Travel planning is important whatever trip you’re planning, regardless of the destination or duration, the same questions always arise. How do I get the best-priced flights? Which website should I use to book my accommodation? Will I need vaccinations and a visa? And a thousand and one more… On this page, we explain step-by-step how travel planning works to plan any trip from scratch . We’ve also compiled all the tips and websites we use when preparing our trips . We hope they help you with yours and before we say Bon voyage let’s say how to make this trip a good one!
1 Choose the right destination
It can be the easiest part or the most complicated. If you already know what the trip of a lifetime is, then move on to the next step, but if you have a few weeks free and no clue where to go, how do you choose your destination?
There’s no secret formula; it’s simply a matter of preference and personal circumstances. However, you can keep these guidelines in mind:
First, eliminate all the countries that aren’t suitable for your budget or time . For example, if you have 10 days, you obviously aren’t going to the other side of the world; you’d waste almost half your vacation on flights so visiting Egypt could be better. Or if you have a budget of €1,000, you clearly can’t spend three weeks in France for example.
Second, research the destination’s weather before any travel planning for the month you’re going. You don’t want to miss the monsoon season, or have the heat be so stifling that you can’t leave the hotel. For example, visiting best egypt tours are in July, or Travel planning to the Philippines in the middle of the rainy season will almost certainly ruin your trip. Any of the weather websites could be reliable; we searched for “average weather [country name]” and checked the first two or three (probably Accuweather among them ).
Then ask yourself what each place offers and if it’s right for you. It helps you in travel planning if you know yourself, so ask yourself, Are you a true urbanite, or do you enjoy rural destinations? Are you a beach person, or do you prefer the mountains? Do you want to go trekking? Are you into adventure? How important is gastronomy? This way, you’ll shape your ideal trip, and you’ll soon see that only a handful of options will remain.
Finally, expand your research on the remaining places, including Travel planning blogs, documentaries, podcasts, TV shows, etc. With a little luck, there’ll be a place that particularly catches your eye; they’ll choose you instead of you choosing them. And BAM! You’ve got a trip!
2 Do I need a visa?
Knowing the legal requirements for entering a country is essential when planning a trip. Each country has its own visa policies, and the conditions vary depending on your nationality. You’ll generally encounter one of these three situations :
Free visa on arrival : This is actually a simple entry stamp in your passport. You’ll need to fill out an entry form and have a valid passport (usually with more than 6 months left before it expires).
Paid visa on arrival : If the previous visa was a stamp, this would be a full-fledged visa. The process is a bit more cumbersome; you’ll have to fill out a form, sometimes they ask for a recent photograph, and make payment (usually in USD). Upon arrival, you’ll see windows where you can do this.
Visa issued before arrival : You can apply for this visa either online (increasingly) or in person at the embassy/consulate abroad of the country you wish to visit. Most of these visas require a fee, and many are electronic. The most common examples are the Visa to Egypt, US ESTA , Indian e-visa , Sri Lanka e-visa, Russian paper visa , etc.
To find out what type of visa you need, you can go directly to the official website of the government of the country you are visiting (search Google for something like “visa [country name] official site” ) or on Wikipedia , searching for “visa policy [country name] Wikipedia.”
- Ivisa . If you need to process a visa in advance, you can do it yourself, or you can use websites dedicated to this type of paperwork, which charge a small fee for it.
3 Get the flights
Although luck and being in the right place at the right time play a key role in finding a good flight deal, there are a few tricks we can follow to help:
Obviously, the first step is to use a good flight search engine. These are our favorites:
- Skyscanner . For us, the best flight search and comparison site.
- Other websites we usually use to search for flights are: Google Flights, Matrix itasoftware, Kayak, Kiwi (formerly Skypicker), Momondo… there are hundreds!
When searching for flights, always do so in an incognito session in browsers (although this seems more like a myth than anything else) hehe.
What does work is using a VPN , an app that changes your connection’s IP address to the country of your choice (in addition to securing your browsing). Why is this interesting? Because prices aren’t the same for all countries, and the same flight can cost significantly less if you search for it while connected from other countries. We usually get the best results from India, Malaysia, Turkey, or Bulgaria. Also try connecting to the destination country and the country where the airline is based.
There are studies that claim the best prices are obtained an average of seven weeks in advance (although this varies greatly), and it’s best if you book early in the week , specifically Tuesday, which is when they typically update rates and offer deals (avoid weekends). What’s clear is that the more advance notice, the better, generally speaking. Forget about last-minute deals…
To find great deals, don’t focus on a specific date; try flexible periods (see the “full month” or “cheapest month” options on Skyscanner). Flights tend to be more expensive on Fridays and Sundays, as these are weekend trips, so try flying on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Saturdays.
If you are not sure about the destination, you can also use the ” anywhere ” option as the destination.
And even search for one-way flights (both for the outbound and return journey) by combining airports; sometimes multi-destination flights are much cheaper!
You can also reverse the search : search from your destination airport to “anywhere” to see which routes are cheaper, and see if there are any deals the other way around. For example, I want to fly from Madrid to Bangkok, so I search from Bangkok to “any destination” and get very low fares to Frankfurt. I do the reverse search (Frankfurt – Bangkok) and find that the fares are also very low. Finally, I find a flight from Madrid to Frankfurt that I can use to make the connection, and that’s it!
Finally, there are websites specializing in finding real bargains. We follow them on Facebook so we don’t miss a deal. Some of them are: Guialowcost, Mejorvuelo, and Fly4free.
Which flight should I choose? In addition to price, you should carefully consider the number and duration of stopovers, as well as the departure/arrival times. It’s worth paying a little more for direct flights or those with fewer, short stopovers. A two-hour stopover is ideal.
Which airline should you fly with? It doesn’t really matter; book the cheapest one and the one with the best route. If you want a more precise idea of what each airline is like and lots of reviews, check out the Skytrax website .
Attention please!
Most low-cost airlines offer cheap tickets, but beware of the extra charges. Keep in mind that they don’t include checked-in luggage (check their website for their baggage policy to find out the cabin weight allowance, and if several people are traveling together, you can only check one bag between you). They don’t allow changes once your reservation is made. You may have to check in online if you don’t want to be penalized at the airport, etc. Additionally, during the booking process, they’ll offer you extra services such as airport transportation, travel insurance, food, and more.
4 Find accommodation
Booking well in advance is a good idea to ensure availability and get decent prices (especially if you’re planning to Travel on specific dates such as major local and international holidays, Golden Week in China or Japan, etc.). But our advice is to book with free cancellation , and as your travel planning dates approach, do another search to see what you can find. Unless you’re absolutely sure you’re traveling and find an indecent deal!
Before completing your reservation, therefore, make sure you check the cancellation policy when travel planning, whether all taxes are included, and if there are any additional charges (such as cleaning or key collection outside of business hours in the case of apartments).
These are the websites we use to find accommodation on our trips:
- Booking.com . It’s the website we use on almost all of our trips; it’s the most comprehensive and easy to use.
- Agoda . A good site for finding accommodation in Asia.
- Airbnb . For renting entire apartments or rooms in shared apartments. Although it’s becoming more common, some hotels and hostels also offer rooms.
- Couchsurfing . A community that connects travelers with local guests who offer accommodations (from private rooms to a sofa, a piece of floor, or a bed in a shared room). The key is to check the reviews on their profile before choosing a host, and if something doesn’t suit you, discard it. It’s free, of course, but it’s always nice to bring a little something.
- Trusted Housesitters . Housesitting involves looking after homes (and pets) while their owners are away. It’s not just about finding free accommodation; the relationship is much closer. Don’t forget that they’re entrusting you with their home and their beloved pets. To access these listings, you’ll need to sign up for a site (they usually offer one-year memberships). This is the one we use, and it’s open to everyone. You can get a 25% discount at that link.
- Worldpackers . A network for finding work in exchange for accommodation or volunteering around the world. It also offers an annual membership, but if you use this link you get a $10 discount.
- HomeExchange . A platform for exchanging homes, not just the old-fashioned “you come to mine, I’ll go to yours” approach, but here, every time you leave your home, you accumulate points that you can later redeem for stays in other homes. There’s also a pure exchange. Sign up with this link and get 100 points.
5 Transportation at the destination
Once you’re at your destination, how do you get around? The options are almost endless, from using public transportation to renting a car or even hitchhiking.
Transport search engines
There are various websites and apps that calculate and compare transportation options (land, sea, and air), and even offer the option to book. We used these:
GENERAL
- Each city’s urban transportation network . The vast majority of cities with urban transportation also have a website (or even an app) with all the information while travel planning, from fares to lines, maps, and even a route planner.
- Google Maps . It usually works pretty well for calculating short trips in cities.
- Moovit app . Search for urban transportation options and provide a wealth of information on bus lines, subways, trams, and more in many cities.
- Rome2Rio . More convenient for long journeys, it calculates the route between two cities and compares prices from different transport companies.
- Airport transfers . In addition to public transportation and taxi connections, you can also arrange a private pick-up and drop-off service to your hotel.
- Direct Ferries . Compare ferry and boat routes from many companies around the world.
- Seat61 . It’s a fantastic website with detailed information on train networks around the world. A legendary site among travelers.
EUROPE
- Omio . Formerly known as GoEuro, it’s probably the most comprehensive site for comparing transportation options between different European cities. It also offers flight results, but we tend to use it for short distances, preferably by bus or train. With this link, you get €10 off your first booking.
- Balkanviator . Very similar to the previous one, specializing in the Balkans.
- Checkmybus / getbybus . Compare bus routes.
- Flixbus . A bus company with ridiculously low prices if you’re smart.
ASIA
- Bookaway . One of the most comprehensive sites for comparing transportation worldwide, especially in Asia. Good prices and many options, plus you can book your transportation right on the website.
- 12go.asia . Another reference site for transportation in Asia.
- Baolau . Very similar to the previous one, it sometimes even offers better results and better prices.
JAPAN
- Hyperdia . The best website/app for travel planning around Japan without getting lost (or getting lost as little as possible).
- JRPass . Open rail pass for speedy travel planning around Japan.
- JBL (Japan Bus Pass) . Bus pass, ideal alternative to the JR Pass.
INDIA
- IRCTC . Official website of the Indian Railways. You can create an account and book after travel planning.
- Cleartrip / Makemytrip / Redbus . Transportation search engine, including trains and buses.
UNITED STATES / CANADA
- Busbud . Search and compare bus routes. Also available for other areas of the world.
- Wanderu . Buses and, especially, trains. You can find some very interesting deals.
SOUTH AMERICA
- Redbus . Bus routes in Peru and Colombia.
- Busbud . Compare bus routes in several countries, including Mexico.
- Bookaway . Another interesting search engine with options in South America, Asia, Europe, and more.
- Platform10 . Argentina and Brazil.
Car/camper rental
An ideal option for travel planning at your own pace, enjoying the scenery, and being amazed by places not listed in any guidebook. Before finalizing your reservation, check that all extras are included in the final price (including the one-way tax) and pay attention to the insurance, which must be purchased separately. You can add it to your reservation website (for example, Auto Europe), where it’s cheaper, but it’s an external insurance policy, or you can do so at the car rental agency when you pick up your car.
- Auto Europe . This is the website we use to compare different car rental agencies and make reservations. In our experience, it offers the best prices, and we’ve never had any problems. Other similar options include Qeeq , which gives you up to €50 off, or Rentalcars .
- Motorhome Republic . Compare tons of van and motorhome rental companies around the world. You’ll often find better prices than on the companies’ own websites, and everything is pretty straightforward (regarding equipment, contract terms, etc.).
- Yescapa / Campanda / Camplify . The Airbnb of motorhome and campervan rentals and around the world.
- Parclick . If you’re travel planning in your own car, this website/app allows you to compare the nearest parking spaces and book them online at the best price.
Do I need an international driving license in Egypt? It depends on the nationality of your license and your destination. But to be clear it’s best to get an international driving license. It costs just €10 and can be done in 10 minutes at any traffic headquarters (by appointment).
Relocation (free car rental)
Relocation is a way to save a lot of money on your trip if you have the flexibility. It involves transporting a car or van from one office to another, or directly from the factory to their main office. They need to move their resources depending on their needs, and for doing them this “favor,” the prices are very cheap or even free!
- Imoova . With this website, we arranged for a van relocation in the US for $30 a day. But they also offer services in Europe, New Zealand, and Australia. It focuses on camper rentals. Others include Transfercars and Drivenow .
- Driiveme . Take the essence of car relocation in Europe.
- You can also look directly at the companies’ own websites, such as Apollo, Jucy, Wicked, etc.
travel planning transportations (car, taxis, and carsharing)
For short trips within a city or even long journeys while travel planning consider:
- Blablacar . Share a ride with others traveling the same route, splitting the costs.
- Uber / Lyft / Free Now / Cabify / Grab … A way to find affordable taxi drivers in cities. It’s a controversial system criticized for its intrusion into the taxi industry. Everyone has their own opinion. They operate via a mobile app.
- Car2go is the leading car-sharingplatform. In medium-sized and large cities, car-, bike-, and motorcycle-sharing networks are increasingly on the rise. Although it’s more focused on local residents, it can also be used occasionally during any visit. Its philosophy is to offer the freedom of owning your own car, anywhere, anytime. Plus, most are electric, too!
Others
- Click&Boat / Sailwiz / Samboat / Boatjump / Nautal . Exactly the same philosophy as Airbnb, applied to boats.
- Solocruceros / Buscocrucero . With excellent cruise offers around the world, as well as repositioning cruises.
6 Where to eat
There are blogs like ours that publish posts in various cities around the world regarding travel planning meals. But you can also check out other specialized websites like these:
- Portals with ratings based on customer reviews , such as Tripadvisor , Google Maps , Yelp , Foursquare , where you can get a better idea of what you are going to find.
- HappyCow , to find vegetarian and vegan restaurants near you.
- TheFork , part of Tripadvisor, allows you to search for the best restaurants, filter by food type, price, reviews, and book a table.
- There are other websites and apps with discounts , such as Groupon, Grupalia, Atrapalo, etc., but we don’t find them very interesting.
- Too Good To Go or Phenix . Apps that combat food waste and where you can find deals from stores or restaurants on products or dishes that are in perfect condition, but are difficult to sell.
- Eatwith . And of course, collaborative economy platforms for living experiences with local people (mealsurfing).
7 Booking activities and tickets
Although we prefer to explore the streets and be surprised by unexpected corners, there will always be paid activities and attractions that require a ticket. In that case, we recommend these websites:
- Tourist cards like Go City . These are usually cost-effective as long as you plan to visit several paid attractions. Sometimes they also include a transport card, discounts, maps, guides, etc. We find Go City to be the most comprehensive, and you can also get a5% discountwith.
- Civitatis . The number one Spanish-language activity site worldwide. They also sell tickets, tourist cards, and even airport transportation.
- Getyourguide . A bit more chaotic than the previous one, but with more options. There are tours of all kinds, although not always in Spanish. Recommended for specific activities not listed on Civitatis.
- Guruwalk . Spanish platform for free, ongoing tours around the world. They’re free, but remember that it’s always a good idea to leave a tip (generally around €5 per person, although in countries like the US, Australia, etc., more is expected).
- Bookatrekking . Connect with local trekking companies around the world.
- Tiqets . It’s one of the best platforms for purchasing tickets worldwide, both for museums and exhibitions, as well as for experiences and other activities.
- Ticketmaster , Hellotickets . For sporting events, concerts, etc.
- Klook . Specializes in Asian products. Check it out because they have interesting things.
To find out everything there is to see and do in each place and for recommendations, we recommend using travel planning blogs with up-to-date information, forums like Losviajeros or Lonelyplanet , websites like Tripadvisor , minube , or social networks like Instagram and Pinterest . Facebook groups specializing in destinations are very useful resources . You can also buy travel planning guides . Our favorites are Lonely Planet (we got them in digital form through Nubico).
8 Preparations: Health and travel planning Insurance
For some trips to tropical destinations or areas with a risk of contracting diseases, it will be necessary (or recommended) to get vaccinated. So first, check the Ministry of Health’s website in your country to generate your own health recommendations , where you’ll find the recommended and mandatory vaccinations for your chosen destination.
It’s a good idea to talk to your family doctor and explain your plans. They can give you more advice and even get you vaccinated. If you end up needing more, you’ll probably have to visit an International Vaccination Center .
Before leaving, prepare a small travel first-aid kit with the basics. Medications such as pain relievers, anti-inflammatories, anti-diarrheals, antihistamines, anti-diarrheals, stomach protectors, and Biodramine. Also include other items such as bandages, betadine, adhesive tape, gauze, a thermometer, mosquito repellent, and sunscreen.
And obviously, get good travel planning insurance . Don’t even think about it; it’s money well spent, even more so if your trip involves destinations with extremely expensive healthcare.
9 Preparations: money
Another common headache is how to withdraw money abroad. Fortunately, more and more fintech banks are offering cards with excellent travel planning benefits . Basically, they offer free withdrawals, no or very low fees for ATM withdrawals, official exchange rates, commission-free card payments in foreign currencies, and a few other advantages with their payment programmes, we have several options, although the ones we personally find most convincing and actually use are these:
- N26 . Their free plan charges a small fee for withdrawals, but not for payments in foreign currency.
- Vivid . It’s a new card that’s targeting travelers, with a super-interesting cashback program.
- Rebellion offers a free plan with fairly generous commission-free withdrawal and spending limits.
Our advice is to order at least two of them ; our favorites are Revolut and N26 . Why? Because you never know what can happen: you might lose one, it might stop working, etc. So you’ll be well covered with at least two. And if you’re planning to travel as a couple or in a group, each person should order two cards to multiply their limits without fees. Since they’re free, you have nothing to lose, too. Oh, and bring your usual bank cards, too.
If you’re not a fan of carrying multiple cards, what’s the solution? Bring cash and exchange it at an exchange office (or bank) once you arrive at your destination (but avoid the ones at airports). The problem is that you’ll always be carrying a ton of cash, and we’re not a big fan of that!
10 Local SIM card with internet
Just as important, if not more so, than knowing where you’ll be sleeping on your first day is getting a local SIM card with internet (remember to bring an unlocked phone!). It can get you out of so many tight spots, and you don’t even realize how useful it is. You have two options for purchasing one:
- Holafly . This Spanish company offers eSIM cards with internet for an increasing number of destinations. The best part is that you’ll have it installed and can browse from the moment you land. They have excellent customer service. You can get a 5% discount through this link.
- At the airport or in your destination city . There are an increasing number of local company booths at international airports offering SIM cards with data and call packages. You’ll find information on which card to buy in many countries on our blog, but this option is generally more cost-effective.
Keep in mind that these cards (in both cases) come with a limited-time plan (days, weeks, or months). If you choose to purchase one at your destination, make sure it’s installed and working before leaving the store, and check the available data and the loaded package using the service messages.
And remember, WhatsApp works with the internet, so you won’t have to change your settings to keep using it.
Another option is pocket wifi , although we are not big fans, but you should know that it exists.
NOTE : In Europe, roaming has been eliminated for a few years, and you can use your data and call plans as if you were in your home country. If you’re Spanish, you’ll be able to use your phone just like you would in your everyday life. If you’re American or from anywhere else in the world and are traveling in Europe, the first SIM you buy will be enough for the rest of your trip. Just check the data, call, and validity limits.
11 Applications and websites of interest
And finally, before leaving on your trip, it is highly recommended to download these applications:
- Maps.me , downloadable and viewable maps offline.
- Citymaps2go , similar to the previous one.
- Google My Maps , to create custom maps in Google Maps.
- CityMapper / Moovit , with information on public transportation in many cities around the world.
- AroundMe , an alternative to Google Maps for finding establishments of a certain type near you.
- Xe Currency , the best for calculating exchange rates between different currencies.
- Skype , and top up a little money, so you can make international calls cheaply.
- Expensify helps you keep track of your expenses.
- Splitwise , to divide expenses within a group of people.
- Checkmytrip / Flypal , where we add our upcoming flights (based on reservations). Notify you if there have been any flight changes.
- FlightAware / Flightradar24 , used to track flights in real time.
- WiFi Map , where you can find open WiFi networks and comments with passwords for some closed ones.
- Google Translate , a translator with tons of languages.
- Microsoft Translator , personally it works better for us to translate with the camera, especially in other alphabets (such as Cyrillic, Japanese, etc.).
- Roadtrippers , for road trip lovers, will love it: it offers suggestions for points of interest along your road trip.
- Tripit , a travel planner and organizer, is quite useful.
- Wikiloc , if you are a trekking fanatic (or simply don’t want to get lost in the countryside) is ideal.
- Uber / Free Now / Grab / Yandex Go … to request taxis or ride-sharing.
We also leave you a few websites to help you plan your trip:
- Travelfish / Wikitravel, the travel Wikipedias.
- Travel recommendations from the Ministry of tourism in Egypt
- FAADA
- Luggage Hero / Locker in the City / Radicalstorage / Nannybag / Eelway . Luggage storage networks that work like Airbnb (sharing economy), but for leaving suitcases for a few hours or even entire days.
This concludes our mega guide to planning a trip from scratch! We hope all our tips help you have the trip of a lifetime! And if you have any questions, please email us.
Monty