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With everything that is going on in the world right now, it may be a little while before we find ourselves able to travel again. Just because you can’t travel right now, doesn’t mean that you can’t start taking steps to prepare for your next trip! All of these ideas don’t require you even to leave your house! Here is how to prepare for your next trip without ever leaving your house.
Set a budget
Take the time to think about how much you want to spend on your trip. The best way to set a travel budget is to count back from your trip and determine how much money each month you can set aside. If you want to save up $2,000 for your next trip, but can only put away $100 each month, you can’t take your trip for another 20 months at the earliest! If you have some money set aside already, or you plan on paying it off later, then you can have a little extra wiggle room.
Research your destination
Researching your destination can help you better understand where you should stay and better plan for your trip. Will you be able to walk everywhere, or will you need to rent a car? Are Ubers and rideshares an option in that city? All of these factors can make a massive difference for your trip. Taking the time to research your destination now will help avoid surprise information when you finally book your trip or when you get there.
Prepare important travel documents
If you are traveling out of the country, you may have to start filling out travel documents for your trip. Certain countries will require a passport, visa, or government-issued ID. Some of these you can start applying for online, but others may require you to leave the house. If you start planning for this now, you can set an appointment so you can be ready to go to the DMV or Passport office with all your documents in hand.
Turn on deal alerts
Now is the time to start watching prices as they rise and fall. This will help you figure out when the best time to buy is, and if your destinations or accommodations run any sales. You can even use websites to see the pricing history. This will help you better figure out when to book, and you can start planning your budget around these numbers.
Book your accommodations
If you are willing to take a risk, book your accommodations. Many places are going to be very helpful if you need to cancel because of everything going on right now. You can also book travel insurance and other necessary precautions to ensure that you’re able to get your money back if you can’t travel for some reason.
We are so anxious to take our next trip, but we know that there isn’t a whole lot we can do right now! Luckily, these tips have been helping us maximize our travel planning muscles, so our next trip will be even better!
I absolutely love traveling and these are great tips to help me plan for my next trip! Such a timely article.
Thank you, Ray! Agreed, there aren’t a lot of places that we can go yet here in California but we certainly can plan for the next trip!
I love your tip on setting a budget you’ve got a bullseye to aim for! Great info! It’s the perfect time to plan for the future now, too!
Thank you, Amanda! We’re looking forward to our next trip!
Nicely done in a brief post. I am also a traveler and felt you gave some nice basic info for someone started their planning.
This a great article. It brought home all of the things that we all need to consider in planning a trip. It was also really good since the points that you raised will be valid after covid-19 is in the past
Great article. I love that you are being realistic. Cancellation policies are the best, especially during this time, so I would definitely look into that.
I always love to do a lot of research before going on a trip! Great and informative article, thanks for sharing!