Planning a round the world trip – 15 years on
For me the moment I begin to plan a trip I become incredibly excited, it is almost as much fun as actually going on the trip.
I have recently been exploring the possibilities of a road trip in California or some island hopping in the Philippines.
Yes I realise these are two very random opposites!
Personally I do enough research to ensure I have a rough idea of places I’d like to see and what I can realistically afford in my budget, I also look at the general cost of accommodation and have a quick scout on tripadvisor to make sure there is some good basic clean and cheap places for me to rest. Other than that I don’t really go too much more into depth until perhaps the week before when I might buy a lonely planet guide to take with me and read on the plane.
I have pretty much booked every holiday, trip, journey or adventure like this. Even when I am restricted by a tight timescale I always try to leave a gap in the itinerary where nothing is booked to give me some leeway and time to squeeze in the unexpected.
In today’s crazy world of information overload it does amaze me how in depth some people go from the exact bus timetable, to booking restaurants in advance and creating a whole timed itinerary!
I do understand if you are on a very strict timeline then this might need to be done but more often than not you can at least leave a few days to go with the flow and see what happens.
Again I might perhaps research a restaurant for a special occasion but just for a normal dinner out no way I will eat where I can on that day.
So next time your trip planning make sure you get the balance right. A little bit of planning and a little bit of sailing with the wind.
It’s all to easy to get sucked into the information online and spend hours reading websites and researching things to do and places to go.
You’ll love the Philippines! Let me know if you need any help. Thanks for your posts on Greece. I’m travelling there in 3 days!
Thanks! I’m told the Philippines are amazing and good value too. If you have any questions about Greece let me know
I typically plan for a trip by reading my guidebooks and hitting up the folks on Twitter. Twitter is a wealth of information for us who have been bit by the travel bug. People will readily give you advice and send you links on the destination you’re researching. It’s a marvelous thing.
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Yea for sure twitter is an amazing place to get insider tips I’m off to Miami soon and hoping to get plenty from the travel guys on twitter
I’ve also travelled in the Philippines last year and I found that the place is really amazing! The beaches are really great. I also love the food. Filipinos are really hospitable for sure.
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I’m hearing from everyone how great the Philippines is, I need to explore the possibilities of a trip there even more now!