Five Most Common Vacation Itinerary Mistakes

I have helped dozens of friends, family members and readers plan their trips by creating itineraries for them. There are five common mistakes that people make when creating trip itineraries that can be cause for embarrassment and missed opportunities. If you are creating a trip itinerary, make sure that you avoid these mistakes.

Itinerary Programs

In the last two or three years, I have seen some travel websites come out with itinerary creation packages. A user is asked a handful of questions and then an itinerary is created based on the answers. The problem with all of the programs that I have seen is that only certain events and activities are included. These programs were created to promote certain events and activities and do not give a well-rounded experience. They should be avoided.

For example, one program that I saw recently created a Las Vegas itinerary for travelers. After playing around with it for a few hours, I realized that it only suggested six casinos and seven different activities and attractions. If you have been to Las Vegas, you know that there are over seventy casinos around Las Vegas and hundreds of attractions.

Travel Time

As you planning all of the events and activities that you want to participate in or see, make sure that you plan travel time in between. In my experience, this is the most common mistake. Make sure that you look online to see how much distance is between one activity and another. Make sure that you have decided if you are going to walk or drive between the two points. You do not want to have to rush through one activity to ensure that you keep on track.

Eating Time

Don't forget to plan time to eat when you are working on your trip itinerary. Make sure that you schedule ample time to relax and eat. I have seen people schedule a trip to a particular local restaurant on their trip, but only block off a half an hour. This does not give enough time to relax.

Return Time

When creating my trip itineraries, I will usually leave particular times (like evenings) free. This gives me the opportunity to return to some place that I had been previously on my trip that I wanted to spend more time at. How many times have you found yourself wishing that you had spent more time at a particular activity or shopping in a particular strip of stores once your vacation was over? Blocking off free time to return to these types of places can keep you from ever saying this again.

Relaxation Time

Many people spend their vacations rushing from point to point on their vacation. Remember that one of the reasons that we take vacations is to relax and recharge our physical and mental batteries. Make sure that you plan time to just vegetate and relax. Maybe this would come in the form of blocking off a few hours to relax by a pool or at a beach. It could come in the forum of an extra-long lunch or simply sleeping in late for a day or two.