When you are planning a trip for the first time, it’s easy to feel like you are trying to tackle too much at once. You have to consider the destination, the logistics of getting there, the timing, the budget, and so on. In this case, you don’t want to practice planning a whole trip at once. Instead, practice one aspect of the trip planning process at a time.
For example, you could practice planning how to get to a particular destination. Take 10-15 minutes to research different options (flights, trains, bus, etc.). How long does each option take? How much does each option cost? Etc. Try this with several different destinations. See if you can start to notice any patterns or consistencies. One mistake people often make in practicing trip planning is trying to practice all the steps at once. This will often lead to feeling overwhelmed and frustrated because you are not making progress in any one area.
Try to narrow down your practice to one step at a time. So one day you might practice looking for different types of accommodations, and the next day you might practice figuring out what to do when you arrive at your destination. As you get better at practicing planning one step at a time, add in some constraints to make the practice more realistic.
For example, try practicing within a certain time constraint (I only have 4 days at my destination). Or try practicing within a budget constraint (I can only spend $100 per day). How does this affect your planning? Try different scenarios to see how they work out. If you get stuck, try going back to the previous step. Sometimes getting stuck is a sign that you missed something important in a previous step. For example, maybe you can’t figure out how to get from point A to point B on your trip, or how to allocate your time on your trip.
Go back and practice the previous step again. Try doing it a different way this time. See if you can think of 2-3 different solutions to the problem. If you do this a few times, you should be able to come up with something that works. Finally, try practicing small every day. Set aside 10-15 minutes per day to practice trip planning. Maybe one day you practice researching different neighborhoods to stay in.
The next day you practice estimating the cost of each day of your trip. At the end of the week, you will have spent a total of an hour or so planning your trip, but you will likely feel much more clear about what your trip will look like.