Do you want to plan your holiday without worrying about it all the time and avoid the horror of a chaotic arrival? Here is how you plan your trip hassle-free, and enjoy your holiday to the fullest.

1. Get everything done at home before you leave!
There is nothing worse than thinking about things that are not finished at home and wait for you when you come back.
Your holiday should be free from thoughts about the things you have to fix at home. Make sure you get done everything before you leave, so you can relax and be free of any worries.
Make a list of things you normally have to do before you leave for your holiday. Ask yourself:

• What needs to get done before you leave?
• Are there any important emails you have to reply or any bills that you have to pay?
• Do you have pets or plants that someone needs to take care of while you are away?
• Do you have somebody for that or do you have to organize someone?

2. Start planning your trip early enough!
If you start thinking about everything you’ll need and want to see, it will stress you out. Instead, plan early and make sure you have enough time to organize everything and buy everything you will need for your trip.

• Is your passport still valid?
• Do you have the right visa?
• Do you need any insurances, vaccinations or medication for your trip?

The earlier you start planning, the easier it will be to fix any upcoming problems. Also, book your flight as early as possible, it will be much cheaper. Take the chance to get the perfect seat for your flight by checking-in online 48 hours before your departure.

3. Get informed about the country you want to go!

• What is special about the culture in the country you want to go?
• Which religion do they have?
• How is the weather/temperature?
• What is the exchange rate?
• Is it common to negotiate or to give tips?
• How is the criminality?
• How is the traffic? Is it safe to drive your own? Are there public transportations?

These things are important! You need to know if you have to dress up appropriately (especially women) at some places for religious reason, and there may be rules you have to follow on sacred places too. Some behaviors that seem normal for us might be impolite in other cultures. You should be able to answer these questions before you start your journey.

4. Get the right equipment!
Take your camera with you! Of course, you can also take pictures with your smartphone but you´ll be very happy afterwards when you have good quality pictures of your holiday.
But make sure you have the right bags to keep everything safe, so nothing gets stolen or damaged.
Also, get the right size of your luggage. Don’t take too much with you, it will only annoy you to carry it around and you might want to shop some things so leave space for that.
Take a small backpack or bag with you, that keeps your stuff safe when you go on any excursions or to the beach. We recommend the Citysafe™ CS300 anti-theft compact backpack – it’s small enough for your beach gears, with room for your camera, sunnies and reading book!

5. Plan your expenses!
Not only your flight or accommodation will cost you money, but also everything you might want to do during the day. So make a list of things you don’t want to miss and look up how much they will cost you.

• How much do you want to spend on food every day?
• How much on transport?
• How much for excursions?
• How much for shopping?

Have you followed all the tips? Then the only thing left to do is enjoying your holiday!
 
Laura Wendrich
Laura Wendrich is a Dutch writer who believes in treating the body and soul as a complete whole. She also shares her travel adventures on Treat Your Soul.