Easy Steps to Plan Better Trips | Travel Planning Tips from Tribe Feel

There are two types of people in the world: the ones with colour-coded spreadsheets, and the ones who land with a one-way ticket and just the first couple of nights booked. At Tribe Feel, we have one of each - and together, it makes for the best kind of adventures.

Whether you’re a meticulous planner or a spontaneous explorer, these five practical travel planning tips will help you save time, money, and stress on your next trip.

1. Start with your ‘must-sees’ to set your budget

Know your top spending priorities - flights, accommodation, and experiences - and leave wiggle room for spontaneous adventures.

• Do a quick (incognito) search of flight routes and average costs of flights, transportation and accommodation to set your budget
• Figure out any other unavoidable costs - transport from the airport to the city, e-sim etc. 
• Decide what are your top spending priorities. For me, I’ll save money with a more basic accommodation or hostel to spend more money on scuba diving. 

2. Lock in the Big Stuff First

Book essentials like long-haul flights and first-night accommodation early to avoid stress and price hikes.

Flight Connections is a useful website to see all the flights from your home airport so you can plan an efficient route or cost effective route.

 

3. Use Smart Planning Tools

Keep it simple - no fancy tools or massive spreadsheets. I have a simple Travel Itinerary Template I reuse for all my trips to:

• Remember the ‘top priority’ things you want to do and when you can do them. For example, the night market is closed on Tuesdays then make sure you have another night free.
• Keep track of transportation times/ days and hotel check-in times. 
• Remind myself which tasks I still need to do - e.g. book a transfer from the airport to my accommodation.
• Track all important booking information in one place, instead of frantically searching through my emails. (And to remember which nights I still haven’t booked. 

You can borrow my travel itinerary template for free with this instant download. 

4. Build in Rest Days & flexibility 

Overpacking your itinerary can lead to burnout. Add buffer days for relaxation and unexpected discoveries. Once you arrive and talk to locals, other travellers at your hostel etc. you might decide to add or not do something you saw on TikTok.

Top Tip: GetYourGuide is a great site to see what activities are popular in the area. Then you can decide if it’s something you’d like or join a group to meet other travellers.

 

5. Research Local Hacks

My favourite budget hack - travel off-season.  Look up the peak season and travel a month before or after for better flight and accommodation prices, and hopefully fewer crowds! 

With attractions and excursions you can do the same - weekend pricing is often more expensive so you can do the ‘free’ activities or relaxing days on the peak times instead. Look up the local restaurants and public transport, if its safe to do so - this is often the best way to soak in the local culture and really experience the country. 

If you like our free itinerary template, we also have custom budget planners - easy-to-use and designed for your specific destination. If you don't see the destination you have in mind - we can make one for you or send you a blank one. Just let us know where you want to go! 

 

Are you planning a big trip soon or your first solo adventure? We’d love to help! Check out our custom made travel guides and planners from our own experiences. If you don’t see the country you’re looking for - send us a message or DM on Instagram/ Tiktok. We’d be more than happy to share our recommendations and tips if we’ve been! 

Happy Trip Planning! 🌏