I love traveling; 81 countries so far. Another thing I love almost as much is the planning I do beforehand. For a research nerd like me, putting a trip together is half the fun.
People have asked me questions about this so, in this post, I want to discuss our planning process.
How do you choose where to go?
After the 2024 election, Champa and I decided to spend more time outside the United States. We accelerated our travel plans and looked for ways to combine countries into longer trips. Earlier this year, for example, we needed to return to Nepal to dedicate the school we helped build there. We added Sri Lanka and Bhutan and also stopped in Dubai. When we visited the Balkans, we added Italy since it’s near Albania.
We pay attention to global seasons and weather patterns. So: Australia and Argentina during our winters; Alaska and Nova Scotia during our summers.
How do you research a destination?
The itineraries of established tour companies — such as Rick Steves, Friendly Planet and TourRadar — are good sources. So are local travel companies and guidebooks, which I borrow from our local library. We watch travel videos on YouTube and use Chat GPT.
Do you travel independently or in groups?
We prefer traveling on our own so we can go where we want, be flexible and save money. However, if want to visit lots of places quickly or have concerns about logistics or safety, we may join a group, as we did in the Balkans (Choose Balkans), South Africa (Friendly Planet), New Zealand (Grand Pacific Tours) and the Baltics (Baltics Tours).
When we think we need help but don’t want to join a group, we may turn to local travel planners, which I find and review online. That’s what we did in Morocco (Best Travel), China (U Travel) and Southeast Asia (Authentic Asia). It’s cheaper to work directly with a local company instead of one based in the United States, which usually outsources the job anyway. Why pay extra for an intermediary? I can often pay local companies through an international payment app such as Wise.
Do you stay in hotels? Airbnbs? Someplace else?
It depends. Airbnb is great, and we’ve used it often, especially for longer stays or when traveling with others. I use hotels.com, too. Booking.com has broadened beyond Europe and hotels to include more options. Often I’ll dig into Google searches, scroll past the sponsored links and find local listings that don’t have an international markup. I no longer stay in hostels, but they can be a good way to cut costs and meet fellow travelers.
Ideally, a property is located within walking distance of the main attractions, which are often in historic neighborhoods. This may be pricier, so I often broaden my search to include places further away that are near metro stops. I also check whether Uber or other ride-sharing services are available. I prefer these to taxis, which sometimes cheat foreigners if there’s not a fixed price.
How do you handle reservations for tours and other activities?
I research these in advance. As I wrote in my last post, we often use free waking tours, as well as sites such as Viator and GetYourGuide for day trips. These sites also help me identify promising destinations that I may book more cheaply with a reputable local company. I avoid nonrefundable ticket purchases but make them when necessary, such as when we visited the Colosseum in Rome.
How do you move around within a country?
We traveled on Flix buses in Slovenia, Croatia and Italy, using their excellent app. In Italy, we rode high-speed trains, using the Trenitalia app. In big cities like Rome and Frankfurt, we used subways and buses. With their “Tap and Go” systems, we swiped our Visa cards instead of having to buy tickets. During recent trips we’ve also used ferries, funiculars, cable cars, ships, airplanes and a tuk-tuk in Sri Lanka.
What kind of luggage do you use? How much do you pack?
We’ve evolved to just using carry-on bags, even for longer trips — Travelpro for me, Eagle Creek for Champa. Along with small daypacks, that’s all we need. We try to stay at an Airbnb with a washing machine at least every ten days. We’ve found it much easier to travel with smaller bags, which also avoid airplane luggage charges and delays.
How do you handle medications?
We always keep these with us. To reduce space, I buy smaller sizes and use baggies to hold pills.
How about phones?
We both have iPhones and a T-Mobile plan that includes international coverage. We bring two chargers with all of the adapter plugs and cables we need. We use one charger and keep the other in a separate bag as a backup.
Which credit cards do you use?
I’m currently using two Visa cards with cash-back benefits and free international transactions, and a Charles Schwab card that reimburses me for ATM withdrawals. I’ve previously used airline cards that offered generous sign-up miles. I know some people like loyalty programs for an airline or hotel chain, but I prefer more flexibility.
How do you and Champa divide this work?
Fortunately, I enjoy this process. She doesn’t. However, we discuss everything and she often has helpful suggestions, and we always travel easily together. Before we depart, I compile everything into a detailed document, which I print and put on our phones.
Needless to say, we also value our time at home, to hang out with family and friends, handle any business, volunteer in the community and catch our breath.
We didn’t want the election to turn out this way but, for now, we’re determined to make the most of it. In fact, I’m planning on it.
Thanks to my sister, Nancy Collamer, for suggesting this post. Nancy is a retirement coach who produces an excellent blog and newsletter.
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