How do you travel so often? We often get this question from friends, family, acquaintances, etc. and it is a great question to ask. For those that like to travel, this is the ultimate goal.
There are those that want to leave their job all together to travel the world and then there are people like us, that prefer to keep a routine at home but leave often.
We choose to do so for multiple reason, but for those of you like us, whether you enjoy your job, or like to play it safe and have a steady job. Here are some tips for you on how to be able to both.
1. Plan ahead!
As many things in life, planning ahead always makes it much easier. Our year tends to fill up quickly with work, trips, events, and just life in general. We are busy bodies, what can we say? With busy lives come full schedules. Don't get me wrong, we love having free time to relax or be spontaneous but as we get older it feels like there is just less and less time to do everything, but traveling is our passion so it is something we make time for.
It is important to make time for you passions. It is your life so live it! It is easy to get lost in everyones demands for life. For Nikki and I, planning the trip is often just as fun as going on the trip. I know not everyone likes to plan, which is why some of our friends frequently like to tag along on with us on our ventures. If you are like our friends or just don't have time, shoot us an email and if it is an itinerary we can help out with we would love to help you. We often help with tips or recommendations for places to visit or where to find great hotels or cheap flights.
2. Research
Looking into things goes a long way. I remember the first trip abroad I planned I scheduled things to close together causing a transportation time conflict getting from one train station to the next. Since then I have remembered to take into account delays and cancelations. Although that doesn't completely eliminate scheduling conflicts it reduces them significantly. There will always be the chance very long cancelations or delays you simply cannot avoid.
Research times it will take to get from place to place to make sure you will have time to get to everything you want to see on your trip. If it will be too rushed, maybe plan a more feasible one.
Researching ahead also helps with finding the best deals on flights or train tickets. I know they do great deals on train passes on websites such as Eurorail.com and if use an app such as hopper you can put dates to be watched or locations and you will be notified of any great deals coming up for a set amount of time. I cannot tell you how many times I have decided on a location just because of the deal I was notified with. See! Still being spontaneous. I have come across great deals, even during the most popular of travel periods, on popular places because I started researched months ahead of time.
3. Flexibility
Have flexibility will increase your chances of finding even better deals but like I said in the "Research" section, flexibility is not always necessary. It does come in handy for last minute planned trips though.
Flexibility is not always possible with a crazy busy schedule or with jobs that don't allow for PTO, so unfortunately this tip might not be able to help everyone, it is still something to keep in mind.
4. Use your resources and save
Nowadays there are so many apps that will save you time and money. You must take the time to compare prices. My go to apps are Hopper, Skyscanner, and Skiplagged. I price all three to see who has the better deal, and it is not always the same one that does believe I it or not. I used to use Expedia more often but I notice the price tends to fluctuate almost immediately if I don't book within a few minutes.
I know I have preached this in the past but booking.com is still one of my favorites for booking accommodations. Uses if often gives you perks like an extra 10-15% off of some highly rated hotels and hostels.
5. Learn and Apply
We all make mistakes when we travel. Unfortunately, they can be pricey mistakes, but you learn and move on. Take what you learn, apply it to future travel and share it with your fellow travelers. They will appreciate it! 😉
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