If you’ve been reading along the past 4 weeks, you know we’ve been spilling the tea on how we put our DIY trips together. If you haven’t been reading along and are skipping to the end, I promise you will want to go back and read the previous four articles to get ALL the details. How we plan a trip is a little unconventional, but in the end, it saves us money and keeps our trip flexible. So here you have it – how to plan a trip – the quick guide, the DeBode Way.
1 – Find your plane ticket first!
In week one, we talked about the importance of finding your flight tickets first. This alone will save you a bundle! By choosing your flight first, you’re leaving your location and dates flexible which gives you wiggle room for a great deal. Sometimes leaving just one day earlier or later can save you THOUSANDS or be the difference between finding a reward ticket and not!
2 – Do Your Research & Find Accommodations
We gave you the scoop on planning the meat of our trip in week two. Once you’ve chosen your location, it’s time to learn everything you need to about the area and start looking for great places to stay. What are the best areas to visit, sleep in, eat in, or stay away from? What is the currency, language, visa requirements, etc? The more information you are able to compile, the more comfortable you’ll be with your choices, and leave you the space to enjoy your trip once you’re there.
3 – How to Find Things to Do
It’s time to take all that research you did in week two and put it to work in week three. Let’s find things to do! Are you looking to hit all the popular tourist locations or are you trying to avoid all of that and find a nice country house where you can relax in peace? If you have places found where you really want to stay, what is there to do in the area? You don’t necessarily need to plan every aspect of your trip down to the minute, but having a list of options lets you go with the flow once you’re there.
4 – Finding Transportation
And finally, in week four we talked about connecting all the dots with transportation once you’ve reached your destination. Are you looking for more flights, catching the train or metro, hailing a taxi, or are you renting a car? Do you need an international driver’s license? Have you downloaded the most popular ride-share app for your new location? Maybe you need to purchase a Eurail ticket to give you flexible travel days/times. Make sure you know how you’re getting from point A to B so you aren’t stranded somewhere without knowing your options.
That’s it!
Once you have all your details lined up, book it! We like to wait to book until the very end so we know all the pieces fit together. Create a spreadsheet to hold all your information, use Trip Advisor to create an Itinerary, or if you’re me…keep 900 tabs open in Chrome for quick, easy reference.
Where are you headed off to next? We’d love to hear your ideas in the comments.
