How to plan a trip from scratch (the most complete guide)
Whatever trip you plan, regardless of the destination or duration, the same questions always arise. How do I get the best priced flights? Which website should I book my accommodation on? Will I need vaccinations and a visa? And a thousand and one more… On this page we explain step by step how to plan a trip from scratch . We also compile all the tips and websites that we use when preparing our trips . We hope they help you with yours!
How to plan a trip from scratch (the most complete guide)
.jpg "How to plan a trip from scratch")
1 Choose the destination
It can be the easiest part or the most complicated. If you already know what the trip of a lifetime is, then go to the next point, but if you have a few weeks free and you don't have the slightest idea of where to go, how do you choose the destination?
There is no secret formula, it is simply a matter of personal preference and situation. Although you can take these guidelines into account:
First, eliminate all those countries that, due to budget or time , do not fit. For example, if you have 10 days you obviously are not going to go to the other side of the world, you would lose almost half of your vacation on airplanes. Or if you have a budget of €1,000, it is clear that you cannot go to French Polynesia for 3 weeks.
Second, research the weather in your destination for the month you're going. You don't want to be stuck in the monsoon season, or have the heat be so stifling that you can't leave your hotel. For example, going to Egypt in July is crazy, or traveling to the Philippines in the middle of the rainy season will almost certainly ruin your trip. Any of the weather websites could be reliable, we searched for “average weather [country name]” and checked the top two or three (probably including Accuweather ).
Then ask yourself what each place offers and if that suits you. Are you a city dweller to the max, or do you enjoy rural destinations? Do you like the beach, or do you prefer the mountains? Do you want to go trekking? Do you like adventure? How important is gastronomy?… In this way, you will shape your ideal trip, and you will see that in a short time there will only be a handful of options left.
Finally, expand your research on the ones that have been left, on travel blogs, documentaries, podcasts, television shows, etc. With a little luck, there will be a place that particularly catches your attention, it will choose you instead of you choosing it. And BAM! You have a trip!
2 Do I need a visa?
Knowing the legal requirements for entering a country is essential when planning a trip. Each country has its own visa policies, and the conditions are different depending on your nationality. Generally, you will find yourself in one of these three situations :
Free visa on arrival : which is actually a simple entry stamp in your passport. You will need to fill out an entry form and have a valid passport (usually with more than 6 months before it expires).
Visa on arrival with payment : if the above was a stamp, this would be a full-fledged visa. The process is a bit more cumbersome, you will have to fill out a form, sometimes they ask for a recent photograph and make the payment (normally in USD). When you arrive you will see that there are windows where you can do this.
Visa issued before arrival : you can apply for this either online (increasingly) or in person at the embassy/consulate abroad of the country you wish to visit. Most of these visas require a fee and many of them are electronic. The most common cases are the ESTA for the United States , the electronic visa for India , the electronic visa for Sri Lanka, the paper visa for Russia , etc.
To find out what type of visa you need, you can go directly to the official website of the government of the country you are visiting (on Google, search for something like “visa [country name] official site” ) or on Wikipedia , searching for “visa policy [country name] wikipedia”.
- Ivisa . If you need to process a visa in advance, you can do it yourself (there aretutorialson blogs like ours that explain all the steps), or delegate it to websites dedicated to this type of bureaucracy, which charge a small fee for it.
- Visas and Procedures . If you prefer a more personalized, professional and trustworthy service, we recommend this agency located in Madrid, specialized in visas and procedures with consulates and embassies of almost any country in the world (check out their excellent reviews!). Also, if you say that you found them on the Mochileando por el Mundo blog, you will get a10€ discount. You can contact them by email: [email protected] or by phone: 915 100 510.
3 Getting the flights
Although luck and being in the right place at the right time play a key role in finding a good flight deal, there are a few tricks we can follow that will help:
Obviously, the first thing to do is to use a good flight search engine. These are our favorites:
- Skyscanner . For us, the best flight search and comparison site.
- Other websites that we usually use to search for flights are: Google Flights, Matrix itasoftware, Kayak, Kiwi (formerly Skypicker), Momondo… there are hundreds!
When searching for flights, always do so in incognito mode on browsers (although this seems more like a myth than anything else).
What does work is using a VPN , an application that changes the IP of your connection to the country you want (in addition to securing your browsing). Why is it interesting? Because prices are not the same for all countries and the same flight can cost much less if you search for it connected from other countries. We usually get the best results from India, Malaysia, Turkey or Bulgaria. Also try connecting to the destination country and the country where the airline itself is from.
There are studies that claim that the best prices are obtained with an average of 7 weeks in advance (although this varies a lot) and it is better if you book on a day at the beginning of the week , specifically on Tuesday, which is when they usually update rates and offer deals (avoid weekends). What is clear is that, as a general rule, the more in advance, the better. Forget about last minute…
To find great deals, don’t just stick to a specific date – try flexible periods (Skyscanner’s “whole month” or “cheapest month” option). Flights are usually more expensive on Fridays and Sundays, as they are weekend trips, so try flying on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Saturdays.
If you are not sure about your destination, you can also use the “ anywhere ” option as the destination.
And you can even search for one-way flights (both for the outbound and return journey) combining airports, sometimes multi-destination flights are much cheaper!
You can also reverse the direction : search from the destination airport to “anywhere” to see which routes are cheaper, and see if there are also offers in reverse. For example, I want to go from Madrid to Bangkok, so I search from Bangkok to “any destination” and I get very low prices to Frankfurt. I do the reverse search (Frankfurt – Bangkok) and I see that the fares are also very low. Finally, I look for a flight from Madrid to Frankfurt that I can use to make the connection, and that’s it!
Finally, there are websites specialised in finding real bargains. We follow them on their Facebook profiles so as not to miss out on an offer. Some of them are: Guialowcost, Mejorvuelo or Fly4free.
Which flight should I choose? In addition to price, you should also take into account the number of stopovers and their duration, as well as the departure/arrival times. It is worth paying a little more for direct flights or flights with fewer stopovers, and for these to be short. A stopover time of 2 hours is ideal.
Which airline to fly with? It doesn't really matter, book the cheapest one and the one with the best route. If you want to get a more accurate idea of what each airline is like and a lot of reviews, take a look at the Skytrax website .
4 Finding accommodation
Booking in advance is a good idea to ensure availability and get decent prices (especially if you're travelling on specific dates such as major local and international celebrations, Golden Week in China or Japan, etc.). But our advice is to book with free cancellation , and as your travel dates get closer, check again to see what you can find. Unless you're absolutely sure you're going to travel and find an indecent deal!
Before completing your booking, therefore, make sure you check the cancellation policy, whether all taxes are included or if there are any additional charges (such as cleaning or key delivery outside of business hours in the case of apartments).
These are the websites we use to find accommodation on our trips:
- Booking.com . This is the website we use on almost all of our trips, the most complete and easy to use.
- Agoda . A good site to find accommodation in Asia.
- Airbnb - For renting out entire apartments or rooms in shared apartments. Although it is becoming more and more popular, some hotels and hostels also offer rooms.
- Couchsurfing . A community that connects travelers with local guests who offer places to sleep (from private rooms to a couch, a piece of floor or a bed in a shared room). The main thing is that before choosing your host, check the comments on their profile and if something doesn't fit you, discard them. By the way, it's free, but it's always good to bring a little something.
- Trustedhousesitters . Housesitting is about looking after houses (and pets) while their owners are away. It's not just about finding free accommodation, but the relationship is much closer, don't forget that they are entrusting you with their house and their beloved pets. In order to access these ads you will have to sign up to a website (they usually have 1-year memberships). This is the one we use and it works for everyone. At this link you have a 25% discount.
- Worldpackers . Network to find work in exchange for accommodation or volunteering around the world. It also has an annual membership, but if you use this link you get a 10USD discount.
- Homeexchange . A platform where you can exchange houses, not just in the old-fashioned way of “you come to mine and I go to yours” but where, every time you leave your house, you accumulate points that you can then exchange for stays in other houses. There is also pure exchange. Sign up with this link and get 100 points.
Here we tell you more about how to get free accommodation on your trips .
5 Transportation at the destination
Once you arrive at your destination, how do you get around? The options are almost endless, from using public transport to renting a car or even hitchhiking.
Transport search engines
There are various websites and apps that calculate and compare transportation options (land, sea and air), and even give you the option to make a reservation. We use these:
GENERAL
- Urban transport network in each city . The vast majority of cities with urban transport also have a website (or even an app) with all the information, from fares to lines, maps and even a route planner.
- Google Maps - It usually works pretty well for calculating short routes in cities.
- Moovitapp . Search for urban transportation options and offers a wealth of information on bus lines, subways, trams, etc. in many cities.
- Rome2Rio - More practical for long journeys, it calculates the route between two cities and compares prices from different transport companies.
- Airport transfers . In addition to public transport and taxi connections, there is also the option of hiring a private pick-up and transfer service to your hotel.
- Direct Ferries . Compare ferry and boat routes from many companies worldwide.
- Seat61 . This is a great site with detailed information on train networks around the world. A classic among travellers.
EUROPE
- Omio . This is the old GoEuro, probably the most complete website for comparing transport options between different cities in Europe. It also offers flight results, but we usually use it for short distances, preferably by bus or train. With this link you get €10 off your first booking.
- Balkanviator . Very similar to the previous one, specialized in the Balkans area.
- Checkmybus / getbybus . Compare bus routes.
- Flixbus . Bus company with ridiculous prices if you're smart.
ASIA
- Bookaway . One of the most comprehensive websites for comparing transportation around the world, and especially in Asia. Good prices and lots of options, plus you can book your transportation on the same website.
- 12go.asia - Another reference page for transportation in Asia.
- Baolau . Very similar to the previous one, sometimes it even offers more results and at better prices.
JAPAN
- Hyperdia . The best website/app for travelling around Japan and not getting lost (or getting lost as little as possible).
- JRPass - Open rail pass to move around Japan at full speed.
- JBL (Japan Bus Pass) . Bus pass, ideal alternative to the JR Pass.
INDIA
- IRCTC . Official website of Indian Railways. You can create an account and book.
- Cleartrip / Makemytrip / Redbus - Transport search engine, including trains and buses.
UNITED STATES / CANADA
- Busbud . Search and compare bus routes. Also valid for other areas of the world.
- Wanderu . Bus and especially trains. You can find some very interesting offers.
SOUTH AMERICA
- Redbus . Bus routes in Peru and Colombia.
- Busbud . Compare bus routes in several countries, including Mexico
- Bookaway . Another interesting search engine that has options in South America, Asia, Europe…
- Platform10 . Argentina and Brazil.
Car/camper rental
An ideal option to travel at your own pace, enjoy the landscapes and be surprised by places that don't appear in any guide. Before finalizing the reservation, check that all the extras are included in the final price (including the one-way rate) and pay attention to the insurance, which is contracted separately. You have the option of including it on the reservation website (for example Auto Europe) where it is cheaper, but it is an external insurance, or doing it at the car rental agency when you pick up the car.
- Auto Europe . This is the website we use to compare different car rental agencies and make reservations. Based on our experience, it offers the best prices and we have never had any problems. Other similar websites are Qeeq with which you will get up to €50 off or Rentalcars .
- Motorhome Republic . Compares loads of van and motorhome rental companies worldwide. You can often find better prices than on the companies' own websites and everything is pretty clear (in terms of equipment, contractual conditions, etc.)
- Yescapa / Campanda / Camplify . The Airbnb for motorhome and campervan rentals in Spain and around the world.
- Parclick . If you are travelling in your own car, this website/app allows you to compare the nearest car parks and book them online at the best price.
Relocation (free car rental)
Relocation is a way to save a lot of money on your trip if you have flexibility. It consists of taking a car/van from one office to another, or directly from the factory to their main office. They need to move their resources depending on the needs, and for doing them this “favor” the prices are very cheap or even free!
- Imoova . With this website we managed to relocate a van in the USA for $30 a day. But there are also other sites in Europe, New Zealand and Australia. It focuses on renting campers. Other sites are Transfercars and Drivenow .
- Driiveme . Get the essence of car relocation in Europe.
- You can also look directly at the companies' own websites like Apollo, Jucy, Wicked, etc.
Here we tell you more about what relocation is .
Travelling by car, taxis and carsharing
For short trips within a city or even long journeys:
- Blablacar . To share a ride with people who are making the same journey, and thus share the costs.
- Uber / Lyft / Free Now / Cabify / Grab … A way to find taxi drivers at a good price in cities. It is a controversial system and criticized for its intrusion into the taxi sector. Everyone has their own opinion. They work with a mobile app.
- Car2go is the leading platform forcarsharing. In medium and large cities, networks of shared cars, bikes and motorbikes are becoming more and more popular. Although it is a proposal more focused on the inhabitants themselves, it can also be used sporadically on any visit. Its philosophy is to offer the freedom of having your own car, anywhere and at any time. In addition, in most cases they are electric, great!
Others
- Click&Boat / Sailwiz / Samboat / Boatjump / Nautal . Exactly the same philosophy as Airbnb, applied to boats.
- Solocruceros / Buscocrucero . With excellent offers on cruises around the world, and positioning cruises.
6 Where to eat
There are blogs like ours that publish posts with restaurant recommendations in various cities around the world. But you can go to other specialized websites like these:
- Portals with ratings based on customer reviews , such as Tripadvisor , Google Maps , Yelp , Foursquare , where you can get a better idea of what you're going to find.
- HappyCow , to find vegetarian and vegan restaurants near you.
- TheFork , part of the Tripadvisor group, to find the best restaurants, filter by type of food, price, reviews, and book a table.
- There are other websites and apps with discounts , such as Groupon, Grupalia, Atrapalo, etc., but we don't find them very interesting.
- Too Good To Go or Phenix . Apps that fight against food waste and where you can find offers from stores or restaurants for products or dishes that are in perfect condition, but that are difficult to sell.
- Eatwith . And of course, collaborative economy platforms to live experiences with local people (mealsurfing).
7 Booking activities and tickets
Although we are more into walking the streets and letting ourselves be surprised by unexpected corners, there will always be paid activities and places of interest where you have to go through the ticket office. In that case, we recommend these websites:
- Tourist cards such as Go City . These are usually worthwhile as long as you plan to enter quite a few paid attractions. Sometimes they also include a transport card, discounts, maps, guides, etc. We find Go City to be the most complete and you can also benefit from a5% discountwith the code 'MOCHILEANDO'.
- Civitatis . The number one company in Spanish-language activities worldwide. They also sell tickets, tourist cards, and even transportation to/from the airport.
- Getyourguide . A bit more chaotic than the previous one but with more options. There are tours of all kinds, although not always in Spanish. Recommended for specific activities that do not exist in Civitatis.
- Guruwalk . Spanish platform for free tours around the world, on an ongoing basis. They are free, but remember that it is best to leave a tip at the end (generally around €5 per person is left, although in countries like the USA, Australia, etc., more is expected).
- Bookatrekking . Connect with local trekking companies around the world.
- Tiqets is one of the best platforms to buy tickets worldwide. For museums and exhibitions, as well as for experiences and other activities.
- Ticketmaster , Hellotickets . For sporting events, concerts, etc.
- Klook . Specialized in products in Asia. Take a look because it has interesting things
To find out everything there is to see and do in each place and for recommendations, we recommend travel blogs with updated information, forums such as Losviajeros or Lonelyplanet , websites such as Tripadvisor , minube , or social networks Instagram , Pinterest . A very useful resource are Facebook groups specialized in destinations. And also buy travel guides . Our favorites are Lonely Planet (we got them in digital version with Nubico).
8 Preparations: health and travel insurance
For some trips to tropical destinations or areas with a risk of contracting diseases, it will be necessary (or advisable) to get some vaccines. So first take a look at the Ministry of Health website to generate your own health recommendations , where you will find the recommended and mandatory vaccines for the chosen destination.
It is a good idea to visit your GP and discuss your plans. He or she will be able to give you further advice and even give you a vaccination. If you end up needing to get another vaccine, you will probably need to visit an International Vaccination Centre .
Before leaving, prepare a small travel kit with the basics. Medicines such as painkillers, anti-inflammatories, anti-diarrheal, antihistamines, anti-diarrheal, stomach protector and Biodramina. As well as other products such as band-aids, betadine, adhesive tape, gauze, thermometer, mosquito repellent and sunscreen.
- botiquindeviaje.es . This is a website belonging to a pharmacy in Barcelona that specializes in creating personalized first aid kits depending on the destination. They also offer a travel assistance service and contain a lot of information about health care at the destination.
And obviously, take out a good travel insurance . Don't even think about it, it's money well spent, even more so if your trip is to destinations with extremely expensive healthcare. In our case, we always travel with IATI and the times we've needed it, they've behaved impeccably. You know, you get a 5% discount from the link.
9 Preparations: money
Another of the most common headaches is how to withdraw money abroad. Luckily, more and more fintech banks are offering cards with excellent conditions for traveling . Basically, free withdrawals, no or very low fees on the money we withdraw from the ATM, official exchange rates, card payments in foreign currency without fees... In addition to some other advantages in their payment programs. In Spain we have a few alternatives, although the ones that convince us the most personally and that we actually use are these:
- Revolut . This is the most popular card among travellers and has been around the longest. Although the limits on its free plan are not high, it is a reliable card and perfect for taking on trips. It has awelcomegift of €10
- N26 . On their free plan, they charge a small fee for withdrawals, but not for payments in foreign currency.
- Vivid . This is a new card that is betting heavily on travelers, with a super interesting cashback program.
- Rebellion offers a free plan with fairly broad commission-free spending and withdrawal limits.
Our advice is to ask for at least two of them , our favourites are Revolut and N26 . Why? Because you never know what can happen, you might lose one, it might stop working, etc. So you'll be well covered with at least two. And if you're travelling as a couple or in a group, each person should ask for two cards to multiply the limits without fees. Since they're free, you have nothing to lose either. Oh, and bring your cards from your usual bank too.
If you're not a fan of carrying multiple cards, what's the solution? Carry money and exchange it at a currency exchange office (or bank) once you arrive at your destination (but avoid those at airports). The problem is that you'll always have a lot of money on you, and we don't like that at all!
- Ria (including discount from this link) / Exactchange . To exchange currency before leaving on your trip (with the best exchange rates) or to return what you have left over.
10 Local SIM card with internet
Just as important, or even more so, than knowing where you're going to sleep on the first day is getting a local SIM card with internet (remember to bring an unlocked phone!). It can get you out of a lot of trouble and you don't know how useful it is. You'll have two options to buy it:
- Holafly . This Spanish company offers eSIM cards with internet for more and more destinations. The best thing is that you will have it already installed and you will be able to browse from the moment you land. They have good customer service. Through this link you get a 5% discount.
- At the airport or in the destination city . There are more and more stands of local companies at international airports offering their SIM cards with data and call packages. In our blog you will find information on which card to buy in many countries, but in general this option is usually more cost effective.
Please note that these cards (in both cases) have a time-limited plan (days, weeks or months). If you choose to buy it at your destination, make sure it is installed and working before leaving the store, and check the available data and the loaded package through the service messages.
And remember that WhatsApp works with the Internet, so you won't have to change its settings to continue using it.
Another option is the pocket wifi , although we are not big fans, but you should know that it exists.
11 Applications and websites of interest
And finally, before leaving on a trip, it is highly recommended to download these applications:
- Maps.me , downloadable maps that can be viewed offline.
- Citymaps2go , similar to the previous one.
- Google My Maps , to create custom maps in Google Maps.
- CityMapper / Moovit , with information on public transportation in many cities around the world.
- AroundMe , an alternative to Google Maps to search for establishments of a certain type near you.
- Xe Currency , the best for calculating exchange rates between different currencies.
- Skype , and top up a little money so you can make cheap international calls.
- Expensify helps you keep track of your expenses.
- Splitwise , to divide expenses within a group of people.
- Checkmytrip / Flypal , where you can add your next flights (for reservations). Notifies you if there have been any changes to the flight.
- FlightAware / Flightradar24 , used to track flights in real time.
- WiFi Map , where you can find open WiFi networks and comments with passwords for some closed ones.
- Google Translate , translator with lots of languages.
- Microsoft Translator , personally we find it works better for translating with the camera, especially in other alphabets (like Cyrillic, Japanese, etc.).
- Roadtrippers , road trip lovers will love it: it offers suggestions of points of interest along your road trip itinerary.
- Tripit , a very useful travel planner and organizer.
- Wikiloc , if you are crazy about trekking (or simply don't want to get lost in the countryside) is ideal.
- Uber / Free Now / Grab / Yandex Go … to request taxis or shared transport.
We also leave you a few websites to help you plan your trip:
- Travelfish / Wikitravel / Lonely Planet , the travel Wikipedias.
- Ministry of Health website
- Travel advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Sign up for the traveler registry of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Spain, useful in case of emergencies.
- FAADA
- Growpro compares many schools and offers courses and packages to learn English in several countries.
- Luggage hero / Locker in the city / Radicalstorage / Nannybag / Eelway . Luggage storage networks, which work like Airbnb (sharing economy), but to leave suitcases for a few hours or even entire days.
That’s it for our mega guide to planning a trip from scratch! We hope that all our tips can help you have the trip of a lifetime! And if you have any questions, write to us at « [email protected] «.
Post a Comment for "How to plan a trip from scratch (the most complete guide)"