Things to keep in mind before deciding the duration of a trip

• A key aspect of a good trip planner is to correctly estimate the number of days required to visit a destination. A road trip planner would elongate the duration of a trip whereas, a trip planned with flight tickets could be a little shorter.
• Trips, where the destination is within 8 hours, can also be done on a weekend provided that the night time is utilized for traveling.
• A trip with a lot of urban destinations will need more time in the sightseeing, and therefore a longer trip duration. Whereas a trip to a tropical beach town would not involve much sightseeing and hence, the duration can be shorter.
• It is advisable to keep a vacant day in touring plans that exceed 7 days. This gives a buffer to things like flight/train delays, traffic jams, weather hold-ups, or a change-of-heart to extend one’s stay at a particular destination.

3. Book flights, train, or bus tickets, and accommodation

After the ideation is complete, booking tickets for your flight, train or bus transfer well in advance is an important step in learning how to plan your trip to perfection. Since flight and train tickets are subject to availability and prices rise over time, getting the bookings done a few months in advance will help you avoid additional costs on your initial budget. Whether you are planning to explore the hidden places in Goa or savour the local flavour of Rajasthan, advance booking can help you with a hassle-free journey.

Things to keep in mind while booking transfers and accommodation

• Only book the cheaper non-refundable flight or train tickets if you are absolutely certain of your vacation plans. Otherwise, it is advisable to book refundable tickets if booking well-in-advance.
• Flight prices fluctuate a lot, keep a track on flight prices by using Google Flights Tracker.
• Expect a surge in prices of flights and accommodations if you are booking tickets for a vacation that falls during the peak season of that particular destination.
• Use credit cards that give frequent flyer miles and points on every rupee spent on booking flights and hotels to earn great rewards and cash-backs.

4. Plan the day-wise activities and course of action

It always sounds fascinating and adventurous when touring plans are made on a sudden impulse and gut feel. However, the downside of going on such trips is that there could be many days where the scheduling can go haywire because of everything being so last-minute.

Things to keep in mind while planning day-wise activities

• Depending on the budget and time-at-disposal, getting a rough idea of what activities should be done on what day is a vital ingredient in understanding how to plan a trip perfectly.
• Transfers between destinations should be kept as much as possible during the evening/night. This will provide enough time for sightseeing and activities as most of them are only possible during the day-time.
• Most of the times, it is better to book activities like water sports, adventure sports, boat-rides, and safari rides at the destination itself to get a better price and some scope for bargaining.
• In the trip planner, keep only one or two activities in a day if the purpose of the trip is to relax and take it easy during the vacation.
• At some places, popular tourists activities like skiing, boating, scuba diving etc are closed during offseason. Check the availability of activities before going to the destination.