Planning a trip can make you either deliriously happy or incredibly stressed, sometimes both. Half of the headache is finding great airfare. Which if you're on this site, you probably know about our unpublished flight deals!
Today we want to share some tips of how to create a stress-free itinerary and make your adventure worth every minute.
Tip #1: Solidify where you will be staying.
Did you snag a great hotel? Are you trying out an Airbnb? It can be annoying to create an itinerary without knowing your start and end point for each day. Mapping out which metro you're going to take or walking routes you'll use makes you more of an expert!
Tip #2: Decide on your non-negotiable must-see's.
Are you definitely set on visiting the Louvre? Is the Empire State Building a bucket list item? Would visiting Buckingham Palace fulfill a life long dream? Most likely, you won't be able to see it all...so once you set your must-see list, you can work your way around those non-negotiable dreams.
Tip #3: Gather inspiration!
I love checking out recommendations from Bon Traveler, Sarah Tucker, Liz Denfeld, and Lauren at Aspiring Kennedy It's always nice to confidently patron a coffee shop or restaurant that has a stamp of approval. Because we all know half of the fun of traveling is trying out the local cuisine!
We also have used the Not for Tourists guide books and love how easy they are to use and the foldable map, which has definitely come in handy.
Tip #4: Break your day into Morning, Afternoon, and Evening segments based on similar location. This way, you're not wasting time zigzagging throughout the city. See our 24 Hours in London post for an example.
Tip #5: Over plan with a lot of flexiblity!
We've under planned and over planned and I can tell you the latter is my favorite. Knowing where we are going to make the most out of the limited time we have before the trip even begins is worth the work it takes. Having a lot planned is also helpful when we find out something wasn't what we expected or we hear from other tourists or locals that it's not worth the time or $ - just cross it off the list and keep on going! Winging it? No grazie. Awesome accidents while strolling Roman side streets happen less than we would hope. Get great recommendations beforehand.
What else are we missing? Are there things you've done to make your trips a smashing success?
We want to know!