An Organization Freak's Guide to Planning a Trip

I organize my trips as much as possible. I like to be prepared beforehand even though some things will have to be spontaneous because you can't control everything (although the perfectionist in me would love to be able to do that).
Before a trip I outline everything: places to see, the best times to see those places and nearby eateries (even make some reservations). I also check out public transport and distances. This saves us a lot of time and also saves us from wandering the streets in empty stomachs.

For today's post, I've rounded up my favorite resources to make a trip itinerary which are the following:

PINTEREST
This is the first place I go to when I start planning a trip. Pinterest has all the cool places. Plus, you can read the article related to a photo so it's an endless source of information.

THE NOTEBOOK
It may sound all fashioned but I love notebooks. I like handwritten pages and drawings and after the trip they look like scrapbooks. That's where I write the full itinerary: it's like a diary but before it happens. Having it written down also helps me organize photos and know what every place was once I am back home.

THE CITY MAP
Another oldie but goddie. After checking in our hotel we ALWAYS ask for a map. We have our phones for extra support but we use maps a lot. In fact, my husband loves saving battered maps after our trips.

THE COMPASS
This one is especially useful for photographers: know where the sun is. When you travel, you may only see places once so getting the perfect shot becomes quite difficult. Knowing the best time to photograph each place will raise your chances of getting the perfect photo and you won't have to go back at a different time of day. Bare in mind that the best time to take photos is one hour after sunrise and one hour before sunset, also known as golden hour. Golden hour is great to take pics of people and places, your snaps will have lovely warm hues. The other important one to remember is blue hour, a period of twilight in the morning and in the evening that is a great time to take pics of buildings and landmarks because the sky has a pretty shade of blue, streetlights are on and buildings are still lit.

GOOGLE MAPS IS MY #1 ALLY
Even though we use the traditional map when we are at our destination, all my planning is done through Google Maps. The first thing I check is the hotel location. If it's abroad I'll also look for public transport from the airport to our accommodation. Then, the sights to see. I divide the map in areas and start working on the itinerary so that we don't go back and forth. Because we are usually tired when we reach our destination, we see the places closer to the hotel first. My planning also includes checking what is at walking distance and what is not.

A great thing about Google Maps is that you can download maps to use when you are abroad and don't have internet access. Maps.me is another great app that allows you to download maps.

EXTRA TIPS

• Start your research early! Don't wait until the last minute.
• Check out as many blogs as you can. The smaller the blogger the better because that way you can be sure it's an honest opinion. 
• If a recommendation pops up in a few travel guides, book it.

How do you plan your trips?
xo Cristina

OUTFIT DETAILS
Claudie pierlot top and pants (last seen here)

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS