10 Helpful Tips for Putting Your Travel Plans into Action

Words of inspiration from travel blogger Kacey Mya.

Once you get bitten by the travel bug, there’s no turning back. Traveling is one of the best ways to experience freedom and joy at the same time. There’s always something new and exciting to do on each trip, which is why it’s a hobby for many people who love to go somewhere new.

There are endless places to travel, which makes it difficult to decide on a place or even put destinations into a list. And, once you start planning, it can get overwhelming. Many people decide to put off traveling altogether, convinced they’ll have more time in the future to devote to it.

Don’t let that be you! Check out this list of helpful tips for putting your travel plans in action. If you catch yourself daydreaming about where you’re going to go on your next adventure, make that dream a reality. Get planning and then enjoy your trip so you can have fun and make lasting memories.

1. Figure out How You Plan Best

What’s tripping you up with travel plans that get put off may be the way you plan them. Some people plan best well in advance, spacing things out so nothing gets too stressful. Others work best by doing everything at the last minute, taking care of reservations and more all at once.

If you’ve always used one planning method, try the other. See how it feels and if it helps you stay motivated to go on your trip. The biggest problem you can face before a trip is high levels of stress, and experimenting with a new way of planning is a great technique to combat this.

2. Travel With a Friend

Much like having a reliable gym buddy who keeps you motivated, you’re more likely to go on a trip if you’re going with someone else. They’ll depend on you to follow through to make the vacation a fun experience, so you’ll be less likely to put it aside for other plans. Even if you have to convince them to go with you, it’ll make all the difference once things start getting into motion.

3. Take Stress out of the Equation

Part of why trips are so stressful is that you have to figure everything out. Where you sleep, eat and what entertainment you’ll have are crucial for you to know so the trip is worth your time. Have you checked your bucket list recently? If a cruise is on there, it may be the trip you need. Everything you could want will be on board, so you won’t have to plan anything besides when you want to go.

4. Get Rewarded for Traveling

Traveling costs a lot of money, especially if you’re taking a flight somewhere or going to a new country. The thought of spending money might turn you away from your travel dreams, so instead, get rewarded for traveling by picking the right travel credit card for you. They’ll reward you with points for where you go, stay and eat, and some offer bonuses for signing up.

5. Make Your Trip Educational

Whether you’re still in school or thinking about going back, trips may seem frivolous when you need to be hitting the books. So, why not make your trip educational? Talk with your college to see where you can study abroad, or plan a trip that coincides with what you want to learn about.

6. Think About Packing

Knowing what you’re bringing on your trip will make you feel more prepared for your adventure, increasing your confidence in traveling. Think about what you’ll need to pack — a swimsuit, a raincoat or maybe ski boots. Being able to picture what will be in your suitcase is going to motivate you to put it all together and get going.

7. Research Your Pet’s Care

Leaving your pet behind in someone else’s care will add a lot of extra nerves if you don’t know what quality of care to expect. Research boarding options and ask if you can tour the place or speak to the manager about what your pet will do while you’re gone. You’ll be able to rest easy knowing that your pet is having fun and being loved on while you’re away on your trip.

8. Talk With Other Parents

Traveling with kids is a big deal, especially if you’ve never done it before. Talk with parents in your friend group or look online to get tips from other parents about how to have the best trip with your kids. Prepare with lots of snacks and games for while they’re on the road, and always have kid-friendly activities to do once you get to your location.

9. Look Into Travel Insurance

You can plan for as many variables as possible when you’re going on a trip, but there are just some things you can’t predict. Putting a deposit down on a beach condo or mountain cabin might be a waste of money if there’s suddenly a hurricane or avalanche. And, they may happen too late to get your money back or cause damages the rental company will hold you accountable for.

Before you leave for your trip, compare trip insurance options so you’re financially covered no matter what happens. If something bad does happen out of the blue, you won’t have to worry about having to overspend to cover what may have gotten damaged.

10. Find a Way to Stay Inspired

There are plenty of reasons you might have to postpone your next trip — and that’s OK! You can still stay inspired while you wait for the day you can start putting your travel plans into action. Put together a dream board and hang it where you’ll see it every day. Set a destination photo as the background on your phone or create a countdown you can check. Staying inspired will create the motivation you need to get started again when the time is right.

Being able to go on a trip isn’t always something you can do last minute, which means there will be lots of time for discouragement or nerves to ruin your traveling dreams. Instead, try out some of these tips so you don’t have to cancel your travel plans. Check out an easy cruise that will wash all your worries away, or get covered with the right travel insurance. Anything that gets you closer to the trip that’s on your mind will help you stay engaged with your love for traveling.

Kacey Bradley is the blogger behind The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Kacey graduated with a degree in Communications while working for a lifestyle magazine. She has been able to fully embrace herself with the knowledge of nature, the power of exploring other locations and cultures, all while portraying her love for the world around her through her visually pleasing, culturally embracing and inspiring posts. Along with writing for her blog, she has written for sites like U.S. News, SUCCESS, Ruffled, and more!

Follow Kacey on Twitter and subscribe to her blog to keep up with her travels and inspiring posts!