Planning a trip can be both exciting and overwhelming, especially if you’re looking to make the most of your budget. If you’re reading this, I’ll assume you already have a destination in mind (or a vague idea!), and you’re eager to turn that dream into a reality without breaking the bank through this “how to plan a trip” post!
In this blog series, I’ll walk you through my seven essential steps to planning an unforgettable trip on a budget. From the initial research to booking accommodations and creating an itinerary, each step is designed to streamline the planning process and ensure you get the most value for your money.
So, whether you’re dreaming of a beach getaway, a bustling city adventure, or a nature-filled retreat, these steps will guide you through the journey of planning your trip efficiently and economically. Ready to get started? Let’s dive in and make your travel dreams a reality! Don’t forget to subscribe for more tips and tricks along the way.
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Step One: RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH
Wow I love the internet. It is truly your best friend. There are thousands of blog posts and websites waiting for you to click on them telling you exactly how to plan a trip. There are so many great travel tips! So step one is just to literally plug your designation (either country or city) into Google. Look up the best things to do, itineraries, unusual sights, hikes, nature, best food, best restaurants, and anything else you can think of.
Chances are you probably have a vague idea of what you want to do (for example, go to London). But when you start to research, you may find cool day trips or weekend trips (like Bath or Stonehenge) and other things to add to your itinerary.
Another reason I suggest starting with research is because you begin to get a real taste of the culture and vibe of your destination. For example, I had a dream country to visit recently and started doing research; I soon decided that maybe this was not the place for me! If I’m going to plan and spend money on a trip, it might as well be somewhere I am really excited about!
While you’re doing research, write everything down! Don’t overwhelm yourself, but just jot down your top discoveries, cities, hikes, places, etc.!
Pro tip: create a google doc with all of your notes, and make another google doc as a spreadsheet for all of your confirmation and costs.
Step Two: Google My Maps
This website is a new discovery of mine, and it’s probably my favorite tool ever.
Start out with your list of places. For example, when I planned a trip to Norway, I knew that I wanted to go to Oslo, Bergen, and the Lofoten Islands. I had a couple of hikes that looked awesome.
Next, google “Google my Maps.” Click “Create New Map.” Name your map, and then start plugging places into the search tab. Click “Add To Map” and just add every single place you are even considering going.
As you continue to progress in your trip planning, you will probably end up deleting a few places. You can then use the effects to draw lines from place to place where you’re planning to go.
Below is an example of one of my upcoming trips.
Step Three: Pick Your Main Spots
Once you have played around with Google My Maps and looking up the best things to do in each place, narrow it down to the top places you want to go. Depending on time, this can be as many or as little as you want!
Step Four: Check Out Transportation
Once you have your main locations (cities, hikes, etc.), you need to make sure it’s feasible to get there.
I would start with researching general transportation in the country you’re going to. For example, google “what is public transportation like in Spain.” When I went to Spain, I discovered that you can get pretty much everywhere through trains and buses. Because of that, I didn’t need to bother with renting a car. In other places, however, like Norway, it will be easier to access hikes and small cities with a rented car. Once you get a taste for the type of transportation you’re going to be taking, you can start to figure out how to move easily from place to place.
I typically do my best to plan my trip with buses and trains because they’re a lot cheaper!
Pro tip: Some of my favorite websites to find transportation include the following:
Step Five: Plan Your Transportation
Now that you understand how transportation works and have your main spots picked out, you need to make sure its possible to get from place to place. Your transportation is really going to vary based off of budget, time limits, and distance. I’ll give you a couple of my best tips and let you figure it out from there!
- I like to start with Rome2Rio. Plug in your start and ending places and check out if you’re able to get from place to place.
- Omio is also a great one to figure out what transportation is near you.
- If you’re in a country full of trains, consider using TrainLine to book trains.
- If you have plenty of time and need to travel a long distance (and are on a limited budget), consider taking an overnight bus or train. I once got from Belgium to Southern France on a 16 hour FlixBus that cost 30 euros (while trains or flights were over 200 euros)! It also saved me money on accommodation for the night!
- If you can find a cheap flight, its helpful to get places quickly if you’re short on time.
- If you’re trying to get from place to place within a city or a small area, use Google Maps, plug in your destination, and click public transport. You can then see what buses are running near you.
- For more transportation apps and websites, click here!
Another thing to keep in mind is that some countries have certain apps to use for different types of transportation. Check the internet to see if there are certain websites or apps that are handy for certain places.
Step Six: Research and Book Hostels
Once you have your spots picked out and know they’re accessible by transportation (and hopefully have your buses/trains/flights booked, start googling places to stay.
If you’re on a budget, check out hostels. Sometimes you can find AirB&Bs for really low prices! You can also camp (depending on the country). For example, in Norway, lots of budget travelers will bring a tent and camp for the majority of their trip!
Another great resource is CouchSurfers. This is a website with a community of people dedicated to providing safe places for travelers to stay for free. Don’t see it as a free hotel room though; its truly a chance to get to know someone in another culture, from eating meals together, hiking, playing games, talking, etc.! As a female traveler, you have to be veryyyyy careful. Check for reviews and verifications for hosts. Click here for more information!
If you’re not worried about budgeting, explore hotel options.
I start out googling “best hotels/hostels in XXX.” You’ll be able to find blogs or websites ranking the best places to stay. After a ton of trial and error, I found it best to book your accommodation based on the following:
- SAFETY!!! This is, will, and always be the first priority. Read reviews on security, if there are any past scary incidents, lockers, and even if the area around the hotel/hostel is sketchy. It’s not worth it to save a few dollars to be in a scary place.
- For women: if you’re staying in a hostel, I will almost always pay a few extra dollars to stay in an all-female room if they’re available.
- Location: This is also super important. It’s worth it to pay more in order to be close to the city center. If you can’t do that, make sure you’re close to a train station or bus station. You will highly regret having to walk a few miles at the end of a long day to get back to your accommodation!
- Cleanliness: A given. You don’t want dirty sheets, moldy showers, and rats.
- Price: Again, this is personal preference. If you’re budget traveling, do your best to book low cost accommodation.
- Check-in time: This is something I didn’t think about until it mattered. Some places will have a closing check-in time. Make sure if you’re planning on getting to your destination late that they will be open for you to access your room! You don’t want to end up stranded because check-in closes early!
- Staff: There are a couple important aspect of this. Reviews often describe the staff and if they’re kind and helpful. Also, if you’re going to a country where you don’t speak the language, make sure you are able to communicate with the staff (ex. make sure they speak English).
- Breakfast: An included breakfast will take you a long way and save you time and frustration later in the day.
- Air conditioning: This isn’t quite as important, but it can be very frustrating to be in Spain in the summer and be trying to sleep when its 110 degrees and there’s no AC!
In order to figure all of these out, do a quick Google search on your potential hotel/hostel, and read reviews on booking websites! Don’t stress it too much. As long as its a safe spot, don’t overthink it!
Pro tip: Here are some of my favorite websites to find hotels:
- HostelWorld (a classic!)
- Trivago US
- Hotellook
Step Seven: Figure Out Activities
This goes back to the original research you did. This is obviously personal preference… hikes, tours, castles, churches, nature, cities, etc.! Try to do a couple things outside of your comfort zone! One great resource is to use Rick Steves websites and books to find the best things to do. But this is totally up to you!
HAVE FUN!
Great job pals. You now have an epic trip! A few final tips. Allow for flexibility. Let yourself be free and have fun; don’t take your planning too seriously. While planning and booking ahead will save you a ton of money and stress in the moment, be more committed to safety and fun and spontaneity than to a rigid schedule! Make new friends on your trip. Don’t be scared to just down and talk to a random person. Some of my favorite traveling moments including sharing meals and hikes and beach trips with new friends. (Be careful, duh, especially in countries where you don’t speak the language, and also as a female you need to be especially careful). Another extra tip is to download apps for every ticket that you buy and add them to your Apple Wallet (if you’re an iPhone user). For example, if you buy a ticket on FlixBus, download the Flixbus app so that you can pull up your ticket rather than going through millions of emails or screenshots.
Anyways, GO EXPLORE AND ADVENTURE! LOVE YA!
