Anyone familiar with air travel knows that what you get out of your trip depends greatly on what you put into planning it. You gotta have a plan.
From managing flights and rental car reservations to confirming hotels or Airbnb’s, you can’t travel without a plan. So, let’s unpack 7 Tips for Travel Planning. When you are ready, you can also check out 7 Things to Do Before Leaving on Your Vacation (Here).
#1 Download a Trip Planner
To begin your new journey, you’re going to need a trip planner. You can hire someone, and that’s expensive. Or you can simply download an app and do it yourself for much less. Below is a list of three places to start:
#2 Record Your Travel Itinerary Using Google Docs
A trip planner can be a huge help, but you want to be thorough, so make sure and use Google Docs, or Word if you’re using Edge, to write out your travel plan. This is also helpful if you’re traveling with more than one person as you can share the file with them.
#3 Use Layovers to Save on Travel
Many travelers look on layovers with disdain as everyone is often in a hurry to reach their destination. However, if you take a layover – say, a 12-hour stop – it may present you with the opportunity to discover a new place during your journey. What’s more? You may even save some cash!
#4 Check and Compare Travel Prices Using an App
If you want to plan your trip like a pro, then you also need to compare travel prices – be they hotel prices, car rentals, and/or airline ticket prices. You’ll easily be able to do this on your own as well – there’s an app for it! Below is a short list of choices for comparing travel prices:
#5 Search for Flights Via Private Browser
It’s no conspiracy theory. Prices change based on the tracking cookies in your folder and the searches you perform. So, when you start looking for the best travel prices, use a private browser such as Incognito via Google Chrome or InPrivate Browsing on Edge and you’ll be more likely to get a better deal.
#6 Rent a Car from A Local
Using an app or website like Turo can hook you up with individuals at your destination who are looking to rent their car out. The cost is often much less than you may pay at a traditional car rental place such as Enterprise or Avis.
#7 Rent a Garage Trick Saves Money on Parking
The website Garage Pointer can link you up with people who wish to temporarily rent out their parking space and might save you from having to find a place to pay or pay high parking fees.
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