Planning a vacation can be really daunting for some people. We get it, if it’s not your forte you could be dreading using those vacation days. Don’t worry, today we are sharing the 6 steps to plan your perfect vacation. It’s that simple, just six steps. Now, let’s put our thinking caps on and start brainstorming our dream vacation spots!
Start with a bucket list. Before we start planning any trip we always look to our travel bucket list. Even though our bucket list consists of almost every country, we still take a look so we can decide which of these places is attainable that year. Ash and I usually sit down at the end of one year and plan out all of the trips for the following year. In an ideal world we would travel every month, but currently we can fit in about 8 trips a year. Going into this you need to know whether you are going to put everything you have into one trip, or spread it out between a few. You will get into your budget in step 3, but you need to at least know whether you are planning one trip or multiple. This could also help you decide your destination.
Make a Pinterest Board. Before we start planning out anything we always start with a Pinterest board. Usually Ash and I will have a joint board that we pin to separately, and then have a conversation about what we found. It’s best to pin hotels, food, itineraries, activities, travel tips etc. At this stage it’s not about the aesthetic of your board. You are just trying to find information.
Decide your budget. This is a very important stage. Here you need to decide your overall budget that you are willing to spend. Include tips, transportation to airport, baggage fees etc. Try and think of every last expense that you would need to spend, and then round up. It’s better to be safe than sorry. This will also help to narrow down your hotel choices.
Pick your dates. This is pretty self explanatory, but this can also help with your budget. If you check out our post 8 Secrets To Traveling Like A Local, you can get some tips on travel dates and saving some money.
Narrow down activities, hotels, & airlines. So now that you know your budget and exact dates you know how much money you have left for activities, Are you going to hike on a glacier in Iceland, or swim with dolphins in the Bahamas? Now is the time to decide. This is also where you would plan out your itinerary. Write it all down on your calendar so you can keep track. Sometimes it is fun to not have an hour by hour itinerary, and this is perfectly okay. But, if you are on a budget you need to have an outline of the must do’s on your list.
Book Everything. Now is the exciting part. It’s time to book everything! Whoo hoo!!! You are officially going on your vacation. Make sure to save all of your confirmations from every booking. Now the countdown begins. Happy Traveling!
Does 6 steps still stress you out!? We have a solution for you. Make sure you keep checking back because on February 1st we are launching something very exciting that will make this process even easier for you!
p.s. We just released our FREE 5 travel tips we live by, so make sure you download it!
-Shelbs xx
This post is a must-read for anyone interested in this topic.
Thoughtful conclusions like these make the post, thanks!
I appreciate your straightforward method!