Planning is an exciting part of your upcoming travel adventure, but sometimes buying just a flight ticket, booking a hotel and seeing how it’s going when you arrive at the destination may change your trip more stressful and you can lose a few memorable travel days.

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Of course it's impossible to know everything or to prepare for every eventuality, however, doing a good level of planning in advance will never be a waste of time.

 

In this post we will recommend every one of these useful resources we have been using over the years whilst travelling or preparing for our next trip.

 

 

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10 Simple Travel Tips for Your Next Adventure

 

• Budget

• Destination

• Visa

• Flights

• Accommodation

• Travel Insurance

• Money

• Location Research

• Tours

• Apps

 

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BUDGET

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The very first thing when planning a trip is creating a travel budget, it may not sound like the most exciting step, however, it can be a beneficial process.

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Travel budget will have a big impact on how your trip will look – for example where and how long can you travel to. If you dream of a holiday in the tropics on a small budget, visit countries that are cheap to travel like Thailand, Cambodia. For a larger budget I would recommend the Maldives or The Seychelles.

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Once you're travelling, especially for more than a week or two, having a budget can help you ensure you don't spend more money than you initially planned. Even if you don't stick to it strictly, you're better off having a sense of how much money you can spend versus not paying attention at all.

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DESTINATIONS

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Now when you have set up your budget you need to ask yourself which type of trip are you looking for?

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Do you like to go somewhere you have already been or discover new places? Do you enjoy adventures, culture or relaxation? City or countryside? Winter or Summer?

Some countries can offer many of those things and here are some recommendations:

 

Adventure

If you are looking for action and hiking trips with thrilling landscapes, then choose countries that have plenty of outdoor activities.

Asia, Australia, New Zealand, safari in Africa

 

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Relaxation

Dreaming of laying under the palm trees, sipping coconuts and swimming in crystal blue waters?

Maldives, Caribbean, Thailand, Philippines

 

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City Breaks

City trips are full of history, culture and sightseeing. Whether you prefer museums and galleries, shopping malls, music or spas, there are cities that suit everyone.

Paris, Rome, New York, Istanbul, Tokyo

 

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Food

It may sound silly but when I plan a trip to Italy, the first thing I dream about is the best pizza and pasta. Trying local foods is one of the most delicious and enjoyable parts of travel, so why not take this into account when planning your next trip.

India, Italy, Mexico

 

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What time of year are you travelling?

It is essential to do research about seasons of travel destinations.

Some countries have rainy seasons or months when it is too hot for outside activities. For instance, the Philippines has a typhoon season and two different high seasons per region.

 

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VISA

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Before rushing to buy flight tickets, it is important to check the visa requirements for your nationality. In some cases visa on arrival or visa exempt is not allowed and you have to apply for a visa to enter the country of destination.

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Check your visa requirements here.

 

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FLIGHTS

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Websites we use for finding cheap flights or travel inspirations are Momondo and Skyscanner.

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Once you have found a suitable flight ticket, it is a good idea to compare the price directly with the airline website. Sometimes airlines might have promotions or offer more direct routes.

 

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ACCOMMODATION

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Hotels

The most popular website Booking offers the largest selection of places to stay. Especially convenient about booking.com, is that you can cancel your room reservation at no cost (until a certain period of time). Agoda is another option that we like to use for finding suitable hotel.

 

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Hostels

Hostels are go-to for backpackers. They are low-cost and provide more social experience than hotels.

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They offer solo travellers potentially new friendships and future travel buddies. I remember staying in several hostels while travelling in Australia. It provided me with lots of information and advice from other backpackers about traveling and places to discover. There was always something fun going on in the hostels, different daily events and parties.

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When you like more privacy but don’t want to skip the fun factor then hostels also offer budget-friendly private accommodation for couples.

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Website for hostel accommodation - HostelWorld

 

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Airbnb

Airbnb allows you to rent an entire property or just a room from a local in every country in the world. You can find from this excellent site very unique and just ready-made homes to rent for short trips and for longer terms usually the price is discounted.

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If that's not enough to tempt you, it's often better value than a hotel or hostel as well!

 

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Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is a site that offers travellers to find hosts who offer free accommodation.

 

I don't remember ever using this service but I have met many people who love it, especially independent solo travellers. It allows them to meet lots of locals and have some unique experiences whilst saving a lot of money.

 

Even though it is not completely free, you need to pay a small fee to use the platform (a few dollars per month). It has opened up the world for many low-budget travellers.

 

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TRAVEL INSURANCE

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Whatever type of trip you’re planning, be it an around-the-world adventure or a weekend city break, you need to consider travel insurance.

 

Yes, the cost of it is a pain and often you won’t even need it, but it is like Murphy's law, the time you don’t take the insurance will be the time you need it most.

 

Knowing that you are financially covered in the event of a problem will help relieve the stress if something does go wrong. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!

 

Most travel insurance plans cover medical emergencies, trip cancellation, trip interruption, delays, medical evacuation and lost, damaged or stolen luggage.

 

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MONEY

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When traveling, exchange money to be sure you have some cash available. There are still many destinations and smaller places where people prefer cash payments.

 

If you plan to use your card, check out what fees may be associated with using your card internationally. One good option is to order a travel card. For instance, a Wise card won’t charge you any fees to withdraw money abroad.

 

When abroad try keeping one credit card and some cash with you for day trips, leave the rest locked safely in your hotel room. If you lose all of your assets because they were all in the same place, it can be difficult to get replacements.

 

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LOCATION RESEARCH

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Exploring locations before reaching your destination is my favourite part of planning a trip. It gives me more information on what to expect and what to avoid, as well as informing me on places to anticipate more to take full advantage of the trip.

 

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Blogs

I mostly read blogs to prepare myself for a trip – they give a thorough overview of the destination and a lot of useful info and tips. I type to google search ‘things to do in (this place)’ which opens up plenty of information and usually most bloggers have written more than one article about the place or region on your potential itinerary, you may just find more info on one site than you ever imagined.

 

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Instagram and Pinterest

Excellent ways of finding blogs and photo inspiration for destinations. Search for your destination using the hashtags on the search bar. This is a great way to find hidden gems that you otherwise might not find out about.

 

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Google Maps

Offers great recommendations for food and things to do at your current location.

 

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TOURS

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We like to travel as much as possible independently, avoiding touristy places and crowds. However, there are some experiences which can only be brought to life via tour company or which aren’t possible, accessible or affordable on your own.

 

Before booking a tour, we recommend checking out the reviews. There are many tours which, unfortunately, over-charge or offer poor service for travellers.

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Also, we strongly recommend not taking part in tours or experiences centred around animals. If you can ride, hug or have a selfie with the wild animal, the chances are it’s a cruel venue - like elephant rides, taking selfies with tigers, performing dolphins and so on.

 

Read more about wildlife animal tourist attractions HERE.

 

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APPS

 

Google Maps

The best app for exploring new places. Traffic updates, public transport, city views, turn-by-turn GPS navigation, ratings, reviews and other details about places to visit.

 

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Google Translate

You won’t feel completely lost at your destination if you have access to Google Translate. You can either type into a word box or use the speaking option to translate a phrase.

 

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XE

Best currency converter out there

 

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Uber

Even if you don't use Uber at home, it can be a handy app to have when travelling. In places where you don't speak the language, the app's ability to type in your address can help cut down on any confusion between you and your driver.
 

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AccuWeather

AccuWeather is available in more than 100 different languages and provides minute-by-minute forecasts that are hyper-localized.

 

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LoungeBuddy

After entering your credit card, airline status and lounge memberships, the app tells you which lounges you can access at any given airport. The app lets you know about any free lounges or ones you can purchase a day pass for. It’s easy to use and free!

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