Keen to plan a trip in 2024 but need help figuring out where to start? We’ve all been there. Whether it is your first trip overseas or your first long-term backpacking trip, knowing where or how to start can be daunting. As someone who has organised multiple trips overseas to over 40 countries, I have a tried and tested method to figure out my rough travel plan. If you have no idea how to begin, try following the below step-by-step guide!
Step 1: Make a list of potential travel destinations
The first step of planning a trip in 2024 (and arguably the most fun part of planning!) is figuring out where you will travel. Do you want to island-hop the Philippines? Go skiing in New Zealand? Walk the city streets of New York? Climb Macchu Picchu?
I often brainstorm a few places to go and keep a list on my phone. However, you may also have one specific destination that you are dying to visit.
For this example, let’s say you want to go to Bali, Indonesia.
Step 2: Figure out why you are travelling
Once you have a list of some potential places to go or even one specific area, it is essential to think about the “why”. Write down WHY you want to go to that place specifically. Do you have Patagonia on your list because your friend Becky told you that you have to go? Do you actually like hiking? Or is chilling on a beach and snorkelling more your vibe?
Not every destination is for every person. While you may be tempted to book a trip somewhere just because it is where “people go”, or because a friend has travelled there, this will not always be the best decision for you. I’ve had travel FOMO for a particular destination and booked a trip to go there, only to hate it and wish I’d skipped the city and stayed elsewhere. 2024 is the year we stop planning trips to destinations just because its what other people do.
Thinking about the “why” of travel is so important. If you’re unsure about your destination, you can also work backwards and brainstorm things you want to do, e.g. skiing, experiencing a different culture, hiking etc. Once you figure out the activities or the experience you want to get out of travel, you can match it to a country or region.
So, following on from the previous example of Bali, Indonesia. My personal “why” behind planning this trip would be as follows:
- Climate. I prefer warm weather
- Cost of living. Inexpensive as I am travelling long term.
- Experiences in line with values. I enjoy snorkelling, nightlife, and cultural experiences (all of which Bali offers)
Step 4: Decide upon a length of travel
Think about how long you are willing or able to travel. Are you ready to take the plunge, quit your job and plan a longterm backpacking trip in 2024? Or are you wanting to organise on a two-week trip before returning home?
Some things to consider to determine the length of travel:
- How much time can you get off work or uni?
- Do you have a lease for your rental? Will you sublet your place or leave it vacant while still paying rent?
- Do you have pets, a partner, children or other dependents? How long can you leave them for?
- Do you have an important event you have to be home for? Christmas, Graduation, a friend’s wedding etc.
Lastly and most importantly… this one may require a bit of reflection. How long do you feel comfortable being away from home? It’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of organising a long trip. But it is essential to consider whether you will get homesick. As someone who is not much of a homebody and loves to travel for months at a time, I’m generally okay with homesickness. However, I have still experienced it many a time during my travels. I now have my own strategies for dealing with this, and I truly understand my limits.
At this stage, you should have a rough plan. E.g. I want to travel to Bali for the climate and the experiences, and I can travel for one month.
Step 4: Look at when you can travel
So at this stage, you should know where you want to go and how long you want to go. Now you need to consider the “when”. Do you have a specific time frame when you can travel with work, uni or family commitments?
If you’re locked in for a specific period, note down the exact dates when you would be flexible to travel. The less flexible you are with dates, you may spend on flights. So, for example, for your hypothetical one-month-long trip to Bali, you may write down that you are flexible to travel only in June or July due to uni commitments.
Step 5: Consider the Seasonality of your Destination
Different destinations have specific seasons that are less than ideal for travelling there. For example, if you want to travel to Bali to lay on the beach every day but are going in the wet season, you’re taking a gamble with the weather. While travelling is still possible, this might be a dealbreaker for you. Always research the best seasons to travel and read about other travellers’ experiences in a destination in winter or wet season to ascertain if this is the right time to travel for you.
In most places, you can still visit them, not in peak season, but some attractions/ activities may be seasonal. I made this grave error when organising a trip to South America. I ended up in Patagonia during winter when everything was closed. Unfortunately, I could not hike the W track because it was too dangerous.
Step 6: Outline a rough budget
The most tedious part of organising a trip is figuring out the budget based on your financial situation. Creating a rough outline before booking a trip will ensure you do not return home in mountains of personal debt. Look at your current savings and then estimate how much you will be able to save before your proposed departure date.
Step 7: Figure out what type of traveller you are
There are so many ways to travel, purely based on personal preference (and often budget). One of the key things to consider if you are planning and organising a trip in 2024 is what type of traveller you are. For example, I am a backpacker who stays primarily in hostels and eats local street food. Some people travel way cheaper than I do, and those who spend more money travel in a more luxurious style.
Figuring out your travel type is hard if you haven’t travelled before. I’d also like to add that there aren’t really set “types” of travellers. Still, it is helpful to know beforehand how budget or luxury you want to travel so you can budget for the trip.
Some examples of different travel types are below:
- The budget traveller: utilises free accommodation such as volunteering at a hostel or couch surfing, mainly cooks cheap meals and gets around by walking/ hitchhiking.
- The backpacker: stays in hostel dorms, eats street or cheap local food and gets around using local buses.
- The budget holiday: stays in cost-effective 3-star hotels, eats at mid-range priced restaurants, gets around by ride-shares or taxis.
- The luxury traveller: stays in 5-star resorts, eats at pricey restaurants and gets around by a private driver.
While the above are broad stereotypes, it’s helpful to consider your comfort level and what you value. For example, are you comfortable staying in a dorm room, or do you need your private room? Will you only eat at restaurants, or are you happy to eat street food? Are you willing to walk or hitchhike to save money, or will you use taxis?
Once you have a rough idea of what type of traveller you are, you can see if your budget matches your trip.
Step 8: Match your budget and travel type
Once you have a rough idea of how much you can put towards this trip, work out if it is doable for your destination and desired length of travel. For example, say you estimate you will have $1000 saved for this trip, and you want to do a month in Bali; work out what this will look like. $1000 for a month is undoubtedly doable if you are staying in hostels and eating in local restaurants, but if you are a luxury traveller, this will probably not work for you.
If your budget, destination, length of travel and style do not align, you may need to change.
- Would you consider a different and more cost-effective destination?
- Instead of 1 month in Bali, consider cutting the trip shorter and going on a two-week holiday.
- Are you able to work while travelling? Would you consider volunteering to save money on accommodation?
- Is travelling and staying in luxury hotels a priority for you? Or would you consider staying in more rustic hotels or up-market hostels? Not sure which accommodation type is right for you? Check out my full guide here.
Step 9: Research travel requirements
If you’re at the stage where you have a destination, length of travel, and time to travel, and you have figured out that you have the money to do it all, you’re 80% there! The last and most crucial step is ensuring you can get there. Particularly since Covid-19, entry requirements and travel restrictions have tightened for many countries. Planning a trip in 2024 may have extra barriers. Before booking a flight, ensure you can enter your destination and look into the process of getting a tourist visa.
Some countries only allow travellers to stay for 30 days; if you intend to stay longer, you will need to exit the country and re-enter (commonly called a visa run). Other countries, such as China, require a formal visa in advance, and you often have to pay hefty fees to visa agents in your country of origin to get this visa. Depending on what passport you hold, entry requirements may be a massive hurdle! There’s nothing worse than organising a trip and booking your flights only to discover you have to pay $150 for a Visa on Arrival, which you haven’t budgeted for.
If you’ve gotten this far and everything is lining up, you are ready to travel, my friend. Book that flight, and go!
Want more tips on everything you need to do to prepare for travel? Read my complete pre-travel checklist here.
Did you find this blog post helpful? Want to see more travel tips and recommendations? Join me on Tik Tok and Instagram for daily travel content!
This blog is a free and independent source of information for all things travel and backpacking. If you benefitted from the information on this blog, please consider using the affiliate links to book hostels/activities etc. This will be at no extra cost to you but helps subsidise the cost of running a free travel blog.
