Trip Planning: What to Do Before Booking

Trip Planning: What to Do Before Booking

Since we aren’t able to travel right now, I have been daydreaming and planning future trips I want to take. Even if you can’t pick a travel date, you can still be planning your next adventure and learning all about your dream destination(s). I want to share with you some ways you can use this time at home to your advantage and how you can still get ahead in your travel planning before booking a ticket.

Research the Destination

First things first, when planning a trip you need to research the destination you have in mind. What makes it special? Why do you want to visit it? Is it safe to travel there? Is there a language barrier? Where are the good and safe places to stay? When is the best time of year to visit?

Research as much as you can about the destination that you have in mind to get an idea of the place you will be visiting. Find insider info on the destination by reading blogs and articles of locals who live there or people who have traveled there. Ask around in travel groups for advice and recommendations.

Pick Trip Activities

Find out what activities there are and which ones you want to add to your itinerary at the destination you have in mind. Are there any restaurants, landmarks, or other places that you want to make sure to visit while there? Any bucket list adventures you want to accomplish while there? Include these on your activity to-do list for your trip.

Make a Trip Budget

After you have your to-do list for your trip start figuring out the pricing for everything. Make sure to take note of any exchange rates between your local currency and the currency of the country you are visiting. Take into account hotels, transportation, and any activities you are planning to do that cost money. You may not know the exact amount for all meals or souvenir shopping, but creating a general budget will help you to save up for the trip and have an idea of what to expect to pay while traveling.

Check Your Passport

If traveling internationally, make sure to have your passport ready. If this is the first time you are traveling internationally, allow yourself plenty of time to get your passport before your trip. Passports can take quite a while to get. I believe when I applied for mine it took me about 6-8 weeks to receive it. You can pay to have it expedited but it is not cheap, so I would just give yourself plenty of time before your travel dates to get it done.

For current passport holders, double-check the expiration date on it before traveling internationally. I have heard that some places won’t allow you to enter their country if your passport expires within 6 months of when you arrive. If your passport is up to expire within 6 months of your travel dates it would probably be worth it to just renew ahead of time. Also, some countries require a certain amount of blank pages in your passport for stamps, so double-check that too.

Research Visas

Make sure to research the visa laws wherever you are traveling. Some countries require a visa (not just a passport) to travel there. If the place you want to travel requires a visa make sure to apply and get your approval before purchasing your ticket. Some visa applications can take a while to get approved and you don’t want to risk having to cancel your flight if you don’t have the visa yet.

Check Vaccine Requirments

Make sure to double-check if the place you are traveling requires any medical exams or vaccines prior to entry. Some countries require you to be up to date on certain vaccines or get secondary ones if you travel there. It doesn’t hurt to get a quick physical/exam prior to traveling to make sure everything is up to date. Some places may require the vaccines to be in your system a certain amount of time before you enter their country so check this before booking.

Shop Around for Flights

Do your flight research and take your time shopping around before booking a ticket. Traveling in the off-season for your destination and using major airports can help you save. Take a look at layover times and locations. You want everything to run smoothly and be able to navigate airports as best as possible when traveling.

Shop Around for Living Arrangements

Do some research and shop around on living arrangements while on your travels. Is a hotel, resort, rental home, or hostel the best fit for your price and space preferences? Your choice may be different if you are a solo traveler vs traveling with your whole family. I personally love Airbnb because it is a great alternative that can provide more space and better pricing oftentimes. Look around and see what works best for you.

Passport

Once I have these most time-consuming items taken care of and the best prices figured out then I start the actual booking process. If you’re unable to travel for any reason use that time to get ahead by getting some of the prep work done early. That way when you’re able to travel again you’ll have less to do. What is the #1 thing you do before booking a trip? Let me know in the comments below. Happy planning!

44 thoughts on “Trip Planning: What to Do Before Booking”

  1. Planning your trip well is key to having a good time! You definitely dont want to be stressed out trying to find a place to stay or transportation at the last minute!

    1. Yes, I completely agree! Planning ahead helps make the trip smoother and more enjoyable.

  5. Great list! Planning is often half the fun of traveling so we too have been spending a great amount of time during lock down to plan future travels. The one thing I didn’t see listed was travel insurance. In these uncertain times, insurance seems that much more important. Thanks for sharing!!!!

    1. Thank you so much! Travel insurance is a great one too! Especially during these times.

  6. Honestly, before I book any trip, the first thing I do is just google photos of the place lol. It kind of gives me an idea of where I might want to go. Then I do everything you’ve mentioned; the flights, the visas, etc. Great post!

    1. Same here! I use Google and Pinterest to get ideas of places to see and things to do wherever I want to travel. Thanks!

  7. Great tips! Succinct and to the point – visas are a huge thing!!! And do you know how many people travel with passports that aren’t valid??? My worst nightmare haha!

    1. Yeah, I haven’t done much international travel yet (but plan to) and I was surprised at all the visas requirements out there. I would be so scared to travel with an invalid passport too!

  9. These are great tips, thanks! Sometimes we just want to book everything right away and that can lead to mistakes for sure.

    1. Thank you so much! It’s so true. Making sure you have everything in order ahead of booking can really help.

  10. These are all such important tips. I personally spend most of my time researching the things to do around my destination and any events that might be going on at the time. Prior planning allows you to be more “in the moment” during the trip. Great post.

    1. Thank you so much! I agree, planning ahead helps make things run smoother and stay more enjoyable in the moment.

  11. Some really great tips here, thank you! I plan my trips a little differently though, I start with how much my budget is and find a trip that I can do for that budget!

    1. Thank you! That’s a great way to do it too if you’re going by your budget. I like to pick my dream destinations and then save and plan around the location lol.

  12. Trip planning is definitely half the fun for us. I can not wait until we can go on these vacations we are planning!

    1. I love finding things to see and do in the location I’m planning. I can’t wait to go on vacations again too!

    1. Aw thank you so much! I’m daydreaming and planning away until I can book again!

  15. Great tips.
    I want to plan a big trip for when I finish my degree.
    So far I only travel from Quebec Canada to NC USA and see family.
    Other than the passport and saving some money, we usually don’t have to plan much lol

    1. Thank you so much! That would be so fun! I’m planning some more international travel adventures.

  17. Great idea to make the plans ahead of time! Helpful if you decide your budget needs a boost to make the trip possible – you have plenty of time to save up!

    1. Yes exactly! I always like to pick my destination then figure everything out that I need to save for it.

  18. I love traveling, and this is a great post – you took the time to break down and explain all of the necessary steps and components of planning, which is awesome! Can’t wait to start traveling again – here’s to planning the next trip!

    1. Thank you so much! I am daydreaming and planning away. Can’t wait to be able to book a trip again!

    1. I agree! I like to have a good idea ahead of time but I’m very spontaneous and open to changes along the way too.

  20. I didn’t think about the idea of researching Visa’s ahead of time! Thank you for this easy to follow list for trip planning! I cant wait to go on a trip soon!

  21. These are all great tips for planning a trip! I’ve been to many places, but the first time I had to get a vaccine for a trip was when I went to Africa. I can’t wait to get back out and travel again.

    1. Thank you! I can’t wait to travel again too! More international travel is on my list for sure.

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