The first step on a journey is to plan it. For me, this is a very important step. Once I have started to think about traveling somewhere, I get totally absorbed in this and keep going until I have a finished draft
Place or time
Sometimes we want to go away a special time of the year or some special days. Then it may be the air travel that gives us a destination. Another time we have decided were we want to go and the destination controls the time of the trip. The season or the climate can be important for when we go.
Select a flight
I usually start by looking for air travel on several different websites. Often I usually switch between several airlines until I find something interesting. Low price calendars can be interesting to look into if you want to find an affordable flight. The price can be interesting, but especially the travel time can be of great importance to what I choose in the end. We do not want long waiting times and sometimes we choose to travel if we think it is for uncomfortable times. When I have found a destination based on the flight, I start looking for accommodation. I never present a suggestion for our friends before I have looked at both air travel and accommodation.
Accommodation
I usually spend a lot of time looking for an accommodation that can fit our needs. I usually start with Booking.com and switch between looking at affordable accommodation, high ratings in the reviews and close to what we want to discover. Sometimes it is more important that it is nearby metro, buses or trains than that it is centrally located. I think that it is important to read reviews. The accommodation can get high marks for things that are not important. A real party place for young people may not be something I prefer. If several describe the beds as comfortable and the breakfast as good, it may be interesting to me. If you choose a hotel, bed and breakfast, hostel or apartment is a matter of taste. We often choose an apartment nowadays. In an apartment we can stay with our friends and feel like home. I usually choose an apartment with so many rooms that everyone can sleep in a bedroom and no one needs to sleep in the living room. I like if there is a dishwasher. When I have selected an accommodation that I like and it fits with the flight trip, I can sometimes also look at reviews on other pages. Before I book, I usually check that it is rebookable because you cannot be absolutely sure how you want to live before you have looked at more activities in the area.
Booking.comActivities at the destination
Sometimes you have an idea of what you want to do and then you already have something to continue working with. Other times you do not know what is offered at the destination. Common Google searches can often give an initial picture of what would be fun to explore more. Pictures of sights, lists of popular activities and travel agent descriptions can provide valuable information about what is common to do. I like to read a travel blog that describes the area. If you want to find some unusual activities you have to spend more time. If you want to travel around and live in different places, it may be good to look at travel companies that have similar trips. By looking at their program one can get an idea of whether your plan is a reasonable. Living in too many places is very tiring. I think it is fun to find some different things to do even if we have a theme for our trip.