Step-by-step guide + pre-departure checklist

How to plan a holiday, from first idea to departure

Planning a holiday is rarely one decision. It is dozens of small ones — dates, budget, bookings, documents, who brings what — spread across months. This guide puts them in order, so nothing surfaces at the last minute.

The timeline: what to arrange when

This timeline assumes a regular summer holiday. Leaving within six weeks? Follow the same steps, just faster — the order stays the same.

  1. 6 months out — agree on dates and destination Start here, because this is by far the hardest part. Collect everyone’s available days first and only then discuss destinations: a date that does not work makes the best destination worthless.
  2. 5 months out — set the budget Agree what the trip may cost per person, including transport, accommodation, food and activities. This is the conversation people postpone and later argue about. Agree how you will split the costs afterwards at the same time, including the children’s share.
  3. 4 months out — book transport and accommodation Flights and popular places rarely get cheaper. Book transport first (it sets your arrival and departure times), then accommodation. Save every confirmation in one place.
  4. 3 months out — check all documents Many countries require passports to be valid for six months after your return. Travelling with a child without both parents? Arrange a consent letter. Outside the EU: check visa, ESTA or ETA.
  5. 2 months out — insurance and health Check that your travel and cancellation insurance covers what you will actually do; winter sports and diving are often excluded. Vaccinations can take weeks, so this is the moment.
  6. 1 month out — build the day plan Lock in the fixed points: arrival, check-out times, booked excursions, a travel day back. Leave gaps on purpose. A full schedule is not a holiday.
  7. 3 weeks out — build the packing list and split it One shared list, not three. Assign who brings each item, or you will end up with three hairdryers and no adapter. Start from last time’s list instead of from scratch.
  8. 1 week out — sort things at home Post, plants, pets, a key with the neighbours, thermostat, bins out. Set your out-of-office too.
  9. The day before — check in and pack carry-on Check in online, download tickets for offline use, charge every power bank, and pack the carry-on last — that is the bag you will actually open on the way.
Where it usually goes wrong

Planning is not the hard part.
Keeping track of it is.

“Weren’t you renting the car?”

Tasks get divided in a group chat and then scroll away. Two weeks later everyone assumes someone else is on it.

“Is that booking in your inbox?”

The address is in a confirmation email, the tickets in a chat, the rental car in a PDF. On the day itself you hunt for all three.

“Did you pack the adapter?”

The packing list lives in one person’s notes app. Nobody else has seen it, so things get packed twice or not at all.

A good plan only solves half of this. What you need is one place holding the schedule, the packing list and the bookings — that everyone can reach.

Checklist: the final week

0 of 12 packed

The things you only miss once it is too late. Tick them off on your phone or print the list.

Everything you plan, in one place

In PAKT you create your trip once and add the schedule, packing list, bookings and costs together. Everyone you invite sees the same information, offline included.

No more catching people up on what is already arranged. That saves an entire run-up of messages.

Download PAKT
PAKT holiday planner app — trip overview with schedule, packing list and costs

Not planning alone? Or mainly here for the packing list?

Planning together Planning a holiday together With your partner, family or friends — without endless back-and-forth. Packing list Complete holiday packing list The universal base list by category, free to check off. Group travel Plan a group trip in 7 steps For larger groups: tasks, budget and ground rules.

Plan your next holiday together

Create your trip in PAKT, invite the people you are travelling with and keep the schedule, packing list and bookings in one place. Next time you will not start from scratch.

Download PAKT

Frequently asked questions

How far in advance should you plan a holiday?

For a summer holiday involving flights, around six months works best — dates, tickets and accommodation are still easy to combine. For a weekend away or a European road trip, four to six weeks is plenty. What matters is not how early you start but that you keep the order: dates and budget first, booking second.

What should you arrange first?

The dates. Everything after that — destination, price, availability — depends on them. Collect everyone’s available days first, then look at destinations. Budget comes straight after, because it decides which options are realistic at all.

How do you plan a holiday with a group?

Assign one owner per area (transport, accommodation, activities) instead of deciding everything collectively, and put the plan somewhere everyone can reach. Agree upfront how you split costs. From around six people up, a dedicated group travel app is worth considering.

What do people forget just before leaving?

The classics: online check-in, passports physically verified, bookings available offline, medication for the whole trip, chargers and the right adapter. And at home: post, plants, pets and the thermostat.

Can you share a holiday plan with other people?

Yes. In PAKT you create the trip once and invite your family, partner or friends. Everyone sees the same schedule, packing list and bookings, and changes show up for everyone immediately — offline too.