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Here’s how I prepare myself and plan for travel…
Grab a Planner or Notebook to Plan For Travel
I’m a big fan of a planner. You know I am.
Whether you use it daily, weekly or just every now and then, they definitely have their uses. I’ve actually started using my phone calendar a little bit more, but nothing beats a good planning session with pen and paper. Even just with a regular notebook. I personally use a Passion Planner for all my planning.
When I’m trying to plan for travel, I like to do my research on the place and have a bit of an idea of what I want to see or do. That doesn’t mean I organise a regimented plan hour by hour each day though.
What I do is I write down all the interesting places I’ve discovered in the following research stages. I write down the names of possible restaurants to try. Places that just look pretty. Tourist attractions to see or do. I also figure out if I need to do something on a particular day or if I need to book ahead.
I don’t do it super in depth for every single trip because that would be excessive, but it was particularly helpful for Disneyland and for my first solo trip in Barcelona. It meant I knew what to focus on when things got overwhelming, and I didn’t miss the things that I really wanted to see.
Read more:
– Maize Mazes to Visit in the UK
Travel Books / Guides for Planning
One of the most obvious tools, I suppose. There are so many different brands of guide book but they all give similar sorts of information at the end of the day. Have a browse through a few different ones and you might find one style you prefer. You can walk into any bookshop and find plenty of guides with information from all around the world.
I don’t own that many, but I find the Lonely Planet pocket ones really useful and I always love having a quick browse through them whilst in shops. The smaller ones are obviously easier to take along with you and stick in a small bag but I personally find they’re something I use before a trip and not during.
I also quite like to browse through TripAdvisor as they have a lot of reviews for all sorts. Restaurants are very easy to find and look through on here!
Read more: How to Use the Passion Planner Daily as a Travel Journal
Struggling to save for travel? Here’s some tips on starting a travel savings account.
Search for Related Blogs On Travel
This is my most used method for travel planning and one I’d always recommend, whether you blog or not. You can pretty much search anything with the words ‘blog’ or ‘blogger’ after it and you’ll get some insider information. I like doing it this way because you’re reading personal experiences rather than a generic guide or the local tourist board’s information.
Usually I’ll search for more specific things rather than just a place in general. For example, the best vegetarian restaurants; must-see tourist spots; those over-hyped tourist spots; the best high up viewpoints; best method of travel around the area; what the weather is like in a particular month… The list goes on.
I’ve found so many great tips researching this way, and it’s why I try to share out my experiences too. For example:
- Do’s & Don’ts for Siam Park, Tenerife
- Different Things To Do in Manchester
- 9 Tips for Disneyland Paris
Have a Browse on Instagram
Whether you love or hate Instagram, there’s no denying that it is a great tool for travel research. Visual research at least.
You can search through hashtags or location tags and see what is happening in that area instantly. You can see what has been tagged at the hotel you’re staying at, if anything. I feel like it gives a good mixture of the every day stuff from those who actually live in the area, and you also get to see touristy bits from those travelling.
It’s definitely useful if you’re interested in street art or those ‘instagrammable spots’, and it’s also good for restaurants. Everyone loves a food shot.
Instagram also has that handy little feature where you can save a post. I have so many folders in my saved of places that I’ve visited. It is a very useful feature for all sorts of things, not just travel planning.
Use Google Maps to Plot Your Own Map
Google has this handy feature where you can create your own map to plan your travels. It means you can pin all the things that you want to do, and places you want to see and use that to organise your days.
>> Read my full guide on how to use Google My Maps here.
How do you plan for your travels?
