Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary
Slide Nr 1So you’re *finally* going on your dream trip, but not sure of the best way to plan your itinerary? Relax, we’ve all been there – and if we’ve learned one thing, it’s that there’s no right or wrong way go about organising your trip; it’s all about finding your personal travel style. To get you started, we reached out to 5 top travel bloggers for their tried-and-tested advice on travel troubleshooting, itinerary planning and that age-old dilemma: to micro-plan, or not to micro-plan.
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Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary.
Slide Nr 2First up is Leah Davis, founder of The Sweetest Way travel and lifestyle site, where she offers practical advice for living a life of location independence and sustainable travel. Leah has travelled extensively and lived in four different countries, currently residing in the American Pacific Northwest. She’s passionate about storytelling, both through written word and photography, and wants to help shift the paradigm surrounding work-life balance to help more people pursue their dreams now. She has authored an ebook that guides people to do just that, titled Take Your Life Back: Finding Freedom Through Location Independence. Follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. [Photo courtesy Leah Davis]
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Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary.
Slide Nr 3“The first thing I do after choosing my destination is start searching for the best airfare. I always keep my dates flexible so I can save money by flying mid-week or traveling in the off-season. Once I have my dates, I then scour the internet for the best things to do in my destination(s). I prefer travel blogs and online magazines to printed travel guides, because they tend to be more up-to-date and offer a wider range of choices. I read “Top 10” lists just to get an initial idea of what’s popular; I don’t always do the big-ticket items, but I like to know what they are. I never plan much ahead of time in terms of activities – I like to get locals’ recommendations after I arrive and remain adaptable if exciting opportunities come up.” – Leah Davis, The Sweetest Way [Photo courtesy Leah Davis]
2/29
Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary.
Slide Nr 4“I tend to book accommodation in advance and leave the rest wide open. For finding accommodation, I love to use Booking.com and Airbnb. These sites allow me to find great prices and unique and charming rooms! Once I’m in my destination, I frequently use the Foursquare app to find nearby restaurants or interesting things to do. I’ll always have a few ideas in my back pocket, but I love to just go with the flow and see what experiences present themselves. I never travel with a list of things I MUST do or see. This way, I have no expectations and will never feel disappointed with how things turn out.” – Leah Davis, The Sweetest Way [Photo courtesy Leah Davis]
3/29
Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary.
Slide Nr 5“My phone has been a lifesaver in situations where the unexpected happened! My service provider is T-Mobile, which has great international coverage. This means I have a data connection in most countries around the world and can look up a last-minute place to stay, a transportation schedule, or even just use Google Maps to navigate if I need to. I also suggest simply trusting people and asking for help if you need it. The world is full of far more kind people than bad ones. The only other advice I can offer here is just to relax and enjoy whatever happens; trying to control the situation when it’s clearly beyond your control will only lead to worry and stress.” – Leah Davis, The Sweetest Way [Photo courtesy Leah Davis]
4/29
Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary.
Slide Nr 6“My biggest travel disaster? My two friends and I were denied entry into Vietnam at the land border because we didn’t know we needed visas in advance. We ended up stranded in what was quite literally no man’s land and needed to get back to the capital of Laos, somehow, some way, in a place where very little English was spoken. Using a lot of hand gestures, we were eventually able to communicate just enough to hitchhike to the nearest bus station before making the painfully long and cramped bus ride back to Vientiane, some 20 hours away. We kept each other in good spirits and tried our best to make light of the situation (even though the other half of our group had continued on without us) because, well, there was nothing else we could do!” – Leah Davis, The Sweetest Way [Photo courtesy Leah Davis]
5/29
Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary.
Slide Nr 7“My top travel tips: (1) Keep an open mind! And by that I mean: Try not to get your heart set on one set of outcomes, because your plans will inevitably change. Expectations lead to disappointment. Instead, be grateful for whatever happens because at the end of the day, travelling is a privilege. (2) Do diligent research on cultural etiquette in your destination. Things like how to greet someone, a few basic words in the local language, and whether or not tipping is expected. (3) Always bring earplugs and an eye mask to ensure quality sleep. No one likes to go sightseeing when they’re tired and cranky.” – Leah Davis, The Sweetest Way [Photo courtesy Leah Davis]
6/29
Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary.
Slide Nr 8Next up is Will Tang, the Chief of Awesome over at Going Awesome Places, a blog focused on his off-the-beaten-path and experiential travel. His true passion lies in telling stories, inspiring others to travel, writing detailed trip itineraries for others to follow, and providing helpful tips and tricks to travel better. For adventure inspiration and itinerary advice, follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. [Photo courtesy Will Tang]
7/29
Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary.
Slide Nr 9“As much as I want to be the spontaneous traveller that never knows more than a few days out what their travel plans are, I am very much the A-type plan-everything kind of guy that loves spreadsheets way more than I should. A lot of it has to do with reducing the stress while travelling, when you know where you’re going and that everything’s all taken care of. I would say on average that 70% planned and 30% unplanned is ideal. You want to get your main anchor points planned and booked, such as flights, hotels, excursions and possibly even some restaurants that have to be reserved, but the rest – such as the exact details of what you’re going to do each day – can be left wide open for you to explore. I find that works very well when you’re in a city and you can spend time roaming.” – Will Tang, Going Awesome Places [Photo courtesy Will Tang]
8/29
Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary.
Slide Nr 10“On trips where I’m city-hopping, transportation logistics is where I will spend most of my planning time, figuring out things like train schedules. Pricing and timing will end up playing a big role in how the itinerary ends up. The same goes for a road trip where a lot of time is spent on how long it will take to get from A to B, and what stops you should consider along the way. For backpacking-style trips where maybe there’s more of an element of roughing it, I may put more of an emphasis on serendipitous travel through meeting people at, say, the hostel where I’m staying. Again, anchor points are important, and then the rest can be figured out along the way.” – Will Tang, Going Awesome Places [Photo courtesy Will Tang]
9/29
Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary.
Slide Nr 11“For resources, Maps.me is a great mapping app that allows you to save areas for offline use. TripIt is useful for storing all of those booking confirmations in one spot. As more of a personal plug, I recently debuted my Iceland Road Trip with Map guide on the Apple App Store, and it’s guides like this that make trip planning a lot easier. I used to travel with Lonely Planet books in the past, but over time I found that I was using them less and less, mainly because I was either extremely organised and had all the information I needed in my own spreadsheets, or I could easily search it online with free wifi available almost anywhere these days.” – Will Tang, Going Awesome Places [Photo courtesy Will Tang]
10/29
Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary.
Slide Nr 12“I’ve never used a travel agent before, but I’ve definitely gone with tour operators for single- or multi-day excursions. I use them because they give me access to an experience that I can’t get on my own. The value of organised tours is that (1) there’s less stress, (2) you get to meet other people, and (3) you end up unlocking something that isn’t available to the regular tourist. The biggest tip I have on organised tours is that you should always do your research to see if you can do it cheaper or better yourself. In some cases, it’ll make way more sense to do it yourself because it’s either cheaper or it gives you more flexibility.” – Will Tang, Going Awesome Places [Photo courtesy Will Tang]
11/29
Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary.
Slide Nr 13“My top travel tips: (1) Start planning early. If there are specific things you’re looking to do that require booking, better safe than sorry. (2) Start with sample itineraries. Read other blogs and trip reviews from travellers to get a sense for what an ideal itinerary is. Learn from others and adapt it to your own style to make the trip planning process way easier. (3) Sh*t happens when you travel and the key is to not panic. There’s always a solution to any sort of problem. The easiest thing to do is change your plans and be adaptive enough to recognise that there are alternatives.” – Will Tang, Going Awesome Places [Photo courtesy Will Tang]
12/29
Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary.
Slide Nr 14Our next traveller, Maria Stoyanova, shares her experiences on Travelling Buzz, a blog about adventure and city travel in Europe and her stunning home country of Bulgaria. When she’s not skydiving, kayaking or rafting, she can be found working on content writing and marketing projects for travel brands in her job as a full-time freelancer. You can follow her trips on Facebook and Instagram. – Maria Stoyanova, Travelling Buzz [Photo courtesy Maria Stoyanova]
13/29
Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary.
Slide Nr 15“When I’ve decided on a destination, I start looking for the best and most affordable and convenient accommodation options. I usually use Airbnb for that. I always try to choose accommodation in the central parts of a city, because it saves time and money for other important parts of the trip. The next step is to read some blogs for ideas of what to do and see in the destination. Bloggers’ articles are a great way to curate the best choices for travellers from thousands of options.” – Maria Stoyanova, Travelling Buzz [Photo courtesy Maria Stoyanova]
14/29
Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary.
Slide Nr 16“I like to plan most of the trip in advance. With time, I’ve learned that the best way to see everything you want to see in a place – and not have to rush – is to plan only half of your day. I spread the must-see sights and activities across the morning and afternoon, and then I leave the rest of the day for spontaneous activities. I love to have at least 4-5 hours a day where I can just roam, and everywhere I go, the locals have great ideas I never considered in advance. Alternatively, this can be valuable time to rest from a busy day of sightseeing .” – Maria Stoyanova, Travelling Buzz [Photo courtesy Maria Stoyanova]
15/29
Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary.
Slide Nr 17“It may sound weird and unusual, but whenever I encounter a problem in my travels and am in need of a quick solution, posting a single message on Facebook usually does the trick. Many of of your online friends might have experienced the same problem you’re facing and may know the solution. People are usually willing to help with ideas, contacts, tips and tricks for troubleshooting any unexpected bumps in the road.” – Maria Stoyanova, Travelling Buzz [Photo courtesy Maria Stoyanova]
16/29
Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary.
Slide Nr 18“My top travel tips: (1) Use trusted sources of information and always double check important details. (2) Always leave some unplanned time during your travels to rest a bit or explore. (3) Always have extra money and copies of your most important travel documents.” – Maria Stoyanova, Travelling Buzz [Photo courtesy Maria Stoyanova]
17/29
Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary.
Slide Nr 19We also spoke to DJ Yabis, the travel blogger behind DreamEuroTrip.com. A Filipino with an incurable case of wanderlust, DJ roams the globe while running one of the top European travel blogs in the world, read by more than a million people every year. You can follow him on Instagram or Facebook.
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Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary.
Slide Nr 20“I used to be a super planner and literally plan my day-to-day itinerary. But now I’m kind of a half-planner, half-spontaneous traveller. I love to plan and book transportation and accommodation in advance, but the rest of the trip I just do what I feel like doing once I’m in the destination. And to make sure I see everything I want to see, I divide my days into the different stuff I absolutely want to see or do. After almost 10 years of travelling, I know for a fact that I CAN’T see everything, so I’m happy as long as I’m enjoying my trip.” – DJ Yabis, DreamEuroTrip
19/29
Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary.
Slide Nr 21“City-hopping is easier because cities are more connected and there are more options. When I’m going to rural destinations where there’s only one bus or ferry every day or every week, I need to know this and integrate it into my planning. Do I need to book the transportation in advance? Are there ATMs in the area? Are there places where I can eat or do I have to pack a bit of food? These are just some of the considerations I think about.” – DJ Yabis, DreamEuroTrip
20/29
Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary.
Slide Nr 22“My 3 favorite go-to tools for planning trips are: Rome2Rio – This is my favourite transportation planning tool. It literally tells you all the various options by air, land or water on how to get from A to B around the world. It even connects you to the bus, train or airline so you can book your tickets directly. Flight Reservation For Visa – As a Filipino, I need to apply for visas to a lot of countries that I want to visit, and I usually need a flight reservation as a requirement. Instead of paying hundreds for a flight before your visa is approved (or perhaps not approved), this website will book a cancellable flight reservation for you (for a small service fee), which you can submit to the embassy. It’s a lifesaver! Secret Flying – This is where I find the best flight deals around the world. Just go and bookmark it. You can thank me later!” – DJ Yabis, DreamEuroTrip
21/29
Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary.
Slide Nr 23“My top travel tops: (1) Visit a place that calls you and not because it’s a popular destination. (2) You can’t see everything. Just accept that fact. You will be super exhausted, probably disappointed, and you will need another vacation from a vacation. (3) Don’t go during peak season unless you absolutely want/have to. Everything is more expensive and the queues are way longer. Avoid avoid avoid. (4) Only bring your favourite clothes. You have limited luggage space. Don’t bring clothes you don’t LOVE wearing.” – DJ Yabis, DreamEuroTrip
22/29
Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary.
Slide Nr 24And finally, we have Yaya and Lloyd of Hand Luggage Only – two London-based guys who LOVE to travel. No mountain is too high, no river too wide… and there’s never too much ice cream! Follow them on Facebook and Instagram to get ideas for amazing places around the world to experience on your next adventure. [Photo courtesy Yaya and Lloyd]
23/29
Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary.
Slide Nr 25“To see everything we want to see at particular destination, having a list always comes in handy. This can be done as late as the morning before you leave your hotel to explore your destination; all the list does is help you think about what sort of sights you’d like to see and mentally prioritise them, just in case you can’t see and do everything on your list. However the important thing with experiencing a place is not to let that list rule you. The list exists to help you (and not the other way around), so stop when you want to, grab a bite when you feel like it, and do what you want as you work your way through the list.” – Yaya and Lloyd, Hand Luggage Only
24/29
Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary.
Slide Nr 26“We use a mix of different options to plan our trips. These days, there’s a lot of choice available; you can go with a travel package or build your own, equally amazing trip from scratch – sometimes at a fraction of the cost. If you do decide to go for travel agents or organised tours, be sure to (1) Check that you’re getting the best deal, and (2) find out what’s included and what isn’t. Ensuring that you and the travel agents are all on the same page can save potential disappointment or squabbling. Also, check the reviews – chances are you’re not the first person to book with the agent/tour, so check out what other travellers thought of the company.” – Yaya and Lloyd, Hand Luggage Only [Photo courtesy Yaya and Lloyd]
25/29
Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary.
Slide Nr 27“When it comes to discovering hidden gems… this sounds pretty obvious, but always ask the locals, even if that’s the desk staff at your hotel. Make it clear that you would like to see something they’d recommend, not just something that every other guest wants to see. Point is, the locals know the best places to hang out – a place that caters to locals has to do well, otherwise it won’t get any return visits from said locals. That being said, always going off in search of off-the-beaten track secrets shouldn’t be done at the expense of the obvious sights. Let’s face it: The popular sights are popular for a reason.” – Yaya and Lloyd, Hand Luggage Only
26/29
Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary.
Slide Nr 28“Rainy days? Coming from London, the answer is easy: Just go with it! You can let the rain ruin your vacation, or you can decide to embrace the city anyway and make the most of it. Granted, some of that will involve wanting to stay indoor a lot more across the day to warm/dry up. Be sure to get yourself an umbrella, waterproof items (even if that means buying or making one up at the last minute – airport liquid bags are a great way to keep your phone and wallet dry in your pocket) and go out in the rain. One thing worth noting (from personal experience) is to take as many photos as possible – some will end up ruined with rain on the lens and others (especially if you clean your lens occasionally) will end up just perfect. At the end of the day, travel is about experiencing a destination for what it is and not about making a destination change just to fit you, so embrace the rain/snow/sleet/whatever-the-weather-is. It’s all part of the adventure.” – Yaya and Lloyd, Hand Luggage Only
27/29
Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary.
Slide Nr 29“Our top travel tips: (1) Be flexible. The more flexible you are, the more amazing deals you’ll be able to find and the more fantastic destinations you’ll be able to visit. (2) Plan for your trip, but don’t let your plans run you. It’s still your holiday and the plan is just a tool, so feel free to diverge off the plan if needs must. (3) Speak to the locals. Their recommendations are worth their weight in gold. (4) Don’t arrive with preconceived notions of what a place will be – this is usually how people get disappointed when they travel. Arrive with a clean slate, and let yourself fully experience your destination in all its glory. (5) Relax and have fun! The last thing you want is another holiday just to recover from this holiday.” – Yaya and Lloyd, Hand Luggage Only
28/29
Travel
Plan Like A Pro: How To Create the Perfect Travel Itinerary.
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