Traveling to a new destination is an exciting activity. You get to see new places, experience the culture and cuisine of the place, meet new people, and learn a lot. While travel is great fun, if not planned properly, it can cause a lot of confusion.
If you are planning a vacation, then it is important you plan it in the right way. Our guide will tell you how to effectively plan your trip, so everything goes on well.
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Travel Planning Tips
1. Decide the destination
Once you decide to travel, you either need to travel when you get a holiday. With the tentative dates for travel known, the next step is to decide the destination. Depending on your interests and your budget, you can either decide to travel locally or go on an international trip. You need to do some research to understand the costs involved.
You also need to set aside a budget for your travel. Ideally, you need to do this at the beginning of the year. Decide the destination keeping in mind your budget. Also, talk to your fellow travelers before finalizing the destination. The destination depends on how much time you have for your trip. The longer the trip, the more the number of places to cover.
2. Start researching flights and hotels
Once the destination is decided, you then need to decide on the flights and hotels. The best time to travel if you are on a budget is during non-peak times. When everyone is vacationing, all travel expenses would be high. If you travel during a season, which is not considered peak you will save a lot of money.
Traveling in the middle of the week can help you save more money than traveling at weekends. Booking many months in advance can help get you substantial discounts. Book your flight tickets and hotel rooms well in advance to save money. Try to ensure there is a cancellation option in case your plan changes.
You can get deals on various websites. Search extensively online to find out the website where you get the best deal. Every dollar saved is important. You can use the saved money for some other activity. Depending on your budget, you can consider staying at hostels or dorms. Most hotels would have offers during non-peak season. Avail of the offers to save money.
3. Make a detailed itinerary
Now that your travel plans are made, it is time to go into details. Make a travel itinerary indicating what you will do on each day of your trip.
For Example:
Day 2
8:30am – Breakfast at hotel
9:30am – Reach train station to take train to XYZ
11:30am – Arrive at XYZ station and take shuttle bus
12:00pm – Reach Mount ABC
12:30 – 1:30pm – Visit hill view point
1:30pm – Lunch at FGH restaurant
2:30pm – Visit Botanical gardens
3:00pm – 4:30 pm – Take cable car to travel to Lake ASD
4:30 – 5:00pm – Boating at Lake
5:30pm – Reach XYZ station and return to base
7:30pm – Shopping at QWE road near railways station
9:00 pm – Dinner at SDF restaurant
10:00pm – Reach hotel
You will need to research various websites to plan the itinerary. Ensure you cover all the important as well as less known places. While planning your research, check for local travel arrangements. Make an approximate costing calculation, so you will know if things are within budget.
4. Apply for a visa
Now that your travel and hotel bookings are done, apply for a visa. Ensure your passport is valid. Some countries provide visas on arrival. For others, you need to apply. Check out the government website to know the visa procedure and ensure you apply in advance. Once the visa is approved, keep the passport, visa, tickets, and other documents in a folder ready to take.
5. Consider getting a travel credit card
If you are a regular traveler, consider getting a travel credit card. Such a card will give you points for your air travel and your hotel bookings. You can redeem the points earned to save on your bills. Your card can also help you get discounts and deals in various places. Having such an internationally recognized card will save you the trouble of carrying cash.
6. Get ready to travel
Start packing a couple of days in advance. Try to pack light to save on excess baggage fare. Where required, carry cash with you (local currency). You also need to decide if you want to activate international roaming on your mobile. Another option is to buy a local mobile connection for your trip duration. Happy traveling!
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