Budget and Itinerary: The Traveler’s Chicken and Egg

Which came first---the budget or the itinerary?

Paris?! Vegas?! Bali? Rio?!

Decision paralysis can easily set in as you start to research possible trip ideas. I know several people who have started to plan a trip, only to hand it over to a tour group operation (Don’t do it!) or abandon the idea completely because they couldn’t get past the idea phase.

Here are a few tips that I’ve found to help with travel planner’s block:

Sketch with a time limit

My first major trip was part of a grant program for teachers. In typical me fashion, I learned about the program the day the application was due. I had 12 hours to decide on a destination, write up a statement of intent, and budget the entire trip. Oh, and I had to teach that day. So, more like 4 hours.

I could have spent days researching the best destinations around the world, but my need for speed helped me clarify and eliminate some of the options. In the end, 4 hours was plenty of time. My rough draft wasn’t set in stone. One of the countries I had on my itinerary turned out to be rather dangerous (oops!) so I nixed it. But I came away with a fairly good idea of my Top Three (see below) in less than 4 hours.

Determine your Top Three...

What you really need to know before moving on is pretty basic:

1. What do you want to accomplish?

2. Where do you need to go to accomplish it?

3. How much money are you prepared to spend?

...but keep them separate.

Don’t flip-flop back and forth and try to determine the destination and the budget at the same time.

Decide them separately and then wait to combine them. They are only tangentially related.

Do you want to really go to Paris but think it's outside your price range?

Bullshit.

Just adjust how you travel...

...or how long you travel...

...or when you travel.

A trip to Paris could cost one person $10,000 and another person $2,000.

Where have you always dreamed of going? Go there. The budget can always be adjusted to fit.

But...what if the goal and/or the location are pretty broad?

What if the goal is just to spend time with my family?

Or what if I just want to relax and not be at work?

Or what if I just want to practice my Spanish?

That's OK. Revel in your flexibility.

My British friend's brother used to show up with his friends at London's Stansted Airport and get on the first RyanAir plane taking off. They purchased their tickets at the gate, destination previously unknown. Their budget wasn’t big (hence shitty RyanAir), and their goal (having an adventure with friends) didn’t require any specific destination.

If one or more of your top three is wide open, you are a lucky minority. Have fun with it.

Don’t get bogged down in the possibilities.

So, you could go anywhere? Or have a fairly generous travel budget? Great. Either narrow it down so you’re not researching EVERY possible destination or just enjoy the freedom and choose a destination willy-nilly. I read a book once that said, “With freedom comes a lack of certainty.” Enjoy that uncertainty. It’s something many travelers wish they had!

In short, don't give up on travel planning if it seems too overwhelming at first. The details will come together if you power through the initial planning block. Don't lose sight of the end goal, no matter where you choose to start your planning!