We’ve crafted a simple guide to help you build an epic travel itinerary without getting bogged down in the details.
Researching Your Travel Itinerary:
So, where do you even begin to find inspiration for what you want to see & do?
Dive into Online Reviews & Content:
- Tripadvisor & Google Reviews: Leverage these platforms to discover top-rated attractions, restaurants, and accommodation. Tripadvisor is great for all things travel & especially useful for reviews on hotels, restaurants and things to do!
- YouTube: Follow travel vlogs and videos for visual insights into destinations. Many of these content creators share hidden gems & insights!
- Instagram & TikTok: Scroll through your favourite travel hashtags or accounts for some more travel inspiration similar to Youtube.
Key Points To Consider In Your Travel Itinerary:
1. Don’t Cram Too Much In: Choose 1-2 main activities or spots to visit each day. Have a list of extras you’d like to do, but don’t stress if you don’t get to them. Remember, holidays are for relaxing and enjoying, not rushing from one spot to the next!
2. Weekend vs Weekday Costs: Check accommodation and activity prices for both weekdays and weekends. You might find that shifting your stay to mid-week might save you a pretty penny!
3. Use ChatGPT for a Head Start: You can ask ChatGPT to whip up a sample itinerary to help you get started! Adjust the proposed plans to your liking and you’ve got yourself a personalised travel plan.
4. Google Maps is Your Friend: Look up the travel time between spots during the actual time you plan to travel. Don’t check the commute time at 3am unless you plan to be up and about at that hour! Traffic can change a lot so try to look up commute times around the time you plan to travel.
5. Balance Is Key: Mix leisurely days with active ones, ensuring you don’t return home feeling like you need another holiday to recover.
6. Make It Flow: Try to avoid going back & forth between different cities. In an ideal world, you’ll make your way around a country visiting destinations that are all on the way to the next and in the same direction. Making it all flow will free up extra time by saving commute times + likely be the most budget friendly.
7. Break It Down Into Individual Cities: If you’re going on a multi-week trip and visiting different cities, it may feel overwhelming. Focus on one city at a time and then link them together.
8. Bookings: You’ll want to book as many things as possible to ensure the popular activities don’t sell out and damper your plans! This includes restaurants, hotels & activities. Ensure you are factoring in potential flight delays so try to book things that are easily cancellable or put them on days you know for sure you won’t need to cancel.
Putting It All Together & Crafting Your Day-to-Day Plan:
Day 1: Get Settled: Arrive, get to your accommodation and take the day to relax and explore your immediate surroundings. You don’t want to plan too much on this day encase of flight delays etc. Refer to your list of things you’d like to see if everything goes smoothly and try to do some of them.
Day 2: Sightseeing: On this day, we try to plan something that is exciting but also easily cancellable in the unlikely event our travel was delayed by a day (flight cancellations happen). Try to use this day to tackle sight seeing that is mostly free and no bookings required.
Day 3: Main Attraction: Choose the one big thing you must see or do and aim to tackle it this day. By now, you should be settled into your destination so it should be ok to pre book this day in advance.
Day 4: Free Day: Leave at least one day free for spontaneous adventures, repeat favourite experiences, or simply relax and do whatever you feel like doing. Refer to your list of things that would be nice to see but not essential.
Day 5: Additional Days & Leaving: Add in as many additional days as necessary following a mix of days similar to 3 & 4. Remember not to over-plan your days. When it’s time to leave, add an extra hour in order to avoid any traffic surprises.
Wrapping It Up
Make sure to double-check all bookings, have access to all your confirmations on your phone and stay flexible! Sometimes the best experiences are the unplanned ones!
For an example, refer to our Cairns Travel Itinerary found here
