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Want to travel around the world with your loved ones or plan a solo trip? But don’t know what things to keep in mind? Here are a few tips and pointers to help you with your travel planning! 

1. Pick your location:

Maybe you've been fascinated by a movie scene or a book that you’ve read. We all want to experience the cinematic settings of media. Maybe you want to visit a place everyone is talking about! These are a few guidelines to look at while picking a destination for your vacation:

• Check for the weather conditions in places that have many beaches, forest areas, or if a place is situated on a mountain or elevation. The climate can affect your stay thus, it is better to visit a place in the most suitable climate. So, it is always advisable to look at the seasons and weather while travelling. Find out the best time to travel to your planned destination.
  
  

• What are the most ideal times to visit certain places in the desired location? Some places are better to visit at night, while some are better on warm and sunny days. Study and research before visiting a particular place to make the most of your trip.
  
  

• Look for the rights and safety of travellers in those locations, especially if you’re a female traveller, look for the safety guidelines of those cities/countries. Do your research well as your safety always comes first.
  
  

• Learn about the availability of daily products and travel services there. Some places have well-connected flights, trains, and other travel options while in some places, it is difficult to get a cab and you might have to walk for long hours. A destination management company would be able to guide you well.
  
  

• Check for the prices that are enlisted on everything. Sometimes there are discounts and coupons that one could use to get a cheaper trip. It is always better to see how much you can spend as a rough estimate so that you don’t end up short on cash in another country
  
  

2.  Fix the duration of your trip

• While travelling, know what you want. In some cases, people might prefer visiting new places every day and going to different cafes and museums every evening, while on the other hand, some people might like to have a slow, relaxed vacation in a cottage in another city. Have a plan for your holiday, where you would want to go and for how long. If you are approaching a tour operator for planning your trip, share your preferences with the team.It is better to do this as later you will have your whole day planned accordingly. This will help better your itinerary and alongside plan your budget for the trip.
  
  

• Find out an estimate of how many days you will need to complete your travel to different locations. Sometimes people might want to take a road trip that would exceed the time of their scheduled trip duration; however, when one books plane tickets, the trip is comparatively shorter. Thus, noting how long you will need for the trip is important. 
  
  

• Leave a day out free for every 7 days of your trip. It is usually nice to have free space. This is the day when you can make up lost time for being stuck in traffic, being jet-lagged, or having a comfortable reading time. Just resting. You can also substitute this day for a sick day.

3. Bookings of tickets, or vehicles.

• Once you have decided on the destination of your travel, booking tickets for your train, bus, or flight is the next important step in the procedure. Usually, train and flight passes are sold out and one needs to check for their availability time and again. It is advisable to have your bookings/reservations done at least a few months in advance to avoid the risk of not getting seats or booking tickets at a higher rate. This will help you save money as last-minute bookings are costlier.
  
  
  
• If you can, always try to opt for a refundable pass or ticket as you never know when you might have to cancel your trip.
  
  
  
• Flight passes usually fluctuate so it’s better to keep track of them. When you decide to go to different places/countries/cities, prices fluctuate when it’s peak season and rush hours for that particular destination.
  
  
  
• Avail of travel management company services to ensure that you travel safely and hassle-free.

4. Keep a schedule ready

• It always seems fun to travel by instinct and go wherever you want, and get to do whatever you wish to. However, when things are not planned your day can go haywire. Your tour operator or travel agent can give you some useful suggestions and have a trip customized for you.
  
  
  
• Having a rough idea of what you want to do during each day of your trip will help you plan your budget for each day and schedule your time for the trip.
  
  

• Make sure you don’t have too many learning activities or adventurous activities planned during the trip. Keep a few things like self-care and visiting cafes to relax so that you can recollect each and every part of your trip peacefully and not have a chaotic trip.

   

• When you’re visiting places near the beachside, deserts, or the oceans, try choosing boating and water activities like boat riding, safari rides, what are sports, et cetera.

   

• In some places where there are activities like booting, skiing, bungee jumping, scuba diving, and many others, these activities may not be available during certain seasons. Find out their availability before booking or planning to go visit these places as it might just waste your time.

5. Pack your items correctly and wisely

• While packing for your trip make sure that you know the weather conditions and climate and pack your clothes accordingly. If the city is prone to rainfall, maybe carry an umbrella or a raincoat. Make sure you carry your sunscreen, caps, bathing suit, or boots if you are going to a hilly area.
  
  
• A few things that everyone needs to carry on their trip are a pair of jeans, a sweater, shorts, or a jumper if the location you are visiting is expected to be chilly.
  
  

• Also, try to pack a mini first aid kit for your own use.

   

• Ensure that you have carried all your necessary documents, passport, and visa. If you are with your friends or family keep asking if they have carried these documents.
  
  

• Keep a notebook with you or jot down a list of important things to carry.
  
  

• Research the other few things that you might need in a foreign country. One can check out bloggers on YouTube and Instagram for more information on the countries they visit as there are many influences who educate people on this topic.
  
  

Also, getting in touch with tour operators would ensure a comfortable, and well-planned trip. Their team will be in touch with you to resolve your queries.

Now that you have all your pointers ready, what are you waiting for? Get going and have an amazing trip! 

ETOS provides travel management software that facilitates the role of tour operators while providing customer-friendly travel services and solutions.