The summer is near, and you have already started to plan your holiday trip. You are looking at destinations and expenses, trying to figure out the best way to travel. But as the list of pre-travel tasks grows bigger, you may be starting to think it’s too difficult to do it all. Fear not, here is the list of all pre-travel checks for you to plan your holiday in six(-ish) easy steps.
Consider the Dates
Take into account kids’ school, your job, your friends’ college exams, and try to figure out the best dates for your trip. It is important to align the schedules of everyone involved in your party. If someone is off by a day or two, it is possible to work out an arrangement where they come later by plane. Look for low-cost flights. That way, all of you can enjoy your summer holiday.
Decide the Destination
Once you have worked out the dates, you can decide your destination. Not all places in the world are best visited in summer. This will also depend on your preferences. Do you want to enjoy the sun and swim in the sea? Or would you prefer hiking and sightseeing? Or is travel hopping more your thing?
Make a Packing List
Based on your destination and weather conditions, make a list of things you need to pack. For your hiking trip, you will need poles and warmer clothes. On the other hand, you will need a swimsuit for the beach. Also, your air or train travel or road trip packing list should include clothing items even for non-typical weather conditions for that time of the year.
Don’t Forget Your Camera
Don’t forget to document your summer travel adventures. When planning your holiday, put down the camera for blogging on the list of things you need to pack. If you are a blogger, this is somewhat obvious to take, but in the frantic packing, you may forget. Writing it down assures that you won’t.
Don’t Forget the Insurance
Check with your credit card company if you have any insurance with them when purchasing flights, tickets, accommodation, etc. If not, don’t forget to buy travel insurance. When planning your holiday in the early stages, you may not have all the dates set yet, but don’t leave it for the day before the trip.
Plan Your Budget
Once you have the dates and destination(s) in mind, it is time to properly plan your budget. While you may have an approximate amount of money in mind when crafting your summer trip plans, now it is time to plan your holiday precisely.
If you want to go sightseeing, outline the times and check out if you can buy tickets online. Check out the prices of the food if you are not staying at a hotel. It is best to plan your budget daily. If you are going on a 10-day trip and you need about $50 daily for all of your needs, that’s around $500 for the trip. Then there are souvenirs, of course.
Set Aside Money for Emergencies
While insurance covers most undesired instances of your trip, such as illness or theft, it is prudent to set aside some money in case you need it urgently. It is also advisable to split it. Have some in cash, in case you need it pronto, and put the rest on your card.
Have Fun!
Now that the last step is done, and you have all prepped and ready to go, it is time for the last step of planning a summer trip – have fun.
This is why you should plan your holiday. When all preparations are done precisely, and you pack your bags, the fun begins immediately. No need to worry about „have I packed everything?“ or „did I forget to buy something?“ You cross all the items on your list and are ready to travel, for sure.
Then all you need to do is relax, enjoy your trip, and make new memories that will last you a lifetime. Of course, having some pictures doesn’t hurt either.
To make your trip even more enjoyable, you could consider the option of shipping your luggage ahead and travelling light. When all preparations are done precisely, and you ship your bags ahead, you can have peace of mind and travel stress-free. No need to worry about dragging heavy suitcases around the airport or the fear of losing your belongings.
