5 Easy Steps to Planning the Perfect Travel Itinerary
Creating a travel itinerary for your holiday might seem like a lot of work, but with the right tools and know-how, it can actually be surprisingly quick and easy. No promises here, but you might even enjoy it.
Why waste hours of your sacred holiday time researching and choosing excursions - which could be better spent drinking cocktails or on excursions, when you can do all this before you go.
You can plan it in your own time, with all the experience of your holiday predecessors, down to the smallest detail.
So how exactly do you do it? We've combined many years of travel expertise with all the best tech out there, to bring you these five stupidly easy steps to a ridiculously good trip itinerary.
1. Get inspired
Research your location like crazy and get inspired. Instagram is a great place to start; do a search for your destination and follow a few travel bloggers to find the most beautiful spots in the area. This is a great place to find those hidden gems not many people know about.
If you do find a travel blogger you like, it's worth checking out their blog to find out exactly what they got up to. They're normally pretty honest and they tend to be experienced in finding the best places around.
For a bit more variety and detail, have a good nose on Pinterest. Make a search for your destination and you'll find loads of photos, videos and articles worth looking at.
We'd also recommend checking out TripAdvisor for all the top rated activities and restaurants.
This step should really start getting you excited about your trip.
2. Create a list
Make a juicy, long list of all the things you found and loved in STEP ONE. Separate them into three columns: things to do, places to eat and evening activities. Try and rank them as you write them down so you remember your favourites.
You can do this on paper or on your computer but be prepared to make a few changes.
3. Read reviews
This is probably the most important step to creating the perfect itinerary and can really make or break the holiday. You might have seen things you like the look of but how do they actually measure up?
Use review platforms to check out what other people really thought about your chosen activity or place. You might find a few get crossed off your list in the process but it avoids you spending good money on food you don't like or places not to your taste.
We like to use Tripadvisor for this step, as each type of activity, restaurant and place are ranked and can be filtered further. They are ranked according to the number of reviews and the number of stars they have been given, so it's quite easy to find places that are both popular and good quality.
4. Use a template
Creating your own template is possible but is rather time-consuming and fiddly, so we'd recommend using a pre-made trip itinerary template or travel itinerary app that's all set up and ready for you to fill out.
Alternatively, use something like the Trip planner app where you can collaborate with your friends and family on what should go in the itinerary. Share links in your dedicated, personalised trip feed and if you all agree, you can add them to your itinerary at the click of a button.
This is a slightly longer process than researching all in one go and putting it straight into a template, but makes sure everyone involved is happy with the itinerary, which should mean a happier trip.
It's also really flexible, so you can add and remove entries quickly and easily, on the move or at home. Everyone has access to the itinerary too so you can all share the leg work.
5. Share and compare
Make sure everyone is happy by sharing your finished itinerary amongst your travel companions. This should prevent any grumpy faces whilst you're there.
It's also helpful to compare your itinerary with others that have been or are going to your destination. This should highlight anything you have missed or even slight schedule changes you can make.