Traveling to new or old destinations can be exciting, especially with friends who are practically your family, but with any trip it requires planning and coordination, which can be difficult when there are different variables that need to be organized first. Here are some travel tips to plan the perfect trip!
Make a Google Doc with a list of places to go
My favorite part of planning is making a Google Doc that is shared and has every ideal place to visit. It is important to make a list of all the museums, restaurants, shops, beaches, and Instagram-worthy spots so you don’t miss out on any experience in the travel location. A Google Doc helps create this list, but also will contain everyone’s own desired destination. To make sure no one is left out on checking something off their bucket list, the trip should contain at least one destination from each person’s list. This will keep everyone happy as no one’s idea is left out.
Plan a Google Hangout or Skype call
With classes, work, and internships, it becomes increasingly difficult to meet with everyone who will be attending the trip. Direct communication is key when deciding where to stay, what airline tickets to get, and how much people are willing to pay for certain expenses. Group chats are beneficial, but realistically aren’t the most efficient way to communicate. Dedicate a day and time frame where everyone will be able to communicate through a video, such as Skype, Google Hangout, or even Facetime. This will provide direct communication to tackle some of the hardest parts into a quick discussion rather than a 6 day text message conversation to resolve an issue.
Look into transportation methods
After you have the list of places everyone wants to go to and where you’ll be staying, start thinking about how you will be getting to your location! It’s easy to just say “oh we will just uber there”, but if you are visiting different parts of the city an uber will get pricey. Start researching your options, for example, if you are going to Los Angeles, are some of your destinations near the Metro? Or are these destinations in walking distance? By planning the transportation method, you will start to realize what places are farther away and plan accordingly as to which vacay day will be dedicated for certain spots.
Save money by sharing a checked luggage
This is an extra tip for those of you who will be vacationing for only a few days. If you are going with a close girl friend or even guy friend you don’t mind showing personal clothes, share a checked luggage bag! Sometimes carry-on luggage may be annoying due to its small size and strict rules as to what you can bring, which makes having a checked bag easier. The price can be split up between two or three people and you don’t have to worry about your carry-on bag not fitting all your cute clothes and shoes.