How to Build the Perfect Travel Itinerary (Without Overplanning)
Planning a trip is a great way to add extra flair to whatever vacation you have planned. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve gone on plenty of trips where I booked it and didn’t have anything planned to do besides rest and relaxation. But there is something exciting about an itinerary, knowing exactly what you want to do and when.
Itineraries don’t have to be daunting either. I personally am not a huge fan of having every second planned out. Sometimes you just want to vibe. But just in case you want a bit more structure, here are my top tips for becoming itinerary royalty.
Start simple: When do you arrive and when do you leave?
Ok so this is where I start literally every time. Once that’s written down along with where I’m going (hotel info, how am I getting from the airport to the hotel and back), I can start planning around it. Also be sure to take note of exactly where you’re staying. This means when you take that visit to NYC, understand that you are staying in Dumbo and that to get to most of what you want to do you probably are going to need to take the subway or an Uber. Knowing exactly where you will be is important for both safety and understanding travel time and planning whether or not a certain excursion or experience is worth your time. When I visited Panama I did a TON of driving and it was well worth it. Although not everyone on the bus had realized how much driving our trip entailed. You don’t want to be stuck on a bus or in an Uber any longer than you have to be if you only have a finite amount of time. Which leads me to my next tip…
When in doubt map it out
I love mapping out ideas of where I am going. For instance, my upcoming trip to New Orleans. I’ve pinned my location on my digital map and before adding anything to my itinerary, I check to see how far away it is from the hotel. While I’m mapping things out, I also check if the city has any iconic transportation I want to experience (trolleys, taxis, double-decker buses, etc.). Is there a stop close to where you’re staying? For instance, I had a friend visit me in New York once. She decided to stay in Queens with a plan to take the subway everywhere she needed to go. Great on paper, but depending on who you are that may not be the best in practice. Her hotel was a mile walk from the bus and then a long bus ride to the subway and a longer subway trip to Manhattan. Luckily she loved the adventure, but not everyone would have enjoyed the experience.
To get an idea of where to stay if you haven’t booked a hotel yet, pick out some of the things you want to see the most and see what areas near there you can stay. For instance, when visiting New York, all my favorite spots are around the Chelsea and SoHo areas. So I might consider staying there to keep it mostly within walking distance. If I don’t mind finding transportation, I might stay in Brooklyn in order to get a cheaper stay. It all depends on my budget.
Bonus tip: Many digital maps let you pre-download cities on your phone. It takes up storage but is great if you hit a dead zone.
Don’t forget your budget.
Another great reason to have an itinerary is to keep within your budget. I’ve talked about this in other articles, budgeting is so important for enjoying a stress-free trip. Planning ahead to have a good grasp on what restaurants and experiences are in your budget will help you decide on what is and isn’t worth it for you. It also helps, as I just pointed out, when it comes to picking a place to stay. Budgeting doesn’t have to be hard. Check back soon on an article all about creating the perfect travel budget for you.
Until then, remember to sit down and really understand how much money you are willing to spend on this trip. Do you want to eat out every night or maybe keep a pizza in the hotel room so you don’t waste souvenir money on food? Do you even want a souvenir? Everyone’s answers to this are different and often depend on what you want to receive from the trip. Maybe if you’re going somewhere known for the food you won’t mind eating out every night, but a trip where the history is richer than the recipes may leave you wanting a keepsake or two. No matter what you choose, make sure your budget honors your wants and needs.
Find out what’s a must see for you.
There’s always going to be something someone believes you must see. Whether it’s the iconic tourist spot or the quaint cafe your best friend’s cousin who lived in the city the summer they “found themselves” swears by. You are not everyone, you’re you. So what do you want to see? Why are you even going? This trip to New Orleans is a dream for me. I’ve always wanted to see the city and understand more about its spooky history. I also am a huge foodie with a love for soul food and coffee. So for me, must-sees and dos will include tours, restaurants, and cafes. Be prepared to see a ton of food pictures a few posts from now. I have used everything from social media to search engines to understand what parts of the city will be most important to me and how it may fit into my trip.
Take note that everything will not be open every day. For instance, I won’t be in the city for the most iconic day of the year, Fat Tuesday (I know, I know, but I planned it that way). Let’s say I was though and I wanted to see all the Mardi Gras I could from Monday to Friday. My itinerary would have to be parade-heavy on the first two days of the trip with a plan to chill out the day after. Why? Fat Tuesday is the last day of the carnival season! If I hadn’t planned ahead and used the first days to visit museums, I would miss everything I wanted to see. New Orleans is a very Catholic city and that Wednesday would be Ash Wednesday, marking the first day of Lent. For those of you who aren’t religious, that basically means the party is over and everyone is at mass. A better plan would be to party it up when I land, relax and recover Wednesday, and enjoy crawfish season the rest of the week. In other words, make sure your timeline and your destination align.
Overall understand that this is your trip. Do not overthink it. My friend gave me some really great advice today. “You can always go back.” That is what they tell themselves when they feel like they missed out on something on a trip. Even if that trip is once in a lifetime in the moment. I think its a really great way to manifest a twice in a lifetime vacation. You would be surprised how many places I though I would never see again only to be taken right back. The world is funny that way.
If you liked this post go click around more on this website! I recommend Top 6 Things to Take With You When You Travel!
