I know some people can get overwhelmed by the idea of planning a trip by themselves. You feel like there’s so much to think about and so much to do!

You can be tempted to book an organized trip and then you have to follow a schedule you’re not always comfortable with, do activities you are not interested in, and talk to people you don’t know but have to deal with for all your trip.

Planning a trip is easier than you may think.

Organization is part of my day job and I’m here to give you the best tips I use to plan my dream trip.

1. Decide Where You Want to Go

Maybe you already know where you want to go, or maybe you need inspiration. Let me help you.

First, find the reason why you want to travel.

Do you want to escape from winter?

Do you want to discover a new culture?

Do you want to learn something new? (That last one is often my reason to travel.)

Maybe you need to choose a destination that fits your budget?

2. Check the Travel Advice and Advisories

Once you have chosen your destination, visit your government’s website to see the information on security, entry and exit requirements, health conditions, local laws and culture, natural disasters and climate, and how to find help when you are there.

For example, some places require to get a tourist visa and the delay to get it can be several weeks. You need to plan it in advance.

This is also where you’ll learn about the mandatory or recommended vaccinations.

After, it is your call to decide to travel there, or to choose another destination. Know that if your gouvernement doesn’t recommend to travel to a destination, your travel insurance might not cover you.

3. Book Your Flight

And this is where you all want to know how to get cheap flights, yeah?

The trick is to research, research, research. The more time you have to research, the more chance you have to find a good deal, but there is no magic formula.

People used to say that booking last-minute makes you save money, but I don’t find it to be true anymore. The only tips that really works each time are to travel off-season and to be flexible with your dates of departure and return.

Set an alarm on a few booking sites and you’ll be informed of the variation of prices. That will give you an idea of when to book.

4. Take Care of Your Health

I rarely travel without going to a travel clinic prior to my departure.

Unless you travel to North America or Europe, you should visit a travel clinic before travelling to get your vaccines, a general antibiotic, and an anti-malaria (if needed).

Also very important: take a travel insurance!

I know some people travel without it. It is never mandatory to get one, but I highly recommend it.

Having to pay for an hospitalization can cost a lot of money! Even more than you can imagine! In the United States, it can cost you up to 100,000 US$!! You don’t want to pay that.

I don’t want to advertise one insurance company in particular so I won’t link to any, but do your research and ask if you are covered with you credit card.

Quite often, your credit card will cover you for a few days if you book your flight using your card.

5. Research Your Destination

Now my favorite part begin: sketching the itinerary! Yay!

Personally, I use a mix of guide books and travel blogs to decide what I want to see. I like Lonely Planet and Ulysse (In French) particularly, but it is really up to you.

Read guidebooks and search on travel blogs and Pinterest.

Make a list of all the places you would like to see, even if you know that you don’t have time to see all of them. It’s a first draft so you need to have a general idea of what activities you want to do and where you want to go.

You can take a look at Trip Advisor to see what other travelers liked in a specific destination.

When Googling your destination, make sure to include “travel blog” to your research. For example: “California Travel Blog”, so you’ll have more chance to find bloggers and not just tour companies.

At this point, be creative and don’t limit yourself. Just list everything you like and take notes.