TRAVEL TIPS

BOOKING

Booking is a practice in planning, patience and perseverance. It's the largest allocation of your budget and most important regarding the structuring of your time.

The four key areas of booking are timing, flights, lodging and tours.

TIMING

WHAT SEASON DO YOU WANT TO VISIT SAID COUNTRY?

Research their hot, cold, rainy, dry, dark and lightest months.

Shoulder season is the best season. It is as simple as that. Avoid the highest prices, largest crowds and still get a taste of the desired weather.
In the off-season there are deals to be had. Really incredible deals in some places if you don't mind the conditions.

High season, especially in tourist hotspots, can be a real chore. However, it's manageable, just be willing to wake up early or last super late.
"For tourists, getting a driver for a week is a common affair. It’s not considered a luxury in this relatively cheap country. Hotels include driver rooms in the overall bill for a stay. For an island with bargain prices to begin with, a driver is a necessary and affordable cost."

-Look For Me There, Chapter 20, Sri Lanka

FLIGHTS

EXPLORE GOOGLE FLIGHTS

DO YOUR RESEARCH

Start off any booking exercise by using Google Flights. Google Flights allows you to see what airlines service a given city and how many stops it'll take to get there. Most important, Google Flights can give you real-time pricing. 

Select the flights that best fit your budget and your schedule. Direct is best if you can afford it. However, if doing layovers, try to limit yourself to one. A trip with two-layovers eats almost an entire day if not more.

Alternatively, you can occasionally find flights with long layovers (12 hours, 24 hours, sometimes more). A long layover could be a great way to get a taste of a new place! Even if just a brief visit, don’t forget to check any travel restrictions and requirements that may apply. 
Research airlines and their rewards programs. Sometimes your miles can work within a certain flight alliance. So miles on a U-S-based airline can work on one abroad.

Credit card points are great, too. Again, research is key here. Factor in what your return is per point per dollar/mile.

Things to remember—
In some places, flying is very cheap and the preferred method of transportation. For example, in Latin America because of its mountainous terrain, flying is the best way to get around. In Europe there are many budget airlines that service the continent.

If checking out a continent, try to fly direct into a city at one geographic end and then fly home direct on the other end when flying out. For example, if you fly direct from NYC to Dubai, explore the Middle East. Then fly home from Istanbul to NYC.

Sign up for any and all mileage programs. They add up.

Time is money. How much are the savings worth? If a two-stop layover saves you $100 but knocks off 10 hours you could have had in a place you wanted to visit—is it worth it? The answer is different for everyone, but think about cost in terms of hours. Would I pay $10 an hour to hang out in Cape Town longer? That helps to make a good decision.
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Stay safe—two pilots and two engines is a good rule to live by. Look up an airline's safety record online. If they're part of an alliance with reputable carriers, that's always a good sign. In some countries you need to gamble, but remember, most all take great pride in their aviation standards and do not want negative publicity for tourism.

REVIEW SAFETY RECORDS

LODGING

Location. Location. Location.


Is it better to have a sleeping cot on the floor in the thriving central district than a king-sized bed suite far outside of town? For most travelers, lodging is a place to sleep and shower. Being in the best location enables more walking and the chance to experience a place like a local.


  • Research different neighborhoods in the city. There is a lot of literature on this online.
  • Do you want a tourist area? Hipster? Affluent? Gentrifying? Is that area walkable and close to public transportation?
  • Once you make your neighborhood decision, next decide if a hotel/motel/hostel/boarding house is the call or if you want to stay at an AirBnB. This is a personal preference, both have their advantages.
  • In developing countries or ones that don't have a lot of tourism, a hotel is usually best. In major cities where hotel prices are high, there are deals to be found on AirBnB, especially with rooms within a unit.
  • If staying for awhile, AirBnB and the space it affords can be attractive.
  • Hostels are a great deal if you can handle the layout. Some have private rooms with bathrooms included.
  • If you do book a hotel or motel, hotels.com is a great resource. They become the middle man in dealing with a particular place and have a very generous rewards program.
  • When using AirBnB, always verify the host, read prior reviews and assess compatibility.
  • All being said, when traveling, your goal should be to be inside your lodging for the LEAST amount of time possible. Go out and explore—you've traveled so far!!!

TOURS

Research (e.g., ask friends, research online, find relevant books or documentaries) heavily prior to departing.

Some questions to ask: What do you want to see? How busy will it be? How much time is needed? Where is it in regards to where you are staying?

Small tours are almost always worth the money to avoid large tours. Viator does a great service most of the time in pairing a traveler with a tour. Use it to compare operations and read reviews.

It’s best to book things in advance. Though in some places, a day of tour is totally normal. Again, research is key. However, if you're traveling thousands of miles to see something (e.g. the Taj Mahal), it's a good idea to line up the tour ahead of time for peace of mind.

Culture tours are great, too. While folks like to see sights, seeing neighborhoods with a local guide are a good use of time. Many of these are written up online and easily found via word of mouth.

Be mindful that anytime a hotel suggests a tour there is a kickback for them, same applies to a restaurant, etc.