Booking a Trip is always an incredibly fun thing to do, but because of the excitement it’s easy to get carried away and miss something important. Whether it’s visiting a destination at the wrong time of year, forgetting to pack something essential or missing out on a great excursion because you didn’t do your research - planning in advance is the best way to avoid making any mistakes.

With that in mind, here are 6 things to consider before booking a trip:

1. What Is Your Budget?

Before you plan any trip you need to work out what your budget is going to be. Whilst it may seem boring and unnecessary for some, setting yourself a budget will allow you to have a stress-free vacation that doesn’t involve worrying about money. Make sure you budget for transport, accommodation, food and drink and activities. It’s also great to have a contingency plan so you have spare money just in case of emergencies.

2. Where Will You Be Going?

Working out where you will be going is absolutely vital for obvious reasons, but often it’s quite a hard choice to make. Knowing whether to book a short break to a nearby city, or splash out on something further afield is the best place to start when you’re planning your next trip. Once you know what kind of vacation you want, you can start to narrow it down to more specific destinations.

3. How Long Will You Be Going For?

Often, deciding how long you’re going to go away for will depend on where you’re traveling to. If you’re travelling to a city you’re not likely to spend more than a week there, however if you’re going somewhere like Thailand or Bali then people can spend as long as 3 months exploring the islands.

4. What Time Of Year Do You Want To Go?

Although you may not think it, for some countries there are certain times of the year that you might not want to visit. Whether it’s because of the weather, a particular event or a religious festival - finding out the best time to go should be an essential part to your planning.

5. What Will You Do Whilst There?

Researching what you want to do whilst you’re on your vacation is always a good idea, especially before you book as it gives you an idea of whether or not it’s the right destination for you. A great way to do this is to Google local events and news for your chosen location, highlighting and saving the different activities and reasons you want to visit.

So, whether it’s visiting the parks in Orlando, finding out more about Drew Fasy in New Jersey or hiking to the stunning views in Bannf - planning these things in advance definitely help.

6. What Do You Need To Pack?

Finally, once you know your budget, where you’re going and how long for - you can work out exactly what you need to pack! There are always lots of packing guides for specific countries available online, so make sure you check these out if you’re really struggling.

Are you planning a trip soon? What are you preparing in advance? Let me know in the comments section below.