10 Steps to Plan Your Next International Trip

Last Updated on May 28, 2025 by Steph

The summer travel season is upon us, and if you’re anything like me, you are constantly checking flight prices and reading all the online articles about hidden gems and underrated European destinations to find your next vacation. While I usually avoid the busy seasons and leave Seattle during the magical summertime, it doesn’t mean that I’m able to avoid temptations altogether. Take this as a sign that it’s time to plan your next international trip.

Planning vacations is my specialty. After figuring out the logistics of a 12-month-long vacation with multiple continents, I’ve got the planning steps dialed in. Having the right tools is crucial for success, and a to-do list is a great place to start. Follow these 10 steps to plan your next international trip to ensure you have all the right tasks on your list. You’ll be lounging on an Italian beach or riding on an African safari before you know it.

10 Steps to Plan Your Next International Trip

Get Inspiration

Let the fun begin with a little internet deep dive to find inspiration. I love a good travel brainstorm, even if I’m not planning for anything specific. I keep a running list on Pinterest, organized by continent, and add any good resources I come across. This is a great happy hour conversation with whoever you’re planning to travel with. Create a comprehensive list together so you have some options to work with. 

If you are looking for some inspiration, here are a few of my favorite places to learn about new spots:

• Kara and Nate’s YouTube channel – They have been to so many places, and while their content lately is more adventure and athleticism, you can search the archives for all kinds of incredible travel experiences.
• Travel TV shows where you get to learn more about different places through unique lenses. Eugene Levy covers fancy and bougie hotels on The Reluctant Traveler, Ewan McGregor rides his motorcycle across continents on the Long Way series, and Anthony Bourdain’s food-focused travel shows are all favorites of ours.
• Instagram creators who share more behind the scenes. Two of my favorite local PNW creators are ReneeRoaming and ALittleRainey. I like it when I get more information than just the beautiful pictures. Geena from Beyond the Bucketlist goes places I will likely never go, but I love seeing the world through her lens as well. 
• Travel blogs (like the one you’re on currently) offer fantastic information as well in a more long-form. Two Wandering Soles is another favorite of ours. Beware of AI content when reading blogs. You want to see personal stories and photos. Follow people you trust and bookmark their sites to keep coming back. 

Narrow Down Your Choices and Compare Prices

Once you have a list, it’s time to price things out and consider the pros and cons of each destination. Don’t go too deep into the weeds with pricing. Check flight prices, hotels, or vacation rentals. Those are the significant expenses. Also, determine whether or not your destinations are in high season during your travel dates. For example, you don’t want to visit the Thai islands during monsoon season or visit a major European city the same weekend as a large soccer tournament (unless you’re a big football fan). 

This work will help one destination rise to the top. If you still have more than one, you’ll have to make some decisions. It’s helpful to think about the number one thing you want to enjoy on your vacation. If you are planning with multiple friends, let everyone sleep on it if necessary.

Finalize Your Decision and Commit

Once you’ve got your final destination, it’s time to commit. Put in the request for time off work and start your countdown for the trip. Ensure your passport is up to date and does not expire within the next six months. 

Book Flights

The rumor is that Sundays and Tuesdays are the best days of the week to book flights. You’ve already searched pricing, so you know what to expect. Pick flight times and layovers that make the most sense for your travel situation. I prefer early morning flights to get there and midday departures when heading home. 

Comparing prices and schedules can be done on Google Flights or one of the paid services. I’m a huge fan of Daily Drop. There are both free and paid options, and you can have flight alerts from your home airport emailed to you. The free newsletter is an excellent resource if you want to learn how to maximize your credit card points as well. Sign up here.

Once your flight is booked, add it to your calendar with the confirmation number and flight number. I also recommend downloading the airline’s specific app for your boarding pass and any alerts about schedule changes. 

Secure Necessary Visas and Vaccines

Travel requirements are constantly changing, so it’s essential to check on visa requirements anywhere you are traveling this summer. The good news is that there are options available to help you with this critical step and make things easy. 

OnTrailVisa is an option for UK passport holders, offering a streamlined process that provides clear information on visas and assists with the application process. They even offer a 100% application guarantee, and you can request a full refund if your application is denied. 

The last thing you want is to be stranded at your departure airport because you don’t have the appropriate documents to travel. Vaccines are another requirement for some countries, and you’ll want plenty of time to secure those from a doctor, along with proof. 

Plan Itinerary

Once you have tickets and any visas required for travel, you can get to the fun stuff. Return to those inspirational places and start picking out the things you really want to do in the destination. It’s essential to prioritize these things, plan one thing each day, and build the itinerary around that. 

I recommend starting with activities and tours first because those have the strictest requirements around timing. Once you have those loosely plotted on an itinerary, you can add some restaurants and secondary options that are close by or convenient to the main activity. 

This isn’t the time to lock in a full itinerary, but if there are popular things that you absolutely cannot miss, it might be good to lock in those right now before they sell out. Don’t overpack your schedule when you plan your next international trip, because you should have a little time for rest and relaxation.

Decide on Lodging Choices

Once you have a loose plan of your trip, you can figure out what lodging option makes the most sense. Do you want to be close to a city center and all the major attractions? Are you planning to take a lot of day trips and need easy access to transportation or highways? Are there 100 restaurants you want to try, or would you prefer to cook a lot at the hotel or rental and spend money in other ways?

Those are all questions that can help you decide what will be best. Once you have a general idea of what you’re looking for, you can use one of the many great booking sites to find the best hotel or vacation rental for your trip and get that locked in.

Figure Out Transportation

Now you have your plane tickets and your lodging booked, it’s time to figure out how to get around while you’re traveling. Do you need train tickets between destinations? Are you renting a car? Will you need bicycles to rent for the length of your stay? You may just be able to utilize public transportation and Uber. It depends on your destination and what you’re planning to do while you’re in town. 

Secure your reservation. If you are renting a car, make sure you review all the driving rules in the country you are visiting and ensure that your driver’s license will be accepted when you arrive. Some countries may require you to take a short quiz upon arrival to ensure you know how to manage their traffic signals, such as New Zealand. 

Get Tours and Dinner Reservations

Take your brainstormed itinerary and start locking in your plans. Make dinner reservations for any of the hot spots and book any tours you want to take. I also recommend doing some research on other restaurants in the area you’re staying in, in case your schedule shifts. Spontaneity is fun, but not if anyone is hangry. I use Google Maps to flag anywhere that was recommended, so I can just pull up my phone in any location and see if there’s anything close by. I cannot tell you how many times a backup spot has saved us, and many have turned out to be favorites. I’m drooling now thinking about the Bahn Mi in Vietnam.

Pack Your Bags

A few days before the flight, get out the suitcases and plan your pack. I like to pack neutral colors so I can mix and match nonstop. Other friends I travel with like to plan out multiple outfits down to the jewelry and shoes. Whatever your style is, I recommend laying things out a few days ahead of time in case you need to pick up any last-minute necessities.

Don’t panic with the pack, because you can always grab anything you forget (unless you’re trekking to the summit of a remote mountain somewhere). I’ve also had luggage lost for a two-week trip before and survived with two outfits through the Swiss Alps. Have fun with this last big item because next up is heading to the airport for takeoff.

Let the Countdown for Your International Vacation Begin!

Now that we’ve covered the work required to plan your next international trip, tell us where you’re going. What are your favorite travel tools? Where do you get inspiration for your vacations? Let us know if there are any travel TV shows we should be diving into. 

This post on how to plan your next international trip was sponsored by OnTrailVisa UK. At The Tumbling Nomads, we love to highlight products and services that we love and that can assist other travelers on their adventures. Everything in this post was written by us for you. Thank you for checking out our sponsors, who help keep this space up and running.