This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Pace chapter.
Five Tips for Planning the Best Adventure
1. Make sure you can afford it
- Set a realistic budget for yourself and then do some research online
- Create an Excel or Google sheet
- Factor in transportation both ways and what it will cost to travel around the country, or countries, of your choice
- Hostel World will be your best friend during these beginning phases for checking out cheap accommodations
- EXCURSIONS! Scroll through Pinterest to find some of the must-sees and budget them out
2. Book it all
- Transportation and accommodations should be booked ahead of time
- Investigate what activities and excursions need to be booked in advance
- You don’t have to book everything before you go. Leave some room for spontaneity
3. Travel with the right person/people
- Make sure the person/people you are traveling with are those you enjoy being around and get along with
- Be on the same page in terms of budget
- Have similar itineraries and agree on must-haves for accommodations
- There will be fewer arguments during planning sessions if you agree on important things
4. Don’t over pack
- This summer, I spent a month living out of a backpack and it taught me that you don’t need all the clothes and shoes in the world to look good on a trip
- Even if you’re only traveling for a week or two, keep it light
- It’ll be easier to travel and you won’t leave complaining that you didn’t wear half the clothes you brought
- If you pack in advance, you won’t run into the last minute “throw-everything-in-the-suitcase” problem
5. Accept that you won’t see it all
- It’s easy to end up in a Pinterest, travel wormhole…fight it
- Do your research and have options on/for your itinerary but make wise choices
- You won’t have time to see everything and that’s okay
- Make peace with that reality and planning will go much smoother