My ultimate guide on how to create a travel plan

As travelers, we have our own, easy and comfy way to plan out trips for solo or group travels. But for people who rarely go outside for a day or a week, it may hard to decide where to go, why go there, what to do, etc. I’ve been there, and I still see myself in the same shoes from time to time. I’m also with people who love chill trips where you don’t have a solid plan and just go around wherever you feel like going, I’d love that if I don’t need to be mindful with my time and budget. Almost always, I have to estimate everything because they’re super limited So I laid out a process to smoothly create a travel plan so at least I have an outline on where to go and what to do next.

I’m not saying this is the perfect set up. I’m just sharing how I do my planning before going on a trip. I know planning can be too taxing, but in this article I want to show you the importance of detailed travel plan even for a short, quick trip on a weekend.

New here? Read this!

Hey there! My name’s May and you can view more about me here. I travel a lot for both work and leisure. Thanks to being an auditor and a content creator and, of course, to my love for travel, I barely feel I’m actually at work when traveling. And if I’m actually off work, I usually am with friends or family, discovering places and trying out new food. I’m juggling three jobs – the two mentioned + being a single mom. You think it’s easy? Of course not! But what glues me together is my passion and love for these three. More about my story here.

I love sharing what I know and how I do things, so if you haven’t read these yet, visit the following pages to view:

What NOT to do

Before we start, let me share my opinion on “what not to plan” and “what not to do”. Back when I first got into blogging hiatus, I’ve read a lot of travel guides which have bullets on what not to think about too much. I agree there are things that you shouldn’t worry about (or not too much) if you want a fun trip. Especially if you don’t want to be a Monica among your Friends who annoys them for being too organized and stuff. (I love Monica, btw.)

Cramming too much on your itinerary. Always remember YOU CANNOT DO IT ALL. Travel itineraries are just guides for when you are traveling. It’s not a checklist you are required to strike off one by one, (well, except if you’re traveling for work lol) so instead of cramming, and worrying you might not be able to visit one place in your list, look at it as a reason for you to come back.
Having a plan on dining in a classy and expensive restaurant just because “minsan lang naman“. When we’re traveling, we’re excited to go to places that we don’t mind what to eat anymore because “restaurants and cheap eateries are everywhere”. We often forget that the of the most exciting part really experience local life is trying out local delicacies. Research on where to get those food finds and get more than just travel pictures.

But again, this is just me. I still believe planning depends on each person, each time, each place. I don’t do exactly this process every time, I have to consider all important factors including health, safety, budget, and my kind of fun!

Knowing your travel style

I see myself as an adventurous person but I honestly don’t know a lot of things including swimming, diving, and driving. I don’t even know how to ride a bike! But I’d try anything for experience so yeah, I am a little adventurous. But sometimes, I like to just chill and relax, not stressing over if I can do this or that.

Everyone has their own unique travel style. Some really spend time to research and build a smooth itinerary (kind of me), and some are spontaneous (also me). There’s actually no right or wrong way to travel, they’re just different preferences which are all valid. You want to feel like a VIP tourist, if you can afford the luxury, why not? You want to go on a loooong trip on a budget, sure that’s fun! And you have to decide your way before you book your ticket and pack your bags because this is the key to a F.U.N. experience

It’s important to decide on your travel style for you to really make the most of your trip. There was one time I just went ahead not knowing my group’s itinerary, and just minutes before our departure I learned we’re actually hiking. Good thing I had comfy shorts, but I didn’t have the right shoes (I was wearing sneakers) and I got small scratches after the hike. That’s what you get for being “kaladkarin“.

Note: The following section is in toggle format. Click on the collapsible text boxes to view different travel styles and discussing pros and cons of such.

Backpacking and/or budget traveling and/or DIY

Backpacking simply means traveling with all your things packed in a backpack. There’s two possible reasons why we go backpacking: 1) we don’t want to carry too much baggage; 2) we’re on a budget and we’re just avoiding additional costs.

This is my usual style, wherever I go. Well except for when I have loooong staycation days. For when island hopping, for example, one bag fits all. Since we’re moving from place to place every day, I don’t have time to fix my things in a hotel room closet. If I have only one bag, there’s no need for me to pay for a private locker, or no need for me to travel back to the previous hotel to get my things at the concierge. Plus it’s less hassle because you just carry all your essentials on you back – my two hands are free to hold my food or text my family or take pictures.

Pros:

Having to save from hotel expenses
Not having to carry a lot while traveling
Flexible itinerary, as you can see and experience a lot more beyond your list

Cons:

Backpains (I have to include this because I suffer from it a loooot) because you carry your back almost always
Risky to travel around without your backpack on. Remember to always guard your belongings especially your gadgets.
More strategic planning involved (this could be a con to some, but if you’re researching “how to plan” a travel, well probably disregard this item)
Flexible itinerary (could also be a con to some, but not for me!)

Luxury travel

I only go for a luxurious travel if it’s sponsored (thank you, clients!), or if I am traveling with my family (because we have to seniors and a baby). When you say luxury travel, it’s easy to say it’s traveling with comfort and style with a first-class flight, nice and fancy hotel, classy restaurants, and a little shopping time. Well for some people (including myself), if it exceeded their usual travel costs, it’s already it’s already considered as luxury.

Pros:

Comfy and super soft bed for a good night sleep
A guaranteed airconditioned room (bec this is really important if you’re spending a lot for your hotel room)

Cons:

Expensive
Less experience because I bet you’ll just stay in your room binge-watching instead of experiencing the outside world

Joining a group tour

There are a lot of travel agencies offering travel packages for group joiners. This means you’re traveling as part of a bigger group of strangers. For example, you’re renting a van headed to few tourist spots along the way to North Luzon, paid by multiple travelers.

I also join group tours like these especially when I don’t have enough time to plan my trip. But a quick tip: if you’re conservative with your budget, check and compare first vs. DIY/backpacking costs. Some agencies charge too much, but most of them offer cheaper rates as they get the reservations in mass and with discounts.

Pros:

Less time planning and building your itinerary
Most agencies offer packages with travel insurance included. It’s important to take not of this, guys!
Some agencies are okay to get you to places not included in your itinerary if you ask, especially if it’s easy to access and if you still have spare time
Meet new friends!

Cons:

You cannot tweak your itinerary
Some agencies are hoaxes. Please, please be aware!
Some guides are not that friendly. I know it’s their job to adjust, but what else can we do, right?
Since you’re traveling with people you don’t personally know, expect there are little personality conflicts here and there. Let’s avoid it and just enjoy the trip!

Read more about my points on being a travel and tours group joiner HERE.

Finding a travel destination

So you were scrolling down your Facebook newsfeed and you came along a travel vlog page which shares a number of travel videos on different places. One interesting island got your attention and researched more about it. Then finally you decided to go there next summer and the rest was a fun history. Good for you. happy for you.

But sometimes, choosing a place to go is not an easy task. You have to consider things such as health, budget, safety, and more. It’s also hard to pick a travel destination or destinations for when, let’s say, you’re going on a week-long or month-long trip. So here are some important questions you might want to ask yourself when choosing your next travel destination:

Where do you want to go?
What is the purpose of your trip?
What do you know about the place?
What do you want to experience?
Do you have enough budget?

We all have travel bucket lists and these lists grow longer and longer whenever we see inspirations online. We have to keep in mind that some destinations are luxuries we cannot afford either financially or physically. I may want to go sky diving, but I physically can’t. I may want to stay in Maldives for one week, but I don’t have enough money nor a way to save for it because I have other priorities. What I notice these days is that people tend to put the travel item on their priority list before the necessities just for the ‘gram. We don’t travel for that, hoomans. Rethink your priorities and purpose.

Keeping yourself and your loved ones safe and healthy during the pandemic

While it’s best to just stay at home, you can also start traveling ~responsibly as always~ from Manila to some nearby provinces. I found a website that has this collection of updates from different Philippine provinces whether domestic tourists are already allowed to go for a leisure trip. The article is updated based on collected info from provinces including protocols and guidelines applicable in the Philippines. But just to make sure, better to contact the local tourism office to get the most updated information and health protocols if ever you’re visiting. Usually, those provinces open for tourists require not just your accomplished health declaration forms but your most recent RT-PCR test results and/or medical certificate from your physician. I also encourage you to read more and learn more about the Corona virus, it’s risks, prevention, etc FROM THE EXPERTS and authorized channels such as WHO and DOH.

Building your itinerary

I usually do my own itinerary with Google maps, Zomato, Tripadvisor, and other apps that could give me information on where to go when. Here’s a link to a running article where I shared a quick glance on what apps and resources I am almost always referring from. It also helps if you do this with your travel buddies. Do it virtually via Zoom or Teams or meet up for a physically-distanced coffee date? For my process on building my itinerary, I divided it into six:

Do your research

I cannot emphasize more the importance of knowing your destination in every trip. Well, unless your objective is to just wander around like those people in movies. (That’s in my bucket list, btw. LOL) But for most trips, it’s always safer to know how would you get there, how to survive a day there, is there an ATM machine is you’re living the cashless lifestyle, is there an eatery or restaurant or even a convenience store there, where should you sleep, where should you keep your things, how to communicate with people, how to maximize this trip, etc. Familiarizing yourself with this and that can make your life easier and it can save a lot of your time, tbh. Who knows when you checked the place in the internet you learned it’s actually not discovered and mapped by the experts yet? I’m not sure how you knew about the place but what if? So here’s some basic questions you may want to Google before going:

What part of the country is this place?
How to get there?
Where should we stay?
Where are the nearest restaurants?
How to get around when we’re finally settled in?
How much budget do I need for a day?

Divide your trip into sections, litterally

I’m not a luxury traveler. I usually go with a backpack and one tote because I like exploring more than what I listed in my itinerary. So as much as possible, when planning, I make sure I have references and enough time to maximize my stay and experience in one town. So what I usually do is go to Google Map, pin my target destination, and check the surrounding spots that I can quickly visit if I have time.

There are beautiful spots that are yet to be reflected in Google Map, though. My favorite part of every trip is discovering a place I haven’t seen ~yet~ in the internet. No large crowd, just peace and quiet. That’s why it’s important for me to 1) be familiar with the place even virtually AND 2) have extra hours.

Budget!!!

It’s okay for me to spend more when I’m with my fam, because mostly, more money, more comfy. Unfortunately. But when I’m traveling without them, I budget my expenses as much as possible.

From experience, I usually spend the most on transportation because I’m commuting and food because travel experience is incomplete if you don’t experience the food. Some say the most expensive part is the accommodation and I agree, sometimes. My trick is to plan ahead and book early – that way you’ll get a room at its lowest price. If you’re traveling in a group, I also recommend to check Airbnbs. They cost much lesser than a hotel room, and you can even find pretty and cozy place. <3

Calendar your trip

As mentioned earlier, it’s best to book early. Not only because they usually have the lowest cost, but you’ll get the chance to choose your spot first – for plane seats, available rooms in a BnB or hotel, etc. It’s also nice to have your itinerary planned out by date so you know where to go and what to do.

Leave rooms for local, fun, spontaneous activities

I don’t know if I need to say more about this, but let this be a reminder, babies.

Where and how to store your itinerary

When I plan with my friends, we use the simple yet super helpful Microsoft Excel. Everyone has the app, everyone knows how to use the app, you can do formulas, calculations especially for the packaged rates we have to divide among ourselves, and it’s also printable.

For my personal archives, I just recently discovered Notion, a productivity/note-taking app usually used by student vloggers I watch on Youtube. (I heart you all!) I was thinking of switching from a traditional bullet journal/planner to a digital one and I found the best aps for me so far, thanks to Youtube. One is the Goodnotes app. I like it because I can handwrite all my notes there. And the second is Notion which I currently use as my daily task and habit tracker and now my notebook for everything!

I've just started exploring Notion and I looooove it so much. Sharing you here my first template for travel planning. It's a running template which I will update as often as necessary. Go to THIS NOTION TEMPLATE and duplicate. Let's build this together, leave a comment if you see rooms for improvement! If you don't have Notion account yet, SIGN UP HERE FOR FREE!

Wrapping it all up

You can always refer to blogs and travel itineraries already available online. Or, like me, you could tweak and even start your own itinerary from scratch, so you can have unique experience depending on your travel preferences. I’m still archiving my itineraries from Excel and notebooks to Notion, but let me know if you want me to share some in the next blog posts. See you around, and always keep safe!