How to plan a trip step by step
The order in which you decide things changes what you pay and what you miss. This is the order that works, from first idea to departure day.
Step 1: set the dates before the destination
It sounds backwards and it isn't. Almost everyone picks a destination then looks for dates, when date flexibility is what saves the most money in the whole process. If you have leeway, first work out which weeks you can travel and leave the destination open: that's half the decision made.
Step 2: choose the destination by month
Every place has its good months. A perfect destination in the wrong month is a bad trip: unbearable heat, rainy season or half the infrastructure closed. Cross your possible dates against destinations that work in them and keep the overlap.
Step 3: set a daily budget
Don't think about the total, think about how much you want to spend per day once you're there. That figure rules destinations in or out faster than anything else, and stops you booking a flight to a country you then can't afford to be in.
Step 4: book the long-haul transport
Flight, train or ferry. It's what rises most in price over time and it fixes the rest of the trip. For Europe, one to three months ahead; for long-haul, three to six.
Step 5: accommodation next
Once the dates are locked by the transport. Choose the area before the property: look on the map at where you'll spend your time and search near there. And if your dates aren't fully certain, pay the refundable rate — the difference is usually small.
Step 6: book only what sells out
Capped-entry attractions, famous museums, specific trains. Everything else can be decided as you go and is almost always cheaper booked locally. An itinerary planned to the minute is the commonest mistake: as soon as something runs late, the whole chain collapses.
Step 7: documents
Check passport validity with two months to spare, whether the destination needs a visa or electronic authorisation, and what documents minors need if travelling with you. It's the step that has ruined most trips and the one that takes least time.
Step 8: money, data and insurance
Tell your bank the dates, carry two cards from different banks, decide how you'll get internet, and buy insurance if you're leaving the EU. Half an hour in total.
Step 9: the week before
Download offline maps, save digital copies of every document, check your cabin bag dimensions and check in online as soon as it opens.
What's most often forgotten
Leaving gaps. A trip with no downtime isn't enjoyable and can't absorb any setback. Always leave the arrival afternoon and the departure morning free, plus at least half a day unplanned for every three days of travel.
Keep reading
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