HOW WE PLAN OUR TRIPS: WHERE, WHEN, WHAT, & HOW
- Cameron Cooper
- Apr 20, 2020
- 7 min read
Are you looking to go on a bitchin' trip? Well look no further! These bitches are here to help you with everything you need to do and know to plan a perfect trip to wherever you desire. We're here to tell you our tips and secrets on how we decide where to go, when to go, what to do, how to book, and how to do it while staying on a budget. We've even included downloadables for documents that we use when planning our own trips.
Interested in having us plan your next trip? Learn more here.
HOW WE DECIDE WHERE & WHEN TO GO
Not sure where you should go? Or having a hard time figuring out when you should?
Narrow locations down - we have an active list of our bucket list places of where all we want to visit - and you all should create one too if you don't already have one. When we're ready to start planning a trip, we then narrow that list down to the top 3-5 most sought after destinations for us.
Decide when to go - deciding when we want to go on a trip helps us make better decisions on what city we go to. You need to think through your schedule over the coming months; Do you have any prior commitments that will conflict with you going on vacation at a certain time? Do you have enough Paid Time Off right now to go or should you wait until the end of the year to accrue more? Are there any upcoming holidays you can plan your trip around (for those in the U.S., don't forget Labor Day, Memorial Day, or Independence Day) so you can use less vacation days? Have you thought about the weather in the locations you're considering (it may be different than your home country's weather)? Do you want to go in off-season (usually means less people but poorer weather) or peak-season (usually means more tourists but is the best time go go)?
Check out flight deals - if you're on a budget like we typically are, searching for as many flight deals as possible is always a top priority. Filter by your top cities but also filter by your timeframe of when you're wanting to go. It's time to be open about your destinations - are there great deals during the time you want to go but not to your top cities? It may be time to consider exploring a place you never thought you wanted to! Also take in to consideration flight deals that are CLOSE to your top cities - is there a flight deal to another city that's a short plane/bus/train ride away? It might be worth it to add an extra layover in order to save some money.
Lock in a main location - depending on your top cities, flight deals, and the time of year you're looking to go, it's time to pull the plug and make a final decision on the main city you want to visit that you want your trip to revolve around.
One or multiple cities? - depending on how long you're able to take your vacation, you may consider going to multiple cities in the surrounding area of your main location. I know that when we take trips, we try to knock out as much as possible, so that means multiple cities and most of the time, multiple countries. So if you're able to be gone for longer than a week, I would definitely consider destination-hopping.
Multiple cities - if you DO decide you want to go to multiple cities, it's time to decide which ones. Typically we look for places that are a short train ride away or at most a less than 2 hour flight away. If you are trying to go somewhere a bit farther from your destination, we would recommend considering taking an overnight bus trip so you don't waste too much of your vacation time traveling between places instead of exploring. Do some research online for "best day trips from ____" to help you decide where to go.
HOW WE DECIDE WHAT TO DO
First time going to a city and not sure what you want or should do during your time?
Make a list of must-dos - when we have our destinations in mind, typically they're revolved around things we want to do/see there already. So we make that list of things we already know we HAVE to do while there. This includes major tourist attractions or big experiences you are looking forward to, like going to see the Eiffel Tower or bungee jumping in Dubai.
Do tons of research - we get some of our best travel inspo from other travelers so that's why when we're planning a trip, we look to them and their recommendations! Check out travel guides and itineraries of experienced travelers that have already been there. Some keywords we always search for is "how to spend _ days in _____" or "what to do first time in ____"or "must do in ______."
Read a lot of reviews - again, other travelers know it best! Check out their reviews of restaurants, bars, hotels, and excursions in general. Some places may be listed as most "popular" but that doesn't always mean the place is good, just could mean the place is busy or they have great SEO or advertising.
Decide how much you can/want to do - when we are on vacation, especially in a city we've never been to, we're on the go all the time. We work on knocking out as much as possible to try to see everything for the short time period that we're there because you never know when/if you'll be back. But we understand not everyone is like that, so you need to decide what your limit is.
Build an itinerary - we typically create a Google Doc where everyone traveling on the trip can collaborate with each other. You can check out an example itinerary we used on a past trip here. We break it down by each day of our trip, include all travel details (flight confirmations, hotel name and address, booking numbers, check-in info, etc), and bullet point lists of what you want to do each day. Be sure to include specific times and any helpful notes - should you walk some places and taxi/Uber to others? Are some places super close together and you should knock them out back-to-back? Does a place have weird opening hours? Can you only buy tickets onsite or only online? All great questions when planning out your days. You can download (File > Download as > Microsoft Word) a Template Itinerary for you to use here.
HOW WE BOOK OUR TRIP
Not an experienced traveller and not sure what to book when?
Book flights - this includes flights to/from your home city and also any flights between cities if you're going to more than one. Flights are typically the most expensive, so we recommend booking those about 2-3 months out.
Book other transportation - when we say this, we mean transportation between cities/countries that are not flights, like trains and buses or even a rental car. Booking this early on solidifies your trip so you are able to confidently plan your itinerary since you'll know where you'll be and when.
Book accommodations - in popular destinations, especially during peak-seasons, some of the nicer, more central hotels/AirBNBs can book fast, so I would book at least a month out.
Book popular activities - this includes in-depth tours you're going on and activities that maybe have limited space that they could sell out on. For example, the most popular overnight tour in the city or a high class restaurant reservation. How AWFUL would it be for you to not be able to go on one of your main activities you were looking forward to?! Book these as early as you can once your travel itinerary is locked in and be sure to review cancellation/change policies just in case.
Book transfer services - if you're going somewhere where your hotel is far from the airport, there's no Uber, if you are traveling with a big group, or you're going somewhere that you're not comfortable getting to/from, it may be a good idea to consider airport transfer services. Make sure to read ratings and reviews before booking!
Book everything else - by at least one week out, you're finally ready to finish out the rest of your bookings! This includes tickets to museums, smaller tours, restaurant reservations, etc. How exciting!
HOW WE TRACK OUR SPENDING & BUDGET
Traveling on a budget or bad with keeping track of spending and who's paying for what?
Decide on a budget for your activities - at this point you have either already booked your travel (flights, trains, buses, etc) and hotel or you have an idea of what that cost will look like. What's leftover is for all the fun you're actually going to have while ON the trip. This includes excursions, tours, entry tickets, transportation around the cities (like subways, Ubers, or taxis), food, and miscellaneous expenses (like shopping or alcohol).
Build a budget tracking sheet - like with our itinerary, we always create a Google Sheet where everyone on the trip can collaborate with each other. Check out an example budget tracking sheet from a past trip we took here. This sheet is a great way to keep track of how much you're spending on every little thing individually and as a group. And if you are going on a trip with other people, it's a great way to break down how much each person is paying for costs that you're splitting, like hotels and transportation, and who has and hasn't paid for what. You can download (File > Download as > Microsoft Excel) a Template Budget sheet for your own use here. If you have any questions on how to use it, let us know and we'd be happy to help!
Keep the tracking sheet updated - this is one of the most important parts - what's a budget sheet worth if you don't keep it up to date throughout the planning of your trip? Be sure to look at is as you book activities, pay for items, add or remove activities, etc. And don't forget to budget in costs for food and any miscellaneous items for emergencies or splurging!
Planning trips can be exhausting, but it's all worth it in the end! Now you're ready to pack your bags with all the essentials and get ready for an exciting travel experience that not everyone gets the chance to go on. So have fun, be safe, and be smart. Happy planning!
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