Travel Tips

We’re Here to Help


Hey there, fellow adventurers! Welcome to our Travel Tips page — your go-to guide for making travel smoother, cheaper, and way less stressful. Whether you’re planning your next big trip or just dreaming about it (we get it, wanderlust is real), these tips will help you travel smarter.

Finding the Best Flights for Less!

Flights are one of the most expensive parts of travel, but with the right strategies, you can find great deals:

✈️ Use Flight Search Engines: Websites like Google Flights, Skyscanner, and Kayak help compare prices across airlines. Google Flights even lets you track prices and alerts you when fares drop!

📅 Be Flexible with Your Dates: Flying midweek (Tuesdays & Wednesdays) and during shoulder season (more on that below) can save you a ton.

🌍 Consider Nearby Airports: Sometimes flying into a neighboring city and taking a short train or bus ride is way cheaper than a direct flight.

💻 Search in Incognito Mode: Some claim airlines track your searches and raise prices, so using private browsing may help keep fares lower.

💳 Use Travel Credit Cards for Free Flights: Check out our favorite credit cards below so you can earn points towards free flights!

Travel Tips and Tricks

Our Favorite Travel Credit Cards

We have been so fortunate to travel the world, and these adventures have been made possible through travel credit card points. Here are a few of our favorites.

general cards

Amex Gold

Amex Platinum

Capital One Venture X

Chase Sapphire Preferred

Hotel cards

Hilton

Hyatt

IHG

Marriott

Airline cards

Air Canada

American

Delta

Jetblue

Our Favorite Travel Apps & Sites

Flights & Lodging

Skyscanner

Booking.com

Hopper

HostelWorld

Airbnb

Activities & dining

Viator

Get Your Guide

Eating Europe

TheFork

The Tour Guy

Itineraries & Navigation

Wanderlog

Google Maps

Omio

Rome2Rio

Maps.me

Safety, awards & money

BSafe

SOS Emergency

AwardWallet

Daily Drop

Splitwise

The Best Time to Book Flights

  • Book in Advance: For domestic flights, we recommend booking between 1 to 3 months before departure. Meanwhile, for international flights, it’s best to book anywhere from 2 to 8 months in advance, depending on your destination.
  • Cheapest Days to Fly: Midweek is usually the best time to fly. In particular, we recommend traveling on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Surprisingly, Saturdays can also be a cheaper day to fly since it’s mid-weekend!
  • Book Early in the Morning: Airlines often release new airfares at midnight. Since fewer people are online and booking at this time, you may find greater availability at a lower price point between midnight and 6 a.m.

Getting Internet / Cell Service Abroad

e-sims

Many phones support eSIMs, which allow you to instantly download a local or global data plan without swapping physical SIM cards. For convenience, try services like Airalo, Holafly, or Nomad.

LOCAL SIM CARDS

Buying a prepaid SIM at your destination (usually at the airport or a convenience store) can be a cheap way to get data and calls. Make sure your phone is unlocked before you travel!

Use a vpn

A VPN protects your data on public WiFi, which lets you access blocked websites, and can even help you find cheaper flights and hotels by changing your virtual location. Try NordVPN, ExpressVPN, or Surfshark. 🔒✈️

Have other questions about travel planning? We have the answers.

Southwest is our go-to U.S. budget airline. They don’t charge change fees, meaning you have ultimate flexibility when booking.

In Europe we like flying EasyJet. They offer a free personal item and carry on, and have fewer surprise fees. Ryanair also has great deals, but the experience is less comfortable and the fees add up.

We recommend using a shopping portal like Rakuten, Capital One, or Honey. We’ve seen major deals on these shopping portals for sites like Booking.com and Viator. Our personal favorite shopping portal is Rakuten since you can earn American Express miles instead of cash. Many airlines also have their own shopping portals where you can earn miles towards future flights.

Faye is our go-to travel insurance provider. Their mobile app makes the whole process positively seamless!

Alternatively, if you’re traveling as a family or are planning an adventurous trip, we recommend Arch RoamRight.

We recommend using your points towards flights, and saving your hard-earned cash for the more unique hotel stays. It’s typically a better deal to transfer your points from your credit card to an airline than it is to book in the credit card portal.