It’s the moment of truth now…time to seal the deal and get ready to see all of your plans come to light. In Part 1 you figured out the basics; in Part 2 you delved into the details; here you’ll take some action and get set to jet!

Step 7: Get your ticket, let’s go!

Despite the sequence of this list, buying your tickets – plane, train, and attractions – will be a little spread out over the course of your planning. In fact you’ll want to buy your plane ticket and book your lodging at the same time and well in advance (think around Step 5). Advance purchase of attraction tickets and day trips are also a great idea to avoid lines and sold out excursions. You’ll save money by pre-booking in virtually every case. 

Step 8: Get your stuff together

I have seen some “miracle packing” articles out there that are quite impressive! - Mine is coming soon. I’m a firm believer in going carry-on only. Packing light will enable you to have the best possible time. Less fuss at the airport and less weight to carry around town makes for less stress (don’t forget you're supposed to be stepping out of your comfort zone a bit). Consider it a test of your creativity – how many outfits can you get out of 3 pairs of pants, 4 shirts, and 2 scarves? Answer: more than you think!

A few more things to consider: hit up Amazon for things like an outlet converter, money belt, and snacks (granola bars travel well). It’s a good idea to have some cash – you can exchange currency beforehand at most banks. Make sure your passport is up to date and won’t expire for at least 3 months from the end of your trip. Establish an emergency contact and give copies of documents and itineraries to a trusted relative or friend. There is more, but I’ll share a detailed list in another post.

Step 9: Time to revel

You did it! You’ve planned your dream trip. Maybe you’ve just booked your last ticket, or you’re literally headed to the airport. Or maybe you can just picture yourself being in that moment – I’m reliving that moment from last Spring as I'm writing this.

Revel in this feeling. Your diligence and sacrifice has paid off. You’re on your way to exploring this great big world and even after all the work you’ve done to get here, this is just the beginning – you still have your entire trip to savor! And be sure that you do savor every moment. Take insane amounts of pictures (like I did) and make sure you’re in them. Try the weird dish that you can’t pronounce. Stop and listen to some street musicians. Don’t spend your whole day in a museum (unless that’s your thing). Engage the people you encounter with whatever broken language skills you can muster. You are finally there - have the time of your life.

Then come home, share your stories, and start planning the next round. 

Share your thoughts:

• What did you think of this series?
  
• Can you relate to this process from your own travel experiences?
  

Much of the fun of travel comes from designing the trip. Your planning sessions will set the stage for your great adventure and will help you troubleshoot all kinds of issues before it’s too late. In Part 1 of this series you considered the why, where, and who. Next we dive into the planning – it’s about to get real.

Step 4: How much is this gonna cost me?

Budgeting is the way to make a dream become reality. Once you set your limits, the potential of your trip is much more real. The amount of money you are able to spend will narrow down the clutter of choices that can seem overwhelming at the start. 

Some things to consider – How much time can you take off work? Do you have savings that you’re willing to tap into? What about rewards services or Skymiles that you can cash in? What level of luxury do you want? Then break it down into bite-sized pieces – Lodging, Food and Drink (don’t forget to build in your tab!), Attractions/Excursions, Transportation, Shopping, etc. It’s also beneficial to have a range in mind, going from “super frugal bare bones” to “rent won’t get paid if I go over this amount.” As you go along, you’ll discover how close you’re willing to get to that maximum figure. I've shared some of my unconventional budgeting tips here.

Step 5: When to start the countdown

Deciding when to go on your trip ties in with determining your budget. Travel cost will be dependent upon, not only where you go, but when you go. Unless you’ve already got a pocket full of cash to take you around the world, don’t forget to factor in how much time you’ll need to build up your travel kitty. And of course you’ll want to research the best times of year to visit whichever haven you have your heart set on. Check the weather, rainfall, tourist-mob potential, etc. 

For research loving planners like me, planning an international trip can easily take 6-8 months. This is mostly due to creating a savings timetable (more on that in a future post). But if you’re the more spontaneous type, or you feel like you’ll never go if you put it off for too long, you can get away with a planning period as short as 2-3 months – as long as your budget is not too tight. If you act fast, you should have ample time to reserve your flat or hotel, book your plane ticket, and note a few sites to visit.

Step 6: Where to stay and what to do

Deciding where to stay is not so much about choosing between a fancy hotel, a cozy flat, or a student hostel – I’ve covered my preference in a previous post. This is more about deciding what part of town or type of neighborhood appeals to you given the things you want to do. Do you see yourself hitting up the main attractions, going on day trips, shopping the malls and markets, or relaxing by the water? Grab a guide book and a map to chart out a rough itinerary for each day. If this seems like a lot, I can help you with this. 

The purpose is cohesion – you want everything to flow as well as possible so you can relish the experience. Designing this part is the most work you’ll do in planning your trip. It will take a while, and it should – you want to make sure you’ll enjoy yourself and not be far from what you like when you get there. It’s also the most fun you’ll have before you touchdown on that landing strip.

[Next up: Putting your money where your mouth is – buying the tickets.]

When it comes to packing for a trip, there are so many articles you can find about how to pack light, pack smart, and pack an insane amount of stuff into a tiny little space. This post is a little different. Sometimes it's just best to leave most of your stuff behind.

First, a caveat: I am a woman, like most of my readers (in case you were wondering). I'm also well aware that I have far too many clothes and a whole lot of hair and beauty products (all of which I "need," by the way)! This bit of travel advice I'm about to dish is a challenge, even for me. It may seem like an impossible task, but I hope you'll see the benefits of trying it.

The TSA and all major airlines have been socking it to us over the past few years. It seems every travel season there are stricter rules concerning allowed items and the size and number of our carry-ons. We all know the liquid rules (if you don't, read up on them here), but now our carry-on luggage is also being downsized. Bags on most domestic American airlines can now be no larger than 22" x 14" x 9" (see Delta's notice here) and there's word that many international airlines are going even further. But never fear, SHEbirdie is here to help you make the most out of your limited space.

As you may know from my other travel tips, I highly recommend going carry-on only when you fly. With that in mind, and considering that up to 40% of our luggage as women is toiletries, the focus here will be on paring down our beauty arsenals. 

At the beginning of this post I mentioned that sometimes it's best to just leave most of our stuff at home. Well if you're doing carry-on only, this is pretty much a necessity. Taking this approach will require that you allot some extra cash ($10-20) to buy a few toiletry items from the local drug store when you arrive at your destination. If you're concerned that there won't be a drug store around, or that you won't have the transportation to run errands, don't forget that most airports have drug stores in them! 

Here is my list of what you should pack versus what you should buy:

Notice that under "PACK" there are only 2 items listed that will count against your liquid allowance (with leeway for a few specialty products). Also, if you get done with all of your packing and still have room left, you can of course pack in some of the "BUY" items and save yourself a bit of cash.

Overall, I think it's worth spending a few dollars at the drug store to save yourself the aggravation of trying to pack an impossible amount of toiletries into your small carry-on bags. As long as you're not too particular about your toothpaste, this approach may be just what you need to get around one of the major hurdles of air travel.

• What do you think? Is this something you already do, or would try?
  
• What other ways do you simplify your packing?

Summer travel season is back and there's nothing like planning a trip to spark my motivation to blog again. 
This year, my big trip will be to the West Coast. Thanks to my friend who's a California local, we will get to experience some hidden gems as well as some quintessential Cali tourist spots.

California has been calling my name for as long as I can remember. One of the big items on my "lifetime to-do list" is to drive up the Pacific Coast Highway, in a top-down convertible, the wind in my hair, and a pair of spectacular shades donning my smiling face! I can hardly wait to explore all the beaches along that iconic roadway. I will finally get to do this next month and I couldn't be more excited!

We'll also be exploring 3 major cities in California: San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco (which is another "to do" on my list). In another post, I'll list our intended itinerary that can be used as a starter travel guide if you plan on visiting the Golden State too. 

One thing that I cannot take for granted, and one thing that I highly recommend cultivating for yourself, is acquiring kind and generous friends in far places. Sometimes it happens by chance, other times you can seek people out through online groups or family connections. However these friends come into your life, I recommend pouring into relationships like these, not to earn a "free stay" favor, but because you can expand your opportunities and your world by simply paying a visit to a friend. Many different cultural experiences can be had just by getting out of your neighborhood, much more your state or country. Having good friends in far places opens up your world and theirs to new experiences and once-in-a-lifetime chances. And don't forget to return the favor - invite them to your neighborhood too.

Keep following the blog for travel ideas you can use for your trips this summer. Let me know what tips you like best! You can also follow my actual adventures in California at the end of July-August on Insta (#shebirdielife + #californiabirdie).

• Are you one of our California birdies or have you visited recently?
• What do you recommend for restaurants, activities, or best places to spot a celebrity or two?

Image credit: wallpaperswide.com

It’s the kind of thing you don’t realize has happened until it’s all said and done. You’ve just had an amazing adventure and now you're back home. You want to share said adventure with the world – well, your world – and you want to do it while it’s still fresh and new and exciting! Not to mention, everyone is asking you about where you’ve been and sometimes it’s just hard to describe without the visual element. So you set aside some time to go through your SD card and compile your best shots into a “foreign adventure highlight reel” for all to see.

Now some may consider this a bit old-school - these days people take advantage of those instant access applications that none of us can seem to do without. Our friends and family can essentially go on vacation with us as we Instagram and tweet our experiences in real time. Just check yourself in at the summit of la tour Eiffel or #cheerio at the base of Big Ben – vicarious vacations for all!

But I’m a bit of an old-school kind of girl (the kind of girl who tried the e-reader thing and still prefers actual books, but I digress). So a year ago, I grabbed my trusty digital camera, freshly equipped with a brand new 8 gig SD card, and set off on my adventure to Paris and London. I snapped hundreds of photos a day, not wanting to miss any detail, taking duplicates and triplicates to be sure I got the right angle of every slightly interesting thing I experienced. I figured, I could sort out the crap shots later, I just needed to make sure everything was covered.

Back at home I found myself with the urgent desire to share one of the most important experiences of my life and feeling the pressure to satisfy inquisitive minds. I dug in to tackle the mound of digital media before me and managed to narrow it down to 700 or so for a slideshow I was creating, and then down to 500 or so for print photos. From there I managed to select just under 50 for that all-important Facebook share – believe me, it was no easy feat! 

But why take so many photos in the first place? Never mind the work of curbing them down for sharing, don’t you risk actually missing the experience if you’re always behind the camera? 

This awareness was always in the back of my mind. I wanted to be present, but I wanted to create a proper record as well - each travel adventure we experience is truly unique. My aim is to travel the world for the rest of my life – be it once every other year or once every other month. Whatever I do, I’ll always be planning that next trip. Even if I return to Paris again (and I hope to), I will not likely travel those same streets with the same friend and in the same frame of mind that I had on the trip I took last year. It’s a multidimensional experience that I want access to over and over again. I want to always remember those instants from every aspect and the best way I could think of to save them, was to capture them on film. If it turned out I was a bit overzealous, well that's what the delete button is for.

Despite the sheer volume of pictures I acquired, somehow I managed to remain blissfully in each moment, careful not to allow myself to only see Europe from behind the lens of my camera. I did this by making sure I was in the picture as well. This is the key to giving into the urge to take a thousand photos on your 10 day trip. If you ever find yourself behind the camera too often, stop and look up at where you are - hand someone else the camera and let them capture you unapologetically enjoying the moment for yourself.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences. Please share below.

I admit I was hesitant when my friend first suggested that we look into renting flats or apartments for our European adventure. Well, maybe a little more than hesitant…it was more of a “Whatchoo talkin ‘bout Willis?” kind of moment. 

You mean you want me to sleep in someone else’s bed, use their dishes, their shower, and otherwise be in their personal space amongst their personal things, for several days in a foreign country? Uh, let me think about that one.

But after I did a little research (ok, a lot) and looked at the savings versus the hotels in the area, I started to open up to the idea. Then I realized the range of neighborhoods that we could explore and the opportunity to “live like a local” became hugely appealing to me. This was really going to add to our adventure.

The idea of renting a flat as opposed to booking a hotel is becoming more and more popular. Living like the locals do has its benefits. In choosing a flat, you have a better opportunity to experience the various neighborhoods of a metro area. In London for example, the neighborhoods of Chelsea, Camden, and Greenwich each have different characteristics that would make for a distinct experience depending on where you choose to stay (more on London neighborhoods in a future post). Hotels, on the other hand, are usually only available in limited areas (read: typical tourist spots).

Renting a flat will also save you money. In my research, I found they were 10 to 25 percent cheaper than booking a hotel. Plus, you would typically have a kitchen and laundry available which is invaluable when you’re trying to save on food costs and when you’re traveling light. And the idea that you’ll be living in someone else’s personal space is not entirely true. While there are some inhabited apartments that people sublet, many are solely rented to travelers.

There are a few good services available for online booking – we used Airbnb and I would recommend them for ease of use and a wide variety of possible rentals. So when planning your next trip, do a little neighborhood research, check out some reviews and consider giving a flat a chance!

I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences. Please share below.