How many of your travel plans were accomplished last year? Have you ticked off at least one in your bucket list? It’s so fun and exciting to come up with plans for your travel, but the hard part is actually making it happen. Time, money, schedules and availability are some of the powerful factors that make your travel plans come to life, but if all or one of these are not well-prepared, then it’s a “not yet” for them. 

If you write a list of your goals for every new year, surely, you have “to travel to different places” or maybe one certain place or country is one of them. As the year goes, you hope to achieve it, but unfortunately, not all of them happen, and sometimes, not even one. Well, maybe there are things you need to fix and improve on planning your trips. 

To aid you with that, below is a list of 10 tips in making better travel plans every new year. 2020 has just come, and this list is what you need if you’re still working on your travel goals for the year!

[1] CREATE A “THIS YEAR” BUCKET LIST

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A checklist is always important, and it surely helps a lot. Create a list of places you want to go to within the whole year. The list is basically like a bucket list, but make it specifically for the new year that has arrived. 

It’s possible that last year for example, you developed the desire to visit a beautiful country you have seen on television, but you were not interested before. Put that to your bucket list for the new year. That makes you excited for it since your admiration for it is fresh, and that makes the trip worth your efforts and money once it has happened.

This one’s like a goals list. Preferably, the number of places are something realistic for yourself. If you write 15 countries, do you think you will be able to achieve them all? It’s better to jot down those places which you think will be possible for you, considering your time and budget plus the requirements of that country. That makes you look at your list more feasible. If there’s too much, it might affect your motivation too.

[2] CHECK BACK YOUR OLD LIST

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If you have had made bucket lists from the previous years, take them out, and see how you have done back then. It’s fulfilling to know. Meanwhile, check out those places you have not yet ticked off your list. You will be able to get ideas from that. 

You could ask yourself if you still have interest in flying to those places or not anymore. If you could find places you still want to go to, then you should add them to your new list. 

[3] LOOK UP MUST-VISIT PLACES OF THE YEAR

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Every new year, there are countries and other places sought after by numerous travelers. Know what they are. Do your brief research about them. Check what interests you. 
Worth to read: Best Destinations for Wine Lovers.

Must-visit places are not famous and not recommended to both locals and tourists for nothing. If they are on the lists of top, best and must, it means they have awesome things and experiences to offer.

Get a chance to unveil the reason why people love them. Put them on your bucket list, and keep in mind that it’s a must! Doing these lists helps you not to run out of places to write down if ever you want to travel. With these, you can make more specific travel plans ahead of time.  

[4] NOTE THE ACTIVITIES YOU WANT TO TRY

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Part of the checklist of places mentioned above, a list of activities you want to experience is also advantageous. Accomplishing this makes you always prepared when sudden trips happen!

[5] LOOK AT YOUR OWN CALENDAR

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The chiefest element in determining the execution of your travel plans is your own schedule. Are you a student or a working person? What are your commitments? A calendar of your activities or a planner will be of great help to you in this need.

Know the default plans you have. Cross out the dates for those, so they will not be affected by any travel plan you are making ahead of time. You don’t want to sacrifice your weighty commitments, and you don’t want to waste your non-transferable plane ticket too, so be certain that you have understood your schedules, and if there will be changes, you cannot back out from your trip if you have a ticket. 

[6] INVITE AND PLAN WITH LOVED ONES

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If you want to have a group travel, it would be better to invite your loved ones, family and friends early, so everyone could check their schedules too. The more, the merrier, but the more, the messier too; that’s why you should plan carefully and properly altogether.

Send them your travel plans if you already have. Do that while the possible travel dates are still months from present because it’s not easy for everyone to fix their commitments and prepare for the trip. 

If you have not yet traveled with your family, make it a goal at the beginning of the new year! It’s a lovely thing to travel the magnificent world with your parents and your family!

[7] WATCH OUT FOR TICKET PROMOS

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There are seat sale promotions for airplane rides. There are also price markdowns for land travel transportation. All these are good to hear and actually are a good opportunity to cut down costs of your trip. 

You just have to be alert and watch for announcements regarding it. Quick hands are needed as well because they can easily run out; many people are waiting for them like you!

Make sure that by that time, you have your travel details and requirements ready, so you can just encode and submit them online. The same goes with loved ones going with you.

[8] BE INFORMED OF ACCOMMODATION

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Although there are many types of accommodation like hotels, inns and serviced apartments, it’s not easy to book a room, especially if the season you’re inquiring is a peak season. That’s why you must be informed well about the times when the hotel accommodation you are eyeing on is filled with guests like you.

You should always have a backup noted, so that when some problems arise regarding booking an accommodation, you will have alternatives. You will not be pulling your things on the rough ground while looking for a place to stay in during your travel.

[9] BUY ESSENTIALS AHEAD OF TIME

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Let the people say you are too ahead of time, but so what? If you are sure about your trip happening soon, why hesitate buying things you need ahead of time. In that way, you will avoid last-minute panic buying! You will be able to acquire your essentials, and when the day of your trip is coming close, all you need to do is to pack your stuff and leave.

[10] BUDGET AND SAVE UP SERIOUSLY

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Many do not take budgeting and saving up seriously. You have to. Without money, how can you travel? You cannot. 

Bear in mind that you can form better plans if you have money to actually rely on while you are making your travel plans! Traveling is not a joke, especially financially speaking, so even while the travel date still takes months to arrive, save up now.

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YOU’RE GOING PLACES!

The list above is very informative, and you can go back to it every new year if you annually want to make better travel plans. 

What a great fulfillment and achievement it is when you are able to get your travel goals done! Hopefully, this new year and every new year, you get to experience in real life the travel plans you have and you will create. You can always make them better!