Planning trips is an obsession of mine. I research trips I’ve not even taking, look for cheap flights I will never take, and rack up enough miles every year to fly for free a lot.
Now I want to help you plan that perfect trip. We don’t want to waste our hard earned days off from work. That is why we need to maximize every day and dollar on vacation.
Researching Your Destination
Do you have a dream destination in mind, a type of region, or do you just want to get a way? The less particular you are about the end destination the cheaper the flight will be.
For example, you want to go to St. Maarten in the Caribbean but flights are very expensive. If you simply want a Caribbean vacation you could look to St. Thomas, Puerto Rico, or Trinicad & Tobago, which all frequently have cheaper flights from the US.
Consider the shoulder season before you plan your trip. I love traveling in the should season and even the off season. The shoulder season is the window between peak and off-peak travel months. It offers great weather, less people, and better prices on flights and accommodation.
Where Should You Go?
If you are planning a trip of a lifetime go for it but if you are more flexible consider moving your travel dates and even your destination to a different area in the region.
Skyscanner offers flights to “everywhere” and will list the best airfare around the world.
Use Kayak Explore for the undecided traveler. This tool is just fun to use even when you don’t have a trip planned. Filter by weather, month, region and more.
Researching Your Flight
It is never too early to begin researching flights but it can definitely be too early to book them.
Start by setting up flight alerts for your upcoming trip. This can easily be done in Kayak and many other sites.
More: How to Set Flight Alerts
Booking Your Flight
Most research has shown there is no need to book international flights until 6 weeks prior to departure. However, if airfare drops and you have been tracking it book it.
It can be tough to pull the trigger on a flight because if you continue to track and the price drops you might be a little upset.
Booking a flight without miles can be done.
More: Booking a Cheap Flight for more info
When you are ready to book check out my favorite sites:
Using Points and Miles to Book a Flight
If you have enough time before your trip you can earn enough frequent flier miles to book the flight for free. This is how I book most of my flights and this is a great way to fly business class as well.
Travel Hacking Resources
Award Booking Service from Award Magic
The Art of Travel Hacking- My Book guarantees one free flight!
22 Ways to Become a Points and Miles Millionaire
Rocketmiles- Earn Miles from Hotels
Best Credit Cards to Earn Miles and Points
More ways to start travel hacking
Join the Travel Hacking Cartel (I’m a member!)
Booking Accommodation for Your Trip
Whether you prefer hotels, hostels, or rental properties there are always ways to save money. When I travel I try to stay in everything including caves, hostels, luxury hotels, and rental properties. I prefer rental properties above all else but the choice is yours based on budget and travel style.
Best Booking Sites
Planning Your Trip
Now that you have booked airfare and accommodation it is time to start planning things to do and considering what you want to see on your trip.
I have never actually taken a trip with a guided tour or organized trip but that doesn’t mean there is anything wrong if that is your preferred method of travel.
Here are a few I know fellow travel bloggers and friend have enjoyed in the past and continue to recommend.
I also enjoy browsing forums before researching a trip. The problem with a lot of large forums is they can be full of spam or paid reviews (see TripAdvisor) but that doesn’t mean they aren’t useful.
It is still possible to gather valuable information from many forums by combing through the clutter.
Still Need Help Planning Your Trip?
Feel free to shoot me an email clint@triphackr.com
I am always here to answer questions and will get back to you as soon as I can.
Happy travels!
-Clint
Coming Soon…
I am going to be offering a triphackr planning service soon. The goal is to do all of this research and work for you to tailor the perfect trip for you.
If you would like to know when this is going to launch please sign up below:
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