Best Tips For Planning Your Trip From Top Travel Bloggers
Travel bloggers are, by their nature, a globetrotting bunch. Along the way from Amsterdam to Zambia, or Dubai to Denver, they’ve learned some great tips for navigating the world of travel.
We asked some of the worlds top travel bloggers to share their travel tips for getting started on a trip. They dish their best tips on everything from planning and packing to saving money on flights.
Planning
Be flexible. When travelling, always allow room for any changes in your schedule. Do this by having an open plan for the day, week or month. Make it a point to see something you would like, but don’t cram a lot of things immediately around it. This gives you time to see what you want, possibly more, and without being forced to leave too soon. I know that it’s happened to me personally and to possibly everybody I know. We try to fit in too many things and skip out on going on a random adventure or never fully embracing a place. I personally make my mind on over a coffee or a beer the night before or on the morning, REMEMBER, WE ARE FREE TO DO WHATEVER WE WANT, ANY OLD TIME!
Pablo from Where’s Pablo. Twitter: @WheresP
Don’t over plan
I often get asked: how much to plan and how much to leave to chance? I recommend starting with an idea or a few big activities to design a big trip around. Hence our 5 Continents, 48 Countries over 4 Years. Then, book travel to the destination and a few night’s hotels /home share etc. Everything else, I recommend leaving to when in-country. It’s tempting to plan more, but with the knowledge that there are usually other travellers or local guides, ATMs, and transportation – and now wifi – wherever you are going, all can be worked out. Over plan and then pressure and always WHAT IF , will start to creep into the mind of thought. Don’t worry be happy!
Kristin from Take Your Big Trip. Twitter: @takeyourbigtrip
Plan for the unexpected
When planning a trip, jot down the top 2 or 3 things you want to be sure to do on your travels,I tend to use notepad app on my smartphone for remembering things that come into my head and then build in some flexibility for unexpected opportunities that crop up. You might find out about a great day trip or learn about a festival or market you want to go to. It is often these unplanned for activities that end up being the best part of your trip. ALWAYS!
Travis Ball from FlashPackerHQ. Twitter: @flashpackerhq
Saving Money
Do The Research. Though you can always find great deals when you are actually face-to-face in a place, we’ve found that doing the online research beforehand has prevented us from a lot of undue stress. Online research helps us know approximate costs so we don’t get ripped off. Online research helps us know the key places we’ll want to visit and the different options of how to get there. Again, we usually close deals when we arrive, but knowing what to expect, what the most common scams are, and what I’m looking for, has helped us create more positive travel experiences.
Let tourandtakein give you £34 off your first trip on AirBnB
Use social sites for savings
A few months beforehand, sign up for Groupon, LivingSocial, check out and network with the foot soldiers in the countries leading forums on Facebook that you will be visiting. Keep an eye out for things that you’d like to do. Once you find a deal you might like, do your research – check zomato.com for real reviews. If it looks good, buy it! This is a fun way to learn about an area – and forestall some on-the-spot decision-making when you’re hungry or the kids are bored. We’ve gotten coupons for laser tag, meals, coffee shops, museums, and stores. We’ve also discovered some pretty great restaurants which would not have been on our radar.
Dr. Jessica Voigts from Wandering Educators. Twitter: @WanderingEds
Check Out The Low-Cost Air Carriers Often.
We’ve been in South East Asia for many a year now. We constantly check and recheck Air Asia, Cebu Air, Malaysian Airlines and other low-cost carriers and often find these amazing deals which dictate our next home. Because flying within South East Asia is so cheap already and there are so many local airlines competing, they will send you deals that are literally cheaper than a bus fare. Sign up for their notifications and you’ll be amazing how you can hop from country to country (if you are flexible with your dates) for a fraction of the expected price, Remember though, check baggage allowance as some like Air Asia when added all the extras, works out more expensive than normal carriers.
Kobi at Lovely Travel. Twitter: @mylovelytravel
Fly midweek.
Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the cheapest days to fly. Pay attention to the restrictions for many of the airfare sales as you can find the best deals on these days.
Noel Morata. Twitter: @aplantfanatic
Sign up for Airfare alerts.
If you know your destination or when you want to fly, sign up for airfares deal from your departure city. Each airline will send you the latest airfares sales and alerts via email.
Go for free.
There are many ways to see the sights for free. You can get many free city walking tours worldwide, and museums are often free during off-peak hours. Other museums are based on donations and plenty of museums cost nothing, to begin with. Art galleries are usually free (and, if you happen to arrive during an opening, you might get a glass of wine too). Parks and nature spots are usually free of charge.
Inma Gregorio from A World to Travel. Twitter: @aworldtotravel1
Save on airfare.
As a perpetual traveller, airfares are our biggest expense. So we always try to search for the best online deals. There are two URLs you should keep in mind when looking for cheap deals: Skyscanner & Momondo . Skyscanner is great if you know the location you are travelling to. They compare all the major booking airlines and sites to find you the cheapest flight to your chosen destination. This saves a lot of time comparing costs on each individual airline.
Don’t overpack
No matter how long you’re trip, packing light is key! To maximize your clothing options, choose long-lasting items that you enjoy wearing and that can be worn in a variety of settings. Plan to mix and match to ensure that your wardrobe goes a long way and use packing cubes to fit more in less space OR ROLL ALL YOUR CLOTHES, this saves on creasing and packing is tighter and neater. Never pack “just in case” items and know that you can buy practically anything you may need along the way. This is great as you always have new clothes and a new wardrobe. Above all, try not to over-plan. Learning along the way is all part of the process and the fun!
Alexandra Jimenez from Travel Fashion Girl. Twitter: @TravlFashnGirl
Travel light
Both your knees and your back will thank you when you get older. If you forget something at home or need something while abroad – many places in the world will have what you need. I’ve had too many problems with luggage being lost or delayed in the past when I check it in at the airport. There are also security advantages to be in control of your possessions whenever possible. You can keep it with you in say a taxi (rather than putting it in the trunk) and generally keep it with you on buses.
David Thompson from Dave’s Travel Corner. Twitter: @DaveDTC
Split your stuff up if obviously you are a team/couple
In packing for trips, split pack everything. carry half of all the clothes and your partner carries the other half. There has been several instances where the airlines have misplaced one of my bags, at my cost of having to replace things quickly. By splitting clothes, you bothwill have something to wear for a few days until the rest of the luggage can (hopefully) catches up.
Laura and Lance from Travel Addicts. Twitter: @TravelerAddicts
Tips and trusted affiliates that we use to make our dreams come true.
Safety:
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Transport:
Cars: Coming soon:)
Trains: Coming soon:)
Planes: Kiwi.com, Skyscanner: Make the entire planning and booking easy, simple and enjoyable from start to finish. To make sure you get the most for your money, and from your trip and to make it more transparent and deserving of your trust. ( We have saved hundreds over the years and even more so using a VPN.)
Cruises: The Cruisedirect.com website is packed with information on all the major cruise lines, cruise ships and destinations.
Accommodation
Airbnb: Choose from over 6 million unique places to stay, Airbnb all types of spaces – from homes to boutique hotel rooms – all over the world. You can stay with a host or book a place of your own and what’s more, you can make a saving of around £34 joining through us of your first booking.
Destinations:
Trips: We at Tourandtakein have been to many far-out places. Heres just a few to wet your appetite.
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