Introduction
Planning is one of the most exciting stages of a trip. It’s a time to daydream, to research, and to learn. In addition to being fun (call me a nerd), I believe that planning is crucial to ensuring I stay safe. A solid plan gives me the assurance that, when I land, I can focus on fully experiencing wherever I am rather than fumbling.
Of course, I love the spontaneity that travel enables, and some of my best memories were unplanned. However, I think all travelers, no matter how experienced, should develop some semblance of a plan before embarking on their adventure.
Thanks to advancements in technology, we now have access to tools that can streamline the way we plan our trips. This blog will outline a handful of the free, online resources that I use to effectively plan my trips.
Chasing the Travel Bug
If you’re anything like me, you have a rolling list of dream destinations. Sometimes, however, I have no idea where I should to go next and want to be inspired.
That’s when I explore Earth Roulette. This site allows you to select locations based on continent, activity, or popularity. If you’re open to anything, you can click the “Spin It” button and learn about a random destination.
I like this site because it allows you to filter the randomizer AND often gives you FAQs, flight opportunities, and images of the destination. It’s perfect for when you’re unsure of where you want to go next.
Another site I use in cases when I know what times I want to travel but am curious about my options is Skyscanner. This site is mainly used for booking cheap airfare, but I like it because you can set your departing airport and explore flights to anywhere on specific dates you have open.
I also appreciate that Skyscanner allows you to select whole months and find the cheapest flight to any destination. I’ll use this tool in combination with Rove.me, which aggregates the best destinations to travel to based on whatever date range you select.
On Rove.me, you can also filter this site based on interests like hiking, wildlife, and food. The site even has out-there categories, such as places with the weirdest local drinks or, if you’re adventurous, the best nude/naked events in the world. You can tell the site developers were really passionate about making the user experience positive. You’ll see that the site has a calendar at the top of each destination page with all the major events and estimated forecast. As an example, check out the page on Melbourne.
Budgeting
After I have nailed down my destination and rough dates of travel, I always move on to planning my budget because this dictates what I will do and where I will stay.
It doesn’t get much easier than Budget Your Trip. Through this website, you can identify the cost to visit destinations from specific cities to the average cost of tourism in entire countries. The search results on this site include the average daily cost, hotel prices and recommendations, and even suggestions on things to do. Of note, you can only make one search every three seconds. This only comes up if you are prone to typos like me.
Another tool I’ll use is simply Googling the cost of whatever destination I plan to visit. The equation I use to get consistent and reliable results is:
“(Destination) cost per person per day”.
This metric, “cost per person per day”, is useful because you can use it to guide your overall budget based on how many days you’ll be there. You’ll notice a lot of travel bloggers speak in this language so it makes Googling a lot easier (We love search engine optimization!).
Once I have established my total budget, I’ll subtract the average cost of a hotel (or hostel) per night and spread the remaining balance over the activities/restaurants I want to experience while there.
I tend to travel more frugally anyways, so airfare usually takes up the majority of my budget for any given trip.
I’m pretty new to the “travel hacking” world, but The Daily Drop is an approachable resource for learning how to leverage credit cards and hotel loyalty programs to earn points that can be used to buy airfare and accomadation. I subscribed to their email newsletter and have learned some creative tips. The site also has comprehensive guides on hotel loyalty programs and travel credit cards that may be worth considering.
Solidifying Logistics
Once I’ve confirmed my budget, I like to research what I need to safely and seamlessly get wherever I’m going. Travel days can be unpredictable, and I’ve found that it’s never too early to set the bureaucratic wheels in motion.
As an American, I use the Bureau of Consular Affairs to learn about the visas / documentation I’ll need at my international destinations.
Staying Informed
Through the Bureau, I also sign up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), which is a free service available to all U.S. citizens and nationals traveling and/or living abroad.
Through STEP, you can enroll your trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. This way you can stay informed and connected in cases of emergency like, say, a global pandemic.
Not-so-fun-fact: I was across the border exploring Canada in March 2020. I didn’t sign up for STEP because I figured I was still in North America. Boy, was that a mistake. It would’ve been nice to have a sense of security in such an uncertain time. I now consider STEP a crucial step (you’re welcome for that pun) during any international trip because you never know when something like COVID could happen again. This resource gives immense peace of mind in times of crisis.
Building Itineraries
Once you figure out what documents you need upon arrival, you can focus on the most fun part: Building your itinerary! Of course, you don’t always need an itinerary, but I’m someone with a day job who can’t always afford frequent trips that last more than a long weekend. So itineraries are like gold for me. They keep me on track and ensure I have a list of all the things I’m interested in seeing or doing.
Chat GTP is a great tool for developing itineraries. As with all AI-based resources, it can be cumbersome. However, when you prompt it correctly, this tool can save you a lot of time.
I’m currently researching a trip to Germany. I know what cities I want to see, but don’t have many ideas beyond that. So I prompted Chat GTP to fill in the rest for me. Here’s what I typed out, and what Chat GTP responded with.
You’ll see the chat bot acknowledged my request for transportation options between cities and….well, just ignored it. However, it saved me a ton of time regarding accommodation and attractions in each location. The key is to be as specific and straightforward as possible while also not getting overly ambitious (that was my mistake here.)
Be sure to end your request with “Put all these details in one table.” if you want it to appear in a chart format like mine did.
Notably, Chat GPT is trained on data from 2021 and prior. So some of the activities or accommodations it recommends may be unavailable. However, this tool can kickstart your itinerary planning in a matter of seconds so I think it’s worth exploring.
If I don’t have a ton of time or interest in researching like I do, you can always attend a guided tour on the first day of your trip. So the last tool I’ll share is Get Your Guide. This tool offers both a website and mobile app where you can search tours all over the world. You can even find free options, like this walking tour around a well-preserved medieval city in Romania (Do I get extra points for how random that was?)
My favorite part about Get Your Guide is that you can select your preferred currency and filter that way. The app also stores your tickets so you don’t have to worry about losing your confirmation while in transit.
I’ve had wonderful experiences with Get Your Guide. In a recent trip to Lisbon, my tour guide gave me two pages of her favorite restaurants and authentic experiences that took me beyond the tourist crowds. I used her suggestions to explore the city throughout the remainder of my trip, and that alone was worth the price of admission.
Conclusion
These 10 websites are a few of the many resources I use to empower and assist myself in planning my trips. Plus, they are all free and can be accessed anywhere you have WiFi/Internet connection. These tools ensure I can take full advantage of the limited time I have to devote to my passion for travel.
I always feel good knowing that I have taken the time to familiarize myself with wherever I go. Plus, planning trips myself allows me to save money while having experiences that are unique to me.
I hope these resources can offer the same reprieve for you.