We’re only a month into 2025, and I’ve already managed to add two different cities to my travel logs. One of my biggest goals of this year is to check off as many places on my travel bucket list, which means I’ve had to do a lot of planning and preparing to make the most of my adventures.
While planning a trip may seem straightforward, there are always tricks and hacks that can help in so many ways, from finding the best deals on flights and accommodations to creating a packing list that uses less space but still creates more outfits. We’ve done our research and included some of the key steps you need to take along with some tips that’ll help make the planning process so much easier.
Arguably, the most important part of planning a trip is actually booking the trip. While it helps to have memberships and gain loyalty points with platforms like Expedia, when it comes to getting the best deals, timing is everything. The general rule of thumb is that for domestic travel, booking flights around a month in advance. Specifically, 28 days, will get you a good deal, while with international, you’ll want to give yourself an extra month to get the best rate. With that being said, there are always caveats, like if you’re traveling during holidays or peak seasons. If that is the case, give yourself much more time. Plan and book during opposite seasons or give yourself an extra buffer of 3 to 4 months for big holidays, and this could be holidays in both the location you’re at and the place you’re traveling to. A report released by Expedia found that booking flights on Sundays was more likely to give you better deals on average, specifically for international flights. While this won’t guarantee that every flight booked on a Sunday is the cheapest, there are better odds of getting better deals around then.
Planning a good trip obviously comes at a cost, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do things now to prepare for it. The best way to do this is creating a spreadsheet to plan out roughly what the cost would be for each aspect of your trip. Start with bigger expenses like flights, hotels, visa, etc. Then get more granular with things like food, transportation within the place you’re traveling in, roaming charges for your phone, etc. There are always ways to cut down on spending while you’re on your trip, like eating at smaller local restaurants or taking public transport. If you’re planning on hitting up popular tourist spots or sightseeing in any places, look into packages for tickets or tours that help you cover more than one place and give you good deals on them. I love using Klook for discounted tickets and great deal packages. Outside of this, consider how you’ll be spending. Having cash, both the local currency and US dollars, is important, but also consider getting a travel card. These are great ways to build your rewards and put towards future trips, but also work great for emergencies when you don’t have cash.
Obviously one of our favorite parts of planning a vacation is planning the outfits. In the last year, capsule wardrobes went viral, which act as a great foundation for your packing list. Having good basics with some twists makes it so much easier to mix and match looks and save space in your luggage. As for makeup and toiletries, I love having a ready-to-go toiletry bag with travel-sized essentials that I only use when I’m traveling. It's important to make sure products are still good to use, but especially when I have a few trips lined up over a few months, I’ll keep that ready to go with mini shampoos, conditioners, makeup wipes, and other products that tend to have a longer shelf life that way I don’t have to keep refilling and removing products from mini travel bottle sets. As for makeup, I keep it simple with multi-use products or cream formulas to avoid any spilling in my bag. We’ve also included some of our favorite things to pack on your adventures, from clothes to easy storage in your luggage.
The best part about traveling is simply experiencing a new environment. I love exploring everything a new city has to offer, from the food to historical sites. As much as it may seem tempting to pack a bunch of activities and plan out the whole trip, it can get really exhausting and sometimes take away from the fact that it's a vacation. One of the things I always recommend doing on the first day is not planning anything. Use that as a rest day and enjoy the things in closer proximity to where you’re staying. Sometimes this could help offset any jetlag, but more importantly, it helps you get in the vacation mindset, and it makes it easier to plan things when you’re actually there. Before flying in, make a note of all the things you want to do and how much of a priority those places are. Once you’re there, plan out these activities and allocate a day for them. Don’t overcrowd your schedule and leave room for days where you can simply go with the flow and actually enjoy what the place has to offer without a plan.
