Happy New Year! At least eight out of ten of us resolve to travel more, travel to our dream destination, or spend more time with our loved ones by taking a trip together. Come year-end and we realize that we didn’t get too far with these resolutions in general for numerous reasons like money, time, jobs, schedules, lack of initiative and planning, etc. While the resolutions are fresh and full of determination, here’s sharing a few hacks to make your 2023 travel plans a reality. If you are wondering where to begin and how to plan a trip, we have got you covered.
0. Start with your biggest struggles
We call this Tip 0 because even before you begin wondering how to plan a trip, you need to start by tackling your biggest issue/ your biggest struggle when it comes to traveling. If you cannot find windows to travel, identify long weekends and potential for paid leaves, if you struggle with the financial commitment, identify a realistic budget and start marking it aside, even making expenses in portions (flights, visas, accommodations). To accommodate your travel goals in your annual program, start small and focus on consciously taking steps to include travel into your schedule.
Taking trips is easier when your mind is inclined towards it and is eased into knowing how to go about it.
1. Identify your travel windows
Whether you’re doing a job or studying in university, start by identifying your travel windows- the period when your other workload is less and you can easily take some time off to travel. This could also be public holidays, vacations, or windows for paid leaves. Match your travel windows with those of your partner/family/friends.
2. Identifying your destination
Even before you ask how to plan a trip, you need to ask yourself where to plan a trip to. Identifying your destination could start with something as basic as checking out your dream destinations or locations you fancy. Visa, Costs, and seasons are the other important factors that are likely to play a key role in picking a destination.
For example, if the destination of your choice is in the USA, and you do not already possess a B1/B2 visa, it may be best to drop the idea for a while due to the long wait for US visa appointments. For certain destinations like Japan, and Scandinavia, the most budget trip is also likely to be at the cost of a super luxury trip in Thailand. Make sure to be comfortable with a basic budget to be able to thoroughly enjoy your trip. Seasons are another factor to take into consideration. For instance, traveling to Iceland in winter means shorter days and extreme weather conditions. You are unlikely to cover a lot of sights, as a result. If you only wish to see the Northern lights along with a few more attractions, a winter trip could work for you. If you plan to travel more extensively, you need to take the ground realities into consideration.
3. Domestic travel options
With the dawn of the new year, Corona Virus is back too. Going by the news and the increasing number of cases, international travel could be tricky with added difficulties, travel restrictions, and even reduced access. Domestic travel options, particularly ones that can be reached through a private vehicle or have direct travel routes could be more easily achievable in such times.
4. Mark your budget
Travel comes with expenses, but it does not have to be expensive. If money is your biggest concern when it comes to travel, marking a realistic budget is the first thing you must do. Knowing how much you are willing to spend and are capable of spending helps in deciding on various factors- destination, duration, and the timing of your trip. Once you have pinned down your budget, you can plan your travel expenses.
5. Pre-book
There’s nothing that helps your travels like clarity. Clarity of budget, destination, duration, dates, and preferences. Once you’ve chalked these out, you can start booking well in advance to ensure that you get the best possible deal without any compromise. All this while leaving room for some last-minute adventure!
Fun fact: We booked our tickets in March 2019 for our New Zealand trip in September of that year. With 6 months to our trip, we scored a steal deal with our flight and stays as well. We made sure to make bookings with free cancellations so that we could monitor travel deals and opt for them in case we found something better.
6. Monitor travel deals
No matter what your travel plans are, monitoring travel deals is a real winner. It can take you to your dream destination or push you to take an impromptu trip (just like I booked my trip to Istanbul) purely because the trip looks affordable or because you may not get such a deal again. Whatever your reason, it’s always well worth it! Watch out for holiday sales, airline sales, special membership benefits, credit card benefits, and more. Even random checks for tickets and in-app sales could land you great deals!
7. Apply for leaves in advance
Don’t let office leaves be the reason to ditch your travel plans. Plan your holidays and paid leaves for your travels. Based on the requirements at your workplace, make an early application for your leave to ensure that nothing else stands a chance to ruin your travel plans.
8. Invest in travel insurance
We’d never recommend that you travel without travel insurance. Typically, domestic trips can be insured at minimal costs while making your travel bookings. But for international destinations, some have mandatory travel insurance requirements. Even for those that don’t, get one. If you intend to travel more frequently, identify long-term insurance that suits your needs. Travel insurance could cover mishaps such as lost luggage, flight cancellations, etc. Make sure to read the offer document carefully and invest accordingly in valuable insurance, not just the cheapest one 🙂
9. Opt for Covid-cover insurance schemes
As much as we hate Covid-19 tampering with our life plans, it’s still very real and amidst us with fluctuating cases and new variants. Based on the dynamically developing situations across the globe, there are likely to be new regulations and requirements. Worst case, you could get covid. When buying travel insurance, make sure you’re covered for Covid related emergencies as well to ensure your trip does not turn into a disaster.
10. Pay extra for flexible bookings
I said. Spend the extra bucks for flexibility, purely in case of covid related emergencies like changes in entry regulations, travel rules, or getting infected by covid you could change your travel dates or even claim a refund. In case of a rise in cases, it’s best to monitor cases at the destination you’re traveling to along with the changing travel guidelines and act in accordance.
Bonus Tip. Research
Really the most basic advice. But for the time before your trip- RESEARCH. Blogs, videos, destination guides, and even references from pop culture, literature, and movies. The research will help you identify more things to your liking that you can do at the destination, places to visit, food to eat, and tips to save money. Knowledge is power and this power is literally at your fingertips with the internet at your disposal. You can also check with friends or acquaintances who have traveled to the destination before. Plus, regular research also helps you prepare and stay excited about your trip! I hope this answers your query about how to plan a trip in a world that’s changed in 2023.
I wish you all the best with your travels this year. Traveling is no rocket science, but it does require some will, intention, and action. Planning ahead, doing your research, and taking one step at a time to materialize your travels will take you places you will love. Keep at it! And share this blog with someone you think needs it and must read it.
If you have tips to add to this list, do the honors by dropping a comment below. The travel tribe is here to bless you 🙂
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