Travel Planning 101

Well I'm off to New York next week, and I couldn't be more excited about it! It's hard to believe that I was there for my first time ever less than a year ago (read here for part 1 & part 2), and here I am visiting again!! Oooh, the inspiration and knowledge I’ll gain! You’re probably wondering how I plan all my trips in between everything else, and how I book my flights. And trust me, trip planning isn't for everyone, especially if you're not organized. Lucky for me, I'm a little too organized, so trip planning comes naturally. To help you have a better, more seamless trip, I'm sharing my trip planning tips below!

Track your flights

Once you decide what dates you want to get away or where you want to go, always track your flights to keep an eye on prices. I regularly track Google flights for specific destinations I want to visit, and I use Hopper as well to keep an eye on the best time to buy my tickets. Other sites that help with finding the best flight deals are Sky Scanner and Momondo.

Be spontaneous

 Another thing I do to save money is I subscribe to YVR Deals and Next Departure. And YOU GUYS. They literally do all the work for you! If you have a job that’s pretty flexible with your vacation time, then this is the route for you. They send weekly flight deals all around the world, so you could be sitting at your desk job one day, and heading on a plane to Peru a few days later! The deals are incredible, and they let you know what dates will work best on the flight websites. One thing to keep in mind: the deals go FAST so you don’t have much time to decide. Act on it as soon as you see it, and you won’t be disappointed. You’re welcome :)

Pick your stops (and your outfits)

Before you book any accommodation, figure out how many stops you want to make on your trip. Are there certain hot spots you want to see? Specific cities you want to visit? Restaurants you want to check out? Make sure you plan out your route, make any necessary reservations, and figure out your overall plan. Make time for those things, and ensure you have enough time to stop there. P.S. - If you’re suuuper into planning like me, I create full-on itineraries (sample linked here!!) with times, addresses, photo ops, contact information, confirmation codes, and even outfits I’ll be wearing! That ensures I don’t miss anything I have on my list, and it makes packing so much easier.

Define the purpose of your trip

Depending on the purpose of your trip, your planning is going to look different every time. What are you looking to get out of your trip? Do you want to learn new things? Meet new people? Experience the destination like a local? Exercise? Relax? Take photos? Maybe it’s a combination of all those things, but either way, figure out what you want to get out of your trip, then go from there. There’s no point on planning activities that don’t give you what you’re looking for, so if you want to relax, maybe don’t go to New York… Bali is a much better bet - ya dig?

Have fun

And of course, make time for fun. This is your vacation, after all, so don’t forget to unwind, loosen up a little, and live in the moment. There’s nothing worse than focusing so much on social media, or little things happening at home, but you have to remember that this is your time to recharge, and those things can wait until you’re done recharging your battery.

Get travel insurance

Last, but certainly not least, buy travel insurance!! I may be a little biased being in the industry, but I’ve seen multiple friends of mine having to use their insurance, because you really never know what accident or emergency can happen when you’re having the time of your life. Do yourself a favour and get coverage!

I wish you all an abundant 2019 full of all the trips, safe travels!

xo

Linnea