Having an itinerary can help you make the most out of your travels. You don’t have to plan the entire trip down to the last minute, though. Instead of looking at your travel itinerary as something that takes all the spontaneity out of your trip, think of it as a rough guide that will keep you moving on your feet.
This is because it’s easy to lose track of time when you’re traveling, especially if you’re enamored by all the tourist attractions and beautiful sights. However, because you might not have the luxury to spend all your time in one place, the itinerary can help you visit all the destinations you plan to see while you’re in the city or country.
Making a travel itinerary is not a piece of cake; it takes a lot of time to research your travel destination and find the activities that you want to experience. And while not everyone enjoys doing research or planning for their travels because they just want to cut to the chase, this five-pronged approach to making an itinerary is right up your alley:
1. Destinations
Once you’ve decided where to go for your trip, the very first thing that you should look into is what you want to do when you get there. This can include all the tourist spots and attractions that you want to visit, events that you can attend during your trip, or cultural landmarks that you want to see first-hand.
Understandably, not everything that you want to see or experience during your trip will be located in one place, which is why it’s important to create a list of destinations that you want to visit. This way, you can map out the locations and check if it’s possible to fit everything you want to do in one trip or if you’ll need to leave some aside for the next time you travel.
2. Accommodations
When you know where you want to go, the next step will be to book your accommodations. This is because you need to have somewhere to rest, shower, and sleep in between your visits to local tourist spots and destinations. Plus, your accommodations need to be near the places you’re going to, so it’s easier to move around.
For instance, you plan to spend a few days in Singapore, and you schedule the city tour for your last day before you fly back home. To make it more convenient, you might want to find hotels near Changi Airport, especially if you have an early flight. But make sure to choose affordability over a five-star rating because you’re traveling for the experience, not the expensive bed. This way, you’ll have more budget to spend on your food and activities.
3. Transportation
If you’re not using a travel service that takes care of all your transportation needs, you’ll have to find your own way around the city or country that you’re going to. This is where research can really help you because you can look up what modes of public transportation you can use to find your way during the trip.
Don’t make the mistake of relying on cabs or ride-sharing apps because aside from those being expensive options, they might also not be available all the time. You could always check before your trip, but it might be better (and much more practical) to learn how you can move around by using public transportation services.
4. Food Establishments
Now that you know what you want to do and where you want to go, it will be much easier to find establishments where you can eat your meals. That is if the restaurant, cafe, or food stall isn’t the destination itself. You need to eat proper meals, so you’ll have plenty of energy to move around.
And the local food you’ll eat during your travels will arguably be among the highlights of any trip you’ll ever have next to the destinations. That’s why you need to include food establishments in your research. This way, you’ll know which places to try out for yourself and which ones to avoid beforehand.
5. Leisure Time
You make an itinerary to plan out your trip from start to finish, but no rule says you can’t plan for a little spontaneity. Don’t forget to include leisure time in the midst of all the activities, sights, and dining arrangements you’ve made for your trip because some of the best memories are unplanned.
So, carve out some time in your busy itinerary to make way for spontaneity. For instance, you can leave a few hours on your itinerary for the first day to simply get lost in the city and go where your feet take you. There’s no reason why you can’t do it, especially since you’re the one making your own schedule.
This five-pronged approach to traveling is fool-proof, which means you can use it for any trip you’ll take. Of course, you won’t always have to research all the details of your destination; however, having some information is better than having none at all. But don’t forget to leave some room for surprises.
