Planning a trip can be a daunting experience. After all, the world’s a big place with many destinations, and reading up on each one you plan to visit can be overwhelming and exhausting. It can be tough to know when to begin, and where to finish (there’s such a thing as too much planning). Luckily there are countless blogs and travel websites with definitive lists on how to plan a trip, but below we’re going to take a look at a few more unconventional pieces of advice.
Have a destination in mind (but don’t be bound by it)
When it comes to planning a trip, it’s good to have a destination in mind. This might seem like obvious advice, but often when looking at the world map, choosing a specific place to visit can seem daunting among all the available choices out there. By choosing a destination you’ll have a goal to work towards, and you can start to gear all your planning in that direction. However, it’s important not to be too rigidly attached to this destination. Allow yourself some room to change your mind. If you discover somewhere that you’d like to travel to more during your research, don’t feel compelled to stick to your original choice simply because it was your first idea.
Know your passenger rights
As an air passenger you have a surprising amount of legal power on your side – if you’re cognizant of it. Having a thorough understanding of your legal rights as a passenger will help you out immensely if you find yourself severely delayed or stranded as the result of an airline’s negligence. For example, if American Airlines causes a flight delay, you’ll be eligible to have your flight reimbursed as well as receive monetary compensation. The exact amount of this compensation depends on the length of your delay as well as the distance that your flight was travelling, but it can be up to €600, so it’s worth doing your research beforehand.
Do your research
Speaking of research, it’s advisable to do a thorough amount of reading and fact-checking beforehand so that you have a good idea of how much everything will cost. This will help you pinpoint exactly how much money you will need for the trip and give you ballpark figures for your accommodation and food costs, and how much spending money you will need per day. If you find that your desired destination is a little pricey, you can always read up on some money saving tips to ease the burden on your wallet a bit while you travel.
Scour the internet for last-minute deals
The internet is a treasure-trove of last-minute, money-saving deals – if you know where to look. Many airlines will offer sales on flights so it pays to take a look at their websites every now and then. If you’re flexible, you can sign up to websites such as Scott’s Cheap Flights, which regularly send out lists of incredibly cheap deals that they somehow find all the time. Of course you probably won’t get the exact flight that you’re looking for, but if you’re the type of traveller who can afford to travel on a whim, then you should definitely take these sites into consideration.
