A successful trip depends on a lot of things but for me there are 3 simple tips to put in place when planning your next trip. Between the trips I organized and my personal trips, that’s a lot of destinations and discoveries. Suddenly, I had time to see exactly what can make a trip successful or leave us with a bitter taste.

Tip #1: Controlled budget

The crucial point before thinking about the program or the choice of plane tickets, hotel, excursions. In short, first of all you must precisely define your budget . Because not defining a budget means taking the risk of being disappointed, of starting to dream of a country and finally realizing that you will have to wait until you have a fuller wallet to get there. My first advice is to choose your next trip according to your budget and not the other way around.

So, you need to take into account that a large part of your overall budget will go into these expenses. But it will allow you to have a free mind and make the most of your trip. The advantage of defining this part of the budget well in advance is that it leaves time to save. By taking several months in advance you can stagger your reservations and approach the trip more calmly.

The budget during the trip

Evaluating this budget before leaving is really useful to avoid unpleasant surprises where you end up with €5 in your pocket and there are still 4 days of travel left. It is quite easy today to find information in guidebooks on the average prices of meals or museum entries. Knowing that certain destinations such as Japan allow access to all temples (or almost free) and that, conversely, in Italy many churches require an entrance fee, it is better to know in advance where you will have to take your precious euros .

A controlled budget is one of the keys to a peaceful trip. I explain to you how I organize my travel budget to leave with a free mind.

Tip No. 2: The prepared itinerary

Once you have determined the budget and found a destination that fits your wallet, we move on to the itinerary.

My favorite stop! I don’t know about you, but I like to explore, search and find unique places to visit. My goal in preparing my itinerary is to optimize visits and journeys, to make the most of the trip.

And then you will say to yourself that I am denigrating my own workplace but that is not the case at all. I use the internet every day to help my clients create their trips, but I use it wisely.

There are many (too many) sources on the internet: blogs, tour operator sites, my colleagues’ sites, booking platforms…

Before, entrust your trip and especially your money to anyone (me). included) check some information.

An essential point to check, in my opinion, is the type of person who offers you these services.

A professional and an individual do not offer the same guarantees, you must have access, for example, to the conditions of sale, a clear quote and secure payment. And above all, a minimum of information

My preference is Lonely Planet which I find has a nice selection of destinations. In addition, at the end of the guide you have a detachable map which is very practical when you arrive in a country. The guides are mines of practical and basic information, it is often a first approach for me. However this does not remai my only source I need to complete.

You have noticed that as soon as you decide to go somewhere, you come across 10 people who have been there and who want to tell you everything about the country. Traveling buddies don’t have bad intentions, but they don’t know how or why you’re traveling.

I see it every day. I have travelers who tell me they recommended this and this and then this too. And who end up telling me that they no longer know what to do or where to go. Because Jean-Paul advised them against a particular historic site or, conversely, Louise told them that it was has-been to do this type of visit.

We are all different when it comes to a travel project and what displeases some may please others, I repeat there is no truth in travel.