Anne-Charlotte PasseraI’m often asked, Charlotte: How do you plan a trip abroad? When you’ve never done it, it can seem overwhelming when it comes to planning a trip for the first time.
I’ve put together a shortlist of the first baby steps you need to take on how to plan a trip abroad.
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
Passport
It goes without saying that if you are planning a trip abroad you will need a passport and a valid one! In most cases, it needs to still be valid for at least 6 months during your travel time abroad.
This is worth mentioning if you decide on the fly to buy a great travel deal you just found on the Internet.
Visa
Furthermore, make sure you check if the country you are visiting requires a visa to enter or not. In some countries, you get the tourist visa upon arrival but not all of them function that way and will require a little more leg work.
In 2021, non-European residents will need a tourist visa to enter any country that is part of the European Union. For the United States, you need Esta and for Canada, you need an ETA. They are easy to get, as all you have to do is go online, fill out the information (you will need your passport for that) and pay the small fee. They are usually valid for 2 years and are renewable.
Vaccines
In order to travel to some countries, some ‘special’ vaccines might be required in order to be able to travel to the desired destination.
Not only do you need to make sure that all your own vaccines are up to date, such as Hepatitis A and B (just in case), you have to check if you’ll need another kind of vaccines such as Yellow fever (Vietnam, Colombia) or Malaria.
Therefore, you can go on the CDC website to check if for your destination there are recommended vaccinations, as well as health risks.
Travel insurance
Most major credit cards will provide some type of travel insurance. Also, if you have private health insurance through work, most likely it covers you during your travels.
If none of these apply to you, check out World Nomads. Most veteran world travelers use it for their travels.
CHOOSING A DESTINATION ABROAD – STEP 1
In order to plan a trip abroad, you need to pick a destination. Duh!
Various factors are going to come into play in order to make your decision. You need to decide when you want to travel, your budget, what type of destination you want (beach, mountains, city), what style of trip you want (backpacking, all-inclusive, cruise, organized trip). It can get overwhelming when you are unsure.
When to travel abroad
If you don’t have kids and don’t work in construction like my husband where your vacation is imposed, then the world is your oyster as to when to travel.
Otherwise, you have to make do with set travel dates and more expensive airfares, hotels and car rentals if you end up traveling to a country where it’s high-season. Leaving a day or 2 and coming back either early or a few days after the imposed vacation can help with lowering the cost.
One thing to take into consideration though when planning a trip abroad is the weather of the destination you’d like to go to. Make sure it isn’t full-on rain season (typhoons in Asia) or extremely hot (Morocco or Cuba in the Summer).
Picking the type of destination
As there are so many places to see, it is hard to decide exactly what you want.
It really depends on what you like to do and what kind of person you are.
For example, I am hyperactive and adventurous. Laying on a beach somewhere and doing nothing for a week is not exactly my cup of tea. I don’t know how to relax and chill for long periods of time unless my husband and I were up late socializing with friends and family. In that scenario, being on a beach somewhere would probably be just fine.
One thing to consider though is the language. If you are not doing an organized tour or hanging out on a resort, the language barrier could become an issue. Knowing some English or Spanish will usually help you get by in most major countries. However, it shouldn’t prevent you from traveling abroad and exploring off the beaten path countries. This just means that some extra preparation might be required.
Finally, extra gear or packing might be required pending on the type of destination picked which is non-negligible. As most airlines now make you pay for any checked luggage, you’ll have to take that into consideration when you plan your trip abroad.
Picking the style of destination
When you are traveling with kids, especially the first time, some times going to an all-inclusive is just easier as there is less thinking required in the planning and preparing a trip abroad.
An all-inclusive can also be a good idea if there are excursions you can take while staying there. Personally, when I stay in a resort, I try to pick at least 1 cultural and 1 activity type of excursion (scuba diving, sailing, hiking to see waterfalls, horseback riding). They usually cost at least $80USD each depending on where you go. So if you are a family of 4, it adds up quickly.
Personally, I would not even consider a cruise as it is so bad for the environment, not that air travel is any better. Did you know that they just dump their trash out in the ocean? If you are set on taking a cruise, why not consider taking one on a sailboat?
If you are more adventurous, you can try the backpacking option or simply organizing the trip on your own, it doesn’t need to require a backpack. Usually, doing it this way can be a lot cheaper but it does require more planning. This also allows you to do things on your own schedule.
The budget
This is a big one and I am so very bad at it. If I could go back in time here is what I would do.
Open a savings account and start putting money in it every month before even considering taking your first trip. This way, you will always stay one step ahead and not accumulate traveling debt. If you have kids, ask the grandparents to give money to put into your vacation account instead of buying another unnecessary toy. Traveling makes memories. Memories last longer than material things.
It’s hard to say how much a trip can cost as various factors are going to come into play. Besides, not everyone sees money the same way. It is safe to assume though that going away for a week will probably cost you around +$1000 more or less (airfare + lodging + food).
If you are traveling with friends then you might split the cost of the car rental and hotel room and that should save you money. However, if you are traveling as a family, there will be no splitting cost.
BOOKING YOUR FLIGHT – STEP 2
There are no magic tricks as to when and how to book your flights. I find that it’s always best to book during the week for some reason and that using a different device than the one you did your research on might provide better deals. It’s an algorithm thing and also sheer luck in finding good deals or at least deals that you are comfortable paying for. You might be comfortable paying for a $700 flight for yourself but if you are a family of 4 that is traveling you’ll most likely want to try to find something cheaper.
Little tip: Don’t book anything else until your flight is booked and make sure you know what you need to do go there before booking anything else (visa, vaccines)
When to fly
It’s always cheaper to fly during the middle of the week rather than on a weekend. Airlines tend to boost up their prices then because that’s when most people travel. Prices will also be cheaper if you fly after or during a major holiday such as Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve or Day. Early-morning or late-night flights are also cheaper because fewer people want to travel then. It’s less convenient but does save you money.
Being flexible with your travel dates ( I know as a parent, it’s more difficult to be flexible) might mean hundreds of dollars in savings.
Airlines might be ‘crooks‘ but they are not dumb. They know when a festival, holiday, major sports event, or school vacation is coming up — and they raise prices accordingly. So by being flexible as to when you fly might give you a head start on everyone else!
If flexible travel dates aren’t an option for you, why not be flexible as to where you fly?
Luckily, there are some search engines that have made it easier to look for flights throughout the world. This allows you to visually compare prices during your specific travel dates. As I’m a visual person, looking at a world map with the different prices pinned down on it makes it really easy to find destinations.
Little tip: You can save money on your flight by either being flexible with your travel dates and／or with your destination.
Where to look for flights
HOPPER
Love this app! Pick your destination and register the details. It will let you know when it’s the best time to book.
Search hereYUL AIR
If you can travel whenever you want, this is worth following on Facebook to get really special travel deals.
Search hereGOOGLE FLIGHTS
A wonderful platform to use when you need to look at travel prices worldwide.
Search hereLittle tip: If your country’s currency is stronger than the one you’re planning on visiting, you can search for airfare through the other country’s version of the airline. It doesn’t always work, but it’s worth a try. At the same time, you’ll be paying in a different currency. It is important that you make sure to use a no-foreign-transaction-fee card to avoid paying a surcharge.
When to book your flight abroad
Book your flight when you are ready, have the money or when your Hopper App told you it was time.
Airfare will keep increasing as it gets closer to your travel dates. So don’t wait for the last minute to book it! Why?
Waiting last minute to book a flight means that you’ll have to book your lodging afterward and most likely will be left with limited lodging options pending on when and where you travel to. So don’t do that!
The best time to book your flight is around 6–8 weeks before your departure. However, book three months before if you are going to your destination during their peak season.
Finding a cheap flight is about being flexible and smart in where you go, when you go, and how you get there. If you are ready to book 8 months before your trip and are comfortable with the price, just book it and be done with it.
How to book a flight
Airlines often show the highest ticket price when you’re looking to purchase multiple tickets. Therefore, always search for individual tickets and at checkout pick the number of seats you need.
When you are ready to book your flight, double-check the price with one of the websites mentioned above to make sure you are getting the best deal and travel option.
BOOKING YOUR ACCOMMODATION ABROAD – STEP 3
Now that you’ve picked your destination and booked your flight, it’s time to pick where you’ll be sleeping.
First of all, I know that home swapping exists and so does staying in someone’s home for free in exchange for taking care of it (animals, light yard work, cleaning). I have tried neither. It does sound like fun though, and I hope that one day I’ll get to try it in South France or in Tuscany.
If that type of accommodation interest you, here are a few worth checking out:
- Mind my house
- House Carers
- Luxury house sitting ($25 annual registration fee)
- Nomador
When you plan a trip abroad, another big-spending item will be lodging. Different options are available out there pending on your traveling style and your budget.
Where to book your lodging
Stay in a hostel
Staying in a hostel is one of the best ways to save money on lodging. If you don’t like staying in a dorm, there are always private rooms available or small dorms of 4 which are perfect if you are traveling with the family.
What’s great about staying in a hostel is that you can make your own food and meet fellow travelers. I’ve stayed in some with and without my kids and it was always a lot of fun. Not all hostels accept children though, so make sure you verify before booking the accommodation that children are allowed.
Another benefit of staying in a hostel is that you can book directly with them some tours, there is most likely always some special event going on (karaoke or trivia night), you can meet a lot of people and some might even have a pool!
Staying at a hostel might even seem like staying in a resort but at a fraction of the cost. It is worth checking out.
We stumbled into a beautiful one when we traveled to Santa Marta in Colombia. Sometimes, some hostels will be part of a chain. This is worth looking into as you can save you extra money when booking with them again in one of their other locations.
Stay in a hotel
When we went to Colombia, I booked all of our accommodations with Booking. They have all kinds of lodging types from hostels, guesthouses to high-end hotel rooms.
The best part of this site is that you can reserve with your credit card and it will only be debited the day that your reservation starts. Also, in most instances, you can cancel at no cost up to only a few days before your stay.
This is a great site to use when you don’t have the money to pay for accommodation right away. It gives you extra time to save up money for when your trip begins and not have to pay for unnecessary credit card interest.
Stay in someone’s home
I love using Airbnb when traveling. When searching through their site, I always try to find one that either will be cheap for a 1-night stay and convenient (close to the airport) or original like an avocado treehouse in Hawaii.
Staying in an entire home in a city will definitely make you feel like living like a local and make your trip more exciting. Also, when traveling with kids, this is a convenient and relatively cheaper option in terms of accommodation. Having your own kitchen to prepare meals when you have kids is so much easier than just staying in a hotel.
BOOKING YOUR TRANSPORTATION – STEP 4
The last baby step in order to plan a trip abroad is your transportation. How will you be getting around?
Most major cities in the world have mass transit. If you are simply staying in a city, you don’t have to rent a car for your whole stay. You can just rent one if you are planning on doing excursions outside the city.
Getting the Uber app for your phone can come in handy when you arrive late at night at the airport, especially if you don’t have cash in the local currency yet.
Otherwise, there are two sites you can check out to plan your travels.
By train
The Man in Seat 61, isn’t that like the best website name ever?
Well, if you are planning and need information on traveling by train in your country of destination, this site will provide all of that.
We traveled a lot by train in Morocco (Fès, Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier), and it was a great way to travel and see the country at a relatively low cost. It’s really worth checking into, especially if you have young children (no car seat needed, no throwing up).
By car
If you are planning on driving, you can look at Rome 2 Rio for car rentals and itinerary routes. Not only do they provide driving distances between point A and point B but also alternative ways of getting there.
ARE YOU READY TO PLAN A TRIP ABROAD?
Now that you know where to start in trip planning, check out the map below to see where we’ve been and read up on our travel confessions. Maybe one of them might inspire you to do the same.
As always, feel free to leave us a comment below or on our Facebook page if you have any questions.
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