How to Plan a Trip: 10 Step Guide for Your Ultimate Dream Vacation

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We’ve all had a similar thought sometime in our lives, or at least most of us have. That thought is, “how cool would it be to travel to Paris or go see the Northern Lights?” Unfortunately, that thought is oftentimes followed up with, “maybe one day” or, “that’s unrealistic and out of my budget.”

I wanted to write this post as I plan my next trip, where hopefully the idea of planning a trip doesn’t seem so out of reach. Travel can be affordable, attainable, and a dream turned into reality.

I first traveled to Europe at 19 years old. I was traveling alone, with the plan to live in Germany and study the German language for four months. I didn’t have much money to my name, but I didn’t want my limited budget to stop me from seeing Europe.

The 10 steps on how to plan a trip below is the exact step-by-step routine I use every time. Whether I’m planning a trip to Costa Rica, or to the eternal city, these steps are useful for any trip.

I aimed to keep the list as straightforward as possible, but couldn’t resist including my personal experience for those who like longer reads! The examples I’ve added on how to plan a trip can be found at the bottom of each step. These examples are from a 2022 trip to Europe with my spouse specifically. I hope they provide some extra insight!

STEP 1: Book the tickets and secure the timeline

Alright, where do you want to go? Honestly, that’s probably the hardest part since there are endless destination options! Once you pick a place, decide how long the trip will be. It’s helpful to make note of long/short flights and layovers to figure out how much time you’ll actually have where you’re going. 

FLIGHTS: I know, everyone gives different advice when booking flights. You ready? Open a web browser, and go to Google Flights. Once here, you’ll enter your travel information (departure airport, destination, dates, and preferred airline if you have one.)

You will then Click the toggle switch that says “Track prices” (Make sure you’re signed into your Google account.) Choose whether to track specific dates or “any dates” (great if you’re flexible!) Now you’ll wait for Google to give you updates when the prices drop.

Once Google Flights notifies you of an ideal price to book, click that link and open up the Google Flights page. This will show you all the flight options and will usually give you a better deal than any airline app.

For example, if I were to go on the ?United Airlines” app right now and look up flights from Denver to San Diego with all the same criteria on Google Flights, it may give me a price of $200. The same exact flight schedule with ?United Airlines” on Google Flights will be listed at $170. You can then click on the flight schedule on Google Flights, it will redirect you to the United Airlines app/website, and will provide you with the lower price.

I always use the same airline to earn miles/points, but if you aren’t a frequent traveler this may not be necessary and you can just go with the best deal from whichever airline.

AIRPORT ANXIETY: I recognize that if you aren’t a frequent traveler, or even if you are, you can feel overwhelmed, I wrote this post to help with airport anxiety. It covers checking in, which apps to download, when to get to the airport, navigating the airport, etc. You can read that here.

Europe 2022: This trip, I wanted to visit my family in Sweden, but also go somewhere new. With Copenhagen being a short train ride away – and a place I had never been- this was a no brainer destination for us! We leave on an overnight flight for Stockholm on a Friday night and arrive at our destination on Saturday. This means we will have 10 days in Europe: 8 full days and 2 half days due to travel. 

STEP 2: Research your destination and book accommodations

What’s the weather like at that time of year? Will you be walking a lot? (probably always a yes) What do I want to see here? Are there any safety measures I should know about? I like to create a google doc where I can type notes and paste links. I keep all the information in one place to help me visualize what to do in the place we’re going.

Activities

The information you gather will be extremely helpful. In the research stage, don’t limit yourself just yet. Let your mind run free with museums, restaurants, shows, and other places of interest.

This stage is for your brain can get creative and you can start to see yourself at your destination. I believe through this process, you’ll discover what you truly want to get out of this experience. You’ll narrow the list and budget down later.

Book your stay

Research is important when you’re finding a place to stay. It’s important to book a safe and accessible location during your stay. After you find an area, you may narrow the scope near a restaurant or landmark you’d like to be near.

If you’re only going to one city or destination the whole time, I recommend staying in a few different places throughout the city so you get different perspectives during your stay.

I also always say in my blogs to use booking.com for booking accommodations. I’ve used them so often, that I actually now get 15-20% off hotels, free upgrades, and more!

There are plenty of options on the site, and keeps your reservations all in one place. If traveling with a bigger group, I entertain the thought of Airbnb, but I usually shy away from that route due to unforeseen instances. Make sure you have a lock for your luggage wherever you go to ease your mind!

Safety

I know that this can be another hesitation, as you hear about pickpockets or things like that. I can assure you, as long as you are being cautious, it will be okay.

At 19 years old, I threw on my backpack and wandered many streets solo and luckily was never pickpocketed or had my safety severely threatened. I made sure I wasn’t in poorly lit streets at night, I made sure I kept my money in places it couldn’t slip out of my pocket (don’t have it in an open or back pocket), and I would hold my purse or backpack to my chest when riding public transportation. If that naïve girl could do it, you can too!

If you’re thinking about traveling solo, read this if you need any further motivation to book your trip already.

Culture Shocks

Unless you speak another language, odds are the country you’re visiting can seem very different to your normal life. The street signs, chatter around you, and even food options at restaurants will be different.

To that, I say embrace it. Write about the differences, talk about them. Your brain will try to make familiarity of what’s around you and for that you’re growing so much just by being there. This part of the trip is by far my favorite part.

Europe 2022: April is a relatively cold month in the northern parts of Europe, so we included a mix of indoor/outdoor activities weather permitting. We’d be happy with any of these ideas, but a backup always helps me feel at ease. I’ve grouped our limited points of interest based on their location, but really we just plan on wandering and being in the moment! As for accommodations, we booked hotels relatively close to the main train station in each city, as we will be changing destinations frequently and didn’t want to spend too much time commuting to and from the hotel with luggage.

STEP 3: Make a loose itinerary, so you can plan your budget for activities, transportation, and accomodations

Budget

I think this is the part where I’ve heard the most objections on travel. Yes, traveling can be expensive. But it doesn’t have to be! A lot of things are cheap or free, like museums or walking tours.

Some hotels will include free breakfast, which means you can still go to a charming café and get a coffee or tea if you wish, while spending half the money. Most cities will also have bulk sightseeing passes, where you can buy a flex pass ahead of time that includes entry to places that would usually have a fee.

I actually bought one of these passes in NYC with my Mom on our Mother-Daughter adventure. We ended up going with a four-attraction flex pass, so we didn’t have to decide on which four places until we were on the trip, which helped us work around weather. This pass was $84, but we ended up saving $50-100 each (I can’t remember the exact savings number anymore) but you can check more about that trip here if interested.

The last thing I want to touch on about budget, is just because you won’t be spending a lot of money, does NOT mean you’re missing out. On my first trip to London, I had no means to really do anything but simply exist in London. That meant I wandered through Kensington Gardens, strolled the streets of Notting Hill, and saw practically all of the free historic sites London has to offer. I scrounged up enough to do a few paid excursions, but honestly my favorite part was walking through Hyde Park, seeing people of all walks of life enjoying themselves, and simply being in a state of disbelief that I was actually in LONDON.

You don’t need to break bank to make the trip worth it. Your trip will be determined on what you make of it, and your outlook of the trip.

Food Budget

Depending on where I’m going, I roughly like to plan for $100-150 (USD) a day for food when in Europe. This may sound like a lot to some people and not enough to others, but this has NEVER FAILED me!

It works for me because I usually grab breakfast from my hotel or a pastry on the go which is ~$10 or less, followed by a ~$15-20 lunch that leaves me the rest for snacks/dinner/drinks. I also check out a local grocery store on my first day and load up on snacks! The grocery stores are the best bang for your buck.

All in all, some days I spend waaaaaay less than $100-150 a day, which allows me extra wiggle room for other days or money left over! I’d rather be over prepared on costs.

Transportation City to City

Say you’re going to Italy, and that means you want to see Venice, Florence, and Rome. The best way to get to all those places is by train! You can book these ahead of time, or it’s not too hard to book a day or two before you need the tickets without paying much more.

My personal preference is to book tickets from city to city before I leave, so they’re paid for and off the to-do list. Trainline is a pretty straight forward train ticket website that can be used in most European countries.

I would also look into a country-specific train website if you’re staying in the same country for all your travels because the price could be better. (In this Italy example, you could use trainline or omnio which is for all of Europe OR you can use trenitalia, the Italian train site) There’s no need for a rental car with all the transportations options in and to other cities, and you save money!

Transportation around cities

When it comes to city transportation (i.e. getting around Rome for a few days) I wait until I’m in the city to book tickets. Most major cities in Europe allow you to purchase a 3-day ticket at one of the many kiosks, where you pay one fee for unlimited uses for that amount of time, or you can buy day tickets, single tickets, whichever you prefer.

The ticket kiosks can be set in English, so it will be fairly straightforward to use. I also wait to get my ticket from the airport to my hotel train stop until I land as well. Usually, you can include that ride in 3-day ticket.

Misc. Budget

Wherever I travel I like to save up AT LEAST an $100-200 per day just in case something unexpected or fun pops up! You may never be back to where you are.

I told myself when I went to London solo I was just going to walk around everywhere, but once I got there I couldn’t resist buying a ticket to see inside Westminster Abbey. I was really thankful I had budgeted some wiggle room to take that opportunity.

Europe 2022: This method hasn’t failed me yet, so I will be budgeting the same way as I always do. As for trains, I did book through Omnio as I will be going from one country to another by train and it was just easier personally. For this trip, I have already paid for the majority of the expenses before even touching ground at our destination, which was a huge weight off my shoulders.

STEP 4: Make a list of what you already have for your trip

Packing

I’ve slowly curated my favorite travel items in one space with recocommendations for all budgets.

For specific packing lists, there are a ton of lists already out on the web for packing. A quick Google Search can allow you to find one and to start checking off things you already have! I’ve made my own for Iceland, camping, and Disney.

Europe 2022: Moving to Colorado allowed me to organize and find so many things that are great for Europe, including my converters, portable chargers, but also, a built in straightener/curling iron that is compatible with European outlets! 

STEP 5: Make a list of what you need for your trip

Packing

Hopefully, this list isn’t longer than the other one you’ve created, but it might be. If you’ve never been on red-eye flight, I recommend some items to make it a little more cozy in economy, especially the face mask and portable footrest.

For the actual trip, the top items I would suggest in ensuring you have for Europe are: outlet adapters (there are several different outlets in Europe, and if you’re going to more than one place I recommend getting an adapter that adapts more than one way – you can find them at Walmart, amazon, any major distributor really), portable chargers (you can find these pretty much anywhere, any they are small enough to carry in your purse), reusable water bottle (Water isn’t always free at restaurants like in the U.S., so having a bottle that you can fill up whenever an opportunity is presented as this will help keep you hydrated throughout the long days of walking),.

A good pair of walking shoes, camera, raincoat, and clothes you can mix and match (For the 10 day trip, I will be working out of a carry on and my bookbag, which sounds crazy but my packing list is in Step 6 for proof.) What’s really funny to me is when I first started this blog as a creative outlet, I made a blog on what to pack for Europe back in 2016. Not much has changed from this list, and it’s funny how my writing has evolved.

What not to pack

Do NOT pack an American straightener or curling iron, etc. as the converters can’t handle that much energy and you run the risk of ruining the power (temporarily) in the whole building. This is a product you would need to purchase in the country you travel to so it has the correct outlet prongs.

I bought one back in 2016 and still have it today, so if this is something that’s important for you, it’s not a complete waste! I also encourage not to overpack. I know that it’ll feel like you need to pack a million things and the best outfits or whatever the case may be, but once you’re there, I promise you will be more worried about exploring. 

Europe 2022: Okay, I know that I should’ve had this years ago, but I did indeed add a ?travel neck pillow” to my list of things to buy. In my early travel days (and in high school), I could literally fall asleep sitting up. Now, I will be traveling with a sleeping mask and neck pillow for my 10 hour flight and I can’t wait. I will also share my packing list in the next step.

STEP 6: Decide what’s worth packing

What to pack

The biggest piece of advice I have here, is pack in layers and a color palette. What this means, is packing items that all can relatively go with each other or match; so 2 pants, 2 tops, and one jacket can make 4 outfits.

As I said earlier, there are a ton of great packing lists online that can be used as a guide for how many bottoms/tops to pack, etc. If you plan on checking a bag, be sure to leave room for souvenirs!

If you are traveling with just carry on, try to fit your bulkiest jacket in your suitcase on the way there. You can then carry it on your flight home, which gives you room for that souvenir you got on your trip.

Europe 2022: I decided on a color palette (black, brown, white, green) where I can mix and max my tops and bottoms to eliminate over packing. For 10 days, I’ve narrowed it down to:

Bottoms:  3 pants, 1 skort, 2 pair leggings, 1 pair of joggers.

Tops: 6 long sleeves, 2 crewnecks, 1 blazer, 1 winter coat, 1 rain coat.

Shoes: 3 total: white sneakers, black chelsea boots, travel sneakers 

Misc: 2-3 hats, sweater dress, 3-4 bedtime tees, 1 pair of pj pants

This list creates over 15 outfit combinations, and will all fit in my carry-on. Although I have a free checked bag for my flights, I should be able to get all of this in my carry on! I like to roll my clothes and stuff my socks in my shoes for extra room. I have posted a reel on my Instagram to show this! In my personal bag, I will have my chargers, makeup bag, camera, and snacks.

Disclaimer: We may have access to wash laundry on this trip, but that didn’t influence this list in any way! This is how I’ve always packed. My partner also has decided to check a bag which I will pack my hiking boots in.

STEP 7: Revisit your packing and activity list after a few weeks

Packing

Make sure you haven’t under or overpacked. Are there a pair of shoes that you’d only wear once and could easily leave at home? Did you make sure to account for enough underwear? This is where these packing lists really help.

Activities

Make sure you haven’t overbooked yourself. Based on my past trips, planning 2-3 activities a day allow for you to wander the streets and enjoy the day without the worry of over planning, and missing spontaneous opportunities. If this is a solo trip you’re planning, I usually book my day pretty tight since I walk pretty fast and will be at my own pace. You know yourself best, so go with your gut when planning things to do!

Europe 2022: As of right now, we’ve picked a handful of ideas for each city, and if anything we need to add things in the weeks leading up! As for packing, naturally I want to pack two coats. If the weather is looking a little warmer than predicted, I may drop one coat out for a rain jacket, but will keep the rest the same.

STEP 8: Pack everything to make sure it fits

Once you have everything for your trip, pack it up and make sure it fits, even if it’s a month before your trip! This may seem silly and you may skip this step, but I swear that you do NOT want to pack the night before and realize your suitcase is too heavy or your hiking shoes don’t fit. The days leading up to your trip should be time fun and exciting, instead of stressed and overwhelming!

Europe 2022: My goal is truly to fit everything in my carry on and small personal item (back pack) and if I end up buying souvenirs, I will just check my carry on on the way home! 

STEP 9: Notify your bank and phone provider of your travel dates.

Bank

Most banks will block your purchase and suspend your card if you don’t let them know you’re traveling. Notifying them will ensure you can make purchases and withdraw money from an ATM when needed. I would also recommend looking up what kind of fees your bank will charge for using an ATM.

Pre-COVID, most places preferred cash but I’ve researched that it’s more card friendly in cities since the pandemic. IF you are paying for a meal or ticket with your card and not cash, pay in the local currency.

For example, if you’re in Great Britain, pay in the British Pound, not USD. Why? Odds are, your bank will give you a better conversion fee than a local place and it will save you a couple bucks here and there. 

Phone

As for your phone provider, most major phone companies like AT&T and Verizon will allow you to use your phone internationally for $10 USD per day and you don’t need to notify them. Budget accordingly if you plan on having this expense! If you’re going with someone else or multiple people, I recommend trading off this expense.

I like to have service to Google the train schedule, look up things near me, and an Uber if absolutely necessary, or just an overall safety net. but that’s about all you need it for. 

Europe 2022: I’ve already let my bank know a month ahead of time, but will most likely call the week before to make sure they’ve made note for my account. As for the phone plan, I plan to use the international plan. To do this, I don’t have to do anything! I will receive a text from AT&T when I land and it will just let me know that I will be charged and that’s about it. My partner, however, will not be using this plan since we both don’t need service. To ensure he isn’t charged, he will go into settings (iPhone) and go to cellular and turn his cellular data off before we even take off for Europe. If he decides to use it, he will just turn his data back on and Verizon will send me a text message notifying him and he will be good to go!

STEP 10: Learn the language

If you’re going somewhere with a language you’re unfamiliar with, try and learn a few words to get by! The gesture will go a long way with locals. Even a few phrases such as ?good morning,” ?thank you,” and ?I’m sorry, do you speak English?” are helpful and you’ll be happy that you’ve tried to learn a piece of the culture.

The locals will also appreciate it and will be much kinder when trying to communicate. Language apps like Duolingo are free and easy to use, or there’s a ton of sites online that will give you the basic phrases of the language of your choosing.

I’ve only had one poor experience with not knowing a language and that was in Paris. However, I learned a few words that night in my hotel, ordered my coffee in French the next morning, and had the most pleasant encounter! Even if the barista switched to English after recognizing my poor French, yet she was so friendly and seemed appreciative that I was at least trying!

From here, ENJOY! And remember: there’s always a learning curve with traveling, and some of my biggest mishaps are my favorite stories. Embrace the fun, the mess, and all that comes with your adventures. 

Choose your destination: