Summer is on the horizon, and with that many of us will be jetting away on holiday whether it be to the beach for a week, a city trip or a long weekend escape. Either way planning a trip can be stressful especially if you have never been where you going before so I’ve put together some tips that I’ve found helpful whilst booking my trips away.

Set a Budget | To prevent overspending set a budget. It doesn’t matter how big or how small that budget is but making sure you stay within your means will prevent you wracking up a large credit card bill and you can also easily track what you’re spending.

Research the Area | If you’re visiting somewhere you’ve been to many times before or are familiar with this step can probably be skipped - unless you want to discover somewhere new which you may have missed before. But if you’re visiting somewhere new it pays to do some research about where you’re going. What the big tourist attractions, where are the best restaurants, is their public transport or do you need to get taxis, where is your hotel or where your staying in relation to all of this. It can be quite easy to get whisked away in the excitement of visiting somewhere new that you miss a lot of what is going on and come away having only seen a quarter of what you could’ve seen and done.

Look Around | This is helpful in terms of saving money but also finding exactly what you want. Don’t just book the first hotel you find, or the first flights etc. Not only could you save yourself money that way but you may find a better hotel that may be closer to what you’re doing, offer more etc.

Read Reviews | Reviews are your best friend. Want to know what the staff is like at a hotel? Read reviews. Want to know whether a tourist attraction is worth it? Read reviews. Want to know what restaurants are the best? Read reviews.

Read Travel Blogs | Just like beauty blogs are the place to go for beauty advice, travel blogs are the place to go for travel advice. With reviews of everything from restaurants to hotels and everything in-between often with condensed posts based around one city or place showing all the best bits. They are also excellent at recommending places that are off the beaten track and not recommended in guide books.

Make a List | List everything you want to do whilst your away, from day trips to tourist attractions to restaurants. This makes is easier for you to plot down what you want to do whilst you’re away, don’t make a concrete itinerary though as this will take away your ability to truly enjoy the trip as you’ll be more focussed on how much time you have where and how to get to the next thing you want to do.

Do you have any tips for planning a mini break or holiday?

~ Jade xx