17 Easy Steps for Planning Your Next Trip

I remember when I started planning my first trip. I had no idea what I was doing. When I decided to quit my job and travel the world, I walked into a bookstore and bought Lonely Planet’s Southeast Asia on Shoestring. It made the trip seem more real, but it didn’t prepare me for planning a long world trip. Back then, there weren’t really blogs, guides, and apps like there are today. I was lost. I figured it out as I went, just hoping I didn’t miss anything.

Planning a long trip can be a daunting task. Where do you begin? What’s step one? What’s step two? What’s step three? It’s easy to get overwhelmed in the beginning, especially when you haven’t done something like this before.

I’ve planned countless trips for myself (and even some for friends), and over the years, I’ve developed an efficient little checklist that ensures I don’t miss anything important (I like lists). I don’t want to get to my next destination and then realize I forgot something.

There is a lot of information on this website (and even more information packed into my book), but one question that comes up frequently is “Matt, how do I put this all together? Tell me where to start.”

In a continuing effort to get out the door and into the world, I’ve created this step-by-step guide to planning a trip that breaks the process down so planning becomes easier and less overwhelming:

Step 1 – Decide Where You Want To Go

Defining where you want to go sets a goal to work towards. A lot of people talk vaguely about travel. They never say where they are going, just that they are going. Picking a destination is immensely important as it gives you a definite goal. It’s a lot easier to mentally get behind “I am going to Paris” than “I’m going to Europe.” Not only will your trip become more concrete for you and easier to commit to, but it will make planning easier as well.

Resources for picking your destination:

• 200+ in-depth destination guides


• Five Destinations Under $ 30 in the World


• 19 Amazing Travel Goals to Check-Off

Step 2 – Decide the Length of Your Trip

How much does it cost to travel? I have no idea without knowing for how long you’re going away. You can’t figure out how much you need to save if you haven’t decided on how long you’ll be in your destination. After you say “I’m going to Paris,” add “for 10 days.”

Step 3 – Research Your Costs

So you know where you’re going and how long you’ll be there, but to really nail down how much money you need, your next task is to research the costs in your destination at the style of travel you want. Do you want to backpack, or would you rather stay in luxury hotels? How much are hostels, hotels, restaurants, and attractions? Knowing will allow you to estimate how much money you’ll need for your trip. You can begin with my travel guide section or simply buy a guidebook (which are really good for things like this).

If you are going to Paris for 10 days and need $ 75 a day (not including your flight), you know you need to save $ 750 (though round up to $ 800 since it’s good to have extra) for your trip.

Now you have a concrete goal to work towards.

Step 4 – Start Saving Money

Time to start saving! Write down all your current expenses so you can determine where you are spending money and how you can cut back. People bleed a lot of money every day through small purchases – that bottle of water, the dollar for that snack, that extra coffee. All of that adds up and creating this breakdown can let you know where you need to cut and save.

For example, if you need $ 2,000 USD for the trip you’re taking in 8 months, that means you only have to save $ 8.33 per day. Couldn’t you find a way to save $ 8 per day? Heck, your daily coffee is most of that! Here are three easy tips that produce big wins:

• Cut the coffee – That daily coffee costs you $ 120 per month ($ 4 per coffee). An extra $ 1,440 per year pays for two months in Southeast Asia! What’s more important – your daily cup of Joe or getting to spend two more months enjoying the beaches of Thailand or exploring the jungles of Borneo?


• Learn to cook – I learned to cook while in college (a skill that has helped me ever since) and before I left on my big trip, I cut down on eating out to two times per week. I cooked a large dinner and then enjoyed the leftovers for lunch the next day, thus saving more money. Cook more, eat out less, and travel sooner.


• Get rid of cable – In the age of Hulu and free (and legal) streaming TV, there’s no reason for you to be spending $ 50 USD per month on cable television.

You can read this post for more in-depth and creative ways to cut your day-to-day expenses: 20 ways to Cut Your Expenses and Save for Travel

Step 5 – Get a Travels Rewards Credit Card

While you’re working to save money, get a travel credit card so you can earn sign-up bonuses to redeem miles and points for free flights and hotel stays. Most cards have bonuses of up to 50,000 points when you meet their minimum spending requirement (often $ 1,000 within a 3 month period). That’s a lot of miles — enough for a free flight almost anywhere in the world.

If you want a free flight, use the cards that help with that. If you want free hotel rooms, get a hotel card. You don’t need to sign up for very many cards; pick one or two and focus on those. Do this the moment you decide you want to travel. Don’t wait – waiting equals lost miles, which means less free travel.

I am always doing this so I can travel for as cheap as possible. This post will give you more information as well as a list of the latest deals: http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-tips/picking-a-travel-credit-card/.

Step 6 – Switch to No-Fee ATM Cards

Don’t give banks any of your hard-earned money. Save every extra dollar you can by using a no-fee ATM card. I use Charles Schwab, but there are lots of other banks (don’t forget to check your local banks) that don’t charge ATM fees. Additionally, you can join a bank in the Global ATM Alliance.

Step 7 – Stay Focused and Inspired

Keep feeding your desire to travel. Here are some inspiring stories:

• Why Tomorrow Is Too Late


• Why You Have More Time Than You Think


• Why Cynics like Bob are Wrong About Everything


• How Michael Saved $ 14k in 6 months


• Why a 50 Year Old Couple Sold It All to Travel the World

Step 8 – Check for Last-Minute Deals

Okay, you’re inspired, prepared, and on your way to saving money for your trip. But before you go buy that flight or book that hotel, check for deals you might have missed. You may dream of Paris but maybe there are great deals to Berlin right now. Maybe you can get a 7 day cruise for 70% off, a package deal to Hawaii for the price of your flight to Paris, or 50% off sailing trips around Greece.

It’s a big world, and there are lots of places I want to see so if I end up choosing B over A, I’m happy! If you’re flexible too, make sure you look for any money-saving deals.

Step 9 – Book Your Flight

After you’ve used your travel credit card and received your sign-up bonus, use your miles to book your flight. It is harder to use miles these days due to less availability, so make sure to book early to insure you get your desired flight.

There are still many ways to avoid being the person on the flight who paid the most. For more tips that can reduce ticket prices even more, read this blog post.

My favorite sites for finding cheap fares:

• Google Flights


• Momondo


• Matrix ITA Software


• Skyscanner


• Vayama

For the best deals, book your flight about two months in advance.

Step 10 – Book Your Accommodation

If you have a set schedule, feel free to book accommodation for the duration of your trip, but if you are going to be traveling long-term, book just the first few days. Once you know the dates you’ll be in your destination, there is no real reason not to find a place to stay. My view is that waiting will just lead to you losing your top picks.

Love hotels? They won’t save you money, but you can sign up for some hotel credit cards and get free rooms, too. Marriott has a great rewards card whose sign-up bonus is equal to one week’s free stay. Starwood’s AMEX card is wonderful too, but the spending threshold in order to get the points bonus is higher.

The following booking sites offer the best rates for accommodation:

• Hostelworld


• Agoda (Great for Southeast Asia)


• Hotels.com


• Hotwire

Alternative: Contact people on hospitality websites like Couchsurfing or Be Welcome and ask if they would be willing to host you. You want to do this in advance so people have time to rearrange their schedule and plan for your visit. Moreover, you can also consider apartment rental sites like Airbnb or Wimdu.

Step 11 – Plan Your Activities

Sketch out the major activities you want to enjoy and how much they cost. Make any last-minute adjustments to your savings so you can ensure you have enough money. This will also help you figure out if you need any reservations for your chosen tours or activities.

Step 12 – Sell Your Stuff

If you are going on a long-term trip (6 months or more), sell your stuff in order to earn extra money for your trip. Start doing this about 60 days before you leave. Sites to use:

• Gumtree


• Amazon


• Craigslist

If you aren’t going to be gone that long, skip this step. If you are going away long-term but want to keep your stuff, move it to a friend’s house or keep it in storage. A good storage company in the U.S. is Public Storage, which starts at $ 50 per month.

Step 13 – Automate Your Bills

Get rid of your mail, go paperless, and set up online bill payment for your recurring bills to ensure you won’t miss any overseas. If you are still going to get paper mail, use a service like Earth Class Mail, which will collect and scan your mail for you. (If you are going on a two-week trip, you don’t really need to worry about this, so you can skip this step, too.)

Step 14 – Tell Your Card Companies You’re Traveling

No matter how long you’ll be gone, it’s a good idea to let your credit card companies know you will be overseas, that way any transactions that you make aren’t flagged as fraudulent and your card is less likely to be blocked. There’s nothing worse than having to sit on the phone with your credit card company instead of enjoying your vacation.

Step 15 – Pack

Time to pack for your trip! Here’s a suggested packing list.

Step 16 – Buy Travel Insurance

While a lot of people think “I’m healthy, I don’t need travel insurance. I won’t get sick,” travel insurance is much more than just medical protection. It covers you when your camera breaks, your flight is cancelled, a family member dies and you have to come home, or if something is stolen.

Travel insurance is something you will need on the road. You never know what might happen, and most health plans won’t cover you overseas. I never thought I would pop my eardrum while I was scuba diving or break my camera in Italy. My friend never thought he would break his leg hiking or that another friend’s father would die and she would have to fly back home.

Travel insurance is only a few dollars a day and only a fool doesn’t buy it. Here’s my ultimate guide to picking a good insurance company. (I use World Nomads for all my trips.)

Step 17 – Enjoy Your Trip

Go on your trip and have fun! Head to the airport, board your plane (don’t forget your passport!), and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

By using this post as a guideline, you can better organize and prepare for your trip (and if you are looking for more in-depth information about planning a trip, check out my book for next steps). You’ll check all the boxes, not miss anything, and have plenty of money for your vacation. It can be as simple as booking a flight and packing or as complex as rearranging your entire life to go backpack the world forever.

But no matter your trip length, this list will help you stay organized as you prepare to step onto that plane and out into the world.

(P.S. – Yes, I did leave out visas and vaccinations because needing those isn’t as universal as the other stuff on this list, but don’t forget to check if you need those, too!)

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27 Golden Rules For Not Ruining Your Trip and Becoming a Master Traveler

Every industry has their own “best practices” — proven rules and standards that guide the industry. Travel is no different. There are many rules to live by that help us navigate the unknown world with fewer costly mistakes and help quicken the pace in which we melt into the local culture. They make travel easier, better, and less stressful.

I have my own rules.

Below are my 27 golden rules for travel. If you follow them, you’ll be a master traveler, able to travel the world with swashbuckling zeal and expert ninja-like knowledge…all without breaking the bank so you can keep cutting a path forward through the world for longer:

Get a no-fee ATM card – Why give your money to the banks? Get an ATM card that doesn’t charge any fees and use that extra money for more traveling. Over the long term those $ 2-5 charges really add up. I use Charles Schwab as my bank but you can also find many others that offer no-fee accounts — or use a one that is part of the Global ATM alliance, and pay no fees within that network. There is never a reason to pay a bank fee.

Be adventurous – You only live once. You’re going to get chances to do wild things you’ve never dreamed of doing when you travel. Don’t hold back. Count to 3, say “screw it”, and take the leap. You didn’t come this far for nothing. Say yes when someone asks you to go rock climbing, salsa dancing, spelunking, or try the world’s hottest pepper despite not liking spicy food.

Get a rewards credit card – Why pay for travel when you can get it for free? Use a travel rewards credit card to earn points and miles that can be redeemed for free travel. Additionally, sign up for a no-fee card like Capital One’s No Hassle Card, Chase Ink, or United’s MileagePlus to avoid overseas transaction fees. Through travel hacking and using these cards, I’ve gained hundreds of thousands of miles every year – that’s enough for even a family of four!

Always carry a back up – Always carry a back up bank and credit card in case one is lost, stolen, or hacked. That way while you are fixing the issue, you still have access to your money. Instead of the problem crippling your trip, it merely is an annoyance.

Travel alone – Travel alone at least once. It will teach you to be self-sufficient, encourage independence, allow you to get to know yourself, and make you more outgoing by forcing you to talk to strangers. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to find yourself on the road.

Join a frequent flier program – Get rewarded for all of those flights you’ll be taking by joining a frequent flier program. Then you’ll earn miles, perks for flying, and free flights. Don’t miss out. Miles are like money – and you wouldn’t waste money, would you?

Learn basic phrases – Locals don’t expect you to be an expert, but learning a few basic phrases in the local language will go a long way to endearing you in their hearts and making them go the extra mile for you. It will bring a smile to their face that you tried and might even lead to some friendships and invitations out to events. “Hello”, “how are you”, and “thank you” go a long, long way no matter where you are in the world.

Stay in hostels – Get to know other travelers and experience the communal spirit of traveling by staying in hostels a few times. They aren’t all the dirty party places you see in movies. Most hostels are very clean, offer breakfast, have wi-fi, organize events, have comfy beds, and know the local area very well. They also aren’t just for young backpackers; you’ll find people of all ages (and even some families) staying there. Try them out. You may like it.

Use tourist boards – Local tourist offices are a wealth of knowledge. When you get to a new destination, visit the tourist office and ask the staff an insane number of questions about the place. They know exactly where to do what and when. Visiting one is often one of the first things I do in a new city.

Couchsurf – Get a free place to stay and get to know locals with a hospitality network. Using these networks allows you to stay with a local for FREE and get the inside scoop on an area. I’ve met some amazing people through hospitality networks who have shown me a side of life I never would have known otherwise.

Try new foods – Culture is often best experienced through food. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Get out of your comfort zone and experiment. You might actually like it (those fried caterpillars in Zambia were delicious!).

Be flexible with your plans – Travel is a series of happy accidents with way leading to way. Don’t skip going to that random city with the friends you just met because your itinerary says something different. You’ll regret it. Go with the flow and be open to new things — that’s when the magic happens.

Pack light – Take it from a former (and sometimes current) overpacker: you never need half the stuff you take. Put all you need in a pile and then remove half of it. The lighter you travel, the easier you travel.

Take extra money – Something always happens. I never thought I would fly last minute to go to Fiji, need to replace my camera in Italy, or buy an extra iPhone cable in Australia. Always take extra money just in case. You may not need it but you don’t want to be without a little extra when something bad happens.

Say yes a lot – Don’t limit yourself. Say yes to new experiences. Adventure and exploring the unknown are what travel is all about.

Get lost – Meander through a new city without a map. Get lost — because in the end, you aren’t really getting lost, you’re just discovering new experiences. So put down the map and wander. Eventually, you’ll find your way.

Call home – Your parents miss you. Don’t forget to call and say hello.

Get a phone – It will be easier to stay in touch with friends (and call home), meet up with other travelers, and contact hostels with a phone. SIM cards and pre-paid phones are cheap, so there’s no excuse not to stay connected.

Travel slow – This isn’t a race or a competition. I know you want to get a lot in with your limited time, but you see a lot more when you see a lot less. Travel slow and experience each place. Don’t race from train station to station; that will set you up for a stressful, unenjoyable time. With travel, less is more.

Live somewhere once – Stop at least once. Get to know a place. Learn the language. Make local friends. Explore. Become the local. Living in a foreign place gives you a different perspective on life and a real sense of what it’s like to be an outsider.

Avoid taxis – They just cost a lot. Don’t use them unless you don’t have any other option.

Bring a water bottle – Not only are all those plastic water bottles bad for the environment, but the cost of each one adds up over time. A water bottle here, a water bottle there and you’ve spent $ 50 this month on water. Get a metal bottle and drink the tap water.

Buy travel insurance – You never know what could happen on the road. Get travel insurance so that if something happens to you or you break your camera, you’re covered. It’s only a few dollars a day. Don’t be an idiot.

Bring basic first-aid – Cuts and scraps happen and you can get what you need anywhere in the world, but it’s still good to carry bandages, antibacterial cream, and some hydrocortisone cream just in case. Also carry duct tape — you’ll never know when it’ll come in handy.

Get off the beaten path – London, Paris, and the temples of Kyoto are all amazing for a reason, but get off the beaten path, go away from the crowds, and explore on your own. Find something new, stick out, meet the locals, and discover. The road less traveled is usually a good one.

Take photos of your friends – Years from now, you’ll want to look back at your younger self and see all the people who changed your life. Nostalgia can be a wonderful thing. Make sure you take photos of your friends. You’ll want them later.

And finally, the most important tip of them all….

Ignore all my tips and do whatever you want – It’s your trip. Go where you want, when you want, and for how long you want. Don’t worry about this or that. Make mistakes. Learn. Make more mistakes. Have fun and become a better traveler. At the end of the day, you won’t look back and think “if only I had more miles” but instead “Damn, that was a lot of fun.”

So get out there and have some fun.

You deserve it.

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