Break Free! You Need to Conquer These 3 Things Before You Plan a Trip
When it’s time to plan a trip there are 3 main things most people don’t want to face. These things can cause us to settle for a trip we may not otherwise take, or (worse) delay our vacations!
What could have that kind of power??
1. Information Overload
2. Pricing Frustration
3. Destination Mysteries
Each of these has been created by the travel industry, but not on purpose. They are by-products of the information age we live in.
Although it’s easy to fall prey to one or more of them, the good news it that each can be conquered!
Are you ready to break free and plan a trip you REALLY want to take??
Information Overload
The biggest obstacle we we want to plan a trip is often information overload, or at least the perception of too much information.
With so much content available to us, it’s a great time to learn about all those “hidden gems” we’d otherwise have no way of knowing about. The problem tends to be with the organization and navigability of all this content. Combine this with a wealth of irrelevant information thrown in, and it’s so easy to get discouraged.
When we’re getting started with our travel plan it’s best to create a high-level summary first. Stay away from the day-to-day details to help cut the clutter.
Once you’ve figured out the “big picture” plan (things like places, dates and must-do activities), then you can start digging a bit deeper. Now it’s easier to cut through the chatter and exclude the data that doesn’t fit your criteria to find those festivals or amazing restaurants that fit into your high-level plan.
Price frustration
How many websites did you visit before you finally clicked “buy” for your last vacation?
According to a 2015 study, the average person will visit 38 websites while planning their vacation. They’ll visit 16 websites on the day of booking alone! This includes visiting Online Travel Agency (OTA) sites as well as hotel, car rental, airline sites separately. Though some of these visits are a result of checking on quality, reviews, etc. it’s safe to say that the majority are for the sole purpose of price comparison.
We’ve been conditioned that making a quick decision will lead to regret when it comes to booking travel.
How many times have you been caught waiting for a “seat sale” or playing the “when will the price drop” game?
Why are we conditioned like this? Because of vast pricing volatility in the travel market, combined with huge competition between the few companies who own all the smaller OTAs.
Some great solutions have come out of this frustration, such as price comparison websites. These sites will search their database of OTAs to find prices to fit your budget. But can you be satisfied visiting just one of these? 🙂
Personally, I’ve given up on this game.
Instead I started looking for price guarantees. Now I can book what I want, when I want and if/when the price drops, I get credited back the difference. In some instances I can even get a free trip if I find a lower price!
My travel planning anxiety has been replaced with a fun game of trying to beat my guaranteed price.
Destination Mysteries
It’s been said that at least half of travellers don’t have a specific destination in mind when they begin planning their next vacation.
Sound familiar?
Despite this, the vast majority of OTAs require us to enter our destination before providing information about flights, hotels and activities. See the disconnect?
Wouldn’t it be nicer to be able to find a list of potential destinations based on seasonal temperatures, price ranges, amenities and offerings?
There are a handful of places we can go for this sort of travel support. Skyscanner, which I discussed in this post provides an “everywhere” button during the search process that provides all flight destinations available in your price range.
For everything other than flights, I recommend this website. Simply provide as much detail as you currently know about your trip, and be presented with a host of pre-curated travel packages that fit my criteria. It can be as simple as “where in the world can I go for $1500 per person in the next 12 months?”. Brilliant!
Armed with these techniques, we can now conquer some of the biggest hurdles people face when it’s time to plan a trip.
Travel is meant to be fun, and it’s my belief that this should start with the planning piece!
Was this helpful for you? If so, please share it with a friend who you think would get value!
Be sure to comment below and let me know your tips to plan a trip with ease!
P.S. If you’d LOVE to start Your Own Blog with “Just 3 Clicks”, check THIS out!
Was this valuable for you? If so I’d really appreciate your comments below and shares on social media.
Resources
Here is a list of the resources mentioned in this post:
Anxiety-free Travel Planning – Stop the travel pricing frustrations and let me show you how YOU can start winning the game like I do!
Blogger’s Jumpstart Guide – Download my FREE guide outlining how to successfully start your own blog
Oh wow! This is some really great advice! A lot of these resources I have been searching for.
So glad to have helped you out Dawne!
This is so true about the panic when airlines or hotels say this is the last seat or 10 people are looking at this right now. Thank you for your great advice and I’ve subscribed to read your ebooks, look forward to receiving.
Thanks so much Vanessa, I hope they provide you the value you’re looking for
Best advice from a travel blog/website yet!! Really enjoyed the great tips!!! Was able to go out and find the resources after reading this!! Valuable content!! Will recommend to others!!!
That’s awesome Mike, thanks so much for you’re comment
Information overload is definitely a huge thing since I’m a very analytical guy. Thanks so much for this timely break down!
I feel the same way Joseph, so easy to get sucked down those rabbit holes. Gad I could help you out
Planning a holiday can get overwhelming so these tips make sense. I normally start off with a travel destination in mind and then shop around for the best deals for flights, accommodation and transport. Like you say it is best to start with a concept and slowly build on this rather overloading ourselves with too much information.
Great point Kathy! Breaking it down and keeping it simple is the best way to go
These are such great points but I’m especially in love with #3! I’m trying to figure out exactly where I want to be to ring in 2018 and I think I’m going to hop on Skyscanner to help me decide. Thank you soooo much for sharing these tips!
YES! Sites like that are so helpful when our plans are wide open
Thanks for this post. Information Overload is a big one for me. I know that this is the reason that I don’t travel as much as I should. This is something that I have to overcome. Again, thanks for sharing this.
You’re very welcome Gary, I hope now you can get more travel done!
Yep, information overload – and absolutely the catch where I don’t necessarily have a destination in mind, but have to put one in to start looking at pricing. Both of those things drive me crazy! I’m trying to plan something in the British Virgin Islands for Christmas, and I’m getting fatigued putting it together. So much decision making!
So many of us feel the same way Megan. Isn’t it nice to know there are actually some places we can go for help instead of struggling by ourselves?
For me it’s all about the pricing. Love the tip about the price guarantee!
Dr. Lisa
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Thanks Dr. Lisa, glad you enjoyed that one!
We once were frustrated with a trip we were planning because of too many information. Frustrated because it felt like there were too many things to do and so little time. So we sat back, took a deep breath and totally scrapped our itinerary. When we got to the location, what we did was ask the locals for things to do and things to visit. The trip turned out more enjoyable and fulfilling.
Amazing tip Ivan! Sometimes leaving our plans more open can provide for the best experiences
I can so relate to this blog post, I’ve had information overload from going on a trip, and that is no fun at all! Would have been great to have your blog resource to help me out. I’m book marking this page, so the next trip I take I won’t have that issue. Appreciate it!
So glad this has helped you out Dereco! Hope to be able to continue providing value to you going forward
Oh wow this is such a great post. Planning a trip is usually my job and it could be totally frustrating but you gave some AWESOME tips for sure!!
So glad to hear that Lynette, happy you received value here!
Really, a traveler is usually caught up in the three at once. I can remember falling sick when I had trouble picking a place to travel to considering mixed feelings reviews or posts I’ve read, and the expenses. This is the travelers’ plight in three points. Thanks for these tips.
Yes, it’s so easy to fall into the cycle created by these 3 obstacles. Happy to help
I find the destination mysteries hard to relate. Usually I’ll have a place in mind already and then I will plan my vacation accordingly. Not the other way around. The other two are totally relatable tho. And that price guarantee strategy is genius! Will definitely have to keep that in mind the next time I book a trip. Thanks for sharing!
So glad you received value there Jas! That’s awesome that you don’t fall into the destination trap!
You hit the nail on the head in identifying these common barriers in planning a successful trip. I like when websites give price guarantees as well because it really can be frustrating if you are either wait for the price to drop or upset when the price drops after you’ve booked. It seems like just about every time I book a trip with a price guarantee I end up taking advantage of it and getting some money back.
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So right about utilizing those price guarantees, they come in so handy. Thanks for this great comment
Thank you for these additional tips – would come handy next time i head out to the road
Happy to hear that Marky, enjoy your travels!
I must admit, I think I’m a bit of an information overload-worrier. I get a bit anxious about planning trips and the logistics really put me off. Thanks for these handy tips though, they’ve inspired me to talk to hubby about planning a big trip!
Amazing Fi! SO happy that you’re jumping back into vacation planning mode
wow I had no idea that average person will visit 38 websites before they book holiday 😀 I wasn’t really thinking about it before but I think I visit over 100 now haha . I don’t use travel agent to book anything for me so I always wanna make sure I check everything before. I definitely relate to destination mysteries as yes, there are places I wanna see but sometimes the prices or weather tell me not to go and I have to choose something else! Great recommendation!
I can totally relate to your comment, Ada! It’s so easy to get sucked into website after website and then change your destination and have to do it all again … i’m just happy i find that part to be fun 🙂
There is so much to look at when it comes to travel, this article is a great resource on how to be disciplined when doing research and making decisions.
Thanks so much Delphine. If we don’t make it manageable, we don’t end up travelling as much as we want to
Oh the price guarantee is a good one – I never thought of it like that! We’ve been planning a little trip just to another state and it’s definitely been tricky with all the options – i found limiting myself to looking in just a few places was most helpful, easier to make a decision that way!
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Happy to help Mica, the price guarantees have changed EVERYTHING for me!
That is so true. I am so much scared of information overload. But the bigger question is how do travelers decide their destination?
So many options, how do we choose! I so get that Swayam 🙂
Information overload is big for me. There’s a ton to look at. We just got back from vacation and I’m happy to say my husband only looked at one place while booking. For our dream vacation, we already know where we want to go, it’s just a matter of saving up!
It helps so much when we have an idea for where we want to go or what we want to do before we start!
This is so perfect. Trying to plan a trip to Costa Rica and it’s so overwhelming – sometimes I just want to give up and pay someone to do it all, although we can’t afford that haha!
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Normally I’d agree, Natalie, but they way I book now includes a complimentary trip concierge to help with any of those planning details I don’t have time for!
We always have a destination in mind, sometimes while we’re on our current trip lol! But we do get price frustration. I guess it’s the fear of missing out on a deal. And yes, I do love price match guarantees. Some sites even tack on a 10% discount if you find a cheaper price!
Great! Yes, 10% is pretty good … i actually get 150% of the price difference back, which is amazing 🙂
Thanks for the recommendation… it will make planning a trip muchhhhhe easier!
You’re very welcome Dominique! Happy to help
This is really helpful. My hold up is always the price.
I totally get that Marian, it used to be a hold-up for me too. Sounds like you’d definitely benefit from the price guarantees I mention in this post.
These are great tips! I especially appreciate them being a frequent traveler. I’m often a bit overwhelmed as I try to plan because there are so many factors to consider! Thanks for sharing
So happy this will help you out Katie! Even us frequent travellers fall into these traps occasionally 🙂
Thank you for the great tips! I’m definitely going to read this again before I plan our next trip. 🙂
That’s awesome Sheila, please reach out if you have any further questions!
I so give into the game of obsessing over price differences when planning a trip. But feeling like you got the best price is, well, priceless!
absolutely true Julie! That’s why i’m so in love with the pricing guarantees i now have!
Love this article. Especially, because it shows that Research is key! Thx for sharing 🙂
You’re so welcome Justine, happy you enjoyed!
Great information and I love the layout of your blog. Very clean and easy to read.
Thanks so much Ilene! Happy you dropped by
This post was great! Always looking for travel tips and this was a great post about those hurdles we all face, I’ve just been planning a university trip for 130 students and wish I’d seen this before!!
It’s all about timing Jessica! 🙂 Hopefully this will help you with the next trip!
Great post, always on the look out for travel tips from those more experienced than me! Wish I’d had these tips when planning my graduation holiday for 130 uni students, would have helped loads!!
Quite useful tips! Especially the last one.
Thanks Aleksandr, glad you received some value
Love the “price guarantee” tip! I’ve started getting caught up on the “must find the BEST DEAL” game, and it drives me crazy! Really great tips!
I’ve been there myself Miranda,which is why i love the guarantees so much!
All very valid! It’s imperative to have a plan – but also to stay calm when events depart from the plan. The more the travel, the more we learn!
Absolutely right Meagan! We just have to keep learning as we go and not let anything stop us
Thanks for these tips! I’ll keep them in mind for when I travel 🙂
You’re very welcome Corinne! Happy to have helped
I was just thinking I wished I knew of a place where I could look up flights or hotels based on price range instead of dates, I didn’t realize Skyscanner had that functionality!
Isn’t that amazing?!? Where has this been our whole lives 🙂
Wow 38 websites during planning, that’s huge, I am so used to trip planning that I didn’t even realize but this is all very true! Thank you so much for sharing this helpful planning break down.
It’s so easy to get sucked into the rabbit hole of travel planning, isn’t it!
The first one applies to me so well. A couple of time I have gone to such extremes that I knew the map of the city like the back of my hand even before i got there. It killed the surprise element. Have controlled my need to collect information ever since. Still have scope to improve.
I totally get that Punita! So hard to scale that back, isn’t it 🙂
These are all good points and I think I totally agree #3! The fact that there are some sites like Skyscanner that help to decide is amazing. Thanks for sharing these tips!
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You’re so welcome! Those types of sites make planning so much easier.
I’ve always wanted to go to All over the country and now I really want to go!! Very good guide, thanks for sharing!
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Thanks for visiting Avery! I hope to hear all about your cross-country travel soon 🙂