Did you just google How to make travel itinerary? Great, so it means that you love travel planning as much as we do. Then we have something great in common.
Making travel itinerary always helps us to stay on track and it helps us to stay organized. Also, making a travel itinerary makes your plans real. Before that, it is just an idea in your head, but when you start putting ideas and plans on paper it becomes real. So, no matter if you love to travel with the detailed travel plan, or just a basic outline, it is always good to have at least some plan.
When it comes to making a travel itinerary it is good to be flexible. Being tied to a strict plan, that determines your every minute, can be stressful and tiring. On the other hand, not have a plan at all can cause you missing some amazing places.
We usually tend to plan more and have a detailed plan if we travel to more secluded areas. Why? Because planning a trip to non-traditional places can be challenging and requires more planning.
We would like to think that we bring a little bit of uniqueness into travel planning. So let us know what you think about our 6 steps on how to make a travel itinerary.
Here are 6 steps how to make travel itinerary:
1. BUCKET LIST
The first place I look for inspiration and places to travel is our Bucket list. A well-organized Bucket list helps you with quick and thorough planning. It should be your go-to place when travel planning. It should consist of all places, sights and adventures that you wish to see or experience.
A bucket list is my best friend when I do travel planning because it helps me to stay organized. Especially when I see a deal and there is a little time to think or plan, a bucket list gives me an instant answer. Before I start using bucket lists, there were times when I had found great deals on flights, but spend too much time researching the destination. Before I was able to decide whether to go or not, the deal was gone.
So, the first and the most important thing is to make a wish list or a bucket list. And get organized. I love using Pinterest. I love the idea of different boards, that you can organize and personalise. I keep my boards updated so when I need a quick decision to make, it helps me instead of confusing me.
2. PUT ALL YOUR IDEAS TOGETHER
I guess, if you are like me, Pinterest is not the only tool you use to store your ideas. I tend to save a lot of pictures, photos or even magazines articles about destinations that I wish to visit one day. Whenever I like it, I keep it for the future to use. You just have to remember where you had put it 🙂 Do not be like me, I usually save it so well, that I find if after we come back 🙂
So because not every time I have access to the internet or Pinterest, I keep my ideas and plans on paper. Also, every time I plan a new trip I do a lot of research on travel blogs and forums.Â
Then when I have all my ideas I try to put them together and organize them.Â
I usually end up with several papers with ideas on both sides. So my tip if you want to stay organized is to divide the ideas and places into several categories. Try simple categories like:
- Sightseeing
- Museums
- Restaurants
- National Parks
- Cities
That way it is easier to manage. Also, you will get a better idea about what kind of a trip you are planning.Â
Just make sure you don´t do some common mistakes when travel planning.Â
3. SELECTION
If you are like me, you probably have hundreds of places on a list. So, if you do not have unlimited time to explore all must-see places on your list, something will have to be cut off. At least for now.
People usually make a travel itinerary and travel plans to stay organized. It helps them to stay focus, less anxious and more prepared. You do not want to plan too much for yourself, otherwise, your plan will stress you out.
So, you need to learn how to prioritize.
What do we do?
We now have all the interesting places written down. We divided them into different categories, so it is easier. Now we would look up every place on Google. Yes, it can be time-consuming, especially if you have hundreds of places on your list. Why? We want to make sure that everything that goes into our plan is worth our time. That is why this is so very crucial part of your travel planning.
You do not want to waste your precious time on places that are not worth it and miss some hidden treasures. So, google every place on your list and decide how much you want to see it. And again, we divide places into other categories:
1) MUST SEE
2) MAYBE
3) NOT NECESSARY, JUST IF WE HAD TIME AND NOTHING TO DO
Here is our Guide to 15 Tricks how to find all interesting places to visit!
So, start dividing. I am not sure about you, but this approach helps us to keep perspective of our trip. If you have a week in Czech republic, and there are 50 must-see places on your list all over the country, you are probably heading towards a very busy, stressful and probably unpleasant experience.
4. VISUALIZATION
So now you have a basic idea about places you wish to visit. And you prioritize them based on your likings. What next?
Now you need a map. I always buy a map of the country or a city where we plan to travel. Then I buy some colourful stickers to mark all the places on my map. If you are more modern, you can use Google maps instead of a paper map 🙂
Now start adding the places to your map. Start with the most important places and go from there. You can colour code the places based on importance.Â
When you add the places to a map, suddenly your trip starts to make much more sense. You start to have an idea of how places are far from each other. Slowly you will get the idea where should you look for accommodation, how long it will take you to travel around places and so on.Â
You might realize that some places are just too far from your route that you will have to ditch them, add some time or tweak your plans.Â
Your plan suddenly starts to have some outlines. That is also important for planning your overall time and transportation.Â
Also, when you see the places on a map it is easier for you to decide where you need to look for accommodation. Some travellers just randomly select budget accommodation somewhere and do not realize that money for additional transport will be higher than more expensive accommodation closer to your places.Â
5. TRAVEL PLANNING
By now, you should have a map full of marks, divided by categories and by importance. You get the overall idea about time, transportation, accommodation…Â
Now it is time to make a final travel itinerary. Be as specific as you wish, as detailed as you like. For some, this map will be enough as a travel itinerary. But if you like to be more detailed, I recommend you to make a more thorough plan. What I like to do is to add more extra information to all my places. For example, what are the opening hours? When is it the best time to visit? Do I have to pay an entrance fee? Is there something else I should remember?Â
Would you like to know more about Travel planning? Visit our detailed guide How to plan your next trip – Reverse Travel Planning Strategy!
You can use Excell sheet, paper or Google maps to store all your info.Â
This gives you another important layer into your planning.Â
6. FINAL TRAVEL ITINERARY
The planning process definitely takes time, but at the end of it, you should have a clear idea where you are going. It gives you the feeling that you have everything prepared and ready. I find this process very helpful if you are a first-time traveller. Sometimes you can have a feeling that you are not ready to travel and make a proper plan. You might even feel a little bit anxious about leaving, stressing that nothing is ready. Nothing is prepared. This process of creating a travel itinerary can definitely help.Â
What to do with the final itinerary?
- Do not forget to store it so you can access it
- Revue it after some time, you can show it to someone who knows the area, who already travelled there, so he can validate your plan
- Add your plan into your calendar
I hope you enjoyed our tips on How to make a travel itinerary. If you liked it, we would love you to share with your friends and if you are an experienced traveller, let us know what you think. Do you have a better approach to make a travel itinerary? Let us know in the comment section down below.Â
