How to Plan a Trip From Scratch

Sep 11

Written By Shane Samuel

1. Pick the destination

Based on budget, season, trip length, and what kind of experience you actually want.

2. Set a realistic trip budget

Flights, hotel, food, transportation, experiences, buffer.

3. Figure out where to stay

Not just the prettiest hotel, but the right neighborhood and location for the trip.

4. Book the major transportation

Flights, trains, rental car, airport transfers.

5. Lock in the big experiences

Anything that can sell out or that the trip is built around.

6. Build the trip flow

Group things geographically so you’re not zigzagging across a city all day.

7. Add restaurants strategically

Not seven dinner reservations just because TikTok said so.

8. Leave room for spontaneity

Anchor plans, not a military schedule.

9. Handle the boring stuff

Entry requirements, insurance, phone/data, payment methods, documents.

10. Do a final trip check

Weather, confirmations, reservations, airport transportation, etc.

And then the business CTA becomes incredibly natural:

Want Me to Do the Research for You?

Planning all of this is doable, but it also takes time.

If you know where you want to go but don’t want to spend hours researching hotels, neighborhoods, restaurants, experiences, and how everything should fit together, that’s exactly what my Custom Travel Planning service is for.

You tell me your destination, dates, budget, travel style, and what kind of trip you want.

I’ll help you figure out what’s actually worth your time.

START MY TRIP PLAN →

Shane Samuel