5 Reasons why you Should Travel with an Itinerary

People who travel with an itinerary are often stigmatized in TV and movies as OCD downers who suck the fun out of everything because they don’t know how to just go with the flow. However, well-traveled people will be the first to tell you that a travel itinerary is paramount in reducing stress while on the road. We can definitely vouch for that, which is why we won’t travel anywhere without an itinerary today. Here are 5 reasons why you should do the same:

1. Stay Organized

   When you’re out exploring new places, you may be surprised at how quickly you get distracted from your overall plan. Sure, we’re all about living in the moment too, but there’s no need to put yourself under undo stress by trying to remember every single thing you planned to do. That’s where a travel itinerary really comes in handy. You don’t have to plan out every single detail of your trip, but having at least the big ticket items planned out really helps you stay organized while keeping your mind free for all of your new and exciting experiences. This way, you truly can live in the moment.

2. Don’t Worry About Planning on the Go

   Along those same lines, planning ahead and organizing those plans with an itinerary means you don’t have to figure out each step of your trip on the go. You won’t always have access to the internet, meaning you can’t always reference a blog or any other online resource about how to accomplish your next task. Peace of mind is invaluable while traveling; especially when you’re in an unfamiliar place.

3. Planning Ahead Saves you Money!

   This tip is a bit general, but it still applies here. When filling out your itinerary with hotel stays or tours, certainly you’re not going to just accept the first option you see without shopping around a bit. Since you’re taking the time to plan, you might as well get the best deal too. Likewise, once you make it to your destination, it’s easier to turn down all of those salesmen on the streets since you’ve already booked your tour or purchased your tickets.

4. Don’t Miss Out on Anything

   When you’re just running and gunning without any sort of schedule, it’s easy to miss out on hidden gems, interesting sights or cool activities. We’ve definitely found ourselves in situations where we only learned about an awesome thing to do after we had already left that location. Filling out an itinerary ahead of time is a great way to make sure you know about everything there is to do before you travel, so that you don’t miss out on anything.

5. Don’t Forget Anything (flights, buses, tours, etc.)

   Likewise, traveling with an itinerary is a great way to guarantee that you won’t accidentally miss a flight, a bus, tour or any other activity that you’ve planned. You’d be surprised how often this happens. Since you’ve written down the exact times and places, you always have a reference immediately available; no more fumbling with your phone, frantically searching for a confirmation email.

Pro Tip:

We’re going to close this out with one last bonus reason to use a travel itinerary. Once you’ve organized your trip, you can leave a copy of the itinerary with your family or friends so that someone knows where you’re supposed to be at all times. The world is safer than many realize, but accidents can happen anywhere. It only takes a few seconds to copy your itinerary and send it to a loved one.

Want to travel like we do? Here’s the travel itinerary we use for all of our trips.