Preparation takes the stress out of travel and allows you to experience every moment. Also, it’s part of the fun!
I really enjoy finding out all about the places I’m going to visit and thinking about what might make my time away even more special.
Based on my own experiences, I’ll cover a few of the things I do to prepare, and what could make your travel prep a bit easier.
Scope
The very first thing you’ll need to do is determine the scope of what you’re going to do on your trip. Is it a weekend in the wilds of Wales, or quick hop over the Channel for a few days in France? Are you planning to go to more than one country or spend all your time in one place? Is it your bucket list trip of a lifetime or something a little more spontaneous?
Being clear about your intention will help inform the rest of your preparations. Some of the key considerations I have when deciding the scope of what I am going to do are shown here.
Duration …
how much time do you have to play with? Do you need to book time from work? Do you have other commitments?
Destination …
where do you want to end up and what would you like to see along the way?
Timing …
do you want to travel at a particular time of year? Is that going to be determined by weather or events?
Budget …
do you want to stick to a particular budget or can you be flexible on costs?
Undoubtedly there will be other considerations for you, but so long as you are aware of them and can keep them in mind, you are already long way towards being prepared!
A right big list
Never has there been a better time for a right big list than when you’re getting ready for an adventure. Seriously, my shopping and Christmas lists pale into insignificance when compared with my adventure preps.
There’s lots of ways you can handle your list and the first thing is to note I said ‘list’ there, not ‘lists’ … you need a single point of truth so don’t be sticking Post It’s everywhere unless its on just one wall. And if you do that, make sure you take a picture of that wall with you on your travels.
I’m a fan of spreadsheets, mainly because they help you manage the ‘where, when and how’ of a trip. I can sort and filter them, and get them to do the maths for me when I’m trying to figure out costs. Also, I can add and remove highlights for the stuff I think I’m going to need to figure out as I go.
I’ve put an excerpt of mine here, you’ll notice it has different tabs for different types of things, so trip activities are on the first tab, the kit I need is on the second and so on.
The 4th tab here relates specifically to the things I need to do immediately prior to my trip and don’t want to forget. As I complete each one I colour it grey, and highlighted anything I’d not yet done. Don’t worry, I did remember to pack my red bag!
Whatever you use, make sure it’s going to be available to you at all times while you are travelling. So if you are storing anything online, download a copy for times when you might not be able to connect to the internet.