Trip planning that starts with the hard decisions

Most trips that go wrong were decided weeks earlier, in the order things got booked. Somebody locked in a cheap flight before checking the drive from the airport, or found a great hotel and only later learned it needs a car the budget never covered. Trip planning on Traveltsg works backward from those mistakes.

We start with the fixed points: dates, the airport and where you'll sleep. Then come the things that sell out, like summer rental cars, popular restaurants and timed-entry attractions. The flexible pieces wait, and we'll say when something can. Plenty of it can.

Every itinerary we write gets a Plan B, because flights get delayed and beach days get rained out. This section covers itinerary planning, travel budgeting, packing, travel insurance basics, and trips for families, couples and long weekends. Coming up: the most common planning mistakes, and what a first-time planner should book first.