Well hello to you my reader chums! I don't like to brag but I'm a bit of a pro when it comes to booking holidays. As someone who is obsessed with travelling and spends my free time either planning trips or going on them, I've picked up some useful lessons and tips along the way. 

If you're looking to book a holiday and need some advice and tips, here are 5 things you need to do before booking a holiday.

Consider your location, date and length of time

Holidays are different for everyone, whether you love to relax for a week away, go hiking, see the classic tourist sights or head off the beaten path. We all have our preferences on what we like in a trip and destinations that we're dreaming of. The first port of call for any holiday planning is deciding where you're going, when and the length of time the trip will be. Making all these definite decisions will give you a leg up with all the other organisational tips and guide your choices.

Decide on your budget

With your location, length of time and date in mind, you can decide on your budget. Budgets are different for everyone because it depends on the type of holiday you want, whether that's more luxurious or a shoestring type trip. You should decide on a budget for your total accommodation, transport and spending money with leeway for emergencies.

Think about your holiday wardrobe

Holidays don't automatically mean a sunny destination and why, you need to consider your wardrobe. I always research the destination and what the average weather is like in the month to give me an idea of what to wear. If you're going during shoulder season or when in-between weather is predicted, ensure you bring layers, waterproofs and useful shoes. Thinking about your holiday wardrobe also helps you consider how much luggage you'll need to bring. 

Research and write your itinerary

My favourite part of the trip: researching and planning what you're going to do. With itineraries, they don't need to be every fine detail, but they should consider any specific activities or sights you'd like to visit as it'll make it easier to plan out your days and book excursions in advance. Also, having an itinerary can help see if you need to increase your budget and be aware of how close the sights are and how you need to get around. For instance, some activities may be quite far away from each other and you'll need to get public transport or hire a car.

Think about all the holiday safety elements of your trip

Holidays are exciting and packed with memories to be made, however, you do need to consider all the 'safety' elements before heading out on your trip. These include travel insurance, visas, research of the culture dos and don'ts, where the safe places are to go and what scams are common occurrences in that country. Also consider making a list of emergency numbers, separating your money, photocopying important documents and downloading relevant apps which help you on your travels.

I hope you enjoyed this post. What tips would you add?

Thank you for reading <3