How to Plan a Trip – first choose your travel destination and then the places to visit.

Plan a trip well and you can’t help but have the best vacation possible - simply because you take the time to address individual details carefully and thoroughly. In the process, you go from “nowhere to go” to “know where to go”.

Developing a vacation plan is easy when carried out in an organized fashion. The major areas of focus are:

• Selecting the Travel Destination

• Developing the travel itinerary

• Developing the travel route

If you do not have a particular destination in mind, here is a unique way to find one before you plan a trip. After settling on your destination, return here and continue on.


Selecting the Travel Destination

Vacation planning should begin with a rough outline of the trip. Detailing the list of issues below will assist with developing the vacation plan. Brainstorm multiple destinations multiple destinations if possible.

These are some parameters under which you could develop your vacation plan later:

• Length of vacation time

• Destination

• Off season and shoulder season travel times

• Activities

• Transportation

• Accommodations

• Travel Budget

• Any other parameter of importance to you

You will be referring back to this information as you design and refine your plans.

Travel Itinerary

The travel itinerary includes places to visit (tourist attractions) and other activities. The more activities you set for your vacation, the more you should have a travel itinerary. Otherwise you risk becoming overwhelmed with disconnected or poorly coordinated details.

The itinerary:

• Prioritizes your sightseeing activities

• Outlines how you will spend your time each day

• Creates efficiencies in how your time and money is spent

Some of the information sources to utilize include:

• the internet

• travel guide books

• travel magazines

• newspaper articles

• talking with people who have been to your destination

• historical sources


Organize the material into a format that is convenient for your purposes.

Travel guide books may be purchased through Amazon.com and Lonely Planet. Remember to compare prices for the same book.

Some cities allow for sightseeing discounts through visitor passes. Check out Before you buy any visitor pass, check to see if you are likely to get your money’s worth. If so, consider purchasing the pass.

Listed on Travel Notes
The Online Guide to Travel


Travel Route

Effective vacation planning includes the use of maps. Locate and clearly mark the places to visit (cities, tourist attractions within each city) on the appropriate maps for easy accessibility.

Travel guides are often the best source for the maps of the cities or towns that you will visit. Another good source is Maps.com.

Organize the cities into a convenient order for your visit; repeat the same process for the tourist attractions within each city.

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