Traveling, even to well-known vacation hotspots, means leaving your daily comforts and learning how to navigate the unexpected. From searching for the best ticket prices to preparing for worst-case scenarios, the process is full of challenges.
Sure, destination guidebooks will share location-specific tips and must-sees. But, they generally fall short when it comes to educating readers on things that are more common to international travel or diverse destinations.
Because much of the most useful information is learned by experience, many travelers like to tell tales of their past trips. (Knowing that the lessons you learned might help save someone else the same pain also helps lessen the burn.) However, anecdotal evidence isn’t always accurate—or applicable to every destination.
Our travel articles attempt to fill the gap left by location-specific guides and acquaintances’ cautionary tales, with a collection of articles that spans every step of your trip:
Articles on how to find the cheapest plane tickets are in abundance online. Some advise early-bird tactics that involve waiting up into the wee hours, while others may suggest stalking airline prices multiple times throughout the week.
These supposedly fool-proof formulas might save you a few bucks. However, they demand a high investment of your precious time.
What about applications such as DealRay or Flighthub, which promise subscribers that they can find cracks in an airline’s pricing system? The problem being that, if an airline really is goofing up and publishing absurdly low prices, they’re likely to correct the mistake or change the pattern once people have caught on.
That being said, there are some tips that do work:
More on Ticket Prices:
However, sometimes the slight savings just isn’t worth the trouble. Depending on how few days you have to travel, ask yourself, is it really worth arriving exhausted from a 26-hour journey instead of a non-stop flight? Wouldn’t you rather pay the extra hundred bucks to have those additional days to enjoy your trip?
In our experience, the best advice when shopping for airfare is this: Know how much you’re willing to pay for a flight, and book that ticket when you find it. There will always be someone who’s paid less than you, no matter how diligently you shop around.
There are a few tricks to getting a great deal on accommodations for your next trip, and unlike trying to win the airfare game, these aren’t too complicated or time-consuming.
First, use websites such as Kayak or Google Hotel Finder to get an idea of prices in an area that you’re traveling to. Then, narrow down your search using filters until you find a hotel that you like. However, don’t book on those third-party websites!
In “Getting the Best Deal When Booking Your Next Hotel,” we detail the reasons that doing so can cost you more—while limiting your flexibility to change or cancel a booking. Namely, that the hotel isn’t responsible for what’s promised by those third-party websites, and sometimes doesn’t even have the amenities that you’ve been promised.
Instead, visit the hotel’s website or call them directly. They’ll usually match the price that you saw advertised, and can sometimes offer you a better deal.
Pro Tip: Equally important to knowing bargain hunting tips is recognizing when it’s best to enlist the services of a professional travel agent. Learn more, and how to choose one, in “4 Times You Should Use A Travel Agent (and How To Choose One).”
In the wake of AirBnB’s success, droves of vacation rental websites have surfaced—and with them, the scammers looking to take advantage of your long-distance booking.
Unlike brand-name hotels, or even boutique accommodations, both of which depend on their reputation and reviews for business, enterprising homeowners and renters can easily create accounts to rent out their homes or properties to vacationers without fear of reprisal.
Scams run the gamut from advertising images that are far from accurate to listing properties that don’t even exist!
Even big name hotels and resorts are guilty of doctoring images. To protect yourself from disappointment, learn how to spot altered or unrealistic images in “The Photoshop-Effect: How Hotels, Resorts & Cruises Trick Travelers.”
There are tricks to recognizing vacation rentals that are out-and-out scams as well. We share what questions to ask, how to reverse search images, and other verification tools in “How To Spot a Scam Vacation Rental.”
Third-party websites offering fake bottom-dollar savings on hotels are also a growing problem. Check out how to check up on any hotel website in “How to Spot a Hotel-Booking Scam.”
Depending on where you’re going and what you’re bringing, there are a few different methods to most efficiently stuffing your suitcase. Whatever your style, in “You’ve Been Packing Wrong All Along,” we offer detailed steps to strategize what you’re packing, including:
To make sure that everything fits, check out the above article for diagrams highlighting the most popular methods of getting everything inside your suitcase.
From checking in and weighing your luggage to navigating security, the airport experience is notoriously frustrating due to the abundance of rules and regulations that seem to limit the ease with which you can get from A to B.
In “How to Get Through the Airport Faster & With Minimal Hassle,” we share tips on doing just that, including remembering to:
In “7 Strategies to Stay Comfortable on a Long Flight,” we share tools and tips on surviving long hours in the air, including how to:
More on Surviving Flights:
While 90% of lost luggage is eventually found, the absence of your carefully packed belongings can still put a damper on any vacation. However, all’s not lost!
If your airline can’t find your luggage for more than a set amount of time, they’ll often give you a payment to purchase backup items until your things arrive.
If an up-front cash payment isn’t available, or if your luggage appears to be lost for longer than you can stand, learn how to recover quickly in “How To Deal With Lost or Delayed Luggage.” We also share tips on how to help prevent your luggage from pulling a disappearing act and what to expect during the filing process.
Did you know that the price of travel insurance is affected by where you’re going, how long you’ll be gone, and what you need to insure? To help negate the loss of items and precious time, learn crucial steps to “Choosing Travel Insurance That Keeps You Covered.”
While so many tourist attractions costing an arm and a leg, there are still fun and free ways to explore any destination. In “6 Awesome Tourist Activities That Cost Less Than 15 Bucks” we share tips for cheap activities, including:
When you do decide to open your wallet, it’s nice to know that the souvenirs you bring home will do more than gather dust. In “Vacation Shopping: How To Buy Only What You’ll Love” we share tips on doing just that.
Need to get around and don’t fancy the bus? Check out Ten Tips For Saving On Your Next Car Rental” to save while experiencing the freedom that comes only with having your own set of wheels.
Don’t come home to a sky-high cell phone bill, either! Learn how to shop for SIM cards or an international plan that ensures you aren’t faced with any unexpected surprises in “When In Roam: How to Travel With Your Phone.”
On top of all those great travel tips, we’re continually adding more information on Popular Travel Scams. Learn about classic street scams around the globe, so you’ll never again fall for a scammer attempting to grab your wallet through means of distraction.
The holidays bring more travelers than most other times of the year, and with them, scammers come out to reap the rewards of their naivete. Stay alert to these “6 Scams & Rip-Offs to Look Out For During Holiday Travel” during your next holiday vacation.
And, while every destination is unique, one thing isn’t: Taxi drivers are notorious for attempting to trick travelers out of their money. In “Your Step-by-Step Guide to Avoiding Taxi Scams,” we share how you can stay safe in cabs around the world.
More on Travel Scams:
Aimed at helping everyone from the novice traveler planning their first trip abroad to experienced globetrotters interested in extra tips that go beyond the basic, HighYa’s collection of travel articles provides a comprehensive approach, not just on how to take your next trip, but to become a smarter traveler, saving money when possible, and avoiding scams around the world.
We’re constantly updating our library of travel-related articles, so be sure to bookmark this page and check back often, so you always have the most up-to-date information. Also, consider signing up for your free HighYa account and subscribing to our FREE weekly newsletter.
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Learn how to bargain like a pro, including where it’s ok to do so, how to get any merchant to make the first offer, and why it’s best done with a smile.
