Travel · 11 recordsPlan a trip

Over-planned trips are rigid and under-planned ones lose days to logistics. This books only the things that get more expensive or disappear, handles documents and insurance up front, and deliberately leaves the middle loose.

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Goal

A trip that is booked but not over-planned Week 8

Fixed points booked, admin done early, the middle left open.

Documents and admin Week 4

Lead times, and none of it can be fixed at the airport.

  • Check passport validity and whether a visa is neededDo firstDay 3
  • Sort insurance and any vaccinationsDo firstWeek 3

Book the fixed points Week 7

Only what gets more expensive or disappears.

  • Book the flightsDo firstWeek 2
  • Book the first and last nightWeek 4
  • Write a loose list of what is worth doing, and stop thereWeek 6

Routines

  • Half an hour on the tripweekly
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Dates you will not have to remember

Fly out

Week 807:00240 min
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Book the ends, leave the middle

Over-planned trips are rigid and under-planned ones lose days to logistics. Booking only what gets more expensive or sells out gets most of the benefit and almost none of the cost.\n\nPassport, visa, insurance and vaccinations all have lead times and none can be fixed on the day, which is why they are the earliest tasks rather than part of packing.

Questions

Plan a trip, answered.

The things that get more expensive or sell out — flights, the first and last night, anything with limited capacity. Booking the middle in advance mostly buys rigidity, and this plan leaves it open on purpose.
Passport validity, any visa, insurance and vaccinations. All four have lead times and none of them can be fixed at the airport, which is why they are the earliest dated tasks here rather than part of packing.
This plan runs on about eight weeks, which is comfortable for most trips. Anywhere needing a visa wants considerably longer, and checking that is the first thing the plan asks you to do.
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