Ultimate Travel Planning Tip

All Resources You Need to Plan for Next Trip

What do you want from the trip?
How much are you willing to spend?
How long and where is the best place for you?
What experience do you want?
How to get there?
Where is the best place to stay?
Minimize risks
Packing strategically

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1. Purpose of Your Trip

We tend to pick a destination first before thinking about what experiences we want during the trip. Remember, you are physically going there to EXPERIENCE the feelings, tastes, connections, and more.

Here’re some examples…

Isolate yourself from noise and recharge your mind
Connect with nature
Discover new culture and meet people
Find opportunities in you to learn and grow

Are you excited about your next trip? Sure, you are. But why?

The research says the main benefit of traveling is...

By submerging your existing belief, value, and imagination in new cultures and environments, we enrich ourselves with new frameworks for comparison and give our world room to grow.

2. Figure out your budget

It’s easy to spend while you are on holiday, but you don’t want to be stressed about money after you come back from holiday. Also, you don’t want to miss the best thing only because you spent too much elsewhere. Knowing how much you can spend is important to prioritize things on your wish list.

To get an idea what items you will need to budget for, look at the Budget Plan.

Before moving to the next step, consider these to save your money.

Some places are naturally more expensive or cheaper than your hometown
Check currency exchange rates
Avoid tourist traps - big cities and tourist hotspots are often a lot more expensive
Travel off-season if you don’t need to compromise what you want
Compare price by researching different places
If you could find local contacts, get recommendations from them
If you are comfortable, plan tours yourself

3. Choose destinations and decide how long you want to stay

Use the following resources to collect information you need.

Download the 33 Destination Guide for basic information about each destination.
For health related information, check wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel
Travel Event Calendar www.travelendar.com/calendars/travel-event-calendar/
Country Weather Calendar www.travelendar.com/calendars/country-weather-calendar/

4. What do you want to do?

Here’re some resources to find places and activities at your destination. Social media such as Instagram and Facebook are also good places to find recommendations from local people. We recommend you to check terms and conditions if you need to book early.

Download interactive digital version of Travel Itinerary
Atlas Obscura https://www.atlasobscura.com/ - This website is a beautifully presented and expertly curated collection of odd and wonderful things to see and do.
Culture trip https://theculturetrip.com/ - Even if you are not joining a package tour, this website is a great place to find local things to do.

5. Transportation

Traveling by plane is faster, but greenhouse gas emissions from the aviation sector are a substantial contributor to global warming. Try taking ground public transport as much as you can.

Trains are probably the second-fastest mode of transport. Although the level of services and facilities are different from country to country, they are generally running on a timely schedule. There may be long distance travel trains at your destination.

Buses are the cheapest option and you will find them in almost any country. Depending on the facilities, it could be for long distance transportation. Make sure to check the details and reviews to see what amenities are available (ex. reclining seats, air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, toilet)

If you want to travel at your own pace, car hire may be a good option for short distances.

Once you start planning your route, record it on a map so that you can review and change later.

Google My Maps https://www.google.com/maps - Instead of a paper guide book, you can use Google My Maps as a trip planner by creating a custom map. This is highly customizable and you can add notes, photos, pins, and videos to create your own itinerary. And, it connects with other Google apps and you can save in your Google Drive.

Using Google My Maps to Plan A Trip https://roamingtheamericas.com/guide-google-my-maps-trip-planning/

6. Find accommodations

By now, you know your budget and what activities you want to do. You should be able to tell if you need to keep the budget for accommodations low or you want to allocate a large portion of your budget on this part.

Even with less budget, you can still find cozy cabins/condos with all amenities of home. You can prepare food and wash clothes yourself. This type of accommodation is often away from big cities and an ideal place to disconnect from noise.

If you are after pure relaxation, then your priority would be the location right next to the beach or mountains. Or, if you are keen to explore the local culture and connect with people, you might want a small place run by a family.

Accommodation can make a big difference on your entire travel experience. So, make sure to do your research by checking reviews.

Here're good accommodation booking portals:

AirBnB www.airbnb.com
Booking.com
Agoda www.agoda.com - Hotel portal of South East Asia
HRS www.hrs.com - Hotel search engine for Germany, Austria and Switzerland
Hostelworld www.hostelworld.com - The search engine for hostel fans

7. Minimize Risks

Whether you are traveling overseas or local, check country-specific information about safety, health, local laws, and local contacts before departing.

Prepare your passport, visas, travel insurance, money (cash), etc.
Get vaccines
Check if your medication is legal and available at the destination
Check if extra documents are required if you are travelling with children
Check if you can drive a car at the destination
Think and plan what to do if there is a crisis at the destination
Keep a list of contacts emergency contacts in your country and at the destination
Check Travelers’ Health https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/

8. Pack for Trip

To reduce the hassles and extra time during your trip, plan packing strategically. Also try reducing the weight of your luggage by taking out unnecessary items.

Download interactive digital version of Travel Packing List

How to pack all in a carry-on

Right size suitcase

Try choosing a smaller suitcase as possible. The bigger your suitcase, the more you will put into it.

Choose clothing wisely

Limit to no more than 5 sets of underwear, 4 tops, 3 bottoms, 2 pairs of shoes and 1 hat. Choose multi-tasking, comfortable, and versatile styles and materials.

Think twice about everything you want to put in your bag

Fill every inch of space

Roll your clothes
Use packing cubes
Put socks in footwear
Use foldable shopping bag to protect clothes

T.S.A ready

If you have liquid items, place them on top of your suitcase in a clear bag. Choose multi-tasking cosmetics, skincare, and hair care products.