The Seven P’s for an Epic Trip
Prior: Before you get to said destination, one question you should be asking yourself is, what do I NEED to know about this place that may affect my travel?
- Is it a peaceful safe place?
- Does it have extreme weather certain times of the year?
- Do they speak any English or do you know any of their language?
- Do you need a passport, visa or special privileges to enter this place?
- Are there certain cultural practices or festivities happening?
All of these are necessary questions to answer before you even book your trip because they determine if it is even possible. You don’t want to go through the time and hassle of booking flights, transportation and accommodations if a tsunami is going to block you from getting there, or the boat worker’s strike is going to prevent transportation to your destined island. This prior first step is crucial to getting your trip started in the right direction. Do your research on these prior questions, so that you don’t wind up missing out on that “could have been” epic trip.
Proper: After you have affirmed that it is a safe, weather practical, and culturally acceptable place to go, you can move on to the next phase of preparing. This proper phase deals with the backbone of details. These questions will outline your trip and itinerary.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO GO?
- Does weather matter?
- Does price matter?
- Does tourist season bustle matter?
- Does events and festivals matter?
WHAT IS YOUR PRICE RANGE?
- How pampered do you need to be in accommodations?
- How long are you spending there?
- How much do you want to spend on activities or adventures?
- Are you flying, driving, or using public transportation?
WHY ARE YOU GOING?
- What do you want out of this trip?
- How deep into the culture do you want to go?
- What types of places and things do you want to see?
- Which kind of activities are you in to?
First, narrow down the when. That will affect most of your trip price-wise and activity-wise. After you know when you want to go start making a giant list of what you want to do and see. All of these are why you are going, after all, so don’t hold back. Put everything you could dream about on that list. It can be narrowed down later during the price range cuts. Everyone has different priorities when traveling, so the final part is completely up to you. Where is your money best spent? Does the dollar sign outweigh the adventure and experience? My personal suggestion is to remember that you don’t want to cut your experience short. Especially if you are investing a good chuck of time and effort to get to this place, try to get the fullest experience out of it, sometimes that means dropping a few extra dollars. The worst feeling is coming home and saying, “I really wish I would have done that adventure and seen that monument, that was stupid of me.” Unfortunately, more than likely, you won’t go back.
This backbone, proper phase, will hopefully prevent those sad “I wish I woulda, coulda, shoulda” sayings. Take some time and really think about this part of preparing for your trip. You don’t have to know every little detail about every little spot, but if you don’t even know about it, how will you find it when you get there? Take some of the stress away by traveling with knowledge. It will make you more confident and save you time whey you get there.
Planning: The last step is the logistics of your trip. It’s time to plug in those previous answers and nail down which ones matter the most.
MAIN MODE OF TRANSPORTATION
FLYING
- Where is the closest airport?
- Does your hotel/accommodation pick you up?
- Will you get a renal car?
- Will you need a taxi or shuttle?
- Will you use public transportation?
DRIVING
- How long will it take you?
- How much does gas cost here and there?
- Will there be tolls?
- Will there be free parking at your accommodations?
- Are there any vehicle regulations in that place?
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
- How long will it take you?
- How close to your accommodations will it take you?
- Do they allow luggage?
SECONDARY TRANSPORTATION
RENTAL CAR
- How late is the rental place open?
- Do they have extra fees for age etc?
- When do you have to return the car by?
- Do they require you to fill the tank upon return?
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
- Can you buy a multi-day pass?
- How close to your destined attractions does it take you?
- How frequent does it run?
- Where can you get on and off?
- How late does it run?
ACCOMMODATIONS
- Availability
- Proximity to transportation
- Proximity to activities
- Amenities
After you know HOW you are going to get there, WHERE you are going to stay, and HOW you are going to get around, you can start to figure out the logistics of your adventures. The following will help you organize which will be the best days for what.
WHAT IS THE WEATHER GOING TO DO, AND ARE YOUR ACTIVITIES DEPENDENT ON THAT?
- Does the mode of transportation run on that specific day?
- How far from your accommodations is the activity?
- Is there a set date for said activity?
- Are you going to have enough energy on that day? (do more strenuous activities toward the beginning so you feel more energetic)
- When do things close down?
- Are their certain days that attractions are not open?
- Is there a “cheap” day to go to said activity?
- Did you schedule time to relax or regroup?
- Where do you want to eat?
Plan big, but not too big. Remember that traveling is exhausting and after a long day on the road or fighting your way through airport lines you probably will want some chill relaxing time. Don’t worry if you don’t have everything figured out to a T, giving yourself a basic outline of ideas will go a long way for making an epic trip.
With these PRIOR PROPER PLANNING techniques you can prepare yourself for an awesome trip. Doing a little research before hand can save you from stressful situations on the road. Use these questions and tips so that you too can PREVENT PISS POOR PERFORMANCE when traveling.
If you want more help planning your trip we would love to give you some great ideas. Our team has been to many great places around the world and can give you ideas, resources and recommendations. Contact us, check out our experiential travel page, or see our maps page for help in planning your next epic trip!