Pre-Planning

Before you even start planning your trip, here are a few things you want to figure out:

What are my travel dates?

When you’re planning a trip, it’s important to do a little research to learn about the time of year for your destination. Depending on where you’re going, the weather and temperature can vary drastically from season to season. You don’t want to be caught in the middle of a hurricane or blizzard! Additionally, certain times of year are more crowded than others. If you’re trying to avoid large crowds, you’ll want to steer clear of holidays and peak tourist season. By doing a little digging before you book your tickets, you can save yourself a lot of headaches down the road.

What will the weather be like?

• Will it be the wet season? Hurricane season? Super dry or humid? If you’re flexible with your location or travel dates, the climate may impact when or where you decide to travel. Otherwise, it’s good to be prepared and make sure you can pack and organise weather appropriate activities!

Is it peak tourism season? Low season?

• Will it be hard to get a hotel because it’s peak season? Will the lines and crowds at tourist attractions be ridiculous and require you to spend longer in each destination?
• Likewise, if you are traveling during low season, should you expect a lot of the businesses to be shut down? Will closures hinder your chance to see and experience everything you were hoping to?

What is my travel style?

Free Spirit or Planner?

For anyone who likes to plan their trips down to the last detail, an itinerary is essential. It allows you to make the most of your time, and ensures that you don’t miss any of the highlights of your destination. However, for spontaneous types, an itinerary can be a real kill-joy. They prefer to go with the flow, and believe that rigid planning can take away from the fun of traveling. Ultimately, there is no right or wrong way to travel. It’s all about finding what works for you. If you’re the type of person who likes to plan ahead, then make sure to allow some flexibility in your itinerary. And if you’re more spontaneous, try to leave some room in your schedule so that you can explore and have some spontaneity on your trip.

Go slow or fill your itinerary:

How you travel is entirely up to you and there is no right or wrong way to do it; while some travellers advocate slow travel that allows you to see more of the world and have more ‘authentic’ cultural experiences, this isn’t feasible for everyone, so it’s important to find a pace that works for you. It all comes down to how much time you have and what you want to get out of your trip. If you want to pack in as much as possible, then city hopping is the way to go. You can cover a lot of ground this way and see a lot of different places. But if you want to get a feel for the local culture and really understand how people live, then travelling slow is the best option. You can take your time, immersed in the culture without feeling rushed. And if you want a happy mixture of both, that’s great too! You can spend a couple days in each place, seeing the sights and getting a sense of the area before moving on. No matter how you choose to travel, just make sure it’s what YOU want to do.

What’s your budget?

Knowing what your budget is before you start planning anything can help you determine your travel style, which in turn can influence how long you travel for. For example, someone with a budget of $5000, could spend several months backpacking around South East Asia and making that money stretch… or, you could spend a few weeks on a more lavish trip staying at nice hotels and doing organised tours.

Traveling can be a great way to bond with a friend or family member. It can also be a great way to save money by splitting the cost of accommodations and meals. However, it’s important to have a frank discussion about money before setting out on your trip. You don’t want to assume that your travel companion is comfortable spending the same amount of money as you are. Instead, get an idea of their budget and expectations before booking anything. That way, you can avoid any awkwardness or disappointment down the road. By getting the financial details out of the way early, you can focus on having a great trip.

Deciding what kind of traveler you are will help you finalise your budget for your trip. There are two general types of travelers: those who rough it and those who prefer the comforts of home. The type of travel you hope to be doing will help you determine how much money you should budget for your trip. Roughing it generally means traveling on a tight budget and being willing to sacrifice some creature comforts for the sake of adventure. This type of travel is best suited for younger travelers or those who are looking to experience a place in its purest form. If you prefer the comforts of home, you should budget a bit more money for your trip. This will allow you to stay in nicer accommodations and enjoy some of the finer things that a place has to offer. No matter what type of traveler you are, there are endless possibilities for amazing experiences. The most important thing is to find what works best for you and to have fun!

What are the requirements?

Believe it or not, there’s a lot more to traveling than just packing your bags and hitting the road. If you’re not careful, you could end up in a foreign country without the proper documentation, which can lead to all sorts of problems. That’s why it’s important to do some research and find out the travel requirements for your destination as soon as possible. Depending on where you’re going, you might need a visa, or you might need to get vaccinated against certain diseases. You might also need to make sure your passport is up to date. By taking care of these things before you leave, you’ll be able to avoid any stressful surprises down the road.

If you’re Australian, you can use the government’s Smart Traveller website for up-to-date information about COVID, vaccination requirements, Visas, and general travel advice for each country. Investigate if you need to obtain a visa for the country or countries you’re thinking of traveling to. You may not need one for the first country you arrive in, but will you need one for the other countries in your itinerary? Can you get a visa online, visa on arrival, or do you need to get it in your home country?