We decided what kind of adventure (trip or vacation) we’d like to plan, therefore it’s time to decide where we want to go. This is typically the best part of the planning process as there are unlimited possibilities. We’ve compiled a list of tips to help you as you begin the planning process for your next trip.
Tip #1 – Keep a wish list to help with planning your next trip.
We suggest keeping handy a “travel wish list” of places you’d like to visit, which aggregates the places you want to travel to in the future. Writing things down will help connect the dots; this can lead to bridging the gap between multiple places you want to visit in one trip.
Tip #2 – Research weather conditions for your trip to help with planning and (later) packing.
We want to visit some of America’s beautiful national parks, particularly those in the western part of the country. We found Yosemite as the ideal location for our trip since our timeframe was October. Online research says that this late into the year would be dicey weather-wise for either Yellowstone or the more northern parks (Grand Tetons, Glacier, etc).
It’s also important to research average weather conditions for packing purposes, especially when dealing with international trips. Preventing surprises once you reach your destination will make your trip that much more enjoyable!
Tip #3 – Use Google Maps to identify other areas of interest to visit.
The first international trip Mr. and Mrs. Thrifty took together was London to visit some friends abroad. We used Google Maps to find places of interest within a reasonable distance of London, eventually settling on Iceland and Munich. Cross referencing your wish list with Google Maps can be helpful when deciding how to plan flights and your trip as a whole.
Joking Tip #1 (but not really much of a joke) – Make sure that the person you’re traveling with is one you’re happy to spend 100% of the time together.
This tip goes without saying but you might be surprised.
Tip #4 – Use the flexible dates feature when booking flights, be flexible with booking airlines, and frankly just be flexible!
Being flexible when planning travel is so important, especially if you want to travel frugally. Friday and Sunday tend to be the most expensive flights, so pick Saturday or during the week for your flights.
Depending on where you live and what airport you’re closest to, we highly recommend shopping your rates around with different airlines. 15-20 minutes of extra research can save hundred of dollars. Use the Flexible Dates option when searching flights to see a window of flights for a few days +/- when you want to plan your travel.
Tip #5 – Use Wikipedia when booking flights.
Each airport’s Wikipedia page has a list of every airline and destination that will reach to and from that airport. And the nice thing about Wikipedia is that it is constantly updated.
Say you are interested in flying to Barcelona but also wanted options of other destinations in Europe to visit. Barcelona’s airport Wiki tells us that Aer Lingus will take you to/from Dublin or Lufthansa to Frankfurt. We find this tip especially useful for international flights for budget airlines to save on flights.
We hope that you use the tips we’ve outlined in this post to make your next trip one to remember!
What are some tips that you’ve used that have saved time or money on a trip? Let us know in the comments below!
Disclaimer: we did not receive any compensation from any of the companies that we listed above, it is our unbiased opinion.
Great tips!!
Thank you!