How to Make an Easy Travel Itinerary
photo courtesy of Boccacinofoto
I used to cram so many details in my travel itinerary before.
7AM Shower in hotel
8AM Breakfast
9AM Catch local bus to temple
And so on…
The result is I spent countless hours just poring over the details and snags only to result in dumping the whole itinerary during the actual travel because only about 20% of it was used.
For first time travelers, this is very common because you don’t want to miss a single scenic spot but then you’ll also end up stressed since you’re constantly running after the time. This itinerary is also ineffective that it eliminates the element of surprise which is one of the best aspects of a trip. Is it possible to have both? You bet. On my second trip to Indonesia, I wanted to keep things light and simple. Here’s how I did it:
1. List down all the places you want to visit on a sheet of paper.
2. Divide and prioritize the list into three –primary A (must see/must do/must eat), B (may see/may do/may eat) and secondary C (can wait). Estimate how many places you can visit within the time span of your trip.
2. Next to the primary destinations, write how you’re going to get there or the page numbers of its info in your Lonely Planet book.
Then it’s just a matter of crossing off the places your list when you’re done with it. It doesn’t matter when, just as long as you go there especially your primary destinations.
3. Create a detailed to-do list on your first day only.
To see a sample travel itinerary and detailed to-do list, click here. To know what happens when an itinerary comes in contact with the real world and the changes it undergoes, read this post. This is based on a real experience.
That’s it! You’re done.
Other related posts:
The Quick Pack List for a fast and easy list of things to bring while traveling
How To Create A Budget For Your Travel In Just Three Steps – shows you how to create a budget in a fast and easy way
How To Prepare For Your Trip The Lazy Way.
Your Passport Might Not Let You Travel- A Cautionary Tale in Immigration
The Real Travel Itinerary- What Really Happened
Spirit Possession in Cambodia- The Real Travel Itinerary 2
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What should I do if I have really a lot of places that I want to visit?
budget travel
May 13, 2008 at 8:23 am
Sorry this is late. Your comment got tagged as spam. Dunno how it got there.
I suggest you write all of them down and then just prioritize them. If there’s just too many, you might have to do the process of elimination and get rid of those places that you don’t necessarily want to visit. Just ask yourself, ‘Which place should I go to that when I leave this country I won’t have any regrets?’
Hope this helps.
ksyu
May 20, 2008 at 10:27 am
[...] your itinerary (for a lazy way to plan one, click here). Again I buzzed over like a parasite to my friends and leeched them for information on their [...]
How To Prepare for Your Trip the Lazy Way « Life Without A Compass
July 5, 2008 at 2:56 am
[...] July 6, 2008 by ksyu Here’s a sample travel itinerary I made for my Vietnam and Cambodia trip. A- stands for primary or have to see/do, B- so so and C- secondary/can wait. As you can see, it’s pretty loose. To know how to make one, read my post: How To Make an Easy Travel Itinerary. [...]
Sample Travel Itinerary « Life Without A Compass
July 6, 2008 at 3:04 am
[...] How to Make an Easy Travel Itinerary [...]
The Real Travel Itinerary – What Really Happened « Live Out of the Box
August 31, 2008 at 6:33 am