planning course of.

One massive query I get requested so much is when to begin planning. To reply that query, this put up breaks the planning course of down into month-by-month steps so you may plan your subsequent journey with ease.

Right here’s tips on how to plan a visit:

12 Months Out: Resolve on Your Vacation spot(s)

Lots of people discuss vaguely about journey: they by no means say the place they’re going, simply that they’re going. They could speak about it for years earlier than truly departing (in the event that they go in any respect). Nevertheless it’s a lot simpler to achieve and plan for the objective of “I’m going to Paris for 2 weeks this summer season” than “I’m going someplace.”

If you have already got a dream vacation spot in thoughts, nice! If not, listed here are some posts that will help you get began:

However, this far out, the actual factor you wish to do is begin saving cash and determining your prices. Lodging and flights are the apparent ones, however how a lot do eating places, points of interest, and different actions value? Understanding these prices will permit you precisely estimate how a lot cash you’ll want. Right here is tips on how to analysis prices:

1. Purchase a guidebook
2. Take a look at my free journey guides (we break down all prices for every vacation spot)
3. Skim the price of dwelling on Numbeo.com
4. Google costs for main actions you wish to do, similar to scuba diving, vineyard excursions, and so forth. (Get Your Information is an efficient place to begin)
5. Use Skyscanner or Google Flights for flight costs and join alerts to get emails if the value adjustments
6. Use Uncover Vehicles to cost out (and e-book) a rental automotive in the event you want one
7. Use Reserving.com and Hostelworld to analysis lodging prices

That will look like so much however you simply wish to get a basic thought of how a lot you’ll want to save. You possibly can head to this web page to see all my articles on how to save cash in your journey.

12 Months Out: Begin Gathering Factors & Miles

When you’re working to save cash, get a journey bank card so you may earn miles and factors free of charge flights and lodge stays. It’s what has stored my prices down and me on the highway for therefore a few years.

Nowadays, most playing cards have welcome presents of 60,000-80,000 factors (some could be as excessive as 100,000) while you meet their minimal spending requirement (typically $2,000-5,000 USD inside a 3–6-month timeframe). That’s sufficient miles for a free round-trip financial system flight to Europe from the East Coast of North America.

For extra info on this topic, try these posts:

As well as, get a fee-free ATM card. I exploit Charles Schwab, however there are many different banks that don’t cost ATM charges (don’t neglect to verify your native banks and credit score unions too). Right here’s how one can keep away from financial institution charges whereas touring.

8 Months Out: Visa Necessities, Passports, and Vaccines

When you probably gained’t want a visa to your required vacation spot, you need to nonetheless verify to verify. For those who’re a US citizen, use the State Division’s search device to find out about your vacation spot’s entry necessities. (Canadians can use this search device.)

Moreover, guarantee that your passport is legitimate for at the least six months after your journey ends. Many nations require this for entry. Passport software and renewal wait instances could be lengthy (the usual is 6-8 weeks within the US), so do that as quickly as attainable.

Additionally, analysis in the event you want any vaccines in your journey as many nations require vaccines to enter (and I don’t imply COVID). You possibly can be taught extra about nation necessities and proposals on the CDC’s web site. They might help you discover a clinic close to you as effectively (in the event you’re within the US).

4-6 Months Out: E-book Your Flight

The most effective time to e-book your flight is mostly round 3-4 months earlier than your departure, or 5-6 months earlier than in case you are going throughout a vacation spot’s peak season. This isn’t a hard-and-fast rule, although, so use it as a information.

Listed here are two articles on tips on how to rating an inexpensive flight:

For those who’ve signed up for a journey bank card and acquired your sign-up bonus, use your miles to e-book your flight and/or lodge. The additional out you e-book, the extra availability there will probably be. Use instruments like Level.me and Awayz that will help you discover the very best redemptions in your factors (for flights and accommodations, respectively).

However even in the event you aren’t utilizing miles or didn’t discover a low cost flight deal, there are nonetheless some ways to keep away from being the particular person on the flight who paid essentially the most for his or her ticket. My two favourite websites for locating low cost airfare are Skyscanner and Google Flights.
 

3-4 Months Out: E-book Your Lodging

For those who’re touring for underneath two weeks and have a set schedule, e-book lodging in the course of your journey. For those who’re visiting throughout the excessive season, it’s additionally a good suggestion to e-book all the things upfront. For journeys longer than two weeks, I counsel reserving solely the primary couple of nights of your journey. As soon as there, you might find yourself wanting to alter your plans primarily based on insider recommendation from different vacationers and/or lodge/hostel employees. I desire having flexibility, so I at all times simply e-book a number of nights and go from there.

Listed here are my go-to websites on the subject of discovering the very best offers on lodging:

• Hostelworld – Hostelworld has the most important choice of hostels and is my go-to website for locating inexpensive hostels.
• Reserving.com – Reserving.com is the very best total platform for locating finances accommodations and guesthouses.
• Agoda – Agoda has the very best outcomes in the event you’re heading to Asia (although it generally has good US offers too).

I like to recommend checking the cancelation coverage of wherever you e-book. I like having the pliability to cancel if one thing comes up.

For those who’re on a good finances otherwise you wish to join with extra locals throughout your travels, take into account becoming a member of platforms like Couchsurfing or BeWelcome. These communities permit vacationers to stick with residents free of charge as a form of cultural alternate.

Lengthy-term vacationers may also attempt housesitting or WWOOFing as effectively, as they each supply free lodging (in alternate for pet sitting or farm work, respectively).

2 Months Out: Plan Your Actions

Now it’s time for the enjoyable a part of journey planning! Meaning studying books about your vacation spot, studying basic journey suggestions, connecting with on-line communities, and pre-booking any vital actions.

Pre-booking ensures you don’t miss out on issues that you simply actually wish to do in your journey. For those who’re going to a well-liked vacation spot, excursions and actions replenish rapidly, and in the event you’re going to a smaller place, actions or excursions would possibly solely run on sure days and have restricted availability.

Both means, Get Your Information the very best place to seek for and pre-book actions, excursions, and tickets. Native tour operators and points of interest can record their choices on this on-line market, so you will discover tons of stuff right here, from meals excursions to museum tickets with skip-the-line entry.

1 Month Out: Get Journey Insurance coverage

Get journey insurance coverage. That means, these purchases are protected ought to one thing occur that makes you cancel your journey.

Lots of people suppose, “I’m wholesome. I don’t want journey insurance coverage.” However journey insurance coverage is rather more than simply medical safety. It covers you when your digicam breaks, your flight is canceled, a member of the family dies and you must come residence, or one thing will get stolen. (That’s why you’ll additionally wish to familiarize your self with any widespread journey scams to look out for, in addition to tips on how to conduct your self with a purpose to mix in to keep away from wanting like a goal for petty theft.)

Sure, it’s an added expense. Nevertheless it’s at all times higher to be secure than sorry. I by no means depart residence with out it, as a result of I’ve seen firsthand simply what can occur on the highway.

I by no means thought I’d pop my eardrum whereas I used to be scuba diving in Thailand, break my digicam in Italy, or get knifed in Colombia.

Sadly, unhealthy issues can occur while you’re touring. True, these occasions are few and much between. However they will value tens of hundreds of {dollars}. For those who’re not ready to pay out of pocket, purchase journey insurance coverage.

Listed here are some posts on journey insurance coverage to get you began:

I by no means depart residence with out journey insurance coverage. You shouldn’t both.

7 days out: Pack!

Your journey is sort of right here, and it’s time to pack! It may be tempting to wish to convey all the things with you “simply in case.” However on the subject of journey, much less is extra. Whereas what you pack will rely on the place you’re going, do not forget that you don’t have to take all the things you personal. You should purchase belongings you want and do laundry on the highway. On the finish of the day, you must carry all the things you convey. So convey much less!

I journey with a 45L REI bag after which a smaller day bag. Right here’s my advised packing record that will help you take simply the correct amount of stuff and keep away from overpacking (right here’s an inventory for feminine vacationers).

Moreover, convey any prescriptions you want in the course of your journey. Attempt to not depend on filling these overseas (although convey a prescription and physician’s be aware simply in case).

With all the things taken care of, it’s time to go in your journey and have enjoyable! Make an inventory of last-minute gadgets you’ll want to pack the day of (your toothbrush, glasses, cellphone charger, and so forth.) and verify in on-line beforehand (you are able to do so 24 hours upfront). (For those who’ve received lounge entry by a premium journey rewards card, you would possibly end up wanting ahead to attending to the airport early.)

For those who’re feeling nervous, don’t fear. That’s completely regular. Feeling anxious or not sure is one thing each traveler experiences. However you’ve made it this far. Belief your planning and observe your instincts. You’re about to have the journey of a lifetime.