Before You Go - Pre Planning for your Trip

Trip Preparation and Research

Certain preparations are required in order for your travel writing trip to be successful. Probably the most important thing for you to consider is have you done your travel writing research?

Research can come in many formats. For instance it can be as casual as having conversations with friends or relatives. Equally it can be formal such as research in your local library or increasingly using the Internet.

A good tip is to go to one of the big bookshops with a notepad and hit the travel section. Many of these bigger chains now include a coffee shop so you can sit there with a pile of travel books and a coffee.

Plan where you are going and for how long

This in many ways should be easy for you. After all the fact you want to be a travel writer means you have probably planned for big trips many times before!

If you are writing to supplement a backpacking trip then you won't have to plan too much. If you are heading somewhere just for a week to specifically write about a place then you have to be more meticulous with your planning.

Having specific ideas about what you are going to focus on.

It really is worth doing your research before hand to find out where I good story might be lurking. Of course you can just roam and wait for a story to crop up but if you are serious about travel writing then you will have ideas before you set off.

What's coming soon in this section:

- Setting up contacts in your target country before you leave

- Last minute checks before you go on your travel writing trip

Next section: Travel writing on the road >>>