If you’re into getting lost on the internet, you could probably open a new tab on your browser and take an online quiz to find out if you’re Type A or Type B. But if you don’t want to risk ending up far down the rabbit hole taking a quiz for what type of edible plant you are, instead identify with one of these two broad statements about your life in general:

A. I typically prefer to have a routine and know what comes next. People would probably say I’m a bit anal.

    OR

B. I typically prefer to see where things go and don’t mind uncertainty. People might suggest that I’m a bit disorganized.

Did you pick one? Great. Now I can tell you that it doesn’t matter at all which one you picked! The only important part is that you [very honestly, right?!] admitted to yourself that you are more inclined toward A or B. Why do you care? Understanding these made up, surprisingly universal ways of categorizing humans is actually kind of useful for becoming a better traveler. Because, ladies and gentleman, today we are going to talk about planning vs. winging it when it comes to travel.

There is nothing wrong with pre-booking a whole trip. But. But. I’d like to make a case for doing a little more winging it. I’d like to encourage everyone to trust in the travel juju and maybe leave more than seems wise up to the fates of the open road. Live on the wild side, even if it’s just a tiny bit. If you’re an A, this probably sounds like a really bad idea that will ruin your hard earned vacation. TRUST ME! It’s not. But you have to work according to your level of comfort.

Now, for my fellow Bs… to be honest, I was an ICU nurse for five years, and some of that classic ICU Type A personality rubbed off on me. But it has been good for my traveling. As a B, I used to plan very little, showing up with a few nights of housing booked and some vague ideas about places that seemed interesting to check out. And then I realized that I’d been within spitting distance of Iguazu Falls—one of the seven natural wonders of the world—on four separate trips and never made it the extra leg to feel them rumble myself. My lack of planning was causing me to miss out on experiences I would genuinely enjoy. Even worse, it was costing me money and the other kind of money, time. Unplanned extra ferry rides, double the price on hotel rooms when I showed up during a local holiday, extra nights in a hostel when I didn’t have the foresight to pre-purchase bus tickets. Eventually, hindsight wasn’t just 20/20 anymore, it was a neon sign that I wasn’t planning enough.

So I swung the other direction and became a hyper planner, reading blog after blog and spending hours on Trip Advisor before I set foot on the airplane. I’d pre-book all my beds for the trip, according to the attractions I’d be visiting and where I wanted to eat. I’d think to myself, ‘well I only have four days, I want to make the most of them!’ 

But I wasn’t enjoying myself as much while I was there. I was stressing about pre-planned schedules while trying to work in the activities I’d only discovered once I’d arrived at my destination. I was looking at my phone way too often, minding the time, taking screenshots of city maps and directions, checking my calendar and email to pull up reservations. On my email… ON VACATION. No no. Something was wrong. Something had to change.

The solution to all this nonsense was learning the art of pre-trip research (aka, pre-search), and how to hold back on booking. You see, knowledge is power. Knowing that you are traveling to rural Indonesia in the offseason is one thing. Knowing how that affects transit cost and schedules, the likelihood of snagging a same day hostel at 4:00pm, and the probability that you’ll be able to sign up for a two day jungle trek the night before? Well, knowing before going makes for a very pleasant “unplanned” journey. It allows for the whims of the traveler to be fulfilled en route. Becoming a great pre-searcher will satisfy the Type B need for flexibility and the unexpected, while keeping the Type A comfort of “knowing” what’s next and making easy, informed decisions en route. Choosing one or two “must do’s” [ahem, Iguazú] and setting them in stone gives the trip some structure. Too much planning, though, and you deny yourself the flexibility to enjoy the unexpected. If you’re curious how/what I pre-search you can read about that here.

Exceptions to this are: travel during peak season, travel with large groups, or travel to places with complicated logistical components (eg, a four day backpacking trip in the English Lakes district). The rest I leave to pre-search and what I discover on the ground that I never knew about back at home in front of my computer. 

Note: Sometimes, your trip takes its own course according to who you meet or what you stumble upon. Sometimes, places aren’t what they seem online. Isn’t that weird? Hate when that happens… but, if you’re not married to your itinerary, then that doesn’t have to matter. Because you’re informed, you have options. And because you’re not pre-booked, you’re free to choose the option that feels right at the time.

So go forth, and let floweth the travel chi. Let your pre-trip decisions be few, and your pre-departure knowledge be plentiful. Enjoy the ride of the pre-trip-itinerary-free traveler!