How to Plan Your Trip Abroad
When I started planning my own trips abroad, it became addicting. Once you know your budget, the world is in your hands. All it takes is a plane ticket and some readily available research thanks to today’s technology. Now's the year to go on your dream vacation. I've taken my trusted methods of travel planning and put them into a few simple steps.
Step 1 - Make a list of what you intend to do there.
This is essential for the other steps. Once you have picked your destination, make a list of sights to see and excursions. I use Google Sheets! This will help sculpt the logistics as your holiday is centred around it. If you need ideas, I typically recommend going to as many museums as you can, to get a sense of the country’s history. It is also worth noting that in many cities across Europe there are usually free walking tours in certain areas. You may also want to check out local shopping malls, popular restaurants, and other excursions notable to the region.
Also consider day trips away from the city if you want to explore the area away from metropolitan life. Sometimes there are reasonable deals from tour companies that will take you to surrounding castles and historical sites that may be overwhelming to organise a trip to on your own.
Step 2 - Figure out the area you want to stay in.
Before you book a random hotel, take a look at the city map. Keep in mind what you want to do in the city and choose the area where you intend to spend most of your time in. In Europe, I personally prefer to explore the city’s Old Town for the historical architecture. This is where you will find the Instagramable hotspots and traditional restaurants. So if I am looking for a hotel in Poznan, I will search for accommodation in the Old Town or in Polish, Stare Miasto.
Expedia makes this process easy, as it will list what things there are to do around the hotel. It will also usually give you a great price, as reserving hotels on their website from abroad can be quite high if you are looking for something nice on a budget.
Step 3 - Research local public transportation.
Each country uses a different system of paying for the bus, subway, or train. In many places you can do it with your phone using a few different apps. For instance, in Poland many use Jakdojade to get around. You can search train schedules and buy tickets from your phone, even travelling from Poland to another country if you need to. It will make getting around much easier once you figure it out, especially if you want to take a day trip from Krakow to Zakopane during the winter for a ski trip!
Step 4 - Learn the basics of the language.
Luckily as a native English speaker, English has become the lingua franca for much of the world, making it easy to get around. However, that does not mean the language barrier is nonexistent. Travelling even Germany, I always come across someone I need to communicate with who does not speak English. I have found that even my basic German knowledge has become incredibly useful. If you do not speak the local language, I recommend learning at least the basics, beyond a simple “hello” and “thank you.” Even learning to pronounce the words correctly will not be a waste of time if you need to ask for directions so that people know what you are talking about.
Those are the most challenging aspects of the planning process. Once you figure them out, the rest will fall into place. Now book that plane ticket!
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