Is your coffee table filled with travel magazines and your bookshelves with travel guides? It’s time to stop dreaming about your next trip and time to start planning!

Whether you are craving a one-week escape or a month-long adventure, planning a trip requires more than just buying plane tickets — especially if you want to make the most of your time.

Here are a few things to think about when you are considering your next journey out into the world.

Destination: How to decide where and when to go

Believe it or not, you cannot just pick a random place and time and go — well, you can, but I don’t recommend it.

Why? Because what happens if you choose a beach vacation in the middle of monsoon season? Or an adventure to a hiking destination that is closed due to seasonal flooding?

I know that we have all been home for a while and are craving travel, but make sure to take a beat before buying those tickets. Here are a few things to think about.

What is the weather like?
Remember that weather can play a huge part in how you experience your trip. Is it going to be cool? Rainy? Freezing? Too hot to even go outside?
Make sure you do some research on what the weather will be like when you are planning to visit a destination in order to plan and pack accordingly, or shift your travel plans to a different time of year if it is not what you are looking for.
Is it peak, shoulder, or low season?
The travel season of a place changes throughout the year.
Peak or high season means everything open, vibrant festivals, and (usually) warm weather. But, it also means higher prices, lines, and crowds. Shoulder season tends to be cheaper, but may mean less hustle and bustle, while the low season is the least expensive and when you will have only locals to contend with, not crowds of fellow tourists.
What kind of trip do you want?
Are you looking for deserted beaches? Vibrant nightlife? Museums and art galleries? Make sure the sights at your destination align with what you want to do on your trip.
Who is going with you?
Are you a woman traveling solo? Planning on taking your kids? Is this a lady’s trip? Make sure your destination aligns with what the people you are traveling with will need and want to do, or you will have miserable travel companions. (Read: 5 questions to ask your potential travel buddy).

Health: What you need to know to protect yourself

If the last few years taught us anything, it’s how important thinking about and preparing for any health emergencies is.

Before going on any trip, here are some things to do to make sure you stay healthy.

Figure out what immunizations you need and get them
Pay a visit to a Travelers Health Clinic and find out what immunizations are recommended for where you are planning to travel. If you haven’t got them yet, get them, or make sure you are aware of precautions that you need to take to prevent contracting any diseases.
Be aware of health warnings
Is there an outbreak of rabies in the village near the beach you are planning to visit? Are you headed somewhere that has had a recent outbreak of malaria? Make sure you are aware of any warnings or health issues that have happened where you are going.
Pack a first aid kit
Customize your own kit based on where you are headed. Some things you may want to include are:
- Band-Aids
- Antibacterial wipes
- Imodium
- Pain killers
- Antihistamine
- After-sun lotion
- Water purification tablets
Buy travel insurance
I don’t care how long you are traveling for or where you are going — you MUST have travel insurance. Traveling without is just not worth the risk.

Do: How to decide what sights to see

While I am definitely never going to advocate deciding and pre-planning all of the things you are going to do before you even board the plane, I recommend doing some research to at least be aware of what there is for you to do and see at your destination.

Most destinations will have more to visit than you could ever fit into one trip, so doing some pre-planning will help you at least narrow down the things that will work best for your time, and the people you are with.

Some things to look for when you are doing your research include:

What is the best time of day to visit?
Does the beach have sunset entertainment, is there live music on the boardwalk at night, does the museum give free tours at noon? There may be an ideal time to visit the places you want to see — make sure you know before you go to take advantage of these unique moments.
What are the opening hours?
This may seem obvious, but make sure you check the opening hours for the places you want to explore. Many tourist sites have unusual hours (especially around local holidays), and you don’t want to end up planning to visit a historic site and find it closed!
On the other hand, many museums and galleries have one day a week where they have extended hours, which is often the ideal day to spend as much time as possible taking in all that it has to offer.
How much will it cost?
Is admission free, cheaper on certain days, are there student discounts, or family passes? If you are on a budget, making sure you are aware of the costs to visit the sights you want to see is important, and will help you decide what it is you want to do.

Transportation: Will you be driving?

While you may choose to take trains, buses, Ubers, or other forms of public transportation, if you are going to drive, make sure you have the proper documentation in place.

International driver’s license
In some countries, your driver’s license from home will not be enough to allow you to drive legally. Many countries require you to have an international driver’s license that you apply for while still at home.
Auto insurance
Do you have insurance that will cover you to drive internationally? Make sure you know before you go — it could save you costly insurance when you are renting a car in-country.
What side of the road will you have to drive on?
Are you going to be driving on the opposite side of the road? Do you know how to navigate a traffic circle (or roundabout)? Make sure you know the rules of the road if you are planning on driving.

Pack: What to put in your suitcase

While what you pack for each trip will vary, here are some things to consider when you are filling your suitcase.

Clothes and shoes
Before you pack your wardrobe, make sure it aligns with where you are going.
Headed to a city full of cobblestone streets where you plan on walking? Leave the heels at home. Also, consider that if you are planning on visiting religious sites, you will be expected to dress modestly, and if you want to blend into the crowd, it would be wise to do some research on how the locals dress.
Bring things you might not be able to buy
There are a few things that you don’t want to be without when you are traveling.
- Medications that you take regularly
- Birth control
- Bug spray — especially if you are headed somewhere with mosquitos

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