Chose your destination. If you don´t know where you are going, then the other steps will make no sense. If you are planning a vacation and are unsure of where to go, you should initially consider your budget for the trip and the time you have available. Finally, take into account your preferences: beach or mountains, countryside or cosmopolitan city, child-friendly or adults-only.
Decide on the method of transportation. How are you going to get to where you want to go: car, train, plane, boat? Which class or comfort level? There´s usually first, business and coach for planes, or first and second class for trains, for example. The transportation you choose will affect the next step because it will involve getting from your arrival point to your lodging. Once you have decided how you will get to your destination, you must book the appropriate arrangements: It could be a flight, a cruise, a car rental, a train ticket or even bus tickets.
Reserve lodging. This might be a hotel -- ranging from one to five stars -- a guest house, a bed and breakfast or even a hostel. Ensure you have lodging for each night of your trip before you leave. You don't want to run into any unpleasant surprises if you count on finding something along the way. Look for lodging that accommodates budget and needs, and make sure that it is located in a strategic point for your trip. For example, if it´s a business trip, you may prefer the lodging to be close to the office where you are working. Or you may prefer to be close to the airport so that you may easily access your lodging once you land and quickly check out before departure. In addition, you should make sure your lodging is easily accessible from your arrival point. Once you have your travel and lodging booked, don´t forget to book transportation between the two points, if necessary. For example, if you arrive at the airport and you reserved a hotel in the middle of a city, you will have to procure transportation to and from the airport. Although some hotels offer free shuttles, others might require you to take a taxi from the airport to the hotel, and back once you leave.
Decide on meals and sightseeing. When planning a trip, your budget for meals plays an important role. If you don´t mind eating fast food during your stay, you may overlook this step, but if part of your trip is to indulge in local gastronomy, then this step should be carefully planned. Research the restaurants you are interested in and call ahead to make reservations, if necessary. In addition, you should calculate any tourist visits and sightseeing into the travel arrangements, if necessary. For example, if you are headed to Paris, you might want to reserve a visit to the Eiffel Tower ahead of time (this can be done online), so as to avoid standing in line to buy tickets.
Making an itinerary is much like making a calendar for your trip. Once travel arrangements have been made, you can start by writing "Day 1" on a sheet of paper next to your date of departure. Continue doing so for every day of the trip. The last day you mark will be the day of arrival back home.
Choose how specific you want to be. You may be able to calculate every aspect of the trip down to the minute if you are on a one-day business trip, or be rather loose if you are on a weeklong vacation. Start filling out the calendar with what you do know: date and time of departure, date and time of arrival, approximate travel time between place of arrival and lodging and appropriate reservations if any, check-in time and location for your lodging, planned activities (meetings, sightseeing, restaurants) and so on.
Leave room for error. Things happen when we travel, including bad weather, traffic jams and overbooked hotels. Leaving some room for error, or at least having a backup plan, can save you a headache later on. If you are going on vacation, it is good to make a "rainy day" or alternate plan if many of the main activities you have planned are outdoors.
Share a copy of the itinerary with close family members or friends. Particularly if you are going abroad, this may be a good idea in case in the case of an emergency.
