A dream vacation can quickly turn into a disaster movie when something goes wrong.
You missed your travel connection. That art exhibit you were desperate to see closed the day before you arrived. Or, having taken the wrong turn, you find yourself lost in an unfamiliar city with no phone signal.
You can avoid all of that simply by putting together the perfect travel itinerary before you go. Here are 3 critical steps to creating the best itinerary for your next dream vacation.
1. Do Plenty of Research
The more research you do before your trip, the better your itinerary is going to be. After all, when creating an itinerary, you don’t want to miss out on a location, attraction, or route that you later learn is a must-see.
The most obvious place to start with your research is online travel guides for your chosen destination, such as Trip Advisor.
However, a far better option is to look at smaller blogs, Facebook groups, or forums featuring comments from the local population. They will have the best inside information about what to see and what to do.
That will help you discover hidden gems like pretty beach coves or the tiny restaurant down a side street that makes the best pizza in the world. These places aren’t featured in travel guides but will make your vacation memorable.
2. Allow More Time Than You Need
It’s a human trait to be over-optimistic when planning anything, and that rule certainly applies to travel itineraries.
Unfortunately, even the best plans are subject to changes or unexpected problems, and you need to be over-cautious when it comes to creating your timetable.
That tip is most important if you are using public transport, and you should allow plenty of time when changing stations or airports.
It’s also helpful to remember if you have booked a day trip on a boat or bus.
These tour companies won’t wait if you are running late on the day, so get there with plenty of time to spare and grab a coffee from a local recommended cafe while you wait.
Here’s an itinerary template that you can use as a starting point for building an itinerary for your travel plans.
3. Keep Useful Information on Hand
We might be used to the plentiful information we have at our fingertips in the era of smartphones. However, we are still reliant on a good phone signal, and that’s not always so predictable when you are traveling.
This can catch you off guide when you are on your way to a destination at the top of your to-do list, and something goes wrong. Consider, for example, getting to a museum only to find that it is closed.
Keep plenty of information stored offline on your phone that you might need when traveling. Here is a quick list to get you started:
- Telephone numbers
- Opening times
- Booking rules
- Timetables
- Nearest toilets
- Nearest bus or train stations
Having this information at hand can be incredibly useful when making an itinerary. It is very beneficial if you are in a country where you don’t speak the local language.
Good Organization Is Key to the Perfect Itinerary
If you have saved up for your dream vacation, don’t make the mistake of trying to plan as you go, as this will lead to problems. More importantly, you’ll miss out on the best sightseeing opportunities.
Get organized, research, and create a well-planned travel itinerary, and your next trip could be one you’ll still talk about twenty years from now.
Check out our travel section now for specific tips to help you put together your travel itinerary.
Read also: 10 Travel Essentials
