Traveling to your dream destination can be one of the most rewarding and exciting experiences, however, planning the trip may be just the opposite. You may even experience periods of stress, frustration, or disappointment when your trip does not go as planned. To avoid negative outcomes, create an itinerary that can help guide you during your next adventure!
 

Planning Tools

Before starting your travel itinerary, gather a few tools including a good map of the destination whether it’s a few countries or cities. You also want to grab a calendar and weather app to jot down notes about the best dates to perform certain activities. Do not forget to keep a pen and paper nearby or have access to online apps that may help you make your notes such as Word or Excel.
 

Travel Wish List

Make a list of all the places you would like to visit at your destination of choice. You can rank this list to reflect what is the most to least important for you to visit. You may also want to do the same with a list of activities you would like to pursue during the trip.
 

Timing & Distance

Once you have established your priorities, the next step is to use your map, weather app, and Excel sheet to make a list of days you will be staying in an area. Map out your routes and figure out how much time will be spent traveling from one area to another. After this step, you should allot one or two activities to your to do list for the day depending on the time you have available.
 

Flights & Hotels

After you plan the trip details and what you plan to do from day-to-day, start looking for flights and hotels. When booking flights, you may want to adjust the dates and depart during the week for a more cost-efficient option. Plan to book hotels near the area you will be visiting during the day so you do not have to carry around all your luggage and can drop it off at the hotel.
 

Don’t Over Plan

Some things are difficult to plan before departing on your trip and you should also leave some room for discrepancies in your itinerary. It is alright to diverge from your itinerary if you think of a better activity while traveling. Your itinerary should act as a guideline for your travel plans to help you reduce stress instead of being the final draft of your trip.

If you are traveling more than 100 miles for your trip, make sure to download the Global Travel Plus Mobile App. With just a tap of a button, you can be connected to our 24/7 Operations Team. The app also includes many features that may be helpful during your travels such as Pre-Trip Information, U.S. Pharmacy Locator, and Global Embassy Locator.