How to Plan an International Trip for Free on Google Docs
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Are you planning your first trip abroad? Or maybe you’re onto your thirteenth one. Either way, this guide will help you to learn how to plan an international trip!
The best way to build your custom travel itinerary is to do research! It’s how I plan all my international trips. I’ve used this tactic specifically for Europe and Asia, but it can be modified for anywhere—it can even be used to build your round-the-world trip itinerary!
My First Trip Abroad
Before I went to Europe for the first time, I read books, travel magazines, and websites and watched all those movies that I had said, “Oh, I want to see that someday!”
In the olden days, I went to my local library to get books on travel to plan an international trip.
I don’t know who goes to a library anymore, but hey, it’s free! You can, of course, browse the internet and this blog!
If this is your first trip overseas, I have a special guide just for you! Check out my first time traveling alone post to answer all your burning questions. And if I missed anything, feel free to reach out, as I know traveling for the first time, particularly a first trip solo, can be a bit overwhelming!
Step-by-Step Planning Guide To Traveling Internationally
Decide Where You’d Like to Go
This blog is full of European and United States travel destinations, but there are so many lovely places to explore around the world to add to your custom travel itinerary. So, the first question while learning how to plan an overseas trip is, where are you heading off to?
I’ve sometimes had a location in mind, such as my trips to London, as I’m a big anglophile. But I’ve also let cheap flights dictate where I go. That very thing happened on my trip to Barcelona when I used a flight voucher for a super cheap airfare that happened to land in my inbox via NextVacay.
Another great tool for finding cheap destinations from your home base is Google Flight‘s Anywhere feature. Type in your nearest airport, and then instead of putting a destination in the “Where to?” box, put “Anywhere,” and it’ll generate a map for you.
Need help deciding? Check out these must-visit places in Europe!
Note: Always check travel advisories. I review the U.S. Department of State website for the latest information.
When Should You Go on Vacation?
When you want to go depends wholeheartedly on you. Back when I was working in TV, I had off during the summers, so that was a great time for me to jet off.
However, some of you may not have that luxury when planning an overseas trip. So be sure to check the parameters of when you’ll be able to get off work, school, etc. and maximize your vacation time.
Do also consider whether, though, when I was in Finland in the Arctic Circle, it was -20 degrees Fahrenheit. Not a temperature I’d like to experience again…LOL. Conversely, I showed up in Thailand just before the monsoon season, so it was rather rainy my last few days.
Certain times of the year can also be more expensive, e.g., Christmas, Spring Break, etc. However, I have found some deals just after or on the day of a holiday. I flew to Mexico City on Thanksgiving, and the flight wasn’t too bad.
How Long Should You Go for?
I’ve been going on longer trips lately, 3-4 weeks. I know this isn’t for everyone as I’ve mostly been able to do this due to lapses in employment. However, I can make some general suggestions.
I tend to like to spend 2-3 days in any given place. You’ll notice many of my guides are that length.
I have stayed longer in the past, such as 8 days in Paris, but that was far too long. I now know nearly no place needs that long while learning how to plan an international trip. So depending on how many places you’re going to, how much you plan to see, and how long it takes to get there will better dictate this answer.
Once you’ve done all that, begin planning an overseas trip by compiling a list of the bucket list places you want to go.
How to Find the Best Flight Deals
As I previously mentioned, I’ve let cheap flights dictate where I go on occasion. How do I save money on flights? I sigh up for subscriptions such as NextVacay which emails me deals from my home airport directly to my mailbox.
Another great tool for finding good deals from your home base is Google Flight‘s Anywhere feature. Type in your nearest airport, and then instead of putting a destination in the “Where to?” box, put “Anywhere,” and it’ll generate a map for you.
You can, of course, also put a destination, but if you’re looking for the best deals, it pays to be flexible.
A Note on International Flights
Sometimes, it’s cheaper if you’re booking flights from abroad to find a hopper destination. What do I mean by that?
On the way to Rovaniemi, Finland, my travel buddy and I flew into London.
Why? Because it was cheaper than going directly to Finland from San Diego. We then took an international flight from England to Finland. The two flights were cheaper than the direct. You also get to see an additional city this way if you have the time!
The Ultimate Guide to Planning Your First International Trip
Depending on how much time you have and how far destinations are from each other will dictate how much you can accomplish. I Googled every place I wanted to visit and created a Google Drive Document to keep track of it all.
I’m a visual person, so seeing this laid out with photos especially helps me to remember what’s what, especially if you’re planning something as extensive as a 4-week European itinerary.
Google Docs Itinerary Layout
Below is an example of what I did for each attraction. It was first separated by country and city (with a guesstimate on the number of days), followed by picture, name, opening hours, notes, admission cost, and duration.
Duration, I think, is one that a lot of people forget about when planning an overseas trip. Knowing whether it’ll take half a day or an hour helps to plan out how much you can accomplish.
This became the start of my custom travel itinerary, which I absolutely live by. Not to say plans don’t change, but it really helps me make the most of my trips, so it’s one of my top travel tips when learning how to plan an international trip!
Consider a Sightseeing Pass
A lot of cities will have sightseeing passes. If I plan on getting one, like the Paris Museum Pass or the Omnia Card, first, make sure they are worth it!
Once you’ve decided it is, mark on your itinerary which locations that pass covers by highlighting the destination’s name. It helps to remind me where not to buy a ticket and instead show my pass or if there’s anything else, like front-of-the-line access on offer, that can save some time.
I love sightseeing passes because they offer a lot of value for your buck. They’re one of the top things I recommend when international trip planning.
Travel tip: Sign up for the newsletter of whatever pass you’re considering getting, as they sometimes will email discounts. Usually, it’s only 10-15%, but savings are savings!
Planning a Trip Abroad on Google
Next, I pinned all the sites I wanted to see to a dedicated map I created on Google My Maps. You can name the map, save it, print it, and bring it on your trip.
If you are going to print it, I’d advise creating a map for each city so that when printed, it isn’t tiny and unreadable. If I plan to print my map, I mark up my map with numbers corresponding to my Google Doc so that I know which location is which.
You can also access these maps via the Google Maps app if you log in to your Google account, tap Saved, then scroll down to Maps. From there, you should be able to access any of the Google My Maps you have built.
How to Use Google Maps to Plan a Trip
Google My Maps will help you plan your days and determine how long it will take to get from place to place. You can also see how far apart everything is. Many times, there’s been a place I’ve added to my list only to see it’s very far out of the city and would take a while to get to.
If that happens, I usually weigh how much I actually want to see that place. If it’s a must, I make it work. However, I’ll toss it off the list entirely if I’m iffy about it. Making these kinds of decisions is something you’ll handle while learning how to plan an overseas trip.
For example, Hampton Court Palace is relatively close to London, so it was an easy day trip from there. Warwick Castle, however, was a lot farther. When I looked up how much it would cost to take a train there, I decided it wasn’t worth adding to my custom travel itinerary.
Doing this will save you time and money. This way, you won’t go to buy a ticket and be shocked at how much it’s costing you, especially when you can be doing something else instead of wasting time.
Google Saved Places List
You’ll see on a number of my itineraries, such as my 2 days in Dublin post, I’ve created a map for you. I’ve chosen to create a Saved Places List, instead of a My Maps as this way you can easily sort by ‘Distance’ to quickly see what’s open and nearby while traveling.
This list can also help you if you get done early at one location, you can quickly determine if another site is nearby. It also shows you opening times and other essential info.
It’s also good to review your itinerary and map before your trip and each morning to get the lay of the land.
To create your own Saved Places List, check out this guide.
🗺️ How to Use This Map: Get more info about each point of interest by clicking the icons on the map. To save my interactive map, click 2 Days in Dublin list, then hit ‘Save.’ It’ll then be accessible via desktop under ‘Saved’ and the Google Maps app under ‘You.’ Sort by ‘Distance’ to quickly see what’s open and nearby while traveling.
Download the Maps.Me App
Downloading the Maps.me app is also a good idea.
Just make sure to download whatever location you’ll be at in advance so that you can look up places on the go and get directions without Wi-Fi.
I’ve been in some funny locations without data and this has saved my butt more times than I can count!
Check Out These Posts:
Organize Transportation: Public Transportation vs. Car Rentals
I have only rented a car on a trip twice in my traveling life, once in Rhodes, Greece, and again in Rovaniemi, Finland. Both times I did it because the sites I wanted to see in each of those locations were so spread out that getting public transport seemed like a nightmare.
If you do decide to rent a car, make sure you can.
Do You Need an International Driver’s Permit?
When I rented the car in Greece, I had to get an international driver’s permit, which was easy enough to get at AAA for $20. I also made sure to get the insurance at the car rental place.
Unfortunately, accidents do happen, so make sure to either use your insurance (check with your provider on this option) or get it at the rental place.
I’m thankful I got it at the rental place because upon returning the car, they seemed to think I had somehow damaged the car and were giving me a hard time until one employee pointed out I had their insurance, and suddenly it was a non-issue.
When I was in Finland, however, no permit was needed, and no issues arose upon returning the vehicle so just keep all this in mind if you do rent a car. You’ll also need to consider parking as sometimes that alone can be costly.
Taking Public Transport Abroad
I will note that depending on where you are going, it’s usually cheaper and more convenient to take public transportation.
In my experience, it made more sense to go by train or bus to most places in Europe. However, occasionally, it is cheaper to rent a car, so do your research while international trip planning.
Other Concerns for Transportation
The other situation I’ve encountered while traveling abroad is that sometimes public transportation isn’t available. Usually, it’s that I’m flying in late or leaving extra early, so much so that transportation isn’t running yet.
In these cases, I’ll either reserve a car rideshare such as Uber or Lyft or reach out to my hotel to assist.
If, for some reason, public transport is shut down, I highly recommend the CityMapper app, which gives up-to-date information for major cities.
Making Hostel or Hotel Reservations
Now that you’ve got the outline of your international travel laid out. How is a good time to see where there are hotels or hostels near the sites you’ve mapped out.
If you’re unsure which to stay in, I have a great post laying out the differences between a hostel and a hotel. Either way, I highly recommend making sure wherever you stay, you feel comfortable in and is located centrally.
You don’t want to spend a lot of time taxing back and forth out of a city just because a hotel at the airport is a bit cheaper (though I’ve stayed in one when I’ve had an early flight out of Florence). There’s always some affordable accommodation to be had.
Do check into amenities; however, as they can make all the difference. I usually look for breakfast included or anything else that I’d have to pay for if it wasn’t already part of the tab.
Note: I tend to stay away from vacation rentals primarily because I’m often traveling solo; however, if you’re in a family or larger group, this may be the most preferable of the accommodation options available to you.
Book Tours and Tickets in Advance
Another thing to plan ahead for is any sort of tour you’d like to participate in or museum you’d like to visit. Don’t do what my travel buddy and I did in Florence and wait till the last minute to get tickets. We almost didn’t see David because of this!
Some suggested tours can be found in my city guides. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, my favorite tour guide companies can be found on my resources page. From their sites, you should be able to track down whatever walking tour, food tour, cooking class, or even something as unique as Aurora hunting for your own adventure!
Using Google Sheets for International Trip Planning
Now that you’ve done all your homework and learned how to plan an international trip, it’s time to lay out out!
I got this awesome Google Sheet idea from a fellow solo female traveler. You can find out how we met in my Bumble BFF review.
Back to her layout, on Google Sheets, she’s laid out the travel dates, the city, type (e.g., flight, excursion, hotel), date, time, excursion or event, confirmation number, and notes.
If you’re doing this with another, you can also list out the total and per-person costs so that you can easily tally up what each other owes. Because it’s on Google, it’s also easily accessible and editable if you’re planning with a group of other travelers.
You’ll notice it’s also color-coded: yellow for flights, green for transportation, orange for hotels or hostels, and blue for excursions.
What I’m showing there is just a snippet of what our adventure to Finland looked like, but you get the idea. And I loved this approach when international trip planning!
We were also able to access this easily through the Google Sheets app. Make sure to mark your Google Sheet for your trip as “Make available offline” so that you can assess it even without wifi.
A Quick Checklist for Travel Documents
- Check if you have a valid passport. You also need to know your passport expiration date as some countries don’t allow entry if it has less than 6 months of validity left
- Check if you’ll need travel insurance. I’ve only needed this once, in Thailand right after COVID, but this will depend on you’re destination country and your personal needs.
- Do the same for visa requirements. I’ve never needed one, but you may!
- Do you need any vaccinations? Check with the CDC to find out!
You also need to research whether your credit card has foreign transaction fees or if you can use your phone abroad. It can become quite costly if you don’t check what foreign country your cell phone plan covers before traveling abroad.
My travel buddy swears by eSim cards; I’ve never had the need to get one as my phone plan covers my essentials, but if yours doesn’t, do invest in one.
My post on things to do before an international trip provides even more tips like this, so be sure to check that out!
How to Plan an International Trip FAQ
How far in advance do you plan an international trip?
I advise planning a few months in advance. This way, you have proper time to research and plan. I don’t like to rush things, so I really value all I can learn before a trip to assist me with my travels. This also usually ends up saving me not only money but the time that I would have spent during the trip figuring out what to do rather than enjoying the experience.
Is it possible to go on an international trip without planning much ahead in terms of hotels, etc.?
Yes, to some countries, as some don’t require visas or other paperwork to enter. However, even if you’re all set there, I don’t advise it. Why? Because you can wind up paying more sometimes if you don’t book in advance. You may have limited options on hotels, which drives up the price. Additionally, some tourist attractions are booked out in advance, so you’ll be limiting yourself there. All in all, to have the best experience and get the best selection of hotels and attractions, I recommend planning in advance.
How much money do you need to travel internationally?
This truly depends on where you’re going. My trip to Thailand was far cheaper than my trip to Finland. This was partly because Thailand’s currency exchange was much more in my favor. And also partly because every excursion in Finland was about $100 per person, whereas I did many free things in Thailand.
How do you go about solo international trip planning?
The outline I laid out above I’ve used mostly on solo trips. Only in recent years have I gotten a travel buddy with whom I’ve been to Spain, Italy, England, and Finland. So, you can use this guide to plan a solo international trip or non-solo trip.
Do you need travel insurance?
I have never gotten travel insurance except for when I visited Thailand, and it was required. It was shortly after quarantine, so they enacted a rule that you had to get insurance and a test upon arrival. Other than that, I’ve never seen the need to get travel insurance.
Pre-Build Travel Guides for You to Use
Looking for a travel guide…
- for London?: Check out The Ultimate 2 Day London Itinerary
- for Dublin?: Check out How to Spend 2 Days in Dublin
- for Paris?: Check out How to Build an Itinerary for 3 Days in Paris
- for Venice?: Check out Your Budget Wise One Day In Venice Itinerary
- for Rome?: Check out How to Build a 3 Day Itinerary for Rome Italy
- for Vienna?: Check out How Many Days in Vienna? A Simple Guide for First-timers
- for Salzburg?: Check out One Day in Salzburg: The Sound of Music and More!
- for Athens?: Check out 2 Days in Athens Greece: The Ultimate Itinerary
… and I have a LOAD more on this site. Check out my destinations page to see all the cities I cover as I add more regularly!
It’s Almost Time to Start Packing!
Whether you’re a carry on bag person or a suitcase lady like myself, check out my pack light guide for some top tips!
And, do also check baggage policies; I’ve seen more and more airlines having their own specifications on overhead and checked luggage. You don’t want those extra fees creeping up on you!
If you’re in search of safety tips, check out my favorite anti-theft purse and my how to plan a solo trip guides.
Final Thoughts on How to Plan an International Trip
I hope this answers the question of how to plan an international trip. And remember, do research and plan ahead! Just because I have a travel itinerary to a location you want to visit, make sure to check out other bloggers as well. We all have different experiences and tastes in what we like to do, so checking out multiple sources will give you the most well-rounded trip!
Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below. I’ll continue to update this with my top tips on how to plan an international trip, so check back as often as you need.
Looking for More Planning Tips?
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Thanks for the tips, that help us to plan our trip in the best way…Cheers from MY TRIP PLAN