How to Start Planning Your Next Trip?

We are just itching to travel again. You can feel it in the air. But, where do we begin? And how do we know where to get the best deals? 

Before I book a trip I do a lot of research about the destination and the best time to travel. I look for reviews and gaze at endless images of dreamy destinations.

For me the room matters. The location of the room, and especially the view. There is nothing better than waking up, getting yourself a cup of coffee, and sitting on the balcony gazing at a spectacular view of the mountains, the ocean, or a city skyline.

My son said it best. During a family trip to Honolulu. I was there on business. We spent the first 3 nights in a 3-star hotel. It was a little run down, it had a view but no balcony. The pool was just okay. When the conference ended we switched hotels and moved to a resort on the strip. We had a 1 bedroom Oceanfront Suite. As soon as my son walked in, he exclaimed “The room does matter!” We all agreed. We had a beautiful balcony and view of Diamond Head. A spacious living room and separate bedroom. It was a memorable and comfortable holiday. 

Of course, not everyone travels the same. Some prefer to save a few dollars and don’t care about the view or balcony. Wouldn’t it be great to have your cake and eat it too?  

Here are some helpful tips to get you started: 

Budget. Decide on the maximum you want to spend. Include everything (air, hotel, car rental, tours, meals, misc). Do your best to stick to a budget. The best way is to go by how much you spent on your last trip. Be open to unexpected expenses and a splurge now and then. It’s better to overestimate than underestimate costs.

Tourism Boards. I always begin with the tourism boards. Do a simple Google Search of the destination you are thinking about visiting. Many tourism boards begin with Visit in their domain name (VisitBritain, VisitJamaica, VisitNJ). Tourist boards are organizations dedicated to promoting a single destination. It could be a country, a city, or an island. They will have detailed websites and featured articles. A list of destination highlights, yearly climate, and visa requirements. They will have updates on Covid-19 restrictions and the initiatives their destination has taken as a whole. They will list favorite activities for families, romantic spots for couples, girl getaways, and more. They may have a chat, email, or phone contact for any questions or concerns you may have prior to travel.

Travel Dates. To get the most value for your money. Search for travel dates at the end of the high season or just before it begins. Staying clear of the holiday season is always beneficial. Book the week before or after to get the best rates. Begin searching with your ideal dates of travel. Then branch out by one or two days. Instead of leaving on a Saturday, you may save some dollars by departing from Sunday to Thursday, maximizing the mid-week rates. When our boys were young we didn’t care if they missed a couple of days of school. We took the homework with us. They may have had to do a little catching up when they got home. But, now they’re grown and I would not have changed those vacations for anything. It worked out in the end.  Now that I think about it... this might be one advantage of the children having to be schooled at home during this pandemic. Who knows it could open up more families being able to travel avoiding high season rates. This is also a step towards becoming a sustainable or conscious traveler. By avoiding the high season we eliminate the potential overcrowding and unnecessary strain on the infrastructure of popular destinations. 

Accommodation Reviews and Availability.  TripAdvisor is the best place to find the most recent reviews. I’ll then jump around to other OTAs (online travel agencies) to search for availability. Such as Booking.Com.  I’ll make a list of the top resorts that look appealing to me. I’ll then go to their direct websites and search for different rates, promos, and search through images of the rooms and the resort amenities. That doesn’t mean I will always book directly. Sometimes it’s cheaper to bundle your air and room on Booking.Com.  But there is usually much more detailed information on the hotel websites. Also for the sake of sustainability they usually have a page dedicated to their initiatives and practices. YouTube is perfect for recent visitor videos. You are bound to find someone that has traveled to your destination within days of deciding to book. We did this during the pandemic prior to booking our trip to St Thomas. It was so helpful to see videos of the island and get a good idea of what to expect.

Air. I gravitate towards Cheapoair to book my flights. They just have an easy platform, great customer service and you can link your mileage to your preferred airline. Prior to booking my flights, I will reserve the dates on the hotel or resort website. (with a flexible rate and no cancellation fee). This will provide you the ability to book the least expensive and most direct airfare. If I have to change the resort dates you’re free to do so with no fear of incurring fees. Air travel has also changed. Most airlines allow you to reserve a seat and will hold the fare for 24 to 48 hours. 

Mileage Points and Airport Lounges.  If you have an American Express Card, Capital One, Sapphire Chase or Airline credit card check your points and if you qualify for access to airline lounges. Here is a helpful article from Money.com  - Best Travel Rewards Cards. There’s nothing like hanging out in an airline lounge rather than the general waiting areas. It is much more comfortable, less congested, private bathrooms and other services. I recently became an affiliate for Plaza Premium Lounges, a booking service providing access to airport lounges around the world.

Car rentals. I will search for a local vendor or a not-so-popular brand. One of my personal favorites is Fox Rent-a-Car, they have locations in the USA, Canada, Europe, and the Caribbean convenient to airports, shuttle service, and offer a variety of vehicles. Their cars are always in perfect condition and returning the vehicle is an easy process. They also do not require a large hold on your credit card.

Travel Insurance. Always check with your health insurance and see if you're covered for illnesses and hospitalization wherever you are traveling. If you booked a fare that is not flexible or incurs a cancellation fee, you may want Trip Cancellation Insurance. I use RoamRight for my travel insurance. I can’t stress enough the value of travel insurance when traveling outside the country.

For more information on Travel Insurance read my posts - Travel Insurance, Know Before You Go

Tours. When it comes to tours I always go for shorter, half-day tours. Rarely a full-day tour. But it depends on the location. While traveling in Costa Rica, geological and cultural sites are very far apart from one another, full-day tours are a necessity. I use Viator and GetYourGuide. These platforms have direct connections with the tour operators. They have clear listings and show all the inclusions and meeting points. Their pricing is competitive and you can book multiple tours with different operators on the same site. They both have an app so you can book while in destination and get instant confirmations. They also show all the current availability and tours that are up and running. This has never been more important since the pandemic, many tour operators have changed their services and departure dates.

Restaurants. Check out local restaurant reviews on TripAdvisor. Look for locally sourced ingredients. When you arrive, ask the concierge or someone on staff at the resort for recommendations.

Supplies. Upon arrival, I always take a detour and stop at a local grocery to pick up breakfast and light snacks, minimizing our spending at the resort. I’m sure Uber or taxis will be more than happy to suggest a stop. 

The Environment. Keep away from animal shows and anything that involves wildlife interacting with guests. A better idea would be a wildlife sanctuary that takes in stranded or ill animals. A visit to a farm is a great idea. Try and stick to activities like hiking, boating, ziplining, kayaking, paddle boarding, horseback riding, and other adventures that allow you to view animal and plant life in their natural surroundings.

Travel Planner App. Finally, pick an app that syncs all your documents and air tickets.  They are stored nice and tidy in one application on your phone. Here are two recommendations: Tripit  & Tripsy. (These are not applications for booking travel but to store your reservations in one location. A much better solution instead of sifting through emails and papers for confirmations and departure times.)   

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