It's 2018, and social media is the go-to resource for trip planning. Travel books and guides will always be useful, but they can be limiting when it comes to gathering travel information that will cater to your specific needs. Have you ever discovered a new destination on a Pinning-spree, or a really unique hotel while scrolling through Instagram? Social media might give you serious FOMO whenever your entire friends list is away on vacation, but at least you'll know where to go when you finally take your dream trip. Here's how to use social media to plan a trip you'll never forget.
Traveling can be the most exciting way to treat yo' self! It affords the opportunity to visit awe-inspiring places and meet people from all over the world. You will likely have a blast, but first, you've gotta fine-tune all of the details. Let's be real: Travel planning can be stressful AF, especially when you must coordinate with others. It involves spending hours researching flights, restaurants, neighborhoods, hotels, tours, activities, and cultural information. The process isn't always easy, but it's definitely worth the time. Fortunately, social media makes vacation planning easier. So, grab your phone and start scrolling. These tips will help you plan the best trip ever.
Facebook is a great tool to crowdsource travel information from people you know and love. You can simply create a Facebook post asking for restaurant suggestions or hidden gems. You can even use the "recommendations" function to receive location-specific suggestions.
If you're traveling with friends, you can create a private Facebook group or message to discuss your trip plans. Alternatively, you can join a Facebook travel group like Girls Love Travel or Women Who Travel to gather information from like-minded travelers.
Instagram is full of #travelgoals. There are plenty of beautiful photos that will make you want to book a flight ASAP. Follow interesting bloggers or destination-specific accounts to discover unique places to visit while you're away. You'll find coffee shops and landscapes that you might never see in a guidebook. Use the bookmark feature to organize the photos into a folder that you can reference in the midst of trip-planning. You can also use the geo-tag feature to nail down specific locations in order to simplify logistics. Instagram is the ultimate place when you need help with your travel plans.
Twitter is a great resource for the travel-obsessed. You can simply tweet out any travel-related questions you have and let the answers roll in. Follow frequent travelers or travel experts for ongoing information. There are several great Twitter accounts that tweet out travel deals, like Scotts Cheap Flights and The Flight Deal. Hashtags are big on Twitter, so you should consider searching destination-specific hashtags for general information.
You can even tweet airlines or companies if you have questions about their services or products, and they're likely to respond. Twitter is also a great way to keep up with world events while you're away. You might be surprised to discover how much information you can receive.
Most people tend to use Pinterest for wedding planning and interior design inspiration, but it's also a great source to kick off your trip planning. You can search for anything travel-related, from the best luggage to use, to capsule wardrobe hacks.
Pinterest will populate how-to articles, bucket lists, wanderlust quotes, travel trends, and dreamy vacation photos. Create a destination-specific board and refer back to it anytime you need some inspiration.
