Booking a trip is easy with this one link 6-step travel guide
Booking a trip is easy with this 6 step guide
Booking a trip is easy with this 6-step guide which I am about to share with you, but before I do…
I think we would all agree that booking a trip/vacation can be daunting sometimes and time consuming. It is never easy to just be landed with the best flight deals and beautiful accommodations within a budget that we seek. We spend hours looking for the best, suitable to our needs. I know. I have been there. Many times. So, I devise a list to simplify my tasks.
I am a dedicated user of lists! Travel lists, shopping lists, reading lists…everything is a list, There’s a blog on 25 tips that needs doing before going on a trip written by me to fulfil my obsession with lists! Having done so, I do find myself falling short of something in the end. Still, I am very much reliant on a list as I would be nowhere without them! I am sure most of us use a list of some sort in our daily lives and you can resonate with my feelings.
Finding my way…
However, over the years, I have come to realise and found some of the best ways to make my travel planning easier and less stressful. Time and again I keep returning to the same resources, who have now become my regular “suppliers”. So, I write this post for all travellers but especially for first-time travellers who are planning that memorable vacation or a vacation that is long overdue.
Well, here it is. It is a list, of course but a short one! I think booking a trip using this 6-step guide which includes my best resources to flights, accommodations and experiences is a great way to alleviate stress and save time.
1 | Tick off the Travel Checklist – 25 top tips to consider when you are booking your trip
The travel checklist I am referring to consists of 25 top tips and it embodies everything you need to consider, steps to take before your vacation. I have used this list on numerous occasions and I still return to it. I update it as often as I can when new challenges come my way such as ESTA for USA (#10 on my Travel Checklist).
View 25 Essential Tips for Travel in its entirety
2 | Book your flight
I have a few choices here. I like to search a few providers so I can get the best deal for my vacation. I go to google flights first because they are competitive and sometimes offer the best price. Then, I move to check some of my top choices.
I usually look up British Airways because I am a member. British Airways sometimes have good deals on flights and hotels combined.
There are a number of resources for flights which you could explore:
Etihad Airways
If you prefer to fly with specific airlines, take a look at Etihad Airways – my friends applaud them! Etihad offers great selection in destinations which may interest you. You can fly economy or business. Their flights are competitively priced – I checked! Along with this they have a good selection of hotels as well. Car hire options are included also.
Opodo
Opodo offers a user friendly platform with the latest and most competitive prices on flights, hotels and car hire. Opodo had saved me a lot of time from searching other sites.
My All in One Getaways
Sometimes I like to go on a vacation where everything is taken care of. Yes, I’m referring to All in One package holidays. This involves minimal planning on my part. It involves booking early though. Booking early does not mean you pay in full upfront and tie your money down. For a deposit as little as £30.00 per individual, you could secure your holiday. Full payment is not due until a month or couple of weeks prior to departure. There are about 10 benefits in booking an all in one holiday and the protection that comes with it is invaluable as well.
Depending on the type of vacation , my go to All in One holidays are Jet2holidays and OntheBeach. Both Jet2holidays and OntheBeach offer me with great choices on flights, dates and times. With my usual preference to travel off season, I secure low prices and best accommodations as well.
Learn more about > EasyJet Holidays 5 Protection Promise | Top 6 benefits of Jet2Holidays you need to know | Timeless Incredible holiday with On the Beach
Take a look at Best Offer on Winter Sun and Summers at the Beach 2021
3 | Book your place to stay when booking your trip
With so many choices out there, finding a place to stay while on vacation is not easy. For my stay, I usually take up the offer of a package with the airline I am travelling with. Some of these packages are 4-star hotels with very good reviews. So far all of my experiences when booking airlines + hotels have been really good.
However, sometimes I like to try something different when on a city break and I go for an upscale accommodation, like the Millennium Hotels and Resorts and a few others. There is no harm for a little pleasure in life 🙂
Click on the images to find out more. Book yourself a fabulous stay at any of the accommodations. Each is unique and offer optimum comfort.
And, there is booking dot com for everything else. With Booking, you can select your accommodations and pay later, usually 24 hours before arrival or pay upon arrival. If you choose to cancel, you can usually do so up to 24 hours before arrival date but as per norm, always check Terms & Conditions of booking.
Booking.com4 | Book your Activities
Depending on the type of vacation, I usually embed a couple of activities so I get to see more of the destination. More often than not, I do a city tour so I can learn more of the city from the tour guides. They have stories to tell not found in any guidebooks! Checkout some city guided tours – Venice, Verona, Milan, Paris, Amsterdam, Geneva and London
Besides city tours, my favourites are day-trips – guided day trips which I feel really are value for money activities. It can be anything from a trip to the mountains or multiple locations tour – it has been a win-win experience for me.
Peruse, select and book from a selection of Things to Do across destinations from these suggestions.
5 | Travel Insurance
No matter what you do, DO NOT travel without travel insurance. Get your travel insurance before your leave for the airport! There are a number of companies offering a range of cover to suit individual needs. A Complete Guide to Travel Insurance is available for you to peruse so you know what cover you need to look for when travelling.
When it comes to travel insurance and what is adequate cover, I use and recommend World Nomads Insurance. World Nomads are affordable, giving a wide range of cover and the best thing is you can insure on the go!
6 | Finally…YOU ARE SET TO GO
JUST DO NOT FORGET YOUR PASSPORT! – yeap, it can happen 🙂
Is this post valuable to you in planning your travels. If so please let me know in comments below, I would love to hear from you. Get in touch via Contact Form with Timeless Travel Steps to receive all the latest news, events and for any further info or to design your itinerary for you.
Happy travels! Have an awesome time wherever you go off to 🙂
Hi, I’m Georgina, a travel writer. Welcome to Timeless Travel Steps, a Top UK Travel + Culture blog: A space where I share my solo boomer travel steps with you. I seek stories, off-beat things to do and adore the culture and food of a region, while embracing comfort and slow travel as a responsible traveller in the off-season. I strive to share my vision and inspire my readers to explore for themselves. About Me.
“The use of travelling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how may be, to see them as they are”
Samuel Johnson
A helpful post for those that are starting out on their travels and need some guidance with how to book an independant trip.