Although spontaneously travelling to another country can sound adventurous and daring, it is not the best way to get the most out of your vacation. Taking time to plan your travel itinerary comes with several benefits such as keeping you organized on vacation, giving you a better sense of what a city has to offer and helping you make the most of your time.

Be Realistic

Consider your vacation’s length and your travel budget when choosing activities and places you want to visit. Doing research prior to your trip enables you to determine pricing and get a sense of which activities may be the busiest and harder to access. Also, online reviews can be a great way to feel out certain activities and see what others thought of the experience prior to signing up for it yourself. Performing proper research helps you narrow down your list of activities and spend your time where it really counts.

Schedule in a Free Day

Once at your travel destination, you may find areas of interest that you were unaware of when planning your trip. A free day provides you with an opportunity to visit those locations and adds some spontaneity to your trip. You can use this time to take a swim at your hotel pool, workout at the hotel gym or just explore the different shops and sights the city you’re in offers.

Consult with Other Travel Members

If you will be travelling with others, make sure to include them in the trip planning process. We all have different ideas of what the “ideal vacation” looks like. Taking the time to sit down with your travel companion(s), gives you the opportunity to share what you expect to get out of this trip and create a plan that everyone can enjoy.

Once you have created the final outline for your trip, make sure to leave a copy with a close friend or family member. This is a very important precaution to take. Should something serious happen while you’re gone, you have someone who knows where you went, how long you will be gone for and the best way to get in contact with you.