How to Plan the Perfect (and Most Picturesque) Trip

Long time no blog! That’s for obvious reasons (this is a travel blog, we’re in 2020) but I’m excited to start blogging more regularly again. With the need to plan more on-the-fly trips this year, I’ve been able to flex my travel planning muscles just a little bit despite not actually leaving the country.

A recent weekend here in the UK

I’ve already touched on planning accommodation and transport here but this post is going to be focusing more on the attractions when you’re actually at your location. For me, that does take a little bit of research because I love to explore through photography which means finding photogenic areas and viewpoints. Nothing below is revolutionary but personally I find that a bit of research makes all the difference when you’re there!

Official websites

If you’re visiting a national park, major city, or really anywhere, then there will most likely be an official website with information on Things to See, Things to Do, Planning a Trip. This can be a good place to start, or to refer back to. Overall I think the steps below tend to be better planning tools but it is good to have a reference point.

Blogs

Blogs are a great tool for uncovering a sensible list of attractions from a real life human point of view, in one place, with great pictures too. To find blog posts, the best way I’ve found is to search the location followed by “itinerary” or “blog” and then scroll past all of the big names to the blog gold dust. Even if you don’t want an itinerary it’s a good way to find blog sites.

Obviously not all blog posts are created equal, so I tend to read quite a few even though there is bound to be repetitive information. If you particularly like any bloggers that you come across, you can always save their page for reference making this step easier on future trips!

Llyn Gynant and Elephant Rock. Keep reading to see how I knew where to stop to get this view!

Instagram

As I’m browsing, it’s good to look on Instagram for posts and stories that are geo-tagged to get an idea of where other people are visiting, and what kind of pictures they’re taking. You might come across vaguely tagged places but the comments sometimes give away the spot if you care to do some digging.

Maps.me

The most important part! Maps.me is a free map app which is global and offline:

• You download the relevant regions and pin locations

• It works like other map apps in that you can route car/bike/foot journeys with your current location

• You can also search for ‘parking’, ‘toilets’ or even ‘viewpoint’… all offline!

• Other categories include restaurants, hotels, supermarkets, wifi spots, petrol stations etc.

• Paths are marked on the app, which means that you can hike safely

I know I’m banging on about it but it really has been a game changer for me. As you’re browsing all of the sources above, or even getting recommendations from friends, pin the spots that interest you to use when you’re there. I actually even do this for countries/regions that I don’t have any immediate plans to visit.

The other aspect of Maps.me is doing that investigation - if I’ve seen something tagged on Instagram (for example) but not sure where it was taken, I can look out on Maps.me for viewpoints/beaches etc. The above screenshot shows where I parked for the beautiful view Elephant Rock and Llyn Gwynant.

Honourable mentions

• Google maps: I do of course use Maps.me for maps but I also like to have Google maps open (as I’ll usually be doing this on desktop) as a quick reference point. If I see somewhere get mentioned I can quickly search on Google maps to check where it is, or quickly see how long it would take to drive from the accommodation.

• Youtube: If you have the time, watching vlogs or travel diaries can be a good way to get a feel of a location and possibly add more locations to your list. Again, finding a good video might be easier said than done when it comes to more specific or off-the-beaten-path locations.

• Lonely Planet: I have a few coffee table Lonely Planet books which are far less detailed for specific regions but can be good to check you know the top rated spots in a country! You can of course also buy books for certain countries/regions which would then aid more.

• Tripadvisor: If you’re really stuck, you can use Tripadvisor’s ‘Things to Do’ section to get an understanding of the top rated attractions in a location. The reviews can also be useful in getting some tips (particularly by looking at the time of year if this is something you want a feel of) and looking at the photos posted by other travelers to see what kind of shots people are achieving! Honestly a lot of the photos uploaded on Tripadvisor are pure garbage so if something looks good on there you know it must be stunning in real life!

And that’s it! It might seem like a lot of effort but I am a huge planner, which is part of the enjoyment, and I find it makes a huge difference when I’m in a place. Just knowing where to go for that shot I really want to get or what hike to do, takes all the effort out when I’m there! I hope you found this post useful and if you’re more of a spontaneous traveler (unlike me), let me know in the comments!