10 Steps For How To Plan The Most Epic Trip!

It’s not a secret that travel is back. After two years of restrictions, quarantines, and uncertainty, people are desperate to travel. Social media isn’t helping either with all the travel FOMO. I’m sure you saw at least a couple of your friends flaunting their current vacation on your feed today.

With the current influx of tourists in every nook of the world, it is essential to prepare for your trip. Planning a trip though is not for everyone. You might have questions like: how do I start planning my itinerary? or how do I pick where to stay? should I get travel insurance? and will I know how to navigate the city? You might also not know what you don’t know. For example, did you know you can decline rental car insurance if you own certain credit cards?

All in all, it’s a lot to digest but here is my detailed 10-step guide on how to plan a trip. I do this before every destination and you can ask my friends and family about how great traveling with me is. I’m prepared and I have a plan in place. I see most of each city even on short itineraries and I come back a more well-rounded person from each trip. And you can too.

0. First things first, where should we go?

Personally, I have a general bucket list in my head of the places I want to see in this lifetime. But a lot of my trips end up being spontaneously planned too. I can’t tell you where to go, that’s completely up to your travel preferences. The only thing I do recommend though is visiting the more popular places in the shoulder seasons.

1. Research, research, research

As a former researcher, my background ended up spilling over into my passion for travel. Once I decide on my destination I will start my planning with a simple google search of the following terms:

• Things to do in X
• X itinerary for X days

This simple search allows me to gauge whether the destination I am about to visit offers what I imagine it does. It’s easy to see things on social media and have the wrong impression about a place and then feel disappointed on arrival. That’s why I prefer reading articles and blogs over quick reels or TikToks that give a very curated version of a destination. For example, I personally think Tulum is a complete scam, and traveling to Cuba is a lot more heartbreaking than portrayed.

A quick Google search goes a long way and gives me an idea of what’d I like to do and see in a destination. I also like to do this search a couple of different times. First, to get an idea of what’s there, then to choose what I like to do, and last, to keep things fresh in my mind right before the trip from the best resources I found.

2. Make a map

Once I do some reading and decide that indeed, this is a place that I would love to see, I pull up a map. The easiest way to do this is via Google My Maps. How to plan a trip on google maps? If you google things to do or find an itinerary that you like, pull up a map and start pinning the places you’d like to see. Having them in front of you will let you see in what order you’d like to explore them. You can even make multiple layers for each day and give your places colors or different icons. The nice thing about Google Maps is that you can find hidden gems by simply looking at the map.

Once you’re done saving your places, you can download the map offline if you know you might not have international service and still navigate from it. Other map apps I have used were maps.me and CityMaps2Go. They’re fine for offline but I noticed that sometimes the places are outdated on them and it’s harder to find certain landmarks.

Here is an example of my Madeira Map which is divided into a 5-day itinerary. Click on the little arrow next to my face and you’ll see the legend.

3. Make or download an itinerary

Once you have your map pinned out, it’s much easier to plan your days. After you plan your stops, make sure to check opening times, ticket prices, and other useful information from their websites. It’s such a rookie mistake to show up at a museum and find out it’s closed on Monday or Tuesday because you didn’t take 2 minutes to double-check that.

The best thing is though, that if you don’t like planning your trips, you found my website which has all that for you: a plan, a map, and all the research for free. My itineraries are always optimized when I get back. I go back to my original plan and if I know something could have been planned better, I restructure it so your trip is even more badass than mine.

4. Transportation logistics

• How do I get to the city from the airport? A lot of times an airport bus or the metro cost nothing compared to an Uber so I will certainly opt for that. In places like Lisbon, Uber was so much cheaper to use instead of the metro for 3 people but I would not have known that if I didn’t google it prior.
• How will I navigate the city? Does the city have a good metro/tram/bus system or is it walkable? If there is a metro, I will mostly use that to get from point a to point b. I will also check whether public transport is safe or not. Living close to NYC, I get too many subway horror stories.
• Do I need to rent a car? In cities, renting a car is usually not a good idea. In places like Tenerife or Santorini, I found it to be a lifesaver. If you rent a car, is there some weird insurance scam that will give you trouble at the airport? Mexico certainly did me dirty with that. Know that if you have certain credit cards like Chase Saphire, you have primary car rental insurance but you need to decline the one that’s offered at the rental place in order to use it. I filed two claims under it and had absolutely no coverage troubles.

5. Where should I stay?

I follow a simple rule. If it’s my first time in a city, I like to be close to the action. That means the city center, beach town or attraction. I will compare hotels to Airbnbs and see which ones make more sense for my group size and budget. For a second or third time, I can venture off a little further and save some money but also see a different side of town.

6. What’s the deal with hostels

Now the topic that scares a lot of people who have never stayed in one: hostels. Should you do it? Well, hostels are not for everyone and if the idea of a shared room and bathroom scares you then it might not be for ya. I stayed in a ton of hostels when I was younger and trust me, the shared concept is not as horrible as you imagine.

Now, I still stay in hostels but I will usually choose a private room. Hostels are amazing for meeting people, group activities, and just being with like-minded individuals. My best travel stories come from doing something spontaneous with hostel friends. I plan to stay in them until I cannot anymore (usually cut off is 35 🙂 ). Make sure to read reviews on Hostelworld prior to booking to know what kinda situation you’re getting yourself into.

7. Housekeeping things

Before traveling to any destination you should know the following:

• Do you need a visa? Are there any travel restrictions in place? Do you need to download an app to check into the country?
• What language is spoken at your destination and how to say hello, please, and thank you in it.
• What currency is used there and what’s the conversion rate?
  • Speaking of money, I almost always get money directly from the ATM rather than the money exchange.
  • I also try to inform the bank of my travel plans so I don’t get a surprise block on my card.
• What’s the weather like during the month of your travel? Sometimes that Caribbean ticket is super cheap because it’s hurricane season. Oh and don’t forget the opposite seasons in the southern part of our globe.
• What are some common scams in your destination? I see you Morocco.
• Are there any cultural customs I should be aware of? Religious or traveling as a woman for example. Again I’m looking at you Morocco.

8. Apps I use when I travel

Apps clutter our phones but they also make our lives so much easier when abroad. Here are some essential ones I always use:

• Airline’s app: You know that I won’t hold up the line because my boarding pass is lost in my purse. Rather it will be in my hand with the brightness up ready to scan and go.
• Booking/Airbnb/Hostelworld: My bookings are downloaded for offline use and my accommodation address is ready to go when I land.
• Google Maps: Downloaded for offline use and ready to navigate!
• Airalo: A digital sim card app that lets me purchase a phone plan right on my phone.
• Uber or Uber equivalent like Bolt: Another good idea is to check what ride-sharing service is most commonly used in a given city. No, it’s not always Uber.
• WhatsApp: The iMessage craze is big in the US but if you want easy contact with people anywhere else in the world, download WhatsApp.
• Viber: If I don’t have an international plan and no voice sim card, I need Viber to make phone calls.
• NannyBag or LuggageHero: These apps are basically Airbnbs for your luggage. I used these in situations where public lockers weren’t available or close by and they saved me some comfort while exploring luggage free.
• TripAdvisor: Eh, I take the reviews with a grain of salt a lot of times but it’s not a bad idea to read what people have to say about a restaurant, especially in touristy places.

9. Tricks I picked up on the road

Do not check a bag unless you really have to. Not only are they a pain in the ass to carry around, but they get lost all the time. With this kinda travel influx, this is probably the worst thing you can do too. You need less than you think. Pick outfit items that match each other and you’d be surprised how many outfits you can make from one pair of jeans and white or beige pants.

Things will go wrong. At some point during your trip, there is a chance your flight can be delayed, you could get robbed, the weather will be shit or you won’t be able to reach your Airbnb host for the lock combo. When things go south, just accept it and try to make the most out of your situation. Trust me, on this, don’t ruin your vacation over a small bump in the road.

Trust your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. If people are trying to get your attention and distract you in the street, you could be pickpocketed. If a local is way too friendly way too soon, it’s likely you’re getting scammed.

It’s ok not to see everything. Seriously. It’s better to enjoy 3 spots than rush through 7. If you want to sit in the hotel, Airbnb or hang out with your new hostel friends do it! It’s your vacation and the goal is simply to have a good time.

Go with the flow. While I almost always have a plan in place for my trips, if something awesome comes up, or my new hostel friends planned something else, I try to be flexible and not turn things down if they seem fun. The best travel memories are always unplanned.

10. Last but not least: Plan a solo trip!

Seriously, there is nothing more awesome than traveling alone. You don’t have to follow anyone’s itinerary, preferences, or schedule. It’s uncomfortable at first for sure, but it gives you a new type of independence that you didn’t know you had.

A common misconception is that a solo trip means being completely solo! And while that’s true for a good chunk of your trip, if you’re staying in a hostel or are taking tours, you’re almost bound to meet another traveler. These on-the-road friends result in unplanned excursions and fun times! There are platforms like GoGaffl which also allow you to post about your trip and meet people who are traveling to the same destination!