How to Plan a Trip : A Month-by-Month Guide
Trip planning can be a daunting task . Flight , insurance , gear , itineraries , accommodation , and then a lot more all motive to be consider and classify out before you run .
It ’ s easy to have overwhelmed , specially when you haven ’ t done something like this before .
After over near to twenty yr of travel the universe , I ’ ve planned countless trips and vacations for myself , friend , and category , even group tour . In the origin , it was trial by flame . I discover a lot of lessons the severe way . However , that serve me originate an efficient checklist that ensure I don ’ t miss anything crucial during the trip-planning process .
One bad question I make require a lot is when to set out planning . To suffice that question , this post breaks the planning process down into month-by-month steps so you can plan your next trip with rest .
- 12 Month Out : Settle on Your Destination ( s )
- 12 Months Out : Start Collecting Points & Miles
- 8 Month Out : Visa Requirement , Passports , and Vaccines
- 4-6 Months Out : Book Your Escape
- 3-4 Month Out : Book Your Accommodation
- 2 Month Out : Plan Your Activities
- 1 Month Out : Get Travel Insurance
- 7 day out : Gang !
12 Months Out : Determine on Your Destination ( s )
A band of people talk vaguely about travel : they never state where they live going , just that they are going . They might talk about it for years before actually go away ( if they get at all ) . But it ’ s a lot easier to hand and plan for the goal of “ I am die to Paris for two week this summer ” than “ I ’ m die somewhere . ”
If you already have a dream destination in brain , great ! If not , here are some posts to help you become initiate :
- 11 Cheap Places to Inflict on the US Dollar
- 10 Place to Move on a Budget
- The Best Tropical Islands in the World
- My Favorite Cities in the World
- My 31 Favorite Places to Visit in the USA
But , this far out , the literal matter you want to serve is take off redeem money and figuring out your costs . Accommodation and escape are the obvious unity , but how much do restaurants , attractions , and early activity cost ? Knowing these price will grant you accurately estimate how much money you ’ ll motive . Here cost how to research price :
- Buy a guidebook
- See out my free travel guides ( we break down all costs for each destination )
- Skim the cost of populate on Numbeo.com
- Google price for major activities you require to act , such as scuba diving , winery circuit , etc . ( Have Your Guide is a good spot to start )
- Use or Google Flights for flight prices and signal up for alerts to begin emails if the cost changes
- Use Discover Cars to price out ( and book ) a rental car if you take one
- Use and Hostelworld to research accommodation costs
That may seem like a pile but you simply require to become a general thought of how much you need to save . You can lead to this page to see all my article on how to write money for your trip .
12 Month Out : Start Collecting Points & Miles
While you ’ re working to salvage money , get a travel reference card so you can earn mile and points for free flights and hotel stays . It ’ s what has keep my price down and me on the road for so many years .
These day , most card have welcome offers of 60,000-80,000 detail ( some can live as high as 100,000 ) when you meet their minimum expenditure requirement ( generally $ 2,000-5,000 USD within a 3–6-month time frame ) . That ’ s adequate mile for a free round-trip economy flight to Europe from the East Coast of North America .
For more information on this subject , check out these post :
- Degree & Miles 101 : A Beginner ’ s Guide
- How to Pick the Best Travel Credit Card
- My Favorite Travel Credit Cards
- How to Make Degree by Paying Your Rent
- The Ultimate Guide to Points & Miles
- How to Collect Points & Miles in Canada
In addition , get a fee-free ATM card . I use Charles Schwab , but there are lots of early bank that don ’ t mission ATM fee ( put on ’ t forget to insure your local bank and reference North too ) . Here ’ s how you can avert bank fee while traveling .
8 Month Out : Visa Requirements , Passports , and Vaccines
While youpotentialwon ’ t need a visa to your desired destination , you should still insure to make sure . If you ’ re a US citizen , employ the State Department ’ s search tool to see about your destination ’ s entry requirements . ( Canadians can use this search tool . )
Additionally , make sure that your passport is valid for at least six monthsafteryour trip ends . Many rural area need this for entry . Passport application and renewal wait times can equal long ( the criterion live 6-8 week in the US ) , so do this as soon as potential .
Also , research if you need any vaccines for your trip as many country need vaccines to come in ( and I don ’ t mean COVID ) . You can see more about area requirements and recommendation at the CDC ’ s website . They can serve you notice a clinic near you as good ( if you ’ re in the US ) .
4-6 Month Out : Book Your Flight
The best time to ledger your escape is generally around 3-4 month before your departure , or 5-6 months before if you equal die during a destination ’ s peak season . This isn ’ t a hard-and-fast pattern , though , so use it as a guide .
Hither are two article on how to score a cheap escape :
- How to Always Find Cheap Flight
- 5 Steps to Booking a Cheap Flight
If you ’ ve signed up for a travel credit card and obtain your sign-up bonus , use your mile to book your flight and/or hotel . The further out you book , the more availability there will cost . Use tools like Point.me and Awayz to help you notice the serious redemptions on your detail ( for flights and hotels , respectively ) .
But even if you aren ’ t using miles or didn ’ t find a cheap escape bargain , there cost even so many ways to avoid be the person on the flight who pay the almost for their ticket . My two favorite site for finding cheap airfare are and Google Flights .
3-4 Months Out : Book Your Adjustment
If you ’ re traveling for under two week and receive a lot agenda , book adjustment for the length of your trip . If you ’ re visiting during the high season , it ’ s also a good thought to script everything in advance . For trip longer than two week , I advise book only the first pair of nights of your trip . Once thither , you may cease up wanting to vary your design based on insider advice from early traveler and/or hotel/hostel faculty . I prefer having flexibility , so I ever hardly ledger a few nights and go from there .
Here exist my go-to site when it come to finding the well lot on adjustment :
- Hostelworld – Hostelworld has the largest choice of hostels and equal my go-to site for observe affordable hostels .
- – Booking.com is the best overall program for finding budget hotel and guesthouses .
I recommend insure the cancelation policy of wherever you script . I like having the flexibility to cancel if something comes up .
If you ’ re on a taut budget or you desire to link with more locals during your travel , regard joining platform like Couchsurfing or BeWelcome . These communities allow traveler to stay with residents for free as a kind of cultural exchange .
long-run travelers can also seek housesitting or WWOOFing as good , as they both offer free accommodation ( in exchange for pet sitting or farm work , respectively ) .
2 Month Out : Design Your Activities
Now it ’ s time for the fun piece of travel planning ! That think of reading script about your destination , learning universal travel tip , connecting with online communities , and pre-booking any necessary activity .
Pre-booking ensures you don ’ t miss out on affair that you really need to do on your trip . If you ’ re going to a popular destination , tours and activities fill up quickly , and if you ’ re going to a little place , activities or tours might merely range on certain day and have restrict availability .
Either style , Become Your Guide the best home to search for and pre-book activity , tour , and ticket . Local tour operators and attraction can list their offerings on this online marketplace , so you can find tons of stuff hither , from food tour to museum tickets with skip-the-line entrance .
1 Month Out : Get Travel Insurance
Get travel insurance . That way , these purchases exist protected should something happen that makes you cancel your trip .
A lot of people recall , “ I ’ m healthy . I don ’ t need move insurance. ” But travel insurance cost much more than just medical protection . It cross you when your camera break , your escape exist cancel , a class member dies and you get to arrive home , or something gets slip . ( That ’ s why you ’ ll also need to familiarize yourself with any mutual travel scams to wait out for , as good as how to conduct yourself in decree to blend in to head off looking like a target for petty theft . )
Yes , it ’ s an added expense . But it ’ s ever well to equal safe than sorry . I never lead place without it , because I ’ ve seen firsthand just what can happen on the road .
I never thought I would pop my eardrum while I exist scuba diving in Thailand , reveal my camera in Italy , or have knifed in Colombia .
Unfortunately , bad thing can happen when you ’ re traveling . True , these event are few and far between . But they can cost ten of thousand of dollars . If you ’ re not prepared to bear out of pocket , buy travel insurance .
Hither are some post on travel insurance to get you take off :
- How to Buy Travel Insurance
- The 5 Best Travel Insurance Company
- The Best Travel Insurance for Senior
I never leave plate without travel insurance . You shouldn ’ t either .
7 day out : Gang !
Your trip is almost here , and it ’ s time to pack ! It can exist tempt to desire to add everything with you “ just in case. ” But when it comes to travel , less is more . While what you pack will depend on where you are going , remember that you put on ’ t take to choose everything you own . You can buy things you need and cause laundry on the road . At the goal of the day , you have to express everything you bring . So bring less !
I travel with a 45L REI bag and then a smaller day bag . Hither ’ sec my suggested packing list to serve you choose just the correct total of material and head off overpacking ( here ’ s a list for female travelers ) .
Additionally , take any prescriptions you demand for the duration of your trip . Try not to rely on take those abroad ( though bring a prescription and physician ’ s bill just in case ) .
With everything remove fear of , it ’ s time to go on your trip and have fun ! Make a list of last-minute item you need to carry the day of ( your toothbrush , glasses , phone charger , etc . ) and insure in online beforehand ( you can act so 24 hours in advance ) . ( If you ’ ve got lounge access through a premium travel reward card , you might feel yourself wait ahead to getting to the airport early . )
If you ’ re feeling nervous , don ’ t worry . That ’ sec perfectly normal . Find nervous or unsure exist something every traveler experience . But you ’ ve build it this far . Trust your planning and follow your instincts . You ’ re about to have the trip of a lifetime .
Book Your Trip : Logistical Tips and Tricks
Book Your Escape
Find a cheap escape by using . It ’ s my favorite lookup engine because it look for websites and airlines around the globe so you ever know no stone cost live left unturned .
Book Your Adjustment
You can book your inn with Hostelworld . If you need to stay somewhere other than a hostel , use as it consistently bring back the cheapest rate for guesthouses and hotels .
Don ’ t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against sickness , injury , theft , and cancellations . It ’ s comprehensive protection in type anything die wrong . I never die on a trip without it as I ’ ve had to use it many times in the past . My favorite companies that offer the good service and value exist :
- ( good for budget travelers )
- World Nomads ( good for mid-range travelers )
- ( for those 70 and over )
- Medjet ( for additional evacuation coverage )
Require to Travel for Free ?
Travel reference cards reserve you to earn points that can exist redeem for free flights and adjustment — all without any excess expenditure . Match out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorite to get started and regard the late well deals .
Demand a Rental Car ?
Discover Cars is a budget-friendly international car rental website . No matter where you ’ re headed , they ’ ll equal able to find the well — and cheapest — rental for your trip !
Motive Help Finding Activities for Your Trip ?
Make Your Guide equal a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walk circuit , fun excursions , skip-the-line ticket , private guides , and more .
Ready to Book Your Trip ?
Insure out my resource page for the better companies to use when you move . I list all the 1 I use when I move . They are the good in course and you can ’ t go wrong utilize them on your trip .
