By Jon at Reduce My Excess,
24 October 2023
If you’re looking for the ultimate guide to creating a holiday planner template, then read on to find out how to build your own and get your break off to a great start.
What is a holiday planner template?
A holiday planner template is a great way to get organised ahead of your big trip. Whether you are travelling abroad for a week or having a small staycation over a long weekend, having a document with all the information you need in one place will prove handy.
Even if you haven’t booked your trip yet, using a template can help you come up with ideas on the best places to go. For example, if you have a set budget for a trip, you can lay out how much flights, hotels, activities and meals will cost. After all, you don’t want to book a long flight to an exotic location only to end up being unable to afford going anywhere or visiting any restaurants.
What are the benefits of holiday planner templates?
There are plenty of benefits to using a holiday planner template – for both business and leisure travellers. These include:
Saving time when looking for information such as flight details, hotel reservations and day trip bookings
Keeping track of finances and setting out a budget per meal or activity
Managing last-minute changes more effectively to ensure plans don’t go awry
Ensuring you’re making the most of your trip – having a list of restaurants and activities means you won’t miss out or forget any opportunities while you’re there
How to create the perfect travel itinerary
By following these steps, you’ll end up with a travel itinerary which is perfectly moulded to your needs.
Set a budget
Nobody wants to run out of money while they’re on holiday, so allocate your funds wisely. Decide how much you are willing to spend and stick to this figure. As you go through your list, note down the prices of specifics you’d be buying along the way such as meals and activities, then figure out how much you can afford to do.
Book early
Once you have decided on your destination, book your flights and accommodation as soon as possible to lock in the best prices. Tools such as Google Flights can tell you when it might be cheaper to book, and you can also set up flight alerts so that you’re alerted once prices go down.
Do your research
This is the part many people enjoy the most. Gather information about your holiday destination from various sources – travel websites, social media, guidebooks and friends. Note down any must-see attractions, unique experiences and culinary options which appeal to you, then look at each in more detail to find out if you can do them during your trip.
Pack appropriately
Make sure you have the right items on your list so you don’t forget essentials, whether it’s underwear, toothpaste or sun cream. Check out our holiday packing list guide to find out more.
Plan your meals
Take the time to research local restaurants, cafes and street food vendors. If you plan on visiting a popular spot, make reservations ahead of time so you don’t miss out. Don’t just stick to your regular comfort food – use your time away as an opportunity to try some new cuisine!
Think about transportation
Is the public transport reliable where you’re going? Will you be driving there? Or will you need to hire a car for your trip? If you do hire a car, money-saving options such as car hire excess insurance can save you £100s per trip.
Keep it balanced
You may have loads of ideas for your trip, but make sure you don’t overload your schedule or you will end up exhausted. There will be days when plans change, and sometimes others in your group may want a little downtime. Factor in different activity types over the course of a day so that you can have fun experiences without forgetting to relax in between.
How to use a holiday planner template
When you are looking for a holiday planner template, make sure you find one with a planning page, budget planner and travel itinerary.
Planning page
This page is where you will note down the basics, such as where you are going and when. After that, you will be jotting down all your ideas. For example, there may be places you want to visit, or some must-try cuisine that you are looking forward to.
If you have lots of people to buy souvenirs for, then make a note of any key items to pick up – perhaps your sister has requested a beret from your trip to France, for example.
Once you have these notes down, you will have formed the basis for the next few pages.
Budget planner
Focusing on money may not be fun, but it’s necessary if you want to keep your budget under control. Divide your page into sections such as your transportation, activities, accommodation and food.
Ensure there are three columns – one for the details of the expense, one for the planned budget and then another for the amount you actually spent. If you spend more or less than expected, you can reallocate your funds accordingly.
Travel itinerary
Your day-to-day schedule lives here. At the top you want your flight information, followed by your hotel details. After that you can plan out activities for each day and what the total budget is.
Don’t forget to follow our tips above during your planning stage and most importantly, don’t pack too much into one day!
How to make a summer holiday planner
If you aren’t going on holiday during the summer, but you have kids to keep entertained for six or seven weeks, then a summer holiday planner can be incredibly useful. Children often respond well to structure, so having a plan for each day can help them during this long stretch of time.
These planners don’t have to be reserved for just the summer – they are also useful during half term holidays, Easter and Christmas breaks.
To get started, ask your children what they want to do during the break. They may have ideas of their own, such as completing a school project, visiting a friends’ house, attending a birthday party or going to the zoo.
Make a list of activities you can complete in both sunny and rainy weather – for example, going on a forest walk when it’s pleasant outside and having a movie marathon during a rainy Sunday afternoon.
Next, you want to build out a table for your holiday period and ensure there are one or two activities allocated per day.
Ensure your children will be kept busy but allow downtime where they can do what they want – such as quiet reading, computer games or watching TV.
Once your schedule is complete, you can look forward to a well-structured break with various activities to keep the kids happy.
About the author
Jon spent years travelling Europe and Asia before settling down in the UK when he met his wife.
He’s hired cars across the globe and is passionate about helping people save money with excess insurance.
Since co-founding Reduce My Excess, Jon has found that he can use the knowledge he picked up from his travels by sharing it in online guides and articles.
He hopes to save people from making the mistakes he learnt from over the years by giving them the travel information they need before they head off on their holidays.