Offer Your Best Travel Tips in the Comments by 10am Eastern Saturday morning to Win.
Some of y’all will remember that I hosted an online forum about technology and travel that was sponsored by National Car Rental coinciding with the launch of their new mobile app.
I rent regularly from National and had been looking forward to the introduction of a mobile app (finally!) and the folks participating in the chat were friends and travel heroes.
I like the products I like, I share the reasons why here, and I don’t want there to be confusion over my motives — if I benefit personally from a referral link I always say so in the post, I frequently try to arrange to give any miles I may earn from referrals back to you in the form of bigger bonuses (some companies are receptive to this, others are not) and I prefer to do giveaways rather than take freebies myself.
There was modest compensation for participating in the National forum, and I already gave away half the amount here on the blog. I split it up into more than one giveaway largely because I didn’t want to have to do tax reporting!
I want your best travel tips in the comments.
- You may enter as many times as you like, but each entry should be a bona fide travel tip. I will compile the best tips in a subsequent post.
- I will select two winners, largely at random but to be eligible to win the entry must be (in my sole judgment) a genuine tip.
- Two prizes of (2) $100 Visa Gift cards each will be awarded.
You have a great chance of winning because internet traffic drops like a rock on Friday evenings, second slowest only behind Saturday evenings.
So.. what are your best travel tips? They can be anything from ways to improve the odds of getting an airline upgrade, a hotel suite upgrade, clearing airport security quickly, the best place to eat at a given airport, anything at all.
I love to learn from this community of readers, and love to be able to share your knowledge back with everyone else. I look forward to reading your submissions, and of course to selecting two winners!
- You can join the 30,000+ people who see these deals and analysis every day — sign up to receive posts by email (just one e-mail per day) or subscribe to the RSS feed. It’s free. Don’t miss out!
One of the best tips ever is using the British Air avios (frequent flyer points) for short haul US flights. I’ve flown one-way Helena to Seattle and DC to Chicago for 4500 points each — would cost minimum 25K on Delta (since they book one-way ff tix at the r/t fare).
(Looking at Sharon Jones’ post)– it took me a LOT of trips to Italy before I figured out, duh, that standing up at the counter for an espresso was about a third of the price of sitting down. Of course, sometimes you are tired and need to sit for awhile, so pick a beautiful outside table you can “rent” for an hour or so and enjoy the view.
Do as Anthony Bordain suggests and eat street food. Food trucks, street food vendors, etc often sell really really great local food. In Maui recently we were traveling with a 2-year old so eating at expensive/fancy restaurants wasn’t in the cards (sorry Pacific O) since she is currently a little too restless. So we ate more informally and two of best experiences we had were with street food vendors. Geste Shrimp is an amazing food truck in Kahului (check out the reviews on Trip Advisor!) serving perhaps the best shrimp I’ve ever had. And Ono Tacos north of Kapalua is just a hole in the wall, but serves a-m-a-z-i-n-g fish & shrimp tacos. Neither should be missed.
Using Starwood Cash and Points is hands-down one of the best hotel award moves.
In order to avoid change or cancellation fees on your airline ticket, keep an eye for any schedule change that may have occurred. Even if this change is only a few minutes, you could possibly make the airline change / cancel your ticket with no fees.
I could go on and on. But a simple tip for reducing cost of in-flight alcholic drinks when flying economy is to bring mini’s of alcohol with you on board. Bring alcohol that mixes well with the free sodas like coke/pepsi, orange juice, cranberry-apple, or coffee. Make your own drinks for cheap. My favorite is malibu coconut rum ($1 per mini) with orange juice.
Check and double check with your credit card companies that they are aware of you travelling internationally…never want your card frozen on a very important trip!
Be sure to use a cashback service/site like Ebates. or FatWallet.com before purchasing travel. You
can find comparisons of them and others at:
http://www.cashbackmonitor.com/
to determine the best cashback deal.
Make a note of the tracking numbers and with the date (you made the reservation)as some cashback sites make it difficult to go back and retrieve these numbers (if the cashback doesn’t arrive in a reasonable amount of time.)For example if you book a hotel many months in advance the cashback is not credited immediately. Then you have have to supply the tracking number but it’s not easily retrievable. (which is usually my issue)
Be flexible with your wish list so you can jump on a bargain fare. Off-peak destinations often have decent weather and if the air is cheap chances are the hotel savings will be good too and if you are really lucky and get especially nice weather it is a major score!
I have followed the “airfare drops at 3pm on tuesdays” fare religiously and it has always proved to be the cheapest time to book
Price your award travel out one leg at a time looking for the lowest price of award. Then use that schedule to build to full award.
Use uber when traveling to/from airports! Lines at major airports such as JFK have notoriously long lines and the car service uber allows you to schedule a pick-up via text and runs discounted promotions all the time
When booking hotels online, always check with the hotel itself to confirm your actual reservation.
always join the hotel’s rewards program even if it isnt a big chain. i was at the omni parker in boston last week and the ten seconds i took to register for omni rewards resulted in free wifi, 2 items of free pressing, free coffee delivery in the morning, etc.
Sometimes airlines call center wait times can be REALLY long. You can try to call the airline’s local office in other countries and get a much quicker respond. Most of these offices will have pretty good english speaking employees.
Always bring an empty water bottle with you on flights that you can fill up on the other side of security. The prices of bottled water at airports continues to be on the rise in the past decade!
Long term parking – always look up deals online instead of paying at the front gate. Money is easily saved!
Check out multi leg option when booking flights. Might be cheaper to fly into one airport and leave from another especially if it works well into your plans for international travel.
Definitely the Central America – South Asia sweet spot on US Airways for 90k miles in business is one of my favorite tips. Not only do you get a free one way from Central America, Mexico or the Caribbean to your home in the US (stopover in North America) but you then get to go to South Asia AND save 30,000 miles in the process. I love win-win situations.
This is for all the mom’s out there.
If you decide to take your children on a lovely scenic horseback ride through the vineyards that dot the coastline of the Adriatic…as soon as you get back to the hotel…and I do mean “as soon as”…dump a good amount of Fairy Tales or Bye Bye Lice shampoo on their darling little heads and YOURS. Lather and sit yourselves in front of the tube for 30 mint’s. Rinse and enjoy the rest of the vacation. Trust me, it’s much easier to take along a little bottle of an all natural lice shampoo than it is to figure out that your little darlings got lice from the riding helmets in Europe. This tip will not only save you hours upon hours of combing and aggravation…BUT!…will also save you from having to call your boss to tell him you just discovered you have lice an hour ago and cannot come in to give the presentation, and that you just emailed him the deck so he can give it. And THAT my friends is by far the best travel tip you will ever receive from me.
Have Accor program automatically move your hotel points into your favorite airline program. Tip: search Boarding area for steps.
when I travel abroad I often need a GPS device to find my way around. You can use your smart phone as a GPS without using your data connection by downloading the map data first before traveling. I turn on my smart phone to use GPS but turn off the data connection to avoid any charges.
Buy eForCity COTHPLUGUN01 Insten Universal World Wide Travel Charger Adapter Plug, White from Amazon…Cheapest and the best universal travel adapter you will buy.
PS I have no incentive for referring this product.
Have points in several Hotel chains so that you have options for your destinations.
When signing up for a credit card with a mileage/points bonus, always look for better deals on this and other travel sites. I just got a United MP Explorer card with 50K bonus point (with $2000 purchase in 3 months) and a $50 statement credit. Because I kept searching through additional offers, I definitely improved upon the original offer I received of 30K miles.
Issuing your airline ticket in countries outside the U.S can really save money sometimes. For example: BRAZIL has a law that airlines cannot add fuel surcharge. Another example: in ISRAEL there is a law that will give you 14 days from purchase to cancel a ticket for a very small fee of aprox 25usd, and this can be applied to tickets that originate and terminate ANYWHERE (not only start or end in Israel).
Take your Garmin with you when you travel. You can purchase the correct map, and then preprogram your own Garmin GPS for your trip. Then instead of fussing with a rented unit from the rental car company you have your trusty home unit with all the Favorite locations already loaded.
I’ll start with one of my hometown airports. Try to the steakhouse on the A Concourse. It is reasonably priced, and the food is decent.
I always put in a kosher meal request for international travel when travelling economy class. Kosher meals are way better quality than the standard “chicken or beef”. A second advantage is that you’ll be served first. There are usually a couple of meals leftover once everyone is served – if you’re polite and ask ahead of time if you can have a leftover meal if there are any, you can get seconds. That way you can actually fill your tummy if you’re hungry, as standard airline meals are puny serving sizes.
I signed up for an account with Rebtel (rebtel.com). It assigns a US phone number that you can call to connect to a specific overseas phone number. If I get stuck at a US airport for any reason, I can call the US number from my cell phone and talk to my people overseas with an explanation.
Carry extra zip lock bags on your trip. Useful in case you have an issue with your liquid bag (ie bottle spill). Very useful for warmer clients when keeping things dry in your pocket such as passport, money, etc.
Twitter isn’t just a place for self-aggrandizing celebrities – it is the perfect aggregation of quick tips, trip reports, and breaking deals. It is one of the few ways to catch mistake fares, but you can also spend hours churning through tips and chatter about your favorite hobby – travel!
Call the bank that issued your credit card before international travel and tell them where you’re going. Otherwise your card might get blocked after the first use abroad since they suspect fraud. Much better to call before travel and prevent any issues.
Purchase and know how to use ExpertFlyer via the smartphone. It has saved me in IRROPS/SDC situations (especially on UA) several times.
Always seal open liquids well and pack in plastic bag.
Carry a couple of 20 gallon kitchen trash bags. Use one for your dirty laundry as you travel (even better with the new Febreeze trash bags). Use others as seat covers on wet seats on Hop On Hop Off buses, any other wet surfaces you might want to sit on, covering those dirty pair of extra shoes in your luggage, etc.
Be open to new experiences and welcome the hospitality of others. Sure a little healthy skepticism is fine, but don’t let your paranoia and distrust get in the way of meeting the genuinely nice people that inhabit our world, both near and far.
Read a lot of travel blogs to learn as much as possible. 😀
My #1 travel tip is to purchase airline tickets directly from the carrier, not a third-party site. After a nightmare on our honeymoon, I will always buy direct from now on! It is not worth the perceived savings.
My #2 travel tip is to pack light and re-use. As a woman, take the opportunity to create new outfits from a limited arsenal. Get creative!
As in #56, shop at local grocery stores for souvenirs to bring home to friends and family – and buy a reusable grocery bag for yourself. You’ll be reminded of your travels every time you go shopping. Cheap and useful souvenir!
Always pack less than you think you need, also plan fewer stops on your trips to enjoy it more.
Bundle packing is one of my favorites – save space and keeps your cloths wrinkle free.
When flying overnight on a business trip to a new destination, time your arrival for early morning the day before, and arrange for a tour of the local sites of interest. You’ll enjoy a good night sleep later, be fresher for your business the following day, and subdue jet lag. The bonus is you’ll have seen the interesting highlights of your destination, making the trip more enjoyable and giving you basis for conversation with the local business contacts the following day. Well worth the price of one extra night at the hotel.
Look ahead at the destinations travel options and plan ahead on your pathing. You can plan out your walking, subway, bus, etc. path prior to your vacation. You can understand the frequency of public transporation and travel time through the websites. You can use Google to give you estimate of walk times and drive times. Best of all is using Google Maps with the Street view and getting a feel for the land marks and how to move around the area.
Try to work into an email or conversation with any place you have a reservation at that you are celebrating something. It’s best not to lie so pick the closest occasion even if it was a few weeks before or after. Honeymoons and anniversary trips are fairly likely to get you a hotel ugrade or at least a bottle of champagne…
For longer trips, check into staying at a condo which is often cheaper than a hotel and you can save money and eat healthier by preparing a few meals in the kitchen.
Multiple compression bags. Either separate out by days or by function and utilize compression bags to save tons of space. Allows you to carry smaller bags and give you more options for packing.
Take some snack food in your bag both for the plane ride and while you are out on adventures in the place you are visiting.
Make sure to charge your camera before leaving for the vacation and take the charger with you if you may need it. Better safe than sorry.