First and foremost
Sign up for TSA Pre-check! Do some googling, figure it out. It’s not that hard. The amount of time you can save at the airport is mind blowing. I’ve made it from car to gate in a packed Las Vegas airport, in 19 minutes. When having pre-check is the difference between making and missing your flight, you will thank me. If you can’t figure out how to get pre-check or are too lazy, you are hopeless, and have no reason to continue reading as you have no business flying internationally. In my personal experience, Global Entry is not necessary, as I have never had a hard time getting back into the States.
Get a rewards credit card! Personally, I recommend Delta, but a better idea may be to use an airline that has their hub close to you as you should get a card with whatever airline you find yourself traveling with the most. You would be amazed at how quickly the free flights add up. Delta gave me what amounted to a free flight to Costa Rica, and Alaska just for signing up for their credit card! In addition, always make sure you are using your frequent flier number when you book flights! You are throwing money down the drain every time you fly and don’t do this. Bonus: With an airlines credit card, you get special deals to airport lounges. At the Delta lounge, $29 gets you all the beer you can drink, all the food you can eat, clean hot showers, large reclining chairs, free starbucks coffee. Need I go on or are you sold yet?
Planning the trip
It doesn’t have to be expensive! A lot of people assume that I spend crazy amounts of money on travel. While I certainly have spent a good bit over my lifetime traveling the globe, I think most would be surprised how little you can spend on a short trip. A weekend can cost as little as $300 or as much as $3,000 for a couple. Its up to you where you fall in that spectrum.
Keep your mind open! Many of the places that I have gone, have been for no particular reason other than that I was able to find a cheap flight there. Some of the best places that I have been for this reason include Iceland, Spain, and Ireland. Also, try not to be set on certain dates. You're not the only one who wants to use your Labor day weekend to travel, so you will pay extra for it.
Booking the Trip
Use your miles! -A good deal on a domestic flight is between 10-15k miles, and 30-45k for an international flight. Delta is currently offering 70k miles to sign up for their Platinum AmEx.
No Miles? No Problem! -Google flights is your best friend. If you are flexible on your dates, and where you are traveling, you can find crazy cheap flight deals. At the time of this writing I was able to easily find a flight from New York to Amsterdam for $320, and I have seen even better than that.
Advanced Flight Booking Tips
Other flight booking sites - Scotts Cheap flights Email updates on mistake and short lived flight deals -Skiplagged -Can be very useful especially when flying in between two airport hubs. Essentially, it searches for the cheapest flight possible that has a layover in your final destination. It works so well, that United sued the kid who made it. -Expedia/Orbitz/Hotwire/Etc. -No. Never ever. Do not use these for flights or hotels. They are a completely unnecessary third party that serve to do nothing but screw up the relationship
between you and the company you are booking with. This lesson took me too long to learn. I do use these to price check occasionally, but will always book direct.
Bonus tip -Every US airline, is required by law to give you a 24hr free cancellation window. There will be times when you find a great flight deal, but arent sure if you can go yet. Maybe you’re about to get a confirmation that you can get the days off of work, or maybe you are waiting on a friend to answer. You can book and not worry about cancellation or change fees for a full 24 hours.
Book towards the front of the plane! -Personally, I love being closer to the front. There is usually more legroom, and most importantly, you are closer to the door. This comes into play when you land at your final destination and especially if you are making a tight connection. Not only are you cramped and ready to get the heck off the plane, but you get to customs faster. I have seen humongous lines at customs, and the difference between being the first or the last off the plane can be a difference of hours. I believe it is worth it to spend around $10-20/ hour of flight time for more legroom/ closer to the front of the plane, but this is more of a personal preference. As you build rewards with your new airlines credit card, this will start to come free of charge.
Visas -As a US Citizen, visas aren't a huge problem. Europe is great, and not a whole lot worse than flying domestically. Some places like Australia require a short form to be filled out online, as well as a small fee. Others like New Zealand and Egypt require a small fee when you arrive and require proof of a return flight home. Brazil, China, and Russia especially can require planning well ahead of time. It doesn't hurt to do a quick google search on Visas to _____ before you book your flight, but again, this is rarely an issue.
Where should I stay? -I am a huge fan of Airbnb, for a few reasons. They operate in almost every country, and will always be cheaper than a hotel. Not only are they cheaper, but there are no hidden fees. I recently received a $2,000 bill for extra person charges and resort fees at the end of a trip, that made me say, never again. Make sure you choose a space that has lots of good reviews, and make sure you read them to ensure you get what you’re looking for. You can either share a space with a host, or get an entire house or apartment to yourself. I prefer sharing a space with a highly rated host when I am going somewhere that I don’t know much about. Look for a host that is spoken highly of in the reviews, and speaks english. Recently, I stayed with an Icelandic actor, who toured me around Reykjavik and brought me out drinking with him and his friends, and a Norwegian doctor who planned my entire trip for me (it was amazing). Scared to stay with someone else? That’s fine too. I recently stayed in a private treehouse mansion in the rainforest in Costa Rica, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and my share of the room was $200. If you insist on a hotel, I recommend booking an american hotel chain in a central area of the city.
Pack light! -There are a few reasons for this. More and more flights now are charging per lb of weight in your bag. Dont pack more than you need. You can always wash your clothes while you’re away, and even if you need something, it’s always fun shopping in new places! Also, checking your bag is never a good idea. I have seen too many bags lost to ever advise this. Not only that, but waiting for your bag at the carousel can feel like an eternity when you are anxious to get where you’re going.
You landed. Now what?
What about cash? -Never, I repeat NEVER use currency exchange booths. If you think they’re a good deal, then you’re not good at math. Think about how expensive it is to employ someone and operate a booth at the airport. How do you think they pay for that? The best way to get cash is to go to an ATM at the airport from a bank that you’ve heard of. You will pay $3-5 to take cash out and get it at a great exchange rate. When traveling places like Northern Europe, you may have no need for cash, as they are an increasingly cashless society. Your airlines card should hopefully be a global card that does not charge fees for using internationally. I personally never have had mine shut off when using it internationally, but it’s not hard to fix if they do.
Getting to your final destination -This is best to plan ahead of time, but if you’re a procrastinator like me, all international airports have wifi, so don’t worry. Most major cities will have public transportation at or near the airport. Google maps does a fantastic guide of showing you how to get from where you are to where you’re going for little to no money. Not a fan of public transport? More and more countries have Uber, and I have yet to have a negative international Uber experience. No uber? Make sure you get a taxi from a designated taxi area! There are stories of random people waiting in the airport posing as taxi drivers, leading to less than pleasant situations. Even in countries where I do not speak the language, the words city center, or downtown will usually work. If you are ever lost with no internet, try to find a McDonalds or any coffee house. They are everywhere and always have free Wifi.
What to do now that i’m here? -Simply googling what to do in ______ has been surprisingly helpful in my experience. Most parks and museums are great, and cost little to nothing to go to. Always make sure you read the reviews of places on google maps as they are surprisingly accurate and more trustworthy than tripadvisor or yelp in my opinion. There are a plethora of websites dedicated to what to do in various cities and countries, so I won't spend too much time on this.
Eating and Entertainment -I am covering this because food and booze are always the most expensive part of a vacation. If money isn’t an issue, go out for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Look at google reviews and please try the local cuisine! It is such a shame to eat McDonalds or pizza in a foreign country. For those of you who are budgeting, I highly recommend going to a grocery store. If you listened to me and got an Airbnb, you probably have a kitchen with a fridge and stove. The amount of money you can save by pre-gaming local beers/wine at your place and bringing sandwiches out with you will change your life.
Most importantly! Stay Safe! -Never keep too much cash in your wallet, and keep your passport somewhere safe in your hotel. There is no reason to be flashing bling on vacation, as it will only attract unwanted attention. Americans are known for being kind, but also loud, and possibly annoying, so try not to live up to the stereotype or piss anyone off. Traveling, when done right, is one of the most enjoyable things a person can do in my opinion, and you should try to do it while you’re young! I’ll leave you off with one of my favorite quotes. Thanks for reading :)
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” -Mark Twain
