Planning an effective itinerary is a piece of art itself. No itinerary will ever be the same as every has a unique way of organising information on paper. Some prefer electronic devices, others will have it handwritten or printed. If you stick to the way that works best for you, it is guaranteed to be effective.
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Make your itinerary easy to read
There is nothing worse than a disorganised itinerary. If you prefer to travel without an itinerary, then don't make a half-effective one. Keep it simple, avoid having too many numbers, prices and specific addresses. Always arrange it by day rather than attraction and if you
Allow for flexibility
A great itinerary always allows for flexibility to accommodate for last minute changes, delays or unfortunate circumstances. No matter how prepared you are, you multicoloured excel spreadsheet will not save you! Factor in an extra 20 minutes per stop or attraction and if you are lucky enough to stick to your itinerary perfectly, you'll have some free time to explore other places you did not plan to initially see. The best way to think of it is: it's better to plan less and surprise yourself with extra time rather than plan a lot for the day and only see half
Carefully choose travel partners
Nothing can destroy your wonderful itinerary more than a travel partner that dislikes what you've planned for a trip. Be sure to travel with people who share similar interests as you'll enjoy your holiday a lot more. Obviously differences can make a trip fun and spontaneous but when differences cause tension, you need to be careful
Insurance
I always recommend taking out even basic insurance that covers you for the essentials such as hospital and dental fees. If you travel to the USA and you're injured, you'll be paying ridiculous amounts for hospital fees so it's really in your best interests to do so. If you rent a car and someone damages you car, you'll be covered if you take out the right options in your insurance plan. Some airlines offer insurance in their flight packages which is often good value for money and covers any flight delays and difficulties that may arise
Consider alternative transport
If you usually take short flights that can be reached by car, bus or ferry then give these options a go. They are often more exciting and you'll meet new people (usually adventurous ones).
Author: Jono Mac
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