Are you considering taking a wine trip? Planning your trip might seem a bit overwhelming at first, but it is really not that difficult. It does, however, take some research and some time. Learning about an area and looking forward to new experiences can be half the fun. Here are our top five tips to make your wine trip run smoothly:

  1. Partner up. It is much more fun to plan a trip together with someone you can share the experience with. Share the work, share the fun. A shared online document or spreadsheet helps you keep track of each other's proposals and research — so you can be mutually inspired by your suggestions.

  2. Start your research early. We usually begin planning our trips six months in advance and take our time with the research. That way, we have plenty of time to reconsider our options and get inspired throughout the process. You won't begin your wine trip feeling stressed and fed up with wine information.

  3. Choose locations carefully. There are many ways to organise your lodgings, but consider how you want to spend your evenings. Plenty of restaurant options? Is hotel atmosphere important to you? Or do you prefer to make your own food and enjoy nature on your "time off" from tastings? Smaller wine villages can have fewer evening options, so think this through to avoid disappointment when the vineyards close.

  4. Decide how to get around. Wine and petrol don't mix. In some wine areas — like Alsace and Mosel — you can walk from winery to winery in the small idyllic villages, but often you must cover bigger distances. Shuttle buses are sometimes an option on particular timeslots, but public transport or bicycles are great ways to get around in wine country. E-bikes can be a welcome helping hand on those steep slopes. And these days you can pre-plan your trip with several stops using Google Maps.

  5. Book where booking is needed. Different regions have different traditions. Some winemakers have an "open door" or a showroom with dedicated opening hours where you can drop in any time. In other places, it is hard to get an appointment even if you contact the winery well in advance. Check the wineries' "guest policies" in the area you are visiting to avoid disappointment.