Allowing Oneself to be “Overwhelmed” by Trip Planning
 

Do you? Have you? Please tell others the antidote besides “Just don’t.”

No. I very much enjoy the planning aspect of a trip. I also do not obsess about having everything in place. Serendipity can add much to a trip experience.

Not me. But only because my travels these days are to destinations I've been many times so I know my way around. Only 'planning' is to reserve a place to stay and buy a plane ticket.

My antidote is to do a calendar with notifications for important events like flights and checkins, a spreadsheet with an entry for each day, and a create a Google "My Map". The daily entry can be as simple as where I'll be that day, or can include more detailed events.

If it's a complicated trip with multiple flights and hotels I also share reservations to Tripit.

On my most recent three-week cruise I made a big paper wall calendar which was stuck to my cabin wall with magnets. I had sunrise/sunset times, weather forecasts and dinner reservations written on that. I could add daily activities (planned and taken) and see them at a glance and it gave me an idea as to what clothing and gear to assemble the night before.

I don't obsess about restaurants or make reservations in most cases. I put them on the Google My Map with notes as needed. My Maps links to Google so you have the address/website and phone number connected.

As I was a planner and geographer, I love using My Maps!

https://www.google.com/maps/about/mymaps/

Google maps and a list of nights. I might also use rome2rio for the first pass.

Second pass, local tourist websites

Final flights, ferries, trains, bicycles and accom. Virtually never use a car.

Usually not. I use Google Earth to have a look at the area in which I might wish to stay, paying careful attention to what is nearby: a pharmacy, local stores, transportation, getting a sense of the streetscape. "Walking" around allows me to familiarize myself with that area and if it feels unsafe or too busy (cafes/bars at the hotels on street level), then I "walk" to another place.

I am not a planner. I hate planning holidays, but with the sale of the campervan that is what I have to do if we are to go anywhere. DH just lets things drift, be it a new house, another car or a holiday.
I certainly would never plan to the extent that many on the forums seem to, but since covid and overtourism winging it is not a good idea any more, so I try to find places to stay in the general area we want to visit, and things to do while we are there.
The last trip was to Eastern France and yes I was overwhelmed by it. I struggled to find accommodation and I ended up booking silly places that were not suitable for us. One gite had the kitchen on the ground floor, along with the bathroom, with the living area up steep stone stairs, and the bedroom the floor above that. I didn't realise that when I booked it, should have read more I guess. When we couldn't operate the induction hob I just had enough. Luckily we found instructions online for it, but I hated that house. Next place was all on one floor, but cold and damp and it rained daily. Only the last place, which I booked while we were away was perfect, breakfast brought daily and cooking facilities for other meals. Places I had planned to visit were mostly outside but some we just couldn't do because of the weather despite suitable clothing.
I haven't attempted another holiday, but even organising the trip over for my brother's funeral was so stressful. Guess my travelling days could be over unless I book an organised tour, and I can't see that hapening.

I can't say I "allow" myself, any more than I allow myself to feel joy, fear, joy, anxiety, joy, pain, anticipation, worry, joy, anger, joy, frustration, joy, sadness, hurt, etc., etc.

I've never been one of those people who has a whole lotta control over how I feel. I just feel stuff. All the time.

I don't know any other way to be that wouldn't mean me trying to be somebody else, and I can't be somebody else, because I'm who I am.

I don’t get overwhelmed because I do an amount of planning that is comfortable for me. We’re slow travelers and so don’t need lots of different accommodations. We have thoughts about places we’d like to go but no spreadsheets.
i download some information on our phones, like open times for sites, any tickets, but we dislike having every minute planned. We are very leisurely so have ample time on a trip to decide what we want to do the next day or so.

Similar to jubilada. Apart from tickets and hotel, we decide on a few places which we would like to see and anything else is a bonus. I don't like regimented travel with every minute planned. I think of it as different styles for different preferences.

I will research places to stay. Accommodations are important to me.

Then I really drill down on food options. I like reading about restaurants and enjoy looking at menus and reviews. I typically make reservations for 3/4 of the time we’re traveling unless it’s a beach vacation like Hawaii where we cook or grab poke.

Food is my favorite part of travel.

Tranportation overwhelms me, though. I hate it! My husband or daughter or both arrange trains, taxis, buses, etc.

Dukey, I never travel. Traveling is a vulgar activity reserved for those of low calib

I bow to no-one when it comes to trip planning.
how do you turn off the line-through-the-middle thing?
Everyone has offered so much great input above.

My wife is a bit older than me so I am responsible for planning that not only puts us in advantageous places to self-cater but also focuses on a select few activities that are safe and manageable.
We were just in the Pyrenees and the hiking on both the Spanish and French sides was too much for her.

We also visited Barcelona on that same trip and our planning came in handy. As one could see in our new 'From Born to Bielsa' TR, knowing ahead which festival events were NOT right for her made all the difference. Know thyself.

I am done. the PaperBlanks planning journal

Thanks to all who replied and I really do not hope those who say they ARE overwhelmed are reading this. My post was not designed to make others feel inadequate.

The freedom of no planning: looking for a last minute January cruise out of Ft.Lauderdale.

Previous cruises entailed picking the right dining venues, specialty dining at optimum times, reservations for shows, shore excursions to all the MUST SEE places.

Just going with the flow this time. TA will find me a cruise, don't care about destinations. Will see what is available , when, and take it.
Relaxed...

Planning cannot be perfect. I do research, I plan, I make lists. If there are important goals that require reservations or tickets, that is done. Otherwise tI make lists with far more options than can be done, marked for closure days, weather considerations, etc. Then we decide what we want to do for that morning or day or whatever from one list or another.

Perfection is not possible, but good enough is good enough.

And, if all else fails, there is wine. Or maybe some chocolate.

I love trip planning and I never ‘wing it’

It’s a huge investment in my few decent breaks from work, cost and distance from Australia (flights plus layovers are 24-34 hours). We don’t have cheap, short, direct international flights to Europe (my preferred destination).

I like knowing the bases I select will suit my purpose (transport, day trips, nice restaurants, not too huge a city, that sort of thing)
I check bus and train timetables, I do streetviews, I read trip reports, …before I decide.

As an example we spent a week in Scuol in an apartment.
A town on a steep hill, so I opted for a modern build on the main road near grocery shopping and restaurants and the bus stop. Perfect location and apartment. I spent a lot of time deciding on that.
If I was impulsive, I would have opted for a historic and charming Engadine place in the old town and regretted the steep walk, distance from bus stop and grocery store.

On public transport - finding the right App for tickets and scheduling (I did get a bit flustered trying to find the bus to Ornans from Besancon), if I’ve got that sorted it’s so much easier and then I can jump off a bus and wander knowing there’ll be another in an hour or 2.

I also map out each of the potential excursions so I know if a week will offer a really nice taster without rushing, and options if poor weather.
I have my list of must sees/ want to see and pick according to weather/ how I feel.

My last trip was solo, so I only had to please myself…a wet weather day option sent me off on a forest walk, wandering lovely woods in misty rain.

Overwhelming to me would be being gifted a trip- “you’re going next week”…
I’m just not spontaneous and I want to have a clear plan.


I know my travel style isn’t for everyone, but it’s how I need it to be.

'If I was impulsive, I would have opted for a historic and charming Engadine place in the old town and regretted the steep walk, distance from bus stop and grocery store.'
Ade makes a good point here, that of carefully taking the time to sketch out plans, with back-up and flexibility. There's always a place for spontaneity but...

As moderator 'LucaPal' over on Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree says:
"You've got your way of traveling and I've got mine."
I am done. the tinkling cowbells and the smiling Aussie

I’m a planner and enjoy crafting a travel itinerary. Also retired so have the time to put into it usually far in advance of our trips, sometimes waaay in advance. So no on feeling overwhelmed.

zebec ~ I think you mean they used to say -lol- Thorn Tree's been closed for over 3 years :-)

(Zebec sees Suze on elliptical machine three down from his own at gym)

Z (out-of-breath, but still manages a wave): "Huff huff - HI SUUUZE!!"
Suze: "Oh Zebec, I thought that was you!" Is that a new haircut?"
Z (still breathless): "Y-yeah. A...a...anyway look huff huff....L-Lonely Planet's Thorn Three forum has been resurrected for a couple of years now (hops off trotter onto floor).
Its back as a sub-reddit on Reddit."

Nutrax is one of the mods, and she's joined by Lucapal and Giora. There are several old-timers there including myself. Most have new handles.

He is done. The end.