3 Travel Planning Tips
I’ve been in the travel industry since January 2020. I joined up with Travelmation LLC in hopes to have some fun traveling and help others have great experiences in their travels. Then covid 19 hit and everything was put on hold. Coming out of this pandemic, travel has picked up big time and I have noticed a few things that people miss when planning their trips. Whether its a business trip, a family vacation or a honeymoon, these tips will help you in the planning phase to make sure you have the best trip possible!
Tip #1
Use a travel agent!
I know, this seems a little self serving but, hear me out. Almost daily, I’m talking with the 600 other agents in our Travelmation Facebook group and one of the regular posts I see is about someone who didn’t use a travel agent, made a plan that was busted for one reason or another, and at the last minute is needing some help.
The whole point of using a travel agent is to let someone who is experienced in traveling help you make the best plan for what you want out of your trip.
When you use a travel agent, here’s what you get:(at least with a Travelmation agent)
A key holder to travel resources that benefit you the traveler.
An experienced agent who sees the common mistakes to avoid.
A small business owner who has a vested interest in you having a good travel experience.
An envoy who stays up late to get you the dinner reservation you want, sits on hold with vendors to make sure you get that cabana by the pool, and gives you that peace of mind that no detail is overlooked.
No agent is perfect and no agent knows everything, but when you let someone give your plans life, you can go about your life knowing that everything will be taken care of.
Tip #2
Start planning early
(Insert your cliche statement here)
The early bird gets the worm.
If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.
Sharpen your axe before you chop down the tree.
But I think my favorite planning quote is this…and it’s so applicable to traveling… famous baseball player Yogi Berra said, “ If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.”
How true is that!?
I’ve planned trips for people who had no clue where they wanted to go and, fortunately, I was able to help them find what they wanted. I’ve planned trips for people who didn’t know how to get where they wanted to go and I helped them get there. But when you leave your plans to the last minute, these details, and many others, don’t have time to develop properly and you could end up dissatisfied with your trip.
Granted, things happen and last minute plans need to be made. For sure make the most of every opportunity that comes, even if it is last minute. But know this, every trip that is planned early has more potential to be the trip of a lifetime.
Without a doubt, one of the best things you can do to make sure you have the perfect trip, is to begin planning early.
Tip #3
Follow Your Dreams
Whether it’s Fiji or Finland, St Augustine or St. Thomas, if you can dream it… make it happen. There are millions of great places to visit in the world, but no dream is like your own. Don’t ever feel pressured to settle for less than what you want out of your vacation. Sure, it’s important to know your budget and schedule. So, make your budget and your schedule give your dreams life!
For me, there are two places that I tell people you HAVE to visit! Primarily, these places mean a great deal to me and when I dream of traveling, these are the places I want to go. But you, follow your dreams. Dream big!
It’s important to know that dreaming big, planning early and using a travel agent are really the best ideas for having the perfect trip. So, when you’re ready to go on that trip follow this advice and enjoy the journey.
The map is yours!
Jordan
