Planning Your Route

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Planning Your Route

Quick Plan Option

A lot of people have spent significant time and effort planning trips. A great start is to leverage what they have already done. What I often like to do, if I have limited time to plan, is visit Travel Adventure tour sites like Gap Adventures. Take a look at their tours, pick what you like/don't like and then make your own modifications. Lonely Planet guides also have a few example itineraries that are also great as a quick start point.

More Detailed Plan Option - 6 Steps to an Amazing Itinerary

If you have a fair amount of time and/or enjoy planning, here are some steps that will help you organize your planning and come up with a great itinerary.

1. Start by coming up with a list of places you'd like to visit. Order them by importance. This will help if you need to cut down on your options as a result of limited time. Sites like Tripadvisor.com, for example, has some great user feedback on things to see and do. You can also use any guide book for this.

2. Plot out your destinations on a map to help you visualize where you'll be. This will also help you figure out what an efficient route may be. We like using the Google My Maps tool (you'll see a My Maps link on the left side of the screen). It allows you to create a map and save it for future reference. You can also very easily modify the destination order by simply dragging and dropping. This is a great way to ensure you don't lose any of your work, and it's also great to share with your friends and family.

3. Try and understand how busy the places are. Some places in high season book up real fast. In this case you'll want to ensure you plan well ahead. It also means you'll likely have less flexibility in your schedule. On the other hand, if you're going somewhere with less tourists, you can come up with a partial plan and 'go with the flow'. This factor is often influenced by your personality. Some individuals like to plan every detail, while others prefer a more fluid approach. Up to you, but at least understand the context of your destination!

4. Do a little research on the available transportation options. Look for information on availability, safety and pricing. I personally prefer to use public transportation since I find it much more relaxing. That said, there are some places where there is very limited/poor public transportation, so you have to get creative with your travel options. This step is important to help you understand how much time you'll need to get from one place to another.

5. Consider day trips with local tour companies if you have limited time and want to maximize the number of sites you visit. Local tour companies are significantly cheaper than booking with a large company through your local travel agent. In some cheaper countries you can easily organize personalized day trips with your own guide for very affordable prices. This can be a great option that gives you the added benefit of spending time with a local to get much more insight into their culture and lifestyle.

6. Know your limits! Once you have an itinerary created, review it and ask yourself if what you are planning is feasible. Avoid planning a trip that could only be completed by robotourist (unlimited energy, no need for sleep/recovery). I find it helpful to try and balance hectic long days with more relaxing days. Remember, this is a vacation! You don't want to get home and feel like you need a vacation to recover from your vacation :). It is not uncommon for me to re-work my itinerary a few times before finalizing all of the details.

Sample Itinerary Using My Google Maps

If you click on any of the blue icons you'll see that there are some trip details and links.


View France Trip in a larger map

Step 4 - Pre-Departure Checklist