You’ve booked your flights and accommodations, so now it’s time to start planning what you want to do while you’re on vacation. Planning a trip can get overwhelming pretty quickly. Here are my tips and tricks to keep you from giving up before you even get started.
- Make a master planning document!
- I normally use Microsoft Word, but I’ve also used Excel, Pages, and the Notes app on my iPhone. Do whatever is the easiest for you. If you spend just as much time worrying about formatting as you do planning, nothing gets done.
- List the top 20 activities you want to do in order of importance
- A good example is writing down all the museums and memorials you want to see on a trip to D.C.
- Breakdown your days
- I use the split screen view on my computer to view my planning document and the internet to do this.
- Google Maps is your friend! Use this to group activities by location (Especially if you are going to use public transportation and not rent a car)
- Pro-tip: most museums are closed on Mondays, so make sure you check their websites for hours of operation.
- Start laying out your itinerary
- You’ll want to put your most important activities on the first day of your trip. If you’re arriving mid-day, consider putting the most important thing you want to see/do on that day.
- Be ready to cut things off your list. There is rarely enough time to do all 20 activities on your list. You also want to give yourself some leeway in case you discover something you didn’t find in your research of the place you are going.
- Decide if you want to add day trips
- Day trips can be a great way to experience places near your main vacation destination. For example, if you’re going to Baltimore, maybe you want to take a day trip to Mount Vernon.
- If you decide on a day trip, you’ll most likely need to rent a car. Take this into consideration when you are budgeting.
Wandering While Writing 