there’s a lot that goes into planning a trip and when you first decide you want to go on a trip, you’re like ‘where do i even start?’ research. lots of research. this part is really important to do, so you don’t feel lost. if you don’t do enough research, it’s possible you might not have the best travel experience. as you travel more and more, you also get personal experience on what you like and what you don’t like and how to travel better.  

1. draw inspiration – number one question: what kind of travel do you want to do? what kind of experience do you want? what excites you? city culture, museums, camping, beach or mountains? based on your answer, go on Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube and get inspired.  

2. estimate cost – be realistic with your budget. take a look at the flight costs for a rough estimate. then, take a look at hotel cost per night (if you’re sharing a space between people, this part ends up being very affordable). factor in meals. what is the average price of food in the city that you’re visiting. look up prices for all the activities you want to do i.e., museum tickets, excursion costs. lastly, transportation costs. this is whether you’re planning on taking taxi, uber, rental car or metro.    

3. time off – how much time off do you have off of work? this part plays into how long your trip is. if you’re going somewhere far and that costs a bit of money, it may be worth it to extend your stay for more than a couple of days. i always think about how much time off i will accrue for the year and say okay, these are all the places i potentially want to visit this year and i can go for x amount of time. 

4. flights – Google Flights is a very easy service to use to find flights. if you find the flights you’re looking for on Google then book directly on the airline’s website. this offers you more flexibility in regards to the seats you choose, check-in and regular updates. download the airline’s app, so the information is always at your fingertips. when booking your flights, use your credit card because of the insurance protection. other sites that i use to look for flights besides Google Flights are Momondo and Flightfox. 

5. reviews – another that is really helpful is reviews. who is the reviewer? it’s valuable to know who is leaving the review. look for consistency in reviews because this gives you a more accurate picture. sometimes, a place could be rated number 1 but it might not be as exceptional to have that number 1 spot. also, if your friend or family has visited the city or country, take their recommendation.

6. stay: accommodation and location – who are you going with? alone, friends, family and for how long? this is good question to consider when picking your accommodation. next, research the area you want to visit. where in the city is it? how far away are you from places that you’d like to see? when you know the sites you want to explore, you can find  a place that is in the perfect location and very convenient. Google Maps will be very helpful here in your route planning.  

Airbnb is my go to place. there’s also Airbnb plus which is more premium. there’s Onefinestay for bigger cities.  you can also check out Plum Guide, HomeAway, Booking.com, Design Hotels, Tablet Hotels and Mr and Mrs Smith