Planning & Preparation

🌏 Planning and Preparation:

Half the Fun of Travelling

Planning your trip

Hello and welcome back!

In this episode, I want to talk about one of my favourite parts of travelling — the planning.

Honestly, I think planning is at least half the fun.

Travel isn’t a one-size-fits-all adventure. My way of planning might not suit everyone, so take the hints that work for you… and feel free to skip the ones that don’t.

When you sit down with a notebook, a calendar, your laptop, or even a giant paper map spread across the dining table, what you’re really doing is building the bones of your trip. Once you’ve got the framework, the fun begins.

✨ Step 1: Where Do I Want to Visit?

The very first question I ask myself is: Where do I want to go?

Do I want to wander through Europe’s cobblestoned streets? Stay closer to home in Asia? Or maybe just throw a suitcase in the car and head off on an Australian road trip?

This stage is all about giving yourself permission to dream big. Don’t worry yet about visas, money, or whether your suitcase will survive another spin around the luggage carousel. Just dream. Imagine.

A great way to capture those ideas is with Tripadvisor. It’s perfect for saving destinations, restaurants, tours, and little experiences that catch your eye. Over time you’ll have a ready-made wish list to dip into. (I’ll share more about how I use it in a future post.)

🚌 Step 2: Do I Want to Do a Tour?

For me, the answer is usually yes.

Tours take the stress out of transport, accommodation, and logistics. Someone else does the hard work—I just show up with my passport.

One of my favourites is Backroads Touring. They specialise in small groups and off-the-beaten-path experiences. Instead of only ticking off the big cities, you get to explore villages, countryside, and sometimes even meet the locals. Their guides really know their stuff, which makes all the difference.

🗓 Step 3: Planning the Sequence

Because I’m travelling all the way from Australia, I often book two tours back-to-back. The trick is to find ones that have a five-day gap between them.

Those few days give me flexibility: I can rest, explore on my own, or sneak in a little side trip.

🧳 Step 4: Filling in the Blanks

Once the tours are locked in and the flights are sorted, it’s time to fill in the blanks.

This includes what I’ll do in the gaps between tours, and also what I’ll add at the start and finish of my trip.

Here’s where my new best friend, ChatGPT, comes in. AI can help brainstorm destinations, build itineraries, and even suggest things to do you’d never think of. (I’ll talk more about how I use it in future posts.)

For example: on my last trip to Europe, I added four days in Singapore on the way over. I explored, saw the sights, and eased myself into travel mode. On the way home, I stopped again for three days—this time purely to relax.

✈️ Pro tip for Australians: if you’re flying long-haul, plan a stopover. Cities like Singapore, Dubai, Hong Kong, or Doha are perfect. Not only do they break up the journey, but they also help your body adjust to time zones. Instead of stumbling into Europe jetlagged, you arrive fresh and ready to go.

🎉 Wrap-Up

That’s how I begin my planning: choosing destinations, picking tours, working out the gaps, and adding those little extras at the start and finish.

Planning doesn’t just save stress—it builds the excitement.

Thanks for reading—I can’t wait to see where we go next. And let’s be honest, half the fun is deciding how to spend a little of that kids’ inheritance on ourselves. 😉