Much like in many areas of life, the secret to success when it comes to travel is planning. This is particularly true in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, where proper planning will help you to stay safe and protect public health while on the move.
Indeed, we’ve just returned from our first weekend away since the global pandemic hit. We stayed on the island of Ireland making the 5 hour journey from Co Down to Co Kerry, and this took plenty of planning to ensure our weekend away went off without any hiccups or unwelcome surprises.
Read on to find out why planning is so important and how you can do this before setting off.
1. Budgeting
One of the main reasons that planning ahead is so important is that it allows you to budget for all aspects of your trip. Additionally, you might find that booking things ahead of time will help you to make savings on your journey which is always a plus.
In a post-Covid world, this is so important. With eateries limited to numbers they can take, and tourist destinations limited to times and numbers, it may mean that your travels now mean you take in more rather than less. As a result, it’s important to consider the costs and budget accordingly.
2. Save Time
When you plan ahead, you can also save time and avoid periods where you are sat around waiting. For example, looking up train times to London or your city of destination or departure before heading out the door, will allow you to arrive at the right time and get your trip off to a smooth start and avoid having to sit around at the station for too long.
For our recent trip, the planning was all around avoiding peak traffic times. This meant leaving our home after 9am to avoid the peaks of traffic in Dublin, while also ensuring we arrived in Kerry before the 4pm-5pm rush of afternoon traffic. We also planned our trip by identifying where we would stop for fuel, refreshments, and lunch, again, taking current Covid restrictions into place. Not only did this help save time, but it also allowed us to break down the journey, because a 5+ hour drive isn’t always fun!
3. Maximise Your Experience
Following this, when you plan ahead of time and work out where you need to be and when it will allow you to maximise your experience. Because after all, holidays and weekend breaks are all about the experiences and the memories created.
You can research what the highlights and attractions are for the holiday destination you are going to and then work out an itinerary so that you can see all of these and have the best possible experience. The need for planning is vital in 2020 as opening times and admission numbers for many tourist attractions have significantly changed.
4. Find the Best Accommodation
Finding the good accommodation is incredibly important and will have a huge impact on the success of your trip. Planning ahead by researching your options and finding the best one within your budget and in a suitable location will have an enormous impact and booking ahead could save you money while also ensuring that you do not miss out.
When it comes to planning for and finding the ideal accommodation options to cater for your needs, be sure to check the cancellation policies, and also any specific Covid-19 related policies. No industry has felt the impact of Covid-19 more than perhaps the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors, so be sure to check any cancellation policies when it comes to accommodation or anything connected to your trip.
5. Know What to Expect
While some of you may want your destination to be somewhat of a surprise in terms of what it has in store, we believe it’s important to know what to expect and where you should be going when you arrive. This is possible when you research ahead, which will help you to determine important aspects like how to stay safe, what the local customs are, and what you need to bring with you.
Additionally, this is important in 2020 due to the pandemic as you need to know what the situation is in terms of travel and where you are visiting.
Got Something to Add?
As you can see, planning ahead can ensure for a smooth, successful and enjoyable trip and it is something that can make a big difference to any trip.
Have you got any tips to planning your travels in a new Covid-19 world? Share them in the comments section below.
Until next time, stay safe, and enjoy your travels.
Helen, Nial & Lewis.
Welcome to Pikalily, an award-winning food, travel and lifestyle blog. We are Nial and Helen, a happily married couple from Northern Ireland, who share a passion for food and travel among many things. We became parents to our beautiful boy Lewis in 2017. Follow our adventures through the blog.
