How to make a travel itinerary. This might be your first trip or you travel often and need some help with travel organization. If you are looking on how to make a travel itinerary to help you be well prepared and therefore relaxed before a trip, this post is for you.
Whether you are new to traveling or a frequent traveler, travel itinerary’s could be tough. A lot goes into planning a vacation. You want to visit the best restaurants, sites, and stay in an ideal location. This post is going to break down everything you need to know about planning out a travel itinerary.
You are going to learn about when to start planning, what to include in your travel itinerary, and how to stay organized.
After reading this post, you will be ready to plan out that next vacation like a pro.
This post is all about how to make a travel itinerary.
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How To Make A Travel Itinerary In 11 Easy Steps
1. Research
First up is establishing where you want to travel to and researching. Research is key to traveling. Research as early as possible. A good rule of thumb is 6-9 months prior to the dates you want to leave, if possible. Most if not all travelers will give this advice to research as much as you can. This should be research on your primary destination only. For example, if you know you want to travel to Italy, decide which region/major city. If you want to take day trips or not spend all your time in one city, that could come later. There are many times that you think of a destination and do not visit for several reasons. The reasons could be the weather is not great that time of year or the destination is out of your price range. That is why it is beneficial to have several locations in mind. Keep that dream destination in a travel bucket list for next time. Always have a backup and start conducting research. The best way to find out information about destinations is searching online. Follow travel content creators, use Google, ask friends/family. Utilize your resources and narrow down a destination.
2. Decide on Timeframe
Now that you know where you want to go, decide on how long you want to be on vacation. Ensure you give yourself plenty of time to prepare for the vacation and rest when you return. This is especially important if you are traveling in a different time zone. Jetlag catches up to you! You do not want to crash in the middle of your workday because you did not give yourself enough time to recoup. I know it is tempting to get in as much time as you can. But how nice is it to have that extra day or two in between return to work and vacation. Research will also be your best friend when determining a time frame on how long to visit that vacation. Once you know the time of how long you want to go, then request the time off with your employer. Again, give yourself plenty of time to book that nail appointment for fresh nails and a good day or two when you return. There are many online articles letting you know how much time to spend in a specific destination.
3. Budget
Next up is establishing your budget. Budget is so important! Again, this is something you could research online. There are many articles that break down the cost of a particular region (especially the popular ones). If you cannot find helpful information online, then break it down yourself based on your research. Research should give you a rough estimate of a budget per destination. If you are choosing to do an all inclusive or a bundle online, there are some great websites that find you the best deals. For example, Expedia does the work for you in finding a hotel, flight, and rental car. In addition, these bundles are completely customizable.
The major costs for most trips is below:
- Flight or Gas/Tolls if driving
- Accommodation
- Transportation (Rental Car, train fare, etc.)
- Food/Drink
- Excursions
- Spending money/Souvenirs
- Travel Insurance
4. Specifics
Ok, you have your destination, how long you want to go, and budget, now time to get down to specifics. What this means is literally planning what you want to do day by day and the cities you want to hit. Ensure to give yourself some down time and wiggle room in case plans change. Flexibility is a must!! This is important in planning out your trip and when you are there. Life does not always go according to plan, this is also true in the traveling world. For example, if you are going to Amalfi Coast, Italy, you might want to visit Sorrento and Ravello for a day. There are some great apps that allow for you to break down your travel itinerary or you could utilize a Google sheet, Microsoft Excel sheet, whatever you prefer. Ensure you add a wish list of what you want to see in each city/day and then break down each vacation day.
5. Book Transportation
Now that you have your specifics to your trip you could begin your transportation. Book transportation as early as possible: 6 months prior to when you leave. This includes your transportation to and from the airport. Any flights that need to be booked, trains, buses, rental cars, etc. Do not forget to ensure you have that Uber or train booked. Now is the time to ask your friend to return that favor from months ago by giving you a ride to the airport. 
Also, transportation includes anything that needs to be booked during vacation. For example, if you need to book a ferry between Sorrento and Amalfi Coast in Italy, now is the time to research. Sometimes you will save money by booking ahead of time. If it does not matter whether you book ahead or not in your destination, then ensure you have the company/website/app or where to obtain tickets readily available in that travel itinerary.
6. Book Accommodation
Ensure you are booking your accommodations at this point. You have the perfect plan for where you want to go but it is so important to book accommodations early. Book transportation as early as possible: at least 6 months prior to when you leave. If you want to stay with that perfect beach view overlooking that gorgeous sunset, book early! Honestly, the earlier the better. The longer you wait, typically the prices go up. Again, do research because this could change by location. The popular spots and best deals go fast. The early bird catches the worm even when it comes to vacations. Sites like Airbnb, Vrbo, and Expedia have amazing deals. Take a look at all your options depending on where you are going. You will find an amazing deal on one of these sites.
7. Excursions
Next up is everyone’s favorite, excursions. Now is the time to look into the excursions you want to book for your vacation. This applies to all vacations. For example, if you are going on a cruise, the earlier you book the excursions the better! Book the excursions as soon as the accommodation and transportation is booked. Often times, popular excursions are not available even months/weeks leading up to your vacation. Example 2: If you are going to Paris, France and want to see Louvre Museum (AKA: Mona Lisa 
), book early! This is especially important during peak travel season (May/June- early September). In addition, you will feel at ease to have everything booked.
8. Ultimate Travel Packing Checklist
Next up is making that ultimate travel packing checklist. This should be specific to your destination. A travel checklist should include everything you are bringing on vacation with you. These lists are so vital to ensure you do not forget anything important. When you are planning a vacation there are a million to-do’s on your list. A travel packing list will bring you peace of mind and also allow for you to bring some items you did not know you needed. Every frequent traveler will tell you they either forgot an item while traveling or did not realize they needed something.
For help with travel packing/organization, this post has everything you need to know: Vacation Essentials | 50 Items For The Ultimate Travel Packing List
If you are in need of the ultimate travel packing checklist, enter your email at the bottom of this post for a free travel packing checklist pdf.
9. Book Appointments
Yes, booking your personal appointments prior to your vacation is part of planning! You do not want to be sitting by a beach in Aruba and realize you forgot to renew your prescription. Do yourself a favor and when you know the dates of your vacation, book appointments around that. Also, do not forget to book those nail, waxing, and facials prior to your vacation. That fresh mani/pedi before a trip is everything. Organization is key and writing down the appointments you usually book monthly. It is always beneficial to book these at the end or start of every month in general. This helps with decision fatigue (it’s a real thing!).
10. Double Check
Next up, is double checking over everything. You want to ensure you have everything booked and everything you need. That is why the ultimate travel packing checklist comes in handy and a travel itinerary with everything written/typed out. We are all human and sometimes thing we booked something and it turns out we did not. You will feel at ease knowing you double checked yourself. If you are feeling overwhelmed, have a friend/family member, or someone close do the double checking for you. This is a last check to ensure you have everything you need and booked before that perfect vacation.
11. Relax
Relax! You did it! You have the recipe for a perfectly planned vacation. Be sure to do something for yourself like grab your favorite latte, put on that bingeworthy crime or reality show, or catch up on some reading. Life is fun and you are meant to have some down time. You are going on vacation! That is something to celebrate in general.
Happy and safe travels xx
This post was all about how to make a travel itinerary.
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