Expert Travel Organization Tips and Tricks
The Best Tips and Tricks for the Most Organized Travel Planning Possible
I’m a hyper-organized travel planner. I definitely love a lot of spontaneity, but when I have too much time between booking and departing, I tend to spend a lot of my free time planning out all of the details. That’s just how I satisfy my wanderlust in the meantime. I have a few tools and apps that help me keep it all together for the most organized travel planning possible:
Google Drive
I save so many details here, and I love that I can access it very quickly on my phone. I usually create a spreadsheet schedule that includes arrival and departure times, especially if I’m traveling by trains in addition to planes, hotel confirmation numbers and contact information, and any other details I might need. Another perk: you can share all the details with your fellow travelers!
Above: Schedules are easy to make and view in a spreadsheet.
In addition to my travel schedules, I save the following in Google Drive for easy access:
- Custom Google Maps with my many destinations (click here for a tutorial)
- PDF receipts, booking confirmations, and tickets
- Packing lists
Above: the custom Google Map I created for an upcoming trip.
Think about it. You’ll look less like a tourist if you’re looking down at your phone instead of at a large, unfolded map.
Offline map apps
You definitely need to try out City Maps 2Go and MAPS.ME. These apps are a recent discovery for us. These apps, available for both iOS and Android, allow you to save your destinations on detailed maps even when you don’t have Wi-Fi or data. How brilliant is that? It’s another easy way to find your destination without having to pay for roaming or Wi-Fi!
Airline Boarding Pass Apps
Most airlines now have apps for your phone that let you check-in online without having to print a ticket. They can scan your phone at the gate. So easy! This is especially great for the minimalist traveler with just a carry-on. There’s no need to stand in line for a check-in counter or kiosk!
Hard Copies
Call me old-fashioned, but I like to have some hard-copies as well. For a big trip with lots of stops and connections, there’s something that just eases my mind about being able to quickly flip through a stack of reservations and train tickets so that I know they’re all there and in order. I have a trip coming up that includes 3 hotels, one AirBnB, 3 separate train journeys for 3 people, bicycle rentals, and a car rental. I’ll do a quick print out of all my reservations, color-code them by city and put them in chronological order.
Finally, consider printing directions and addresses in your destination’s native language, if it isn’t one that you speak well. This can save you lots of headaches when hiring a cab!
Yes, I’m a huge organization nerd, but now I have a simple back-up system stowed neatly in an envelope. For what else are you going to use that flat exterior suitcase pocket?
Here are some of my favorite document organizers. You can use a travel wallet or just a flat, zip-pouch to keep your documents close by!
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- Delfonics x Monocle Large Zip Case
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- Tokyo Travel Organizer
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- Prendre Multi-Case
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- Clair Dot Medium Pouch
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- Aspinal of London Travel Wallet
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- Kikki.K Adventure Awaits
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- Mark & Graham Zip Pouch
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- Stella & Dot Zip Pouch
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- J.Crew Calf Hair Zip Pouch
Top Row: Delfonics x Monocle | Tokyo Travel Organizer | Prendre Multi-Case
Middle Row: Clair Dot Medium Pouch | Aspinal of London Travel Wallet | Kikki.K Adventure Awaits Travel Wallet
Bottom Row: Mark & Graham Zip Pouch | Stella & Dot Zip Pouch | J.Crew Calf Hair Pouch
[Featured Photo: Boarding Passes by Mark Hamilton]
Custom Google Maps: A How-To Guide
Did you know that you can make custom Google maps and save them for your trips? It’s a great way to share plans with your fellow travelers!
Here’s how to Make Custom Google Maps!
- Make sure you’re signed into your Google Account.
- Go to Google Maps.
- Make sure the Search Box is empty. Click inside!
- The My Maps option will pop up right below the Search Box. Click it!
- Then, hit the Create button that appeared right next to it.
- Start adding all of your locations! You can change your routes and modes of transportation.
- Change the name from Untitled Map to a great description like Walking Tour of Rome at night by editing the title in the top left.
- Your changes will be saved in Google Drive.
How great is this? Aside from being able to plan out your day and share it with your friends, you won’t have to pull out a big map while you stroll along the streets of a new city!
Cuba Packing List
When I went on a week-long educational trip to Cuba, I made a packing list so I wouldn’t forget anything important. Here’s a look at what was inside my carry-on size roller board suitcase and my Baggu backpack for my Cuba packing list:
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- Baggu Sailor Stripe Backpack
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- White Keds
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- Old Navy Sundress
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- Vintage Style RedDollySwimwear
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- Elephant Jade Standard Baggu
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- Art Deco Notebook
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- Top 10 Cuba Guidebook
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- Havana StreetSmart® Map
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- Vintage Style Camera Strap
Top Row: BAGGU Canvas Backpack – Sailor Stripe
Middle Row: Noir Maillot from RedDollySwimwear | BAGGU Elephant Jade Standard
Bottom Row: Eyewitness Travel Top 10 Cuba
Wardrobe
Jeans, graphic tee, sweater, and Keds to wear on the plane on the way to Cuba
3 skirts, 3 solid tees, 3 print tops to mix and match, and 2 tanks
1 solid strapless dress that doubles as a skirt (an amazing J.Crew item from a few years ago)
4 dresses (2 solid, 2 prints)
4 pair of sandals including shower shoes
Another sweater for meetings in air-conditioned rooms
Minimal jewelry (left the wedding ring at home)
Vintage style swimsuit from Red Dolly Swimwear
Loads of cotton undies which is critical in the heat and humidity
Sleepwear
Other Essentials
Restocked medicine bag
Toiletries
Extra toothbrushes and toothpaste to leave for hotel staff since these items are difficult to find in Cuba
SPF50 sunscreen
Baggu shopping bag for souvenir shopping and doubled as a beach bag
Old Blackberry that I used with a temporary Cubacel SIM card bought in Havana
Journal
Sleep mask and earplugs (I don’t travel anywhere without them!)
Hankie
Travel poncho
Washcloth
Backpack Carry-on
Passport, copy of passport, important documents
Camera bag with camera and new fun strap
Top 10 Cuba guidebook and Havana StreetSmart® map
Cold, hard cash since Americans can’t yet use ATMs in Cuba
Scarf for the chilly plane
Cross-body purse with wallet, lip gloss with SPF, hand sanitizer, hankie, sunglasses, and the usual
This post is part of a four part series on Cuba. Check out the next post, Highlights of Havana.
{This is not a sponsored post. There are items I’ve bought and thought you might want for your next tropical city/beach vacation!}
Camping Out West in the US
TOP 5 NATIONAL PARKS FOR CAMPING OUT WEST
I grew up camping with my family and enjoy being in the great outdoors, hiking, viewing wildlife, and stargazing. I have a National Parks of the West guide on my bookshelf that I peruse often for inspiration. If you’re planning your next adventure, don’t miss these top 5 National Parks for camping out west!
Grand Teton
I loved that everywhere you go in Grand Teton National Park you see the Tetons mountain range. Our first night we stayed at the Gros Venture campground, which does not accept reservations, but there were plenty of sites still available even though we arrived late. We also stayed at Jenny Lake and woke up early for the breakfast boat tour to Elk Island from the Colter Bay Village Marina, which should not be missed. Camping when you fly to your destination presents a unique challenge, but when one in our party lost their luggage, we found out the hard way that sleeping bags are available for rent at some of the campgrounds.
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park is one of the most popular parks in the US and is pretty darn fantastic. I will forever remember a comment by a British woman in the bathroom in one of the campgrounds as we were getting ready. She said that if she was American she’d never leave the US because of all the natural beauty there is to see. It has stuck with me because it reminds me to balance my desire to see the world with taking advantage of seeing my own country. I’ve stayed at Grant Village, Mammoth, Canyon and Bridge Bay campgrounds but Mammoth stands out because the elk graze near the sites. Bridge Bay was also a favorite because of its proximity to Yellowstone Lake. Beware of the bears and do bring bear spray!
Zion National Park
Zion National Park was one of my top Utah parks to visit. We stayed at the South Campground near the entrance to the park. There are a few cottonwood trees in some sites but it is in the desert. One of the most famous hikes in the park is The Narrows, where you’re hiking on a riverbed with the canyon walls on both sides of you. It’s pretty spectacular and worthwhile even if you can only do a section of it. Walking sticks and shoes for hiking in the water are available for rent at the general store near the visitor’s center. If you want a challenge hike and you like heights, don’t miss Angel’s Landing Trail which includes the Walter’s Wiggles switchbacks.
Bryce Canyon
Hoodoos, the limestone formations in Bryce Canyon, are majestic and make for a unique, fun hiking experience a Navajo/Queen’s Garden Loop. The 18 mile scenic drive is perfect if you are short on time but want to see all that the park has to offer. The two campgrounds, North and Sunset, are both near the visitor’s center just after the park entrance. The stargazing is spectacular- I even saw the Milky Way!
Grand Canyon
I haven’t been to the Grand Canyon since I was twelve years old, but I’m putting this one of my list for nostalgia’s sake. And it’s the Grand Canyon! I do remember being amazed by the canyon and my favorite activity was a rafting trip we took on the Colorado River. I hear that Mather Campground is a nice option and accepts reservations depending on the time of year. I’m hoping to go back in the near future and tackle hiking Bright Angel Trail to the bottom of the canyon. [Photo: Laura Brown]
If you want more inspiration, also check out a few more national park posts: National Parks & Seashores of the East, 2 National Parks of the West to Visit, and National Historical Parks. Also take a look at the Find Your Park site for stories and more about all the parks nationwide!
Travel Quote of the Day
Destinations I’m Dreaming About
Meagan’s Top 5
My Top 5 list of places to travel to changes all the time. All it takes is an Instagram picture, a friend’s story, or a new restaurant for me to throw all of my former priorities out the window for some place new. I wonder if my locations have a connecting theme, because they sure look different on paper. Maybe it’s that they’re all less-visited in comparison to other tourist destinations. After all, that’s how I ended up studying abroad in Thailand.
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- Morocco
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- Malta
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- Iceland
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- Istanbul
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- Mongolia
- Morocco – I travel for the food, to experience a completely different culture, and to learn about history. Shopping and home decor are also passions of mine, so the souks of Morocco have been calling my name for a very long time now. Camels in the Sahara, the High Atlas mountains, and crossing over from Gibraltar are all part of my armchair-traveling day dreams. [Photo: Jose Villa]
- Malta – This wasn’t on my list until a friend told me about her honeymoon there. It has every characteristic of my dream vacation: old architecture, fewer tourists, beautiful scenery. [Photo: Thinkstock]
- Iceland – Volcanoes, hot springs, and ethereal landscapes – I’ll take all of them. [Photo: Smári Ásmundsson]
- Turkey – Oh, Istanbul. Markets and minarets just seem so magical to a city-dweller in the south. Bring on the food, the chaos, and the ability to criss-cross between Asia and Europe all day long. Hot air balloon rides over Cappadocia, anyone? [Photo: Andrew E. Larsen]
- Mongolia – Yurts. Also, I can name 2 friends that have been to Mongolia, and I’m incredibly jealous of both of them. My interest in Mongolia is two-fold: the landscape and the remoteness. I dream about taking a train from London to Beijing along the Trans-Siberian Railroad. I’ll be sure to stop here for an extended stay. [Photo: National Geographic]
Does this happen to you? Where are your Top 5 Destinations?
Tell us about them in the comments below!
Beautifully Illustrated Maps
We are always on the look out for maps of all sizes and styles. A large, classroom-style world map, labeled entirely in Spanish serves as a headboard in our guest room. Maps of our honeymoon location, Italy, grace our master bedroom walls. Tracing journeys on city and country maps is a favorite and easy way to remember our trips. Let’s just say that you can tell we like to travel as soon as you look at our walls.
This illustrated map from artist Antoine Corbineau caught my eye immediately. Click the map for more of his great city illustrations. He really captures the personality of each city!