So You Want To Plan a Trip…
I’ve received a ton of questions this week about how Ben and I planned our trip to Italy. Planning a trip overseas can be overwhelming. Where do you stay? How do you know what to do when you get there? What about the language barrier? Here are my Top 10 tips for planning a trip overseas.
1. Determine your budget.
Determine how much you’re willing and able to spend on your trip. Remember to factor in the amount of money you’ll need for food, sightseeing, getting around, shopping etc. once you arrive.
2. Decide where you want to go.
Will your destination be a tropical island, or a snowy getaway? Are you interested in sight seeing or relaxing? This will also determine how much money you’re going to need to have on hand once you arrive. Ie laying on the beach isn’t as expensive as buying a mountain pass to ski all day.
3. Decide when you want to go.
Heading to Australia during your summer break may seem like a good idea, but it’s actually winter down under when it’s summer in the US. Make sure you’re aware of what the weather conditions are going to be like at your destination before you book your trip.
4. Figure out how you’re going to get there.
If you’re able to drive to your destination, and only need to book a hotel, I recommend Hotels.com. Thier website has a great structure for comparing prices, ratings and areas.
If you need both a flight and hotel, my go-to booking agent is Expedia.com. Expedia always has the lowest prices of any of the travel websites, and they have the wonderful option of booking a multi-city trip. For example, I was able to book a flight and hotel in Rome, then a hotel in Praiano and return via the Naples airport, which was closer to Praiano then Rome.
Whether I’m flying or driving to my destination, I always check out TripAdvisor.com to double check the hotels I’m thinking about booking. Simply search for the hotel you’ve found on Hotels.com or Expedia:
Then check out the reviews:
I’ve never been steered wrong by this website. Of course, you’re going to get the occasional bad seed who bashes the hotel just because they’re the type of person who can’t be pleased in life, but generally you can get a really good feel as to if it’s going to be a good choice or not.
5. Research things to do.
If you’re going to Bora Bora, your list of things to do may be as simple as lay on the beach. If you’re planning on going to a large city with lots to do, make sure to do some research. I love reading travel blogs or checking out guidebooks at the local library to get ideas. Googling “Top 10 Things to Do in XYZ” always turns up some great ideas as well.
6. Look into transportation methods available at your destination.
Will you be traveling to multiple cities during your trip? A call to your hotel might help you determine how to get from point A to point B, but a quick search on the Internet will most likely answer your questions too.
When trying to figure out how we were going to get from Rome to Praiano, I simply Googled, “how to get from Rome to Praiano” and the answer popped right up.
My encouraging statement is – it’s often easier than you think!
7. If you’re planning on traveling Internationally, and need a passport, allow at least 3-4 months to acquire one.
Getting a passport takes a long time these days and, if you’re recently married, allow the same amount of time to get your current passport updated. I completely failed in that department, as my still valid passport still had my old last name on it, so I took along a certified copy of my marriage license, which worked too!
8. Exchange money before you go.
You’ll often get better exchange rates if you go through your bank to get the local currency instead of waiting until you’re at the airport. Make sure to do this at least a week in advance of your trip as most banks will have to order the currency. Often times they don’t keep a ton of it on hand!
9. Brush up on the local lingo.
Don’t assume everyone speaks your language. When I lived in Japan for a summer in college, nearly all the locals I interacted with knew enough English to get by. That wasn’t really the case in Italy. Having a pocket translator book and knowing a few key phrases helped immensely!
10. Notify your bank, family and friends before you leave.
Make sure someone will know where you will be at all times of your trip. Hand out copies of your itinerary to anybody who will take one and let your bank know that you’re leaving the country, if you plan on using your credit card, so they don’t suspend your account for suspicious activity.
All in all, traveling overseas is one of the most rewarding things you can ever do in your life. At times, the thought of planning and actually DOING it may seem daunting, but you’ll thank yourself a million times over in the end. You only live once, see the world while you’re at it!
Have a good day!
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What’s your best tip for traveling overseas?
Great tips!
I don’t travel anywhere without a copy of Lonely Planet, but good ol’ Rick Steves knows Europe.
great post – very interesting and some excellent tips there! x
Thanks for the great advice! I’m tentatively planning on a trip to Europe next summer. I need to just go for it and get planning or it’ll never happen :)
Thanks for all of the great international travel tips! We do A LOT of traveling and I’ve never even noticed the multi-city feature on Expedia! That is absolutely life-saving!
Also, I’d be curious to know what you packed in your one bag? We’re traveling to Guatemala summer with just a backpack.
I love your vacay pics and tips. It looks and sounds like it was an amazing experience for you and Ben! I am in need of a trip!
On a completely other note…I just bought my first bunch of Honeycrisp apples at the store this week and ironically thought of you! It definately is fall–I can’t believe the changing leaves in Iowa already. In KC everything is still pretty green.
Have a great weekend in Chicago with the girls.
Kelsey
Great travel tips! It can be so intimidating, especially when someone hasn’t traveled overseas or has done very little traveling. In my experience it has been better to change money where I’m headed – I’ve gotten a much better rate. I do have to suggest not doing it at the airport though, usually rates are lower and ATM fees are higher. Check with your bank about their rates for ATM transactions and with a local bank – I usually try to both bring cash and have my card so I can go with the best rate! My other suggestion is being sure to check lots of different sites for flights – kayak.com compares lots of sights, but for international flights momondo.com has been my best bet. Old standbys aren’t always the best, especially when you’re traveling somewhere you never have before!
On another note I absolutely love this essay: http://www.worldhum.com/features/travel-stories/why-we-travel-20081213/ It’s such a good representation of travel, suggestions, advice, and an excellent explanation of WHY we travel! I love it!
I love hot oats and cold yogurt! Best of both worlds. :)
Great tips. We were looking to plan a trip overseas last year but then decided to build a house instead.
Thank you for the trip planning tips. I always love to see how others plan!
#1 tip: pack half as much as you think you need and twice as much money.
Your oatgurt looks yummy! Is that vanilla extract you add?
Love your advice! I have some advice that may be very practical and obvious…don’t be a stereotypical “tourist”. I mean, if you are going someplace like Sandals where EVERYONE is on vacation it’s different, but if you are going to a place where tourists and residents mingle (ie, in your rented French car while driving to the Tour de Eiffel you will mingling in traffic with French citizens on their way to work…) “minimize yourself as a tourist”.
Research local customs, find out the good “hole in the wall” restaurants, talk to people you know and find out things (maybe someone has family they’d like to put you in touch with… why pay for an expensive meal at a tourist trap restaurant when someone is willing to host you and share a meal with you…what a GREAT chance to learn about life in that country firsthand). Also, realize that when you do certain things…you LOOK like a tourist.
Keep valuables secure. Respect the culture. Don’t wear short-shorts or other articles of clothing that might offend. Realize that in places like Europe people smoke and don’t want to be scoffed at for it. People shop for meat in marketplaces where carcasses may be displayed very differently than we are used to. Realize that country officials are not spoken of in a derogatory manner like they sometimes are in the States. Basically, be respectful. Also, research beforehand ways that people in certain places may *prey* on tourists. I can think of how when I went to the pyramids the men on camels were trying to charge 100 Egyptian pounds for a short ride and photos. Negotiate prices beforehand. Check to make sure that meters are reset in cabs… don’t carry a purse.
Don’t walk around with a Hawaiian shirt on, a camera around your neck, and assume that just because you are in a foreign country no one speaks English. Basically, don’t be Chevy Chase in “European Vacation.” Simple advice, but it is really amazing to see how many people don’t follow it and the trouble they can get into (think of celebrities who constantly open mouth and insert foot when traveling outside of the States to shoot movies). :)
Love your blog and how organized you are! I know you’ve posted previously on how you budget/grocery shop etc. Can you post on how you maintain week after week, month after month such great self control on staying on budget, etc? This is my weakness and I’m sure the same for many others….
great tips! i also like to research restaurants before i go & do as much prep work as possible so you aren’t (in the US) driving around hungry and unsure of where to eat. food is important!