The Best Ways To Plan Your Dream Trip Using Excellent Free Resources
You wanna go on vacation but, the stress of planning, researching & trying to sort out what is the “right” things to do… Obviously, you don’t wanna miss out!!!
I get it, and these are all time consuming questions that, if you don’t take the time to research your destination… May set you up to MISS something AMAZING while you’re on your long dreamed about vacay!
Here is a list of FREE tricks I use to plan my own vacays with ease and up-to-date info!
HOT TIP: I mean you wanna leave some room for the unexpected always.. (that’s all a part of the fun!)
There’s going to be something you never heard about that a local is gonna recommend you do!
However, planning in advance is a MUST too!
Here’s how you can plan your dream vacay with little effort…
Make Pinterest & Instagram Your New Travel Agent
Pinterest HOW TO:
Create an inspo board on Pinterest: A really simply & FREE way to plan your vacation is by creating a board on Pinterest labeled: Travel Inspo or whatever ..
Say, you’re going to Mexico label it Mexico Vacay Mood Board…
Now, here you can start sourcing blog posts, pictures & tips for where you’re going & you can refer to these posts while you’re on your trip for inspiration or advice too!
Instagram HOW TO:
Source pics you wanna recreate on your InSTAGRAM under a saved album labeled: Vacay Inspo
I can’t tell you the number of times, my photo ideas have come from someone else’s photo (guilty as! Whatever we ALL DO IT!) Save cute photos you wanna take while you’re there, and check out the geotag to where these locations are too… this includes cafes, beaches, sight you want to visit &/or hidden photo spots you never knew about!
Google Search Special Events
What time of year are you going? A quick Google search will tell you if there’s anything events you don’t wanna miss. You may need to plan ahead for that… buy tickets, arrange transfers, look up venue listings & dates.
Ask The Locals Or Your Host Where They Would Go
Whether you’re staying at a Hostel, Hotel or Airbnb… The locals ALWAYS know an “Off The Beaten Path” Route.
You could reach out before you arrive too. And, Get specific, you wanna know where to eat, what time of day to do things, what places to avoid… The more insider tips, the better!
ProTip: To get the best photos, you should arrive off peak times (usually from noon to late afternoon) If you’re savvy about those photos… Wake up early!
Book Those “Bucket List” Experiences in Advance
You do NOT wanna arrive somewhere, with this idea that you were gonna sail across the ocean at sunset & snorkel with baby sea turtles (because you saw the pics on Insta- obvi!) Only to find out IT’S BOOKED OUT.. No room for you during the entire time you’re there! Like as if! If there’s something you REALLY wanna do, book it ASAP. Contact the tour guide, reserve your spot & make that dream a reality! Or you will regret it (trust me!)
This is an easy way to budget your trip more accurately too! Planning the bigger expenses out before you go will give you a clear idea, of how much money your trip will cost.
Reach Out to Someone Who has Been There Before
You can read all your blogs on Pinterest, source all the images on Instagram, planned your daily excursions… but, there’s always the possibility that you’re missing something WORTH doing too. I mean your vacation inspo came from someone, somewhere, right? Reach out to that person and ask for their recommendations!
I recommend FB Groups!
There are plenty of FB Groups designed for this exact purpose, and you’ll get your questions answered much faster than a random Forum on Google Search.
A few of the best FB Groups for trip planning TIPS are…
Travel Planning Apps You’ll Wanna Download
The most notable apps for helping you plan your trip, listing various options for tours that are available in the destination you’re adventuring off to!
I listed Airbnb because they NOW offer tours too! HOW FUN! Locals offering experiences in their city! I’ve seen some cool ones, like a dinner & walk around the park kinda-thing… that’s the type of experience you want! Dinner & a night out from a locals perspective? Sign me up!
7. Keep Your Plans Organized and Use a Travel Planner
Download my Free Travel Planner here to keep track of your vacation details so you don’t forget anything!
I hope this helps you plan trip in 2019 with minimal effort! All you need is an evening with your travel mate, a bottle of red & I’m sure you’ll plan a bomb-ass vacay! (this is usually how it starts… for me anyway!)
Do you have a go-to resource for planning your trip that I missed?
I’m dying to know… comment below & I’ll shout you & your tip our, on my Travel Tip Tuesday Instagram feature!