I often get questions on “how do you come up with these ideas for international trips?”  “How do you plan these trips?”  “How do you figure out where you are going? Where you are staying?  What you are seeing?”

I decided that I would start a few articles to help answer those questions especially in light of my next upcoming trip this November.   I had bought my ticket back in March and it seemed like such a long time before my trip.  But I started thinking this weekend, “My god, its only 2 ½ months before I go and I don’t really have any plans set up!”   Besides this, I need to get my visas for Vietnam and Cambodia beforehand.  This can be a tricky thing since the Visa stamp is only good for three months from the date of issue but you don’t want to wait until it is too close to the trip in the chance that your passport gets lost in the mail or something.

So how do these trips come together??

Well, usually the biggest upfront expense is the plane ticket to wherever I go.  I usually purchase my plane ticket in March or April when I get my income tax refund.  Also, early in the year is the Los Angeles Travel Convention that was one of my “Trip of the Week” entries back in January.  At the travel show I visit the numerous booths and pick up literature on various world destinations.   I then have a handful of “dream” spots I would like to go such as Egypt, India, or a Safari in Africa.  After I have this handful of dream destinations I then begin looking on line for flight deals.   Because of limited income and my wanting to go as cheaply as possible, usually the destination with the cheapest air flight wins out.   This years contenders were South East Asia, India, and various safaris in Africa.   After plugging in various dates and destinations into the numerous travel and airline sites,  South East Asia came out the cheapest with a roundtrip ticket into Ho Chi Minh City and out of Singapore for less than $1000.

Sometimes I find the best deals on Orbitz or Travelocity or simply by going directly to the airline website.   It takes several hours of research on the internet to track down the cheapest flight.   It requires patience, perseverance and ingenuity.  Depending upon travel plans, sometimes you simply have to leave in the middle of the week or in the middle of the night or from a neighboring airport.  If you keep playing with all the possibilities you can find a cheap flight, though most are non-refundable.

Now some people would rather spend an extended time in one country.  I do enjoy that myself such as my two-week trips to Italy or Ireland.  However, on some of these very far and distant destinations I do try to pack in as much as possible and shop around for open ended or multiple destination tickets as I did this year.

With that said, I purchased my ticket for South East Asia last March and knew I would be traveling to Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.  I especially wanted to visit Angkor in Cambodia and Bangkok in Thailand.  I figured while I’m in the region why not tack on Vietnam and Singapore.     Once the plane ticket was purchased, the trip sort of goes into a hibernation state. I know I’ve got my ticket, where and when I’ll go, but I don’t plan on much until the time gets closer.

Now the time is closer!  So my next thing is to figure out what I want to see in those countries, what cities I want to visit and stop in, what adventures I might want to see, and begin studying the logistics of my trip.  In addition I use this time to research the history, culture, and special issues I may encounter on the trip (such as health, immunizations, costs, cultural norms, the foods, religious observances, local holidays, etc).  Lastly, I write down my “dreams”.  I always seem to have romanticized dream for each of my trips.  For example, last year I wanted to smoke a hookah in a bar in Jordan or ride a camel through Petra.  Other dreams of the past were swinging through the canopy of Costa Rica, kissing the Blarney Stone in Ireland, ATVing Sand Dunes in Baja.  Whatever it is I write it down.  So for this trip….my romanticized dreams are to snorkel in the emerald water, ride an Elephant, and go to a Buddhist Meditation Class.   Usually these dreams come about.  The first step is to simply imagine it and believe it in your mind.  So I’m sure by the time this journey is over, I will have ridden my first elephant!

My first stop on the research stage is Lonely Planet Books.  There are numerous travel books. I happen to prefer Lonely Planet because they are more geared toward budget travel and backpacking.

So today was the kick off for my trip planning.  The first order of business is a “to do list”.   My “to do list” keeps me organized and on track until the day I take off on my trip.   Items on my “to do list” include:

-Make Trip Itinerary

-Make City Itinerary

-Organize contacts

-Get Flu Shot/Immunizations

-Organize credit/finances

-Organize post Card/Souvenir List

-Print flight schedule

-Pay all bills

-Transportation to airport

-Kitty Care

-Work to get done before trip

-Copies of web pages/sites/contacts

-Confirm reservations/seats

-Camera Batteries

-Toiletries to get

-Haircut

-Final Laundry

-Visa For Vietnam

-Visa for Cambodia

-General idea of where and how to get around

-Forward Mail

-Travel Insurance

This to do list becomes my blueprint and guide for the next 3 months and helps reduce any anxiety I have that I might forget or overlook.   After doing my “To Do” list. I then begin looking more closely at my itinerary.   I spent much of today reading my Travel Book learning about the history and customs of my destinations. I also peruse the “Must See” sites as well as off the beaten path jewels to see.  I also investigate with my book and online how to transport from city to city and the estimated costs and times.  For example, I learned that I could take a bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh, Cambodia for about $7 and about 7-hour bus ride.  But there is an optional bus/boat ride for about the same price and same amount of time.    So I started estimated costs and times for travel between cities and regions as well as looking at options for bus, boat, or trains.   

I then make out a calendar and an itinerary list, which generally lists the days of the week, what city I’m going to and what sites/things to do in that city.   Today….I worked on Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand.  At that point I began to get overwhelmed so took a break and will continue with my Malaysia and Singapore Plans.  I also realized that I needed to get my Visas for Vietnam and Cambodia so will get the appropriate photos and application this week and begin sending that off.

I also began doing some research on line.   My online research includes the websites for the department of tourism for the countries I will be visiting, Lonely Planet Website, and a new discovery Seat61.com.  Many of these website offer specific bus and train tables, costs, travel warning, weather alerts, and a myriad of photos and things to do lists.

Lastly, I glance through my book 1000 Places to See Before You Die by Patricia Schultz. I got this book a few years ago.   While it is not possible to visit every place listed nor would I want to, it does give some excellent suggestion on Top Must See Places such as Angkor Wat. 

So that brings us to the end of Phase I.  I now have the following planned:

• What countries I am going to
• What visas/immunizations I will need
• A general itinerary of what cities I will visit
• A general schedule for the trip
• A more confirmed schedule for Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand
• Information on how to travel between those countries by boat and bus.
• A general idea of budget for travel, food, and lodging.
• A basic understanding of the history, culture and customs.

In the upcoming weeks I’ll be adding the more confirmed itinerary for Malaysia and Singapore as well as beginning to look for contacts and local lodging with the use of Couch Surfing and Hospitality Club.

Also, I will begin immersing myself more into the culture by buying/listening to local music, picking up a few phrases in their language, and eating at restraints that serve authentic food.

Stay tuned for these upcoming articles on “How to plan a cheap International Trip!”