Top Tips to Simplify Your Travel Planning

Do you ever get overwhelmed with all the things to do when planning travel?

This month I want to send you a few tips and tricks to simplify your travel planning. Life has been crazy enough lately. When you’re ready to travel again, put these simple tips into action.

Book with one brand of hotel

I’m all for staying in unique and hidden gems, but if you’re looking to save time and get your rewards, pick one hotel and stick with it to simplify your travels. Check out the Best Hotel Rewards Here.

Right now my family is choosing Hilton as our go-to hotel brand. I selected them because of previous stays and accumulated points. But also because I can check in from their app, and have a digital key card. No need for me to even visit the front desk, especially when I’m road tripping and only staying one night. Using one hotel brand does not mean you should book the hotels yourself, as there are many benefits to booking through Purple Light Vacations. Not only does Purple Light have access to the best pricing and special offers but it is also a member of Travel Leaders and Hilton (as well as Marriott, Hyatt, Intercontinental and many others) is a preferred Travel Leaders partner. That means that when you book through us, you are eligible to receive free upgrades and other additional amenities

Buy an activity pass.

Don’t want to do the research on what the best attractions are? Or maybe you don’t want to track down all the deals? I don’t blame you. An activity pass is a bundle pass that offers the top attractions in a destination at a discount. You can check out my list of attraction passes here. Purple Light has access to best pricing on all kinds of tours and activity passes. We also can make suggestions to you of what and how to see the top attractions. 

Don’t plan anything

The opposite of buying an activity pass would be to not plan anything. Seriously just go with the flow when you’re on vacation. I mean, you are on vacation after all! If you really want to simplify your travel planning, not planning could be an option. Purple Light Vacations is available to assist you with last minute tour bookings.

Do Buy Travel Insurance

It may sound tedious to buy travel insurance, but trust me, should something go wrong, it will not be simple. Just plug in a couple of numbers at Insure My Trip and you can compare, price and purchase the best option for you. Then you are good to go. Then you can lay back and not worry if your luggage gets lost. Not flying, yes, you need insurance for road trips too.

Use Packing Lists.

Does there seem to always be something you forget? It’s inevitable when you’re packing for the whole family. Find a packing list that you like and modify it for your family. You can search Pinterest and get hundreds, or make it easy on yourself and buy this one on Etsy for $5.

Use Packing Cubes

While you’re at it, separate your family’s items by person into packing cubes. Or pack into cubes by day. This will make it easier to unpack when you arrive at your destination. You want a quality set, so it’s worth spending a little more on packing cubes. I like this pro set from Amazon. It comes in a variety of sizes, but enough of the larger sizes that you don’t always get with smaller packs. Plus, it has separate colors for family members.

Label it

Keep it simple and sort your items by person with these cute labels from Mabel’s Labels.

You can use labels to label your packing cubes, toothbrushes, toiletries, you name it. The link above takes you to the travel section. My personal favorite is the Safety Bracelets. If you have young kids, simplify your life with these safety bracelets for worse case scenarios. This way if your child does get separated from you, your contact information is there.

Don’t Do it Yourself

Another way to simplify your travel planning is to just let someone else do it for you. Did you know that travel agents don’t charge you? They get paid by the hotels, airlines, and activities they book on your behalf. If you’ve never worked with a travel agent before, give Purple Light Vacations a try. Our principals have traveled all over the world and provide you with that knowledge, destination insight and other added value at no additional cost. Purple Light Vacations also knows if there are any travel restrictions, which is important when many countries are banning US travelers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Will you travel this year? Do you want to keep it simple? Keep these tips in mind to simplify your travel plans when you’re looking to travel to get away from the stress of daily life.

Want our help to simplify your travel planning? Please reach out to us. We are delighted to help.

Purple Light Vacations provides you with the knowledge, insight and personalized service to make your vacation all you want it to be at no additional cost. We help you travel in the know wherever you go. To get started, fill out this quick form or call 619.324.1444 (ext. 3).