10 Easy Steps for Planning Any Trip Without Overwhelm
Planning a trip can be both exciting and overwhelming, especially if you are new to the process.
You may feel as though there is an overwhelming amount of material to process and tasks to complete.
But it doesn’t have to be that way!
In this post, I’ll discuss and provide some tips I follow to navigate the process without feeling stressed. Here are 10 easy steps to plan your trip.

How to Plan a Trip in 10 Simple Steps
Step #1: Determine your Travel Budget
Naturally, you’ll need money to take a holiday or trip.
This may be the most important step in the process of travel planning, depending on the purpose or goal of the trip.
Before you even start planning your trip, you should know why you’re going. Essentially, what you want to get out of it in the end.
Everyone has various needs. There are numerous reasons to take a holiday or simply travel.
Because every holiday is different, it can be difficult (at least for us) to determine a budget for every little travel expense for a specific trip.
Also, there are always some unexpected costs that I would suggest you budget for as you make your budget.

In short, you can’t just take a random trip! Unless money is not a problem for you, you come from a wealthy family, or you are on a sponsored trip.
Finally, your travel budget will determine what you can do next, such as where you can go, how long you can stay there, and how you want to travel.
Do you tend to travel in style? Do you care more about the experience than where you stay?
These are essential things to think about when making your travel budget.
Step #2: Choose a Travel Companion/style (s)
Once you’ve roughly determined your travel budget, consider your options.
Are you going on a quick getaway, a three-week trip abroad, or are you considering a more extended trip? And who is travelling with you?
For instance, on most of my travels, my travel partner is my husband, Alex.
So, whenever someone asks me for travel planning advice, my first question is, “Who are you travelling with?”
The people you travel with will have a big impact on how you plan, where you go, what you do, how your schedule is made, etc.

Everyone’s travel preferences are different. If you’re worried about not knowing who to travel with, I have some suggestions to think about:
Travel solo & learn to live it
There is no harm in going on a trip by yourself. If you don’t have anyone to travel with, so don’t let that stop you—seriously!
If you’re waiting for someone to come along and convince you to start travelling and exploring the world, I’m sorry to inform you that NO ONE IS COMING!
I often travel with Alex because we both enjoy it, but I know there are many solo travellers out there who travel by themselves and fully enjoy it.
So please do it alone! Take one trip by yourself. Do something you enjoy, look after yourself, and look within. Prepare in advance so that you can learn and grow during your trip.
Quick Tip on Solo Travel:
If you’re afraid of travelling by yourself and don’t know how to prepare, I recommend checking out Jojoscupofmocha’s guide to solo trip preparation.

Group Travel: Family & Friends
Another option to help you choose who to travel with is to consider going on a group trip.
I’m not an expert in group travel planning, but I know many travel agency companies offer group travel. Intrepid Travel and Last Minute are among the few.
I must say that planning a trip for you and your significant other is usually pretty easy because you probably like the same things.
It might not be too hard to make plans for your immediate family if you know what everyone likes either.
However, planning for a larger group is a much bigger task!

Even though I’m a huge fan of planning, you will likely find several colour-coded Google Sheets for all our travel plans and other stuff I enjoy making.
However, let us not pretend and assume that everyone has that personality type, and most friendship groups do not consist of them.
I don’t always enjoy travelling with large groups for obvious reasons. Even though travelling with friends or strangers is always a fun experience.
But the actual planning is frequently much more stressful than planning a trip with incredibly adventurous people.
So, here are some more ideas for planning a trip with friends or a large group that will reduce stress while increasing the fun.
Tips on How to Travel with a Group without getting on each other’s nerve
- Choose Amazing Individual: Choosing like-minded people who are easygoing and flexible is essential. I won’t sugarcoat anything, but if you spend money on a trip, you must protect your peace of mind and enjoy it! So, if possible, do not invite The Needy Friend, The Drama-Making Friend, or The Easily Upset Friend.
- Make a Private Group: Keep track of all trip planning details in one place where everyone can have access. Many social platforms nowadays offer group chats. Ensure you all agree on just one so you can easily access everyone.
- Assign one or two people to plan the trip. From my experience, it’s easier if one or two people oversee the big purchases. After the trip, you can post the final bill on your private group, and friends can send you the money via PayPal or EFT (Electronic Fund Transfer) as your payment method.
- Create a (very loose) itinerary: I believe in having an open-ended travel itinerary. I’m not a person who likes having to accommodate someone else’s schedule instead of my own. Planning should be just enough to ensure you don’t miss anything important, but not so much that you feel restricted or unable to make changes. So, make sure you plan when you’ll see the important stuff together, but leave plenty of time for alone time and exploring.
- Have a nap & snack—person/friend: What do you think makes people so annoying? Being hungry or exhausted. I will be honest; I’m the most annoying when I’m hungry, tired, or forced to do things I don’t want; even my face will show you.
- Make time for unscheduled or alone time. Do you know what else irritates people? Having to be with the same people for 16 hours (or maybe that’s just me?). Make sure you all have time to do what you want, and don’t feel bad if you just want to read in the park by yourself or simply rest in your room.
Confession: There were times when we travelled as a group when I felt restricted from having time for myself without appearing or being labelled ‘difficult or unfriendly.
But that is what different travel experiences do to you (at least for me); you start to learn something about yourself and slowly adjust to what travel style works best for you.

Step #3: Choose a Destination
After determining your budget and who you are going with, the next step in trip planning is to choose your destination.
Inspiration is a big part of travelling these days. Ignoring Instagram photos and videos of your friends’ travel stories is difficult.
But you shouldn’t travel to a place just because it’s popular on social media. That would be a terrible decision!
For instance, if I say that Bali is the most beautiful place on Earth and you must visit there next year, remember that this is just my opinion.
So, you should find a place that fits your interests, where you can do your favourite things and learn something new.
You might already have a place in mind. Maybe it’s one of the places bloggers (myself included) made famous, like Italy or the Seychelles.
Perhaps you’re interested in exploring lesser-known destinations such as Zambia.
So, I thought I’d give you some ideas that might help you decide where to go on your next adventure. Decide by answering the following simple questions:
- Why do you want to travel?
While some people may think this is obvious, seriously, you need to think about WHY you want to travel. Think about your current situation and ask yourself why you want to travel.
There’s more to travel than just crossing items off a list (well, at least for me)
Yes, getting that photo in front of the Eiffel Tower and posting it on Instagram to show off to your friends is fun, but is there something deeper you want to accomplish? I don’t recommend you travel just for the sake of travelling.
Especially with the current global economic issues and so much uncertainty for our society (I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks the world has gone wild!)
2. When are you going to travel?
Okay, let’s acknowledge that not every country is accessible year-round. it can be visited at any time and usually has different seasons, with some being better for travelling than others.
Your trip’s timing may also be affected by several factors. For example, peaks or Low season. So, think about when you want to travel to determine the objective of your trip.
For example, you can visit Bali when the rice fields are at their most thriving if you’re interested in seeing them.
Pro Tip: Think about public holidays and festivals. Another thing to think about when choosing when to go on a holiday is special events or festivals that will happen during that time. This could be an important part of the motivation for your trip.

Step #4: Do some research

With so much information available, planning a trip can be a bit daunting by research.
From Pinterest, Instagram, travel blogs, YouTube, and review sites, it can be hard to do research for your trip.
But. It’s great to have access to a lot of valuable pieces of information to help you stay organised and updated on your destination of interest.
So, before you even start collecting your travel inspiration, it is essential you first know if you can even travel to a specific country with or without a visa.
Many travellers skip this part, especially those from visa-free countries (Europe, North America, and Australia).
As someone who travels with an African passport, this is the first thing I look at before making any travel plans.
I always easily check my visa requirements here, and you can also check yours within a minute; just search for your country.
After you know that you can travel with/without a visa or have gotten one, it’s time to find your travel inspiration.
Here are a few of the top places where I find inspiration for our travels:
Where to Get Inspiration to Plan your Trip
Pinterest can help you find all kinds of ideas. I like Pinterest for finding inspiration for travel planning, organising, and home decor organising other things.
The best part is that it’s simple to create different boards to organise ideas and specific pins.
Plus, it’s very visual, so all those beautiful photos (and now even videos) are the perfect way to make you want to travel.
Social Media
In addition to Pinterest, which is also technically a social media tool, many of us use social media frequently. So, it only makes sense that this is a great place to get travel planning ideas.
I often look for travel content on YouTube, and I love talking to people on social media sites like Instagram about their trips and looking at their photos.
They can serve as a wonderful source of travel inspiration.

Travel Blogs: Like mine here!
It is easy to get travel inspiration and knowledge from blogs and websites nowadays, including the one you’re reading right now!
That’s one of the best things about modern technology—it allows so many people to share their experiences with others and inform us of their travel destinations, activities, and favourite parts.
Here at Adventures with Jane, I share travel guides in the hopes that you will find plenty of inspirational ideas for your trip.
Lonely Planet & other Travel guide books

You can also get fantastic travel inspiration from travel magazines and books like Lonely Planet.
The good thing about Lonely Planets travel guides is that you can research any country, and it is the ideal guidebook for the most current, up-to-date information.
I’ll admit that I didn’t know much about this until a friend from my travel community told me about it.
Since then, I’ve enjoyed browsing through Lonely Planet books—sometimes, it’s more fun than reading online, and I can make notes.
Review sites like TripAdvisor
When I’m looking for trip inspiration or information about a specific location or activity, I often find relevant content and reviews on TripAdvisor.
These are useful for first-hand reviews of a place or activity.
As opposed to the professionally taken photos on some of the more official websites, I like to scroll through TripAdvisor for a more “real” perspective of a destination or restaurant.
Friends & Family
Friends and family are also a wonderful source to get inspired.
When someone I know goes on a trip, I always look forward to hearing about it and seeing pictures.
They are reliable, especially if I’ve never been to the destination before, because you can expect to hear the whole truth from them.
Keep in mind, though, that sometimes friends and family may have had a bad experience, but that should not discourage you from travelling to that specific destination.
Everyone’s travel experience is different, and you should try to experience things for yourself too!
Step #5: Make the Decision
Once you’ve found your inspiration, it’s time to make the decision. You should ask yourself these questions:
Do you prefer to visit many places quickly, or do you prefer to pick a few places and take your time exploring them?
Do you want to take your time and immerse yourself in the local way of life as you travel? For example, we did this on our trip to Venice and Barcelona; we ate in restaurants where the locals eat and did our grocery shopping in the local markets.
Or do you prefer to travel from city to city, taking in as much as possible as you cross places off your list? Maybe a nice mix of fast and slow?
This completely depends on the amount of time and budget you have available.
From past travel experience, I find overstuffing one trip with so many activities or countries exhausting.
This limits your options. Allow yourself some time to unwind slowly and enjoy the best of each destination.
Step #6: Book your flight (s)

Everyone appears to be interested in learning how to get the best deal, or at least how to make it happen.
However, it’s important to note that while there are certain methods for securing good flight deals, there isn’t a single secret or magic rule that consistently yields the best deals.
What I find works for us is always booking in advance, like three to six months if possible. Of course, this depends on where and when you want to travel.
A pro tip on how to find cheap flights realistically that again always works for us is to set up price alerts. Many search engines let you sign up for alerts between locations. You’ll receive email notifications when the fare drops so you can take advantage of it!

Step #7: Book your Accommodation

When it comes to booking your accommodations for your trip, I would always advise you to book in advance!
To help you figure out how to book, you need to think about what kind of atmosphere appeals to you the most.
There are a variety of places to stay, and what is offered will depend on where you go, what you like, and your budget.
For example, Alex and I work remotely (yes, we work on most of our trips, especially European ones).
Before, we never used to think much about the area; as long as it was affordable, easy access to the public, transportation, and met our small working needs, we would make a booking. However, we’ve been disappointed a few times about not researching much about the area.
So when booking a place for our trip, we think a lot about the area, transportation options, amenities nearby, etc.
Step #8. Get Travel Insurance & Reduce Travel risks

You may be safer in another country than your own, but even if that’s the case, you still need to ensure you’re protected on your trip.
I’ll admit that the (African in me) lol didn’t see the point of buying travel insurance until it was a requirement for a specific trip.
Travel Insurance, Vaccination, & Essential Documentation to consider
- World Nomads. They are very simple to use and offer coverage to everyone in the world.
- Get all the vaccinations you need in advance: Suppose you’re visiting a disease-prone country. This is something that is not fun but is essential. You should take precautions against contracting a disease while travelling to a foreign country. Visit the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention website to learn about potential vaccine and medication requirements at your destination(s).
- Scan your documents and email them to yourself: Scan and email yourself a copy of your valuables and travel insurance in a safe place. You will have a digital copy if these are lost or stolen while you are away.
- Keep an extra set of credit cards on hand. If you’re travelling with a group or a partner like me, you won’t have as much trouble with this. (assuming you each bring at least one credit card). This is a solo traveller tip. For example, I usually bring Revolt or Monzo cards every time we travel. These types of cards will not charge any fees for international cash withdrawals. Pro Tip: When travelling in Europe, avoid using Euronet ATMs; they’re all over most European countries, but using these ATMs comes with a hefty price of extra withdrawal charges.
Step #9: Start Packing

Packing is a stressful part of travelling, and most of us (women) are guilty. I was once a part of that group. I reduced my stress about packing by bringing everything I needed.
Not so long ago, I was a self-proclaimed overpacker who always used to overpack the things in their suitcase whenever they went on holiday.
I was that traveller who found it impossible to travel with one carry-on or backpack for a short trip.
We once went to Spain for less than a week. I packed five pairs of shoes and one month’s worth of clothes and wore the same pair of jeans for the entire trip.
I don’t know. What was I thinking? I can now pack enough clothes and travel essentials to fit in a carry-on bag.
My packing tips are to please try to just pack what you will actually use and need for your trip.
Also, make use of packing cubes; they are super handy for packing a few more clothes if you’re an overpacker.
STEP #10: Make Arrival Planning

Congratulations! You’re at the last step! That was a lot of steps, wasn’t it? But your trip planning is almost done; you just have a few must-dos of last-minute planning.
Find out how you can connect to the Internet or data while you are there. This should be fine if you’re travelling domestically.
However, a prepaid local SIM card can be purchased upon arrival in your destination country.
Alternatively, something I learnt recently is that if you have a Revoult card, you can now just top up internet data using their eSim feature.
Of course, if you’re an EU resident or national living within the European Union (EU), you won’t need to buy a SIM card, as you’ll automatically have internet access within the EU.

Pre-plan tips
It’s important to plan how to get to your hotel and how to get help if you get lost. For a fee, Airbnb hosts can pick you up from the airport before arrival.
Essentially, you should already know what airport transfer is available at your destination from your destination research step.
Install some useful apps
- Google Maps: Google Maps is useful for getting an offline map. If your GPS is on, the app will display a blue dot even without data or WiFi. If you’re lost in a big city or on a long bus ride, this can help you find your way.
- Google Translate: This app is helpful if you visit a country where English is not widely spoken. It can translate almost any language. Even on menus, it works that same is which is incredible!
- Food & Transportation Apps: Most Western countries and continents (Europe, America, Canada, Australia, etc.) have Uber Eats, Deliveroo, Uber, and Bolt. Unfortunately, not all countries have these apps. However, they may have the equivalent of the above-mentioned apps, which you can research on and download if possible.
- Learn some language phrases: The DowIoad Duolingo app is a great app to use to learn any language. I’m not saying that you must be fluent in the language of the country you’re visiting to enjoy yourself there. However, making an effort to learn a few essential phrases will be appreciated by the locals.
I hope my guide on How to Plan a Trip in 10 Easy Steps was helpful to you! Let me know what steps you take when planning your trip in the comments below.
Happy travels!
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