2024 Best Tips For Planning a Trip Like a Travel Agent
Fountain of Youth - St. Augustine, FL.
Intro
Do you love to travel? Whether international or domestic, far off lands or local road trips. But when thinking about planning a trip do you get a sense of being overwhelmed and not knowing where to start? Do all these questions circle your brain before even opening your web browser: How do we get there? Where do we stay? What should we do? How do we stay safe and get the best bang for our buck?
Recently my family and I were planning a trip for my Mom’s 70th birthday. When discussing plans and arrangements; my Dad pretty much shut down (I mean this in a loving way) while I was able to get a trip outline together in about 30 seconds and I realized travel and the planning of the trip isn’t a comfort zone for everyone. My comfort comes from the fact that I have been an event planner for the last 15-years as well as have traveled to 28 countries and 47 states.
This scenario with my Dad made me realize there are several kinds of people out there:
The non-travelers: they are content where they are and don’t have the desire.
The impulsive travelers: they don’t need many plans, that’s the fun of it.
The curious but cautious travelers: I couldn’t think of a good title for this 3rd subset of people, but the group of individuals who are open to traveling but they like order, planning, and sometimes don’t know how to organize all the details.
When planning a trip or even if you are open to a lack of a concrete plan, there are still several things one needs to keep in mind.
For those professional planners out there, check out my posts on Travel Benefits of a AAA Membership and Succeeding in a Career in the Travel Industry.
Castillo de San Marcos - St. Augustine, FL.
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The ‘why’ is very important and starts off your whole journey. Why are you going on this trip? I would say this is even more important than the budget section as this sets the whole theme of the trip, destination, budget, travelers, mode of travel.
I have had trips I went on for business, trips I went on alone, trips to meet with friends, trips for a special occasion, trips with a purpose, trips to relax, etc. And all these reasons impacted the destination and how I went about planning and organizing the trip.
Not knowing the why makes it more difficult to make subsequent decisions thereafter. For instance, I took a trip in 2017 to Southeast Asia. My ‘why’ was because I wanted to visit my cousin in Hong Kong and I also had never been to Asia before, so with such a far distance to travel I wanted to be able to spend extra time in the region. But I also knew I was in between jobs at this time (which was good and bad - good because I had the time, bad because I had to be more mindful of my spending). So I picked Southeast Asia because it was close to Hong Kong. Coming from LA I could easily fly to HK and then quickly get to Southeast Asia from HK, which is a hub in the region. Southeast Asia is also cheaper comparatively than such places as South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and some of the major cities in mainland China.
My ‘why’ was able to narrow my search down to 9 counties. With a bit of research and planning, I was able to make it to 5 of those countries.
Your ‘why’ doesn’t need to be lengthy or complicated, just what prompted this trip.
St. Augustine Bay
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For most souls, budget is important. This can fluctuate over the course of people’s lives and their interests. I will eat in a hole in the wall all day every day and walk myself all the way back to the last coach seat, but when it comes to hotel accommodations I want some place I feel comfortable and secure in.
Everyone has their priorities and none of them are right or wrong. Being a solo female traveler many times, I don’t feel comfortable in hostels and sharing rooms/bathrooms with people I don’t know. Many times I am traveling with multiple electronics which are pricey but also these devices are my lifeline should something happen and I don’t want to run the risk of any items getting stolen. With that said, I also want to put a disclaimer in that I am not anti-hostels and I have known many people to use them and had an amazing experience, hostels just aren’t for me.
Some people are more detailed and regimented with their budget. They will put together a spreadsheet, keep their receipts, and only use a lotted amount of cash for luxuries. I definitely have budgets when traveling but I am not that hardcore. I may try to go somewhere in their off season when it is a little less expensive so I can get more bang for my buck. If going internationally, I also look into the exchange rate. I usually stay in the city center where I can walk or take mass transit to many places, so I know I will be paying a little more for a hotel but saving on a rental car and transportation.
Your location may determine how long you want to spend on your trip (what is there to do, how many people you will be with that all want to see different things, etc.). Your budget will also determine how long you spend on a trip, so knowing a number you are comfortable spending will help you in the planning phase.
Disclaimer: if you intend to travel (in general, but especially if some place really far away), I recommend calling your credit card company and bank to let them know of the travels so they don’t view it as suspicious purchases and put a hold on your account.
Fountain of Youth - St. Augustine, FL.
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Like I mentioned above about saving on rental cars and transportation when staying in a destination. It is important to not only know how you will be getting around a city but how you are getting to that city, which can also influence your choice.
Some people don’t like flying or driving, so depending on your preference that may determine what destination you pick. When planning my Mom’s birthday trip, my Dad wanted to drive and didn’t want to be in the car for more than 4 hours so that really narrowed down the destination we picked, coming from the Tampa area.
There are so many options nowadays with transportation, it won’t inhibit your preference too much. In addition to flying and driving there are buses and even trains and boats you can transport your car on.
Keep in mind like I previously said, when you get to your destination - how will you get around? When I travel internationally I never rent a car, I don’t want the hassle. In addition to being tired from your travels and the time difference, there’s the hassle of renting a car, what is the criteria for renting a car abroad (insurance needs), what are the rules of the road in the country you are visiting, how narrow and windy the roads are, the weather, etc.
Fountain of Youth - St. Augustine, FL.
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What is bringing you to your destination? Do you want to spend time lounging by the pool and ocean with a drink and possibly a water sport? Are you an adventure seeker? Or are you one for taking in the sites and attractions?
When planning the trip for my Mom, I took a few of the above questions into consideration: the distance, how we would be getting there, our budget, why we were going. I also looked at our destination and activities. I knew the weather in North Florida would be relatively warm in February so we could do things outside, walk by the water, go to a park, window shopping, and golf among other activities.
Some activities you plan do have to do with the destination you pick but also the people you are with. Seeming it was February I knew water sports would be out and the people I was with are not interested in water sports. So I did a mental tally of what my group likes to do and did some additional research. A quick Yelp or Google search can help but if you are unsure or unfamiliar with the area, you can always call over to the hotel (or go to the front desk when there). If you are staying at a nicer hotel, ask the concierge. Typically the concierge will have all that info on hand as well as ways to get tickets and contacts to reach out to at different venues.
Palencia Golf Course - St. Augustine, FL.
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It is very important to understand who you are traveling with and their interests. The activities I plan when I am by myself look a lot different than when planning for a group. I took a long weekend to Big Sky and the first things I signed up for were zip lining and white water rafting. Definitely not the activities I would pick for my Mom’s 70th birthday. Not saying a 70 year old can’t or shouldn’t do those things, but you definitely have to take into account the people’s physical capabilities as well as their interests. When planning the trip for my Mom, I picked activities my Mom would love and based the trip around that.
The same with restaurant reservations. Seeming this weekend was all about my Mom and her birthday, I picked out nicer restaurants that she would enjoy. Luckily no one else in the group had dietary restrictions, but that is also something to take into account. I have a few people in my extended family who are impacted by their diets and when they eat so that is something we need to keep in mind if traveling with them.
St. Augustine Bay
Conclusion
When traveling, it is about the experience and seeing something new. Whether you are a planner or a fly by the seat of your pants sort of person, it is a good idea to at the very least have a shell of an idea of what you want from your trip. The most important thing is to have fun, but know what type of planner and traveler you are to have a flawless trip.
Quote
“The world is a book, and those do not travel read only a page.” St. Augustine
Next on the Blog…
Trips can be expensive, especially if traveling with multiple people. Not only is it important to plan an upcoming trip effectively, it is also a smart idea to project further out on trips you would like to take in the coming months and years. Check out Kiss Expedition’s post on Creating a Vision of What You Want for Your Trips. For an in-depth travel tip guide to make your trip a breeze, check out A Free Soul Abroad’s post.
St. Augustine Bay