Do you want to get away for the weekend or simply for a day? Do you have any idea where to start? Well, it is easier than you may think and pretty fun once you begin the planning process. Start planning your trip today!
Here are some tips, tricks and considerations to make when planning a trip. It is a list of what to do and how to do it. Do this to ease your worries, get excited and start packing!
1. Budget: What type of trip do you want to go on?
Is there a new city you have been wanting to visit? Can you drive there or would you need to fly? Who do you want to go with? Determine what the smartest move is for you and your budget.
I've found that Google Flights is useful for comparing prices from different airlines, and you can turn on email updates for changes in pricing. If you don't know where you want to go, it also has a "discover flights' option with suggested dates and prices. (Note: Tuesdays during the day are when ticket prices are lowest! Ticket pricing is highest when purchased on weekends and when it's within six weeks of the flight, so plan ahead.)
2. Timing: When can you go?
Is there a weekend that works best? Look at your own calendar and the national calendar to see if you have a three-day weekend. Also, consider the city events calendar- are there concerts, festivals or events that are occurring on a certain weekend that you want to attend? Will the weather be nice and sunny? Are those events going to create traffic and raise ticket prices?
3. Accommodations: Where are you staying?
Do you have family or friends you can stay with? If not, there are many options to choose from. I'm a fan of Airbnb, it's easy to book, significantly cheaper than a hotel and you can blend in with the locals whether you choose a downtown or more suburban location based on your liking.
4. Sites: What are you going to do?
Of course there are websites like TripAdvisor which suggest the most popular places like museums and monuments you can visit. I recommend looking for blogs written by locals in the area to find unique places that may not be listed- and to know which areas to go to or avoid. Yelp of course shows popular food destinations and "must eats" that you can bookmark and see a map view of where the places are and how far they are from one another. Furkot, another website, helps you plan out your trip route. I've found it useful so that I don't forget any places and can find where the nearest destinations are.
5. Transportation: How will you get there?
Are the destinations you want to visit a short 10-minute walk away or will it require some type of transportation? If the distance is less than 30-minutes, then I recommend Uber or Lyft (Note: make sure that is available because ride-sharing may be banned in some cities like Austin, Texas.) If your destinations are more than 30-minutes away, I suggest renting a car- you will have the freedom to go any place and can have a place to store your belongings and purchases.
