Focused Travels

DIY Travel Planning Tips for Part-Time Travellers

Choosing a travel destination: factors to consider

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Choosing a travel destination can be stressful and overwhelming for many people. Many factors could impact on your choice of a travel destination.

11 Factors to consider when choosing a travel destination

Factors to consider when choosing a travel destination

Let’s look at each of these factors:

1. Budget

Should you prefer tour groups, is the most important consideration for many people when choosing a travel destination. Luckily, traveling does not have to be expensive anymore. Many budget options exist nowadays. It is essential to know what your budget is for your upcoming trip, so you can weigh your options for the timing and accommodation for your trip.

Flights, accommodation, food, and transport are the most expensive elements of a trip but can be reduced by being creative. Tracking flights can save you a lot of money. Going on your trip during the shoulder season can lead to more reasonably priced accommodation and flights.

2. Timing

The timing and duration of your trip will affect your budget and your choice of a travel destination. Longer trips are not always more expensive. Some of the big-ticket items either remain constant (such as flights) or become cheaper the longer you stay (such as accommodation – discounts are usually available for more extended stays). Shoulder season trips are more affordable than peak season trips.

The weather in a country may affect the timing of your trip. If you decide to visit a destination during the shoulder season, just make sure the weather conditions are still bearable for you.

Attending a specific festival means traveling during the busy season. In this case, you may have to bite the bullet and bear the higher cost for the once in a lifetime experience.

If you can only manage to go away for a week, you do not want to travel for more than a day to get to your destination. In such a case, choose a travel destination that is closer to your home country.

Should you prefer tour groups, you also have to consider the different departure dates and duration of the tour you are interested in doing.

Factors influencing the choice of a travel destination

3. Type travel experience you want to have

The type of travel experience you want to have can also influence your decision about your destination. Whether you like a beach holiday, want to go shopping, see some sights or spend time in nature, these preferences will impact your decision about your destination. Other preferences may include attending a specific festival or attending a cooking class, all of which will influence your choice of a travel destination.

If you want a laid-back trip with as much relaxation as possible, a beach holiday is a good idea or consider doing a cruise where you don’t have to worry about a single thing!

4. Travel companions

Traveling with a family requires careful consideration of everyone’s preferences. For family travel, finding a balance between everyone’s preferences is essential. Solo traveling is much easier as you can decide where you want to go.

5. Exchange rate

The exchange rate in your chosen destination can affect your budgeting for your entire trip. Some countries have weak exchange rates which make them very affordable. Consider the purchasing power of your chosen destination’s currency for expenses such as food and transport expenses before deciding on your final destination.


6. Visiting a new destination or returning to an old destination

Sometimes you had such a lovely time in a specific destination that you want to return to the destination to have a similar experience again. Other people may prefer visiting new destinations instead of revisiting a destination you have visited previously. Your preference will play a role when choosing a travel destination.

7. Visas and vaccinations

Unfortunately, some destinations require visas and vaccinations. It is best to make sure what the requirements are before you book your flights.  Obtaining a visa is an almost automatic process for many countries, but you may want to reconsider a travel destination if getting a visa is a long and complicated process.

Language - a factor influencing the choice of a travel destination

8. Language

Non-English speaking countries may impact on your experiences in that country. Use this as an opportunity to learn the language from the locals, or use a tour guide to get around the language barriers.

9. Infrastructure

Infrastructure is an important consideration when choosing a travel destination. Most of us rely on the internet for staying in touch with our loved ones and the office.

Public transport is another factor to consider. If the public transportation in a city is widespread, cost-effective and easy to use, it can significantly enhance your ability to explore a city without too much of a budgetary impact.

10. Geopolitics

Avoid destinations where there are health concerns or ongoing war. Always check whether any travel warnings exist for any destination you are considering.

11. Recommendations by others

Speak to your friends and families about destinations they have visited and enjoyed. Should you prefer tour groups, to see what the travel bloggers’ experiences in a destination were like. Word of mouth is usually one of the best ways to find out about a destination.

Making your choice of a travel destination

If you are still struggling to make a final decision regarding your destination, why not choose two or three destinations and consider the various factors for these destinations? While doing this evaluation, you may find that your heart leans to one of the destinations even though the facts point to another. Remember, the final decision about your travel destination is yours to make, no one else’s!

What other factors do you consider when choosing a travel destination? Which factors is the most important for you when planning a trip?

 

Why and how much travel planning is required before a trip?

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Once you have decided that DIY travel is your travel style, you may start planning your trip. One question most people always wonder about is how much travel planning should take place before a trip begins? The idea of being spontaneous while travelling may appeal to you, but do you want to use your precious time in a new city planning what you will do next?

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How much travel planning

Why is travel planning essential?

DIY travel requires some planning ahead of time. This type of planning does take time, but it helps improve your travels as you can maximise the time and money you spend on your destination. And, if you do your travel planning before the start of your trip, you are not wasting your time on holiday!

In reality, travel planning gives you knowledge about the options available to you, meaning you have increased flexibility for sightseeing and activities you do not want to miss out on. Travel planning also helps you decide which portion of your trip you can do entirely on your own or if you need a travel guide or short tour for specific aspects of your journey.

Factors that influence how much travel planning is required

Several factors determine how much travel planning is needed.

The level of economic development in your destination

It is much easier to make bookings ahead of time in more developed countries. In less developed countries this is not always possible. The culture in these countries are much less formalised, opening hours are not fixed and many of the tour companies, restaurants or spas do not have a website or online presence. For example, when we visited Penang, we could not book a day tour ahead of time, we just booked the morning before. Bear in mind, that even if you cannot make the bookings ahead of time, you can still make a list of what you would like to see and do in your destination, which should make it easier when you discuss your needs with a tour guide in your chosen destination.

The amount of time and money you have available on your trip

If you have a tight budget to stick to while travelling, planning is essential as this would give you an indication of how much every meal, sight and your total daily costs will be. It also allows you to make choices that will influence your budget, such as booking your tickets in advance since it costs less ahead of time. You may also look for websites that offer special deals which could stretch your budget further without you having to sacrifice your goals for visiting your destination.

Why and how much travel planning

The number of resources you use in your travel planning process

In the olden days, people had to rely on guidebooks to plan the details of their trips. Nowadays we have the internet and plenty of information available to us. Although this is very helpful, there is also the risk of being overwhelmed with a large number of sites providing information on a specific destination. To avoid this overwhelming feeling, choose one or two websites to focus on during your travel planning process and stick to it. Make sure you select reliable, authentic sites that you can trust. You can always consult additional sources of information if your chosen sites do not provide sufficient information on a specific activity or sight.

The amount of  planning time you have available before your trip

It is vital to also place a limit on the amount of planning you do. Give yourself a specific number of hours for travel planning. Once you have reached this time limit, stop your planning. Just make sure you have covered the main aspects of your trip.


My approach

I used to plan every day of my trip in the finest details, which resulted in me feeling under pressure to see everything I had listed. It also meant travelling was not that much fun as it was utterly exhausting.

Nowadays I have taken a more flexible approach where I decide on the 3-5 main sights or experiences I would not want to miss (the number depends on how long I am visiting a place) and list a few other restaurants, sights or activities if there is spare time available on a trip. Apart from booking my flights, my accommodation and identifying the 3-5 main sights or activities (plus extras) I want to see in a destination, I plan very little as I like having the flexibility to determine my final schedule once I am in the city I plan to visit.

There is no such thing as a perfect trip. Regardless of the amount of planning you do, things may still go wrong. Click To Tweet

How much time do you spend on planning an overseas trip? Any additional tips you can add about how much travel planning one should do?

 

Packaged tours or DIY travel: which is better?

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Any trip involves a significant amount of time and preparation to plan. When deciding on going away, you have a choice between booking a packaged tour or do-it-yourself (DIY) travel planning. DIY travel planning involves planning your trip from scratch, including planning and scheduling all your flights, accommodation, travel insurance, transfers and activities yourself using the internet.

DIY Travel vs Packaged tours - which is better?

 

Both of these types of travels will result in a pleasant trip. Each type has its benefits and costs. Let’s see what the considerations are when choosing between DIY travel and packaged tours.

1. Packaged tours

Packed tours have several costs and benefits.

1.1 Benefits of packaged tours

The benefits of packaged tours include the following:

Convenience factors

  • Packaged tours are perfect for new travellers who feel overwhelmed at the prospect of planning their trips.
  • With a packaged tour, you don’t have to worry about any planning. It is all done for you, which can be convenient, especially if you do not like researching and doing comparisons between different websites.
  • For solo travellers or extroverted travellers who don’t want to travel alone, a packaged tour can provide security and be a great way to meet new friends.
  • There is safety in numbers.
  • The transportation provided on packaged tours are very comfortable and convenient. Coach travel is usually on luxury buses with free wi-fi with enough legroom.
  • You never have to wait for public transport to move between sights and activities.
  • There are guided tours to suit different budgets and styles, from basic backpacker style tours to the luxury 5-star resorts and all-inclusive guided tours.
  • Some countries require the booking of an organised tour before considering your visa application.
  • Many packaged tours also include priority access to signature experiences to save time and stay on schedule.
  • Packaged tours may also include destinations off-the-beaten path that may be difficult to get to for DIY travellers.
  • The accommodation on packaged tours are usually quite comfortable and have been tried and tested by the tour operator.
  • As long as you stick to your tour group, you will not easily get lost. And if you do, the tour guide will look for you.
  • Depending on the type of packaged tour, you can have more peace of mind in that you never have to worry about flight delays or other surprises, with a packaged tour your tour operator will take care of any consequences due to unexpected circumstances.

Local expertise

  • Most tour guides on packaged tours are locals and have expert knowledge on places to visit, where to eat, etc. They can also give you insight into the culture of the people in your destination. This could be a way to discover hidden gems which can give you a more in-depth experience of your destination.
  • A packaged tour can make visiting a country where you may find communication difficult much easier since the tour guides can speak the local language.

Budgeting benefits

  • Usually, packaged tours include accommodation and transfers. Packaged tours may make budgeting for an upcoming trip easier since most items will be included, leaving little extra details for which to budget.
  • Signature experiences could cost less on a packaged tour since the tour operators have build relationships with suppliers and “buy in bulk”.
  • Once you have paid for your packaged tour, you don’t have to worry about exchange rate fluctuations requiring you to pay more for your hotel or sightseeing.

DIY travel vs packaged tours - packaged tour considerations

1.2 Costs of packaged tours

Packaged tours also have some costs, including the following:

Lack of depth & flexibility

  • Some packaged tours cover many of the major sights and activities but are fast-paced with little time at each stop. Not only does this mean you may not see everything you wanted, but it can be exhausting.
  • With a packaged tour you may end up seeing sights you had no interest in or not seeing something you wanted to see.
  • Tour groups can be large at times, and you may not be able to ask the travel guide all the questions you want. Large tour groups can also waste precious sightseeing time if it takes longer to get the tour group together before leaving a stop.
  • These tours allow no flexibility for sightseeing options. With these tours, you will see the main sights in a city only. If you see something from the bus or near a sight your group has stopped at, you cannot go off to explore further.
  • Packaged tours can lead to frustration. Some people do sightseeing and browsing museums faster and then have to wait for the rest of the group.
  • Other travellers are not too fond of large tour groups since they can take over an entire activity or sight leaving little space for DIY travellers to explore.

Budgeting concerns

  • Make sure what items are included and excluded from a tour package as it is not always clear. You need to know what you will have to budget for outside of the price of the tour package.
  • Not all packaged tour have guaranteed departures. You may pay for your chosen tour only to find out that due to limited bookings it has been cancelled.
When booking packaged tours, try to book it in-country for the best price. Online tour sellers are usually intermediaries that are reselling local tours. Click To Tweet

DIY Travel vs packaged tours - analysis of options

2. DIY travel planning

As with the packaged tours, DIY travel planning has many costs and benefits

2.1 DIY travel planning benefits

I love DIY travel. For me, it has significant benefits, which include:

Flexibility

  • You have complete control over your itinerary and can spend as much or as little time as you want at each sight. If you wake up one morning and feel exhausted, you can decide to have a quiet day instead.
  • Being in control of your travels, you may discover hidden gems and local favourites instead of just focusing on the best-known sights.
  • You don’t have to spend time waiting for a tour group to finish sightseeing at a stop before moving on.
  • Introverts may prefer DIY travel as they can control the level of socialisation they can endure on a trip.

Budgeting benefits

  • DIY travel gives you the ability to find cheaper deals, but this may take time and effort.

Local Experiences

  • Since you don’t have a tour guide to rely on, you are sometimes forced to reach out to locals, which can be an eye-opening experience.
  • It is easier to get lost on your own, but that also gives you the opportunity to get to know a place better!

Best benefit

  • Planning everything yourself can be an empowering and exciting experience.Planning a trip teaches you new skills!

2.2 Costs of DIY travel planning

DIY travel does have some negative aspects as well:

  • A trip to many destinations can be complicated to plan with many different elements to consider. Each element’s costs will have to be considered and preparing for these will require a significant amount of research.
  • Planning your trip yourself can take a very long time, especially if you like to explore many different options.
  • Being responsible for all the aspects of your journey can be overwhelming and extremely stressful. For many people, this would completely negate the idea of going away to relax.
  • You have to depend on yourself when there is a crisis during your trip – there is no tour guide you can turn to for assistance.
  • Waiting for public transport between sights and activities can waste precious time which can be frustrating.

DIY Travel vs packaged tours - sightseeting bus

3. Alternatives to DIY travel planning and packaged tours

There are some alternative options instead of having to just choose between DIY travel and packaged tours.

Shorter packaged tours

  • A packaged tour is ideal if you want to have a specific cultural or activity-based tour lasting from half a day to several days. If you like food, a food tour is an excellent example of a speciality tour.
  • Consider booking full or half day tours on your trip instead of a packaged tour that includes a multi-day itinerary.
  • Packaged tours that limit the number of participants may be a better option than large group tours.
  • Some packaged tours have a fixed itinerary, but also allow free days where tourists get time to explore their destination on their own. This could be a better option if you do want some flexibility to explore a city on your own.

Alternative options

  • I firmly believe that everyone should consider doing free city walking tours. Almost every famous town has free walking tours; these are usually run by volunteers or tourism offices.
  • For a more in-depth experience of a destination, consider hiring a guide. This will give you not only more insight into the destination, but the tour guide can provide guidance on other less known sights and activities in the destination and the best places to eat. Hiring a guide gives you complete control over your itinerary.
  • Another option you can consider instead of a packaged tour is is to hire a driver and a car. This is ideal if you visit a large country with sights that are located far apart. Even with hiring a driver, there is a choice between fixed itineraries vs flexible itineraries where you have more input into what you would like to see and do. If you get a driver that speaks English and knows his country well, you have found a treasure!
  • An alternative to a packed day tour is the popular Hop on, Hop Off buses that usually have a circular route that allows you to hop off when you want to spend time a specific stop and hop back on when you are done and ready to explore further. This is one of my favourite ways to explore a city when I don’t have much time.

4. The verdict

The best option will depend on the travelling you like. You also need to consider the following factors:

  • Legal requirements for visa purposes;
  • The duration of your trip;
  • The sights you want to see;
  • What pace you like to travel at;
  • Your budget; and
  • Your desired level of structure or flexibility.

Answering these questions will guide you in the direction you should take. If you just want to explore a destination without worrying about any of the arrangements, then a packaged tour is best for you. If you want flexibility and control over your itinerary, then DIY travel is the way to go. If budget is your deciding factor, first find a packaged tour you like and do a rough estimate of how much a DIY trip will cost you. Compare the results and see whether there is a big difference between the two.

Both result in pleasant trips…

A friend of mine usually uses packaged tours. She does not like making travel arrangements, especially when visiting more than one country on a trip. She has, however, told me that sometimes when she is on one of these tours, she would have liked more flexibility regarding sightseeing and exploring lesser-known restaurants and sights. She also wonders at times, whether she could have paid less by making her own arrangements.

My preference is for DIY travel planning with a scattering of shorter organised tours, depending on the destination.

The best way to find out what you like is to try both of these types of travel and then decide which one you prefer for future trips.

What type of travel planning do you prefer – packaged tours or DIY travel? If you prefer packaged tours, which tour company have you used?

Thank you!

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