Vacation Planning in the Digital Age

Summer is just around the corner and like many of you, we are excited to see some new sites. There are so many great online resources available for planning a vacation and admittedly I am totally obsessed with anything that helps me with my trip planning.  I think about it All. The. Time. I like to think of trip planning like a little mini vacation where I can day-dream about all the fun we’re going to have. Some people call this “procrastination” or “a coping mechanism,” but whatever!

Once we’ve decided on a location…like just seconds after, I go into research mode and scour the interwebs for all there is to know about our destination. I typically just start with a basic Google search using phrases like “Things to do in Austin, TX” or “Top Things to See in San Francisco.” Then I do an image search and look up any links that pique my interest. Google is a great catalyst to get the wheels turning initially, but there are a few other useful sites that I use when creating an itinerary.

The following content is my own opinion based on my own planning process. I am not affiliated with any of these companies nor do I receive compensation for my reviews, with the one exception being the Airbnb referral offer at the end of this article.

RoadTrippers is a really great resource for mapping out your trip. If you love road trips like we do, this site will be your new BFF. Until recently I used Google Maps for this task, but they only allow for 10 destinations in any given set of directions. The free version of Roadtrippers allows up to 52 locations to be added to your itinerary, but you can also pay a yearly fee for Roadtrippers Plus and add as many destinations as you like. The way I get around this 52 location limit is to make one map for the way there and another for the way back. One of the features I like most on RoadTrippers is the search feature which allows you to zoom in on an area and search for specific things like restaurants, lodging, recreation, landmarks, campgrounds, points of interest etc. Roadtrippers also serves as a search engine for vacation rentals along your route, providing users with direct links for making reservations through companies like Hotels.com, Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity.com etc.  Also, if you’re like me and want to plan on the go, Roadtrippers also has a mobile app so you can plan anywhere, anytime as long as you have a signal…you can even work on your trip plans at 3 in the morning when you can’t get back to sleep (so I’ve heard.)

**Shortly after this article was posted, Roadtrippers changed the way their free app works. You can now only use SEVEN location points, which in my opinion is useless. I am currently trying out other options and will report back soon. **

AllTrails is a great website if you are the outdoorsy type who likes to throw in a little hiking into the mix. This website (and mobile app) allow you to search for hikes by area. It gives you important information like total distance, level of difficulty, and trail conditions. You can also read reviews from people who have recently hiked in any given location. This is a vital part of trip planning because often times the trails aren’t marked well and reviewers will give better detailed instructions. There are also photos posted by other users so you can really get a sense for the type of adventure you will have.

Google Maps are really useful on our road trips, not just for the step-by-step directions, but also for calculating the distance and how long it’s expected to take to drive to the next stop given current traffic conditions. This might seem like a trivial thing to mention, but it’s much easier to schedule your time when you are aware of how long you will spend getting from place to place. Translation: I can cram in more adventures if I have a fairly accurate sense of how much driving is involved!

Instagram has become one of my favorite planning tools because it not only shows pictures of the location, but often really cool detail shots that give you a better idea of what the place looks like or what it has to offer that you might not have considered.  Instagram is a great place to hone in on and support local businesses in the areas where you will be traveling. I love to seek out quirky coffee shops or trendy boutiques and Instagram provides a great platform to find these businesses.

Let’s not forget about checking the weather for your trip. We typically do an initial Google search for things like “Average Cabo temperatures in June” or “Months with the least rainfall in Seattle.” This tells us the best months to consider any given location. Then as the trip approaches you can look at the extended forecast at The Weather Channel or Accuweather for the specific city and find out if you will need to pack an umbrella and raincoat or will you need to bring your tank tops and sunscreen. (I prefer the latter any day of the week!)

Pinterest, of course. This is one of my top sites I use to search for vacation ideas, or for any ideas for that matter. Having a visual board with related articles is so helpful. Often times a blogger from a post I’ve pinned will mention a great place to eat or must see attraction and while I don’t read every blog I’ve ever pinned, the visual research alone is useful for brainstorming ideas. Pinterest is also fun to browse when searching for packing ideas, travel tips or regional highlights. I even use it as a sort of bucket list for places I’d like to see in the future. Sometimes I’ll start a trip board on Pinterest, but our plans will change. All the research I’ve done up to this point has only made me more excited to fit the trip in another time.

TripAdvisor is our numero uno filter for deciding if a place will be a good fit for our trip. The reviews and photos on Trip Advisor provide a wealth of information that you would otherwise not know about. Suggestions like “Make sure you make your reservation 2-3 months in advance or you won’t get a table at the el Tovar restaurant at the Grand Canyon.” That was a good piece of information and would have been a total downer if we had not read that before the trip. It’s also a good reminder to start planning your trip well in advance in order to take advantage of all the things that fill up quickly. Before we book our lodging we always, always, always check Trip Advisor. Not just for the reviews, but for the photos. We want to know if the rooms look clean and appealing and what the facility looks like. How big is the pool? Will the rooms be crowded or spacious for our family of five? Does the furniture look worn out or dirty? Better to know before you go.

Over the years we have enjoyed using our timeshare network to book accomodations, however on most road trips where you’re traveling from city to city, a week-long timeshare doesn’t always make the most sense for lodging. Recently we have started using sites like Airbnb to book shorter stays on our road trips. There are a surprising amount of very affordable rooms to rent, you can even rent an entire house or apartment at a reasonable rate. As Discover cardholders, we can use our Discover Cashback rewards bonus towards Airbnb reservations. Because of this deal with Discover, we were able to book our first two nights in a one bedroom Airbnb suite for…wait for it…$1.07 cents. Yes folks ONE DOLLAR and seven cents for two nights accommodations! Indeed it does pay to Discover! Most everyone already has an Airbnb account by now. But if you don’t, here is our family’s link if you’d like to sign up (you get up to $55 and we will receive a $20 credit!)

I would like to think that traveling is effortless and full of spontaneity and sometimes it can be, but more often than not, careful planning is required to pull off a great vacation. The more popular vacation spots book 6 months to a year in advance, so you really have to start planning early. It’s always a good idea to check out the individual websites for specific places you are planning to visit. I did this just today and learned that due to the popularity of one of the parks on our list, advanced reservation are required to visit the park. I would have never guessed I would need reservations at a day use park, so I’m very thankful I checked. Another place we’re hoping to visit closes at 4:30 and there is a very good chance we won’t arrive by then. This information allows us to cut things from the itinerary as the day unfolds and saves us from driving for an hour or more only to arrive after closing time. This is your friendly PSA to look up business hours for any place you plan to visit to ensure a more successful trip.

So there you have it. My top picks for planning vacations. I would love to hear from you!! Where are you headed on your next vacation? What resources do you love to use for planning your trips?

Safe Travels,