Advice for Planning the Perfect Trip:
Google Flights Edition
If you’re like most people, the thought of planning a trip (especially internationally) can be a bit intimidating. Lucky for you, I’m here to help you streamline the planning process and get the most out of your travels!
The first step is crucial: Determine your flexibility
What does that mean? Is your destination flexible or are you locked into a specific city/country? Are your dates flexible or are you traveling during a defined school break? Is your budget flexible or do you have a tight travel budget?
There aren’t any incorrect answers but knowing what is most important to you and where you are willing to make some adjustments, will help you get the most you can out of your trip!
Immerse yourself in another culture through a cooking class
Take a road trip to get yourself off the beaten path
Next: Choose your destination and book your flight
Why did I combine these two separate steps into one, you might ask? Well, the answer is simple. Google Flights. If you are flexible with your destination, dates or better yet, BOTH, then you can save some major cash.
During this phase of planning, Google Flights will become your new best friend!
Let me break it down for you.
When you have zero flexibility:
Google Flights lets you choose a specific destination & specific dates, Google then provides you with numerous flight options through different airlines. Here you can compare the number of layovers, layover length, total travel time, etc. This allows you to choose the flight that best fits your budget and schedule.
When you have flexible dates:
With flexible dates, things start to get fun 🙂 To test out different dates, you can go to the Explore page on Google Flights. Here you enter your specific destination and then select “flexible dates”. Next, you choose the month or months you are open to traveling and the travel duration: weekend, 1 week or 2 weeks. Google will then provide you with your best flight options given the criteria.
When you have a flexible destination:
Similar to flexible dates, you’ll want to head to the explore page. From here you will leave the destination open and will head to the dates. When you click on the calendar, you need to select the “specific dates” tab and plug in your travel dates. A list of possible travel destinations will then appear! This feature allows you to choose a destination that fits both your price point and specific dates, you just need to be open to your destination!
When you have flexible dates AND a flexible destination:
My favorite feature on Google Flights is the ability to leave the dates and destination open. In fact, this is how I’ve planned the majority of my European travels and how I’ve snagged $25 round trip flights throughout Europe! I understand that using this feature is not always possible but when it is, I highly recommended giving it a try!
With all that fear, it’s much easier to stay at home in our comfort
zones than to break out and travel.
I hope this Google Flights overview was helpful for the first major steps of travel planning: Destination Selection & Flight Booking. I think one of the most important aspects of planning, is to separate the process into stages. This allows you to feel accomplished at the competition of each step and the more you plan, it will become like a planning routine (and is there anything better than planning mixed with routines?! 🙂 )
Of course there is so much more to know about how to best utilize Google Flights, let alone how to plan an international trip and that’s why I’m here. Check back soon for more articles related to planning the perfect European trip!
