If you’re reading this, you’re probably thinking, ‘how hard can it really be?’ You know – you want to go on a trip, you decide where to go, and you just go. Right?
Well once upon a time that was the case, but what with on and off closures and access to other states being somewhat of a lottery due to the coronavirus situation, things ain’t what they used to be (as the song goes…). But, and the but does look big in this, beyond those hopefully temporary restrictions, the essentials of planning a trip stay the same. Maybe we will have to adapt a little, and the best way to enrich our lives is to travel as much as we can manage. And if you can’t right now, it doesn’t stop you from maybe planning for when you can.
As we said at the beginning, some people just pick a spot on the map and go. Well, that might be okay for some; and if that’s you, then great. We’re not quite that free-spirited, as we’ve found taking that kind of approach can sometimes mean missing out on some cracking events because we didn’t even know they were on. That’s why our trip planning is somewhat more structured. Heck, some might even say anal… but hey, it works for us.
We find trip planning can be just as much fun as the actual trip. Well, almost. It really comes down to how to go about it. What kind of trip are you looking for? Consider the destination, how much time you’ve got, whether anyone is travelling with you, the time of year you’ll be travelling, and the overall purpose of the trip – i.e. are you after a laid-back kind of holiday, or more of an adventure-seeking one? These will all have a bearing on your trip planning approach.
Okay, if your trip planning skills need a little brush-up, let’s break it down.
You’ve probably heard the old saying, “What came first? The Chicken or the egg”? Either way, there’s no official starting point to trip planning other than a series of questions to ask yourself and fellow travelling companions to eventually come up with a plan. That’s right, we’re working out a plan; and like any plan, it starts from an idea. Plant the right seeds and watch it grow into reality, and along the way the excitement builds. Eventually, we lock in the plan and start to prepare for the trip – but here we’re only talking about sketching out the basics.
Because there are so many different types of trips to choose from, we’ll pick one scenario to help explain the steps we use. Let’s say we have an idea for a trip to escape the cold wintery southern region of Oz, taking us to a place we haven’t been before, and travelling with our RV. We’d also like to invite some friends along for this trip, and we need to set a budget for expenses and entertainment.
So here are our 10 steps for making a plan.
But what exactly do we pack? At least have an idea what type of trip it’s going to be. You know, if it’s the type of trip that’s going to be a stroll, it likely means late starts with early finishes for daily happy hours. Or perhaps it’s a trip to get to a place because there’s a festival on – right now, rare, we know – and we need to be on time. Maybe it’s a fishing trip, and the main objective is to bag out every day. Whichever type of trip it is, it’s important there’s an understanding of the purpose before you invite others to join, as they might have a different idea. If they’re not aware of what they’re signing up for from the beginning, you might just find your friendship short-lived.
When allocating time for the trip, you’ll need a rough idea of whether it’s for a week’s getaway, a month-long jaunt, or much longer. While this question may seem obvious, having a rough idea of the trip duration will have some bearing on travel distances, the time to allow at a base camp (and how many of these you’ll propose), and whether you need to make other plans to look after your normal abode during your absence.
Here comes the fun part, because if you have a wide enough scope in Steps 1 and 2, then your choices are (almost) endless. Try and pick a turnaround point and work away from that. Let’s say Cairns will be the turnaround point, and we’re coming from the south. The next step is considering some possible routes by looking at things on a map such as places, towns and national parks, and start by placing dots on the map, then it’s simply a case of joining the dots. Now you know why they made you do it at pre-school, as it was going to come in handy one day! With all the dots on the map, you’ve got lots to work with – so you’re ready for Step 4.
Until now, it’s been your plan. But if you’re inviting friends, they need to have a say in joining the dots, and locking in dates and timeframes to get ownership. This is best done around a table, breaking some ‘bread’ as we would say. They might not be able to swallow all the proposal in its entirety (hence having flexibility), but let’s say they want in on parts of it. Here’s where allocating tasks for others to research spreads the load.
With everyone having a list of dots covering towns or places to visit, it’s time to find out more about these places. Internet searches work well; as do forums, magazines and TV shows. But we find the best method is talking to the locals, meaning the local information centre, shire councils, and even the hotels. Also, try to find out what plans the local caravan parks have for the year ahead – right now this is not only essential but you may well discover a special offer in order to have you there. You wouldn’t want to travel to a far-flung destination and then miss the best bits or the local ‘hidden treasures’. So the bottom line here is that doing a bit of research might just sway your plan in a direction you hadn’t previously considered.
With the research findings now brought back to the table, and along with our dot map, we can start to look at the many options we’ve got in front of us. Next, we’ll start the process of deciding and choosing some destinations based on how we want to fill in our days.
This is where we look at what we can really afford, as we need to spend our hard-earned cash wisely. It’s here the thrifty traveller needs to consider expenses such as fuel, accommodation, supplies, and what’s left over that can be spent on attractions. Setting a budget that sits well with all travelling participants ensures everyone can participate and they don’t have to miss out (check out our tips for Tight Arse Travel here).
You need to decide where the final destination will be, or the turnaround point if it’s a loop trip. The aim here is to work out the distances you’ll be travelling daily in line with Step 1, the trip’s purpose. Now that you’re also armed with key dates for catching that attraction or bagging that fish, it may influence what you originally thought to be the turnaround point – as it could need changing now due to the many other things that have been put on the table. Being flexible is the key. Again, make sure you tune in to the news, local and national, for issues that may affect or cause a re-think of your plans.
Now that our sketched-out plan consists of a map with places to go, times to be there, distances between towns, and any events, this step is to calculate how much it will all cost based on the information we’ve worked out to date. We call this a ‘first pass’ or ‘draft’ plan. Its purpose is to confirm whether you can do what you’d like to do in the allotted time and budget. Are you the type that likes to play with numbers? This is where the accountant in you comes into play. Or better still, let one of your team have a crack at driving the keyboard if they love the numbers game.
With the spreadsheet now crunched (and you’ve got some answers), it’s time again to break bread and try to lock it into becoming a plan that everyone can agree on and take ownership of. It’s about locking in bookings from here, taking into account the ‘Murphy’ factor. So allow time for those moments where things can go wrong. This document now becomes the starting point that everyone will work to, but be ready to change it along the way for any other factors that come into play.
We now have a plan; from an idea, we’ve created a trip that, simply put, is going to be awesome. We know where we’re going, when we’re getting there, where we’ll stay, what we’re seeing, who’s coming, and how much we’ll be spending. And we’ve even built in time for Murphy and his friend Sod (practitioners at law)!
Yes, we may have over-simplified the steps and taken some liberties, but while it may look simple to many it’s important that you take the time to research. If you’re travelling with others, it’s also important for them to own the plan too. That way everyone knows what to expect, except for when Murphy comes a-knocking. But hey, that’s half the fun.
Words and images Grant Hanan and Linda Bloffwitch.
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