An important thing one has to consider before travelling is planning. Whether it is a short picnic, a domestic trip or a tour to foreign country, planning is very important.  Planning ensures one’s trip is successful to a greater extent without difficulties or problems.

Hence “A well planned trip is a hassle-free and happy trip“.

Planning is not a simple, straight forward or quick task. It is quite time consuming, requires research and needs patience.  Various questions such as where to start? Where to go? When to go? etc., come to one’s mind when planning.

Further nobody wants to get disappointed because they missed some attractions which should have been a must-visit and planning ensures it.

I and my hubby together have planned several trips including some road trips. We both enjoy travelling, love to capture nature’s beauty and always ensure we cover as much attractions as possible in our trips.

Below is a base checklist which we followed during our trips. We thought of sharing it here that would answer some of the above questions and help one in planning their trip. These tasks should be completed based on length of your trip, budget, and whether one is travelling alone/with family/with friends, etc,.

Note: I will be taking our 2500+ miles long road trip to Colorado, South Dakota, Wyoming and Utah states as an example in this post wherever necessary to explain some points.

 

1). Where to go or choosing destination/s

Choosing a destination does not just depend on one’s interest alone but there are various other factors that would influence it.

               

 

Duration of Trip – One need to first decide on how many days of vacation they have in order to shortlist some destinations. If you have planned more consecutive vacation days, then going on a long trip covering multiple destinations may be a possibility. If you plan for only 2-3 days, plan to go around places that are not more than 300+ miles.

 For example, we had 8 days of vacation so we planned a long road trip in US, covering a few must visit beautiful and scenic places in Colorado, South Dakota, Wyoming and Utah states.

 

Who and How Many Travelers – Consider the factor as to whom you are travelling with and how many travelers. Are you travelling alone, with spouse, with family or friends?

The number of people travelling with you not only helps to estimate cost of the trip but also helps to conclude a destination of common interest. If you are choosing multiple destinations, it will also help you on how you can plan the activities for each day so that it is convenient and comfortable for all.

Another point here is when travelling with children / infants. You may want to loosen your schedule to make sure the overall trip is comfortable for them.

For example, I was travelling with my hubby and we both were ready for a busy schedule so that we can cover as many sightseeing places as possible during our 8 day trip.

 

Cost of Trip – Another aspect that you need to consider while deciding the destination is the cost or expenses. One do not have to worry about it if planning for a picnic at local state parks or other places. But when it comes to a long destination or long trip with more than a day schedule, one might ensure they have sufficient fund to cover various expenses such as flights bookings, rental car and insurance, fuel, accommodations, food, etc.,. Saving money for your next trip is important.

For example, during our trip, we estimated flight cost for return trip to Denver by comparing on some flight booking sites (like expedia, cheapOair, priceline). Also, average rental car expense, fuel cost by approximate miles that will be covered under road trip, accommodation expenses for each night stay, average food expense per day, park entrance fees, etc.,

 

Places of Interest – To make a trip joyful, memorable and successful, one must know or understand the interests of all the travelers. Each traveler might have different thoughts and point of views about a vacation. Some may love to experience nature’s beauty like national/state parks while others may look for relaxing vacation at resorts/beaches. The chosen destination/s should give the joy one would like to have. If two travelers have different interests, then choose the destination such that the trip is not boring for either of them.

For example, I and my hubby have common travel interests. We both admire nature and love to capture its beauty. So we mostly planned to go around the national parks like Rocky mountain, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Arches, etc., during our road trip.

 

Good Time to Travel – Knowing when to travel is an important factor to avoid delays and ensure all planned destinations are covered. Weather plays an important role in deciding when to plan the travel, so one has to keep looking for weather predictions in advance and during the time of travel. Sites like nps.gov, accuweather and weather.com should be checked to get a brief idea about the weather.

Another important consideration should be, if travelling during peak or off-peak season. This also includes travelling during national holidays or long weekends.      

For example, we planned our trip in the first week of October hoping to see some fall foliage, probably some snowfall or snow. We did check various sites to ensure no road closures or rainfall during that time.  

 

2). Travel – Booking Flights/Rental Vehicle

Once you have chosen the destination, next main thing is travel bookings. This may depend on how you are planning to travel.

If you have more vacation days and chosen a destination within your country, you may want to drive. In this case, booking a rental car or preparing your own vehicle for the road trip is important. If you are driving by your own vehicle or renting a vehicle, it is good to ensure it is serviced for

• Multipoint inspection like brake, air filter, lights, etc.,
• Tires
• Engine oil
• Wheel alignments

Also ensure you have the below documents and arrangements in place

• Auto insurance & registration
• Road side assistance
• Valid driver license
• Spare tire with tool kit

 

If you want to save driving time to and fro, then booking a return flight to destination and then renting a vehicle or using local transportation to go around would make sense.

 

Some tips while booking flights/rental cars :

Flexibility

One may try to be flexible with the travel date/time to avail good deals. Airfares are usually high during long weekends, national holidays, weekends, peak seasons etc., and cheap during off-peak seasons or weekdays.

Not only the dates, but you can also be flexible with the destination airports. Sometimes there are multiple airports to reach a destination. Flights to some airports are cheaper while others may be bit expensive.

You may also want to consider 1 or 2 stop flights which might be cheaper than direct flights.

Compare

Whether booking flights or renting a vehicle, you may want to look for cheap deals and compare on various booking sites (Expedia, CheapOair, Priceline, Google flights, etc.,) including the direct airline/rental car websites.

Early Booking

Always try to plan your trip in advance. It is observed most of the times that you can fetch some good deals if you book few weeks prior to your actual travel date.

Airline Rewards/Frequent Flier Program, Travel Credit Cards and Cash Back Sites :

Airline rewards programs are a good way to get discounts, free upgrades or even free tickets. So it is a good idea to sign-up for all the rewards program to collect points and redeem against flight tickets. Similarly, there are various credit cards that provide sign-up bonuses which can be redeemed against travel bookings and might help cover some of your trip cost. Sites such as Ebates provide a decent cashback for various purchases including flight tickets and hotel bookings.

For example, After considering different destinations and comparing prices on various sites; we decided to book a return flight from Tampa, FL to Denver,CO and then go on a road trip which would cover most of the places on our list and conclude again at Denver. We rented a car from Denver Airport.

Note: If driving, always make sure you fill the tank frequently to avoid running out of fuel on long drives which will only lead to delays and inconvenience.

 

3). Booking Accommodations

Looking for a convenient, safe, economical and decent accommodation is another important thing while planning a trip.

If you have concluded destination and also your daily activities schedule, you can start looking for hotel deals accordingly. Especially when you have multiple destinations and busy schedule, you should book the accommodation in advance. This is also true when you are travelling with family and kids to avoid last minute searches.

While you choose the cheapest deal for your stay, you need to also make sure it is safe and comfortable for all the people travelling with you. If possible, book hotels/stay within city limits or if your destination is in outskirts, you can look for the nearest city/town for your stay.

Sometimes booking studio apartments that offer kitchen would be a good option if you like to cook for yourself or children, during your stay.

Staying at an inexpensive hotel might save you money if the main purpose of the trip is sight-seeing and stay is just for taking rest at night. But if you are looking for a relaxing trip with more time spent at your stay, then going for hotels or resorts that provide various amenities like swimming pool, Jacuzzi, gaming center, spa etc., would make sense.

Hotels are usually a little expensive and may not save you lot of money. One can find hotel deals on websites like hotels.com, hotwire, booking.com, Expedia, Priceline, etc. Other sites like Airbnb also provides deals or bookings for apartments or cabins at reasonable prices.

If you are travelling in group, booking a condo/cabin and sharing would be a good option.

Note: Reading reviews from other customers would help a lot while booking hotels. We usually do that for all kind of bookings to ensure service is worth the money we spend. Tripadvisor and yelp are really useful to get insight about the particular place. Check the cancellation policies in advance, in case you change plans.

For example, during our trip, we had planned to cover various places afar. So we booked our stay accordingly for each night. We stayed in Winter Park first day which is near to Denver and Rocky Mountain National Park and then we stayed at Hot Springs, South Dakota the next day which is near to the Mount Rushmore National Monument. As it was just the 2 of us and we had a busy schedule for all 8 days, we booked 2.5 or 3 star rated hotels in advance while ensuring safety and location of the stay.

 

4). Information on Local Means of Transportation

Knowing local means of transportation at your destination is a good idea. Once you reach your destination, you will need some means to go around the place. Not all places will have public transports like buses, trains, tubes, subways, etc.  So at such places renting a car or booking cabs would be an option.

Again it depends on how far the sight-seeing places are at your destination. If they are at walkable distance then you may prefer walking around and hiring cab/taxis when necessary but if they are at far distance, then better rent a car to save time. Another point to consider is whether it is really feasible to rent a car if you are sight-seeing within a downtown or city that is crowded. Sometimes using local means would be cheaper and saves time.

For example, during our Denver trip, we booked a rental car to go around Denver and other destinations for rest of the days. When we had been to New York, we used subways and cabs to go around various attractions in the city which was a lot cheaper than renting car and definitely saved a lot of time than we would have if we drove a vehicle.

 

5). Things to do and sightseeing at chosen destination

Accommodation and some of the other bookings depend on the destinations you decide to visit and activities you plan to do around those places. Whether you have planned for a single destination or multiple, you might want to look for some must-visit attractions for sight-seeing. Most tourism websites also offer brochures & maps of attractions around the places. Try to take hard copy and keep them handy.

Some attractions may require you to purchase passes in advance while others may have free entries or passes available on visit. Especially attractions like Museums, Zoo, Theme/Water Parks, big national parks, some prominent/historical landmarks in downtown/city usually have passes. These get booked well in advance during weekends and peak seasons. It is advisable to purchase 7-Days or annual pass if your plan consists of multiple days visit.

Read the reviews about the attractions in various travel blogs, trip advisor, national park site, tourism websites, etc., to gather as much information as possible about the place.

Best way to do this is to use google engine to search for all the attractions around the destination you have planned to visit. Make a list of important and must-visit attractions. Use google maps to locate them and their approx. distance from each other. Also note the operating hours as they may vary based on what period of the year you visit. Put this in an excel sheet / planner such that it includes the attraction name, approx. time you want to spend there, address of the destination, distance, etc., Planning ensures you do not repeat the route to save time.

Considering our Denver trip as an example, we first searched to see what attractions are around Denver that are must-visit. We found few namely Pikes Peak, Garden of Gods, Rocky Mountain National Park which we included in our plan. Then we explored these individual attractions to narrow down our visit to major turn-outs/points. The search was extended further to cover attractions from some neighboring states like South Dakota, Wyoming and Utah. Places like Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park, Arches National Park were included in the plan. Again the process was repeated to narrow down the visits or stops by important turn-outs/points. Information on all these was gathered and accordingly put in a plan with day and approx. time of visit. These helped us to conclude our accommodation bookings too.

 

6). Restaurants, Picnic Spots, Shops

One cannot just be sight-seeing or doing activities on trip without having food or drinks. You need to eat sufficient food and drink enough fluids to keep yourself energized and healthy throughout the trip.

If you want to save time dining, you can take to-go or carry homemade/packaged food. If one is interested in trying different cuisines or taste various dishes, you can search for restaurants in advance. This depends on how tight your schedule is.

If you are travelling with family, especially females, you cannot stop them from shopping 🙂 They love to shop when they visit new places or foreign countries. Again try to gather as much information as possible on shops/shopping centers at the destinations you plan to visit.

 

7). Travel Documents

One needs to always ensure all the necessary documents are carried along during travel. Most important being the below. One can keep both soft and hard copy (print outs) of each document during your travel.

• Passport & Visas (If travelling outside country) – For photo identification
• Driver License / State IDs – For photo identification and driving permit
• Flight Ticket Confirmation / Itinerary
• Rental Car Reservation Confirmation
• Hotel Booking Confirmation
• Tour Booking Confirmation (if you purchased a tour package to get around place)
• Credit Cards and Currencies
• Travel Insurance
• Auto Insurance and Registration (If driving by your own vehicle, most auto insurances also cover rental cars)

For example, as we were on domestic trip (within US) and as we were non-immigrants in US, we carried our passport for photo identification, driver license for renting car, flight/hotel/rental car booking confirmations, auto insurance, credit card and some cash.

 

8). Packing

Packing is an important task of your trip that ensures you have all the basic and necessary stuffs. Especially when travelling with family and kids, it becomes very important that you carefully pack your stuffs to avoid hassles during the trip.

Clothing

The clothing one can carry during their trip entirely depends on what place they plan to visit, what period of the year they are visiting and what activities they plan to do. Below is some basic clothing list, irrespective of the place, period or activities. Count/pairs of clothes depend on number of days of your travel.

Though it is a good idea to keep this list to minimal to avoid more luggage (check-in bags/weight) but this is not always possible when travelling with family :). Atleast one can keep it down to carry-on bag size luggage.

• Shirts/T-shirts/Jeans/Tops/Dress
• Shorts
• Bathing Suit
• Towels
• Flip-flops/sleepers
• Socks
• Shoes
• Blankets (Not heavy ones)
• Inner wears
• Thermal wears
• Jackets, Raincoat, Sweaters
• Cap
• Scarfs

Infant/Baby Kit

The kit list may vary based on whether you are carrying an infant or a grown-up kid.

• Dresses, caps, warm wears, onesies
• Diapers
• Formula
• Feeding Bottles
• Wipes
• Blankets
• Pacifiers
• Aspirator
• Baby Shampoo, Lotion & Powder
• Other Food Items (if applicable based on babies age)
• Small Toys/games (If required)
• Stroller (if travelling by flight) and Car Seat (Both if driving)
• Diaper changing covers

Medical Kit

• Tylenol or other equivalent over the counter medicine (for fever, headache, cold, body pain, etc)
• Band-Aids
• Other specific prescribed medications
• Sunscreen Lotion
• Hand Sanitizers
• Adhesive tapes
• Thermometer
• Antibiotics
• Cotton swabs

Electronics

• Laptop & Charger (if required only)
• Camera and Kit (includes multiple SD cards, tripod, lens, multiple batteries, charger)
• Mobile phone & Charger
• Power banks
• Earphones / headphones
• Universal power adapter
• Straightener / Curler
• Hair Dryer (Most hotels have it)

Other Stuffs

• Plastic zip-lock bags
• Lock/Key for the luggage
• Tooth Brush, Tooth Paste, Shower Gel, Shampoo, Razor (shaving kit), Hair Gel/Oil, Comb, Deodorant
• Sunglasses, Hat
• Ladies accessories like ear rings, bangles, watch, bracelets, makeup kit, etc.,
• Water Bottles (If driving)
• Cooler
• Backpack

What to keep in Backpack?

• Camera, laptop, chargers
• One pair of clothing
• Documents
• Immediately required medications
• Always keep baby kit in a backpack as you can still travel without your stuffs but not without baby kit

 

I have summarized essential steps towards planning a successful trip. Hope this guide helps you in some way or the other. Don’t forget to share your success stories and wonderful memories with us!!

Travel safe and enjoy your trip 🙂