How To Create The Perfect Travel Itinerary

1. Choose your destination

The first step of your planning will always be picking a destination. This is the base of your trip and all the following ideas will depend on it. Think of your dreams, your preferences, the budget, and the time you have. 

Find help picking up a destination here!

Check out my bucket list suggestions!

2. Check the travel restrictions, visa and vaccine requirements

Sometimes we really want to go somewhere, but we can’t. And it’s not because we failed to plan, but because we are not allowed to go. By law. Every country has different entrance requirements, so once you know where you want to go it’s time to check those requirements. There might be a visa or a specific (not Covid related) vaccine. Read carefully before booking anything in order to prevent any disappointments and ruined plans.

Find information about travel restrictions here!

3. Book a flight or other kind of transportation

You have your destination picked, you’ve checked the travel restrictions, you know you’re allowed, and you’re good to go! The next step is to find a way to get there. Most of the time that would be flying, but in case you have more options or feel adventurous, go by train or car, maybe get on a cruise ship!

I always book my transportation first and then proceed with the accommodation, because there will always be affordable places to find, but flights may change prices very quickly, especially if there’s an event or a holiday around your preferred days. There are some destinations where only particular airlines are flying to, so the flight options will always be a little limited, while renting a place can be pretty easy and various.

Once you have your exact dates- book your transport, so you can start planning the rest around it. You will know what time you arrive and what time you’re leaving, so you know the exact amount of time you have to explore your destination.

Find help booking your transport here!

4. Book accommodation

Flights/train/rental/cruise are booked already and you need a place to stay. Sometimes the type of the accommodation you’re looking for depends on your budget, sometimes it depends on the destination. Thank God, there are plenty of different platforms that offer all kinds of accommodation, so you’re covered!

Find places to stay all around the world here!

5. Search for popular places/top 10/must see and do

Creating the perfect itinerary doesn’t stop with booking your accommodation and transport. That’s just the beginning.

The Internet is a treasure when it comes to planning trips, because everything is there! Routes, tips, itineraries, other travelers’ experiences, time tables. Few hours of research can literally plan your whole trip!

Unless you’re the kind of traveler that goes to places with no plan and wanders there with no clue, you definitely need a plan. I always start with looking up the top 10 spots of the place I’m going to. Then I expand to the top 20 and also search for what to see. Most of the time I know at least a few things I want to see at my next destination, but the rest always shapes from the information I find online or from people who have been there.

Click on the banners below and find tickets and experiences!

6. Check pictures and articles of the most popular places and see what you’ll be interested in

Once I have a list of the most recommended places to visit at my destination, I start checking them on Google and looking at more pictures. Like it or not, we need to see to decide if it’s worth it (even if the pictures sometimes don’t really show the beauty of the place or are better than the actual place).

After you have checked how all the places look, you can probably shorten your list and get it to include only places you find yourself interested in. And that’s amazing, because you have excluded what is not a must for you! Don’t forget to also check the days off and the working hours to make sure you’ll actually see those places when there.

7. Find the places you’re interested in on the map

You have your list with places you’re interested in, so it’s time to see exactly where they are. Find them on the map and see how far away from your hotel/airbnb they are. This way you can see if some of your must see places are too far away and you won’t be able to reach them. Maybe some of them will fall out of your list and make room for other things.

8. Group them by regions depending on what part of the city/area they are in

Great job so far! You have your next destination, you have booked a flight or other kind of transportation and a place to stay, you’ve googled the must see places, and you’ve decided which ones of them you want to visit. You’ve checked them on the map and you know their exact locations. Now it’s time to group them by regions/part of the city.

Why do I do that? Because this way you don’t have to go back to neighborhoods you’ve already been to and waste time visiting twice the same area.

Next thing is to divide all the different neighborhoods/areas by days with realistic time for each of them- one day for the smaller areas, a day or two for the bigger ones. Of course, match those days with the duration of your vacation- you can’t really plan eight days if your vacation is going to be only five days. I mean, you can, but what’s the point? 🙂

9. Prepare what to skip if needed

I get really upset when my plan doesn’t go the way I expect it. Call it a travel OCD, I don’t care. But I really take it bad when I realize I’m not going to see something I’ve been wanting to. And it kind of ruins the rest of my day (sometimes even vacation). Sometimes, no matter how good your plan is, you will miss things. It will just happen. So you better prepare for that.

I like to take a look at my itinerary and decide what I am willing to miss if needed. What’s the attraction/place that I can live without visiting if I have to? I mark it on my list as something that is not really a must and then, if time is not enough, I don’t have to make decisions about what to miss, because I’ve already thought about it. Helps a lot with the travel anxiety for people like me, who want to see everything!

10. Google the traditional cuisine and see that’s a must to try

I love food! Especially when it’s something I don’t get to try everyday. The cuisine of a country is a unique thing and represents the whole place, so that’s the best way to try and experience something traditional.

Food should be looked up the same way must-see places are! Go check what’s the most traditional and recommended dish, pastry, drink. It’s important to try those things in a new country. But don’t get too carried away! Don’t force yourself to eat something just because you have to try it. Have your limits and be careful, some cuisines are not for everyone.

11. Secure at least one backup way to go to the airport and back

Planning everything and finding interesting spots may distract you a little bit from some important stuff you need to arrange too.

Getting to your accommodation and back to the airport is something that you really need to look up. Otherwise you’ll just get on the first cab you see and that might not be good for your budget or overall experience.

The ideal situation is when you’re going to rent a car for the whole duration of your stay and you just pick it up from the airport. But not every time we rent a car from the very first day and exactly from the airport. So search for a shuttle provided by the hotel you’re staying at or just for an independent shuttle service. You can also check the public transport and the Uber prices in case they are a better deal.

Click on the banners below and find transfers to and from the airport!

12. Provide a family member or a friend with your itinerary and the place you’re staying at

You’re already done with everything essential for planning your trip, so it’s time to chill and focus on packing and other things! Before you depart though, make sure you provide some of your family members or a friend with your itinerary and the place you’re staying at. It’s always good for someone to know where exactly you are at.

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Here are a few more things that you might need to prepare prior to your departure and finish creating your perfect travel itinerary. Like staying in touch with your friends, finding a place to store your luggage, or getting travel insurance.

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What are the mistakes you used to make when planning a trip that you don’t make anymore? Let me know in the comments below!

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