A lot of times I get asked how my husband and I have the opportunities to travel so much. We make it happen because it's important to us. You can travel, too. It doesn't have to be this big hassle people make it out to be. Since we have gotten to travel quite a bit, near and far, we have picked up a few tricks on how to make a memorable trip for all the right reasons. In this post I will be sharing three easy ways to add (more) travel into your life.
1) Fly Cheap
This is the easiest way to get the most distance in the shortest amount of time. I know what you're thinking, "easier said than done." Am I right? Well, it is as easy as it sounds. You just have to be flexible with your travel dates. My husband and I got to visit Minnesota, Colorado, and Pennsylvania within nine months by finding cheap flights. Granted, with his work he gets a total of three weeks vacation and wit my teaching career I get a lot more time off work than other professions. This has allowed us to be pretty flexible with our travel dates. We'd find $50-$100 tickets to different places, pack a carry-on, pick where we'd like to visit the most, rent an inexpensive car, and book an inexpensive hotel (or airbnb!). Or, better yet, we would crash with family or friends. The most expensive aspects of the trip, if you broke down the costs per day, would be dinners or certain tourist attractions. Also, the hubs and I are pretty low maintenance when it comes to flight quality. I mean, who needs pretzels or leg room anyway? Hubs compares airline fees via sites like Priceline, Expedia, cheapOair, etc. Kayak is an easy comparing site. Be sure to look for sales and try to avoid flying on actual weekend days and during prime hours. Don't be afraid of layovers. Actually, we are extending our layover in Boston for a day so we can see a Red Sox game. Back in 2007 my family and I got to spend our last few days of vacation in Germany on an extended layover from Russia. An extra hour or two at the airport isn't the worst thing, either. It gives you more time to eat and pick up last minute souvenirs.
This is the easiest way to get the most distance in the shortest amount of time. I know what you're thinking, "easier said than done." Am I right? Well, it is as easy as it sounds. You just have to be flexible with your travel dates. My husband and I got to visit Minnesota, Colorado, and Pennsylvania within nine months by finding cheap flights. Granted, with his work he gets a total of three weeks vacation and wit my teaching career I get a lot more time off work than other professions. This has allowed us to be pretty flexible with our travel dates. We'd find $50-$100 tickets to different places, pack a carry-on, pick where we'd like to visit the most, rent an inexpensive car, and book an inexpensive hotel (or airbnb!). Or, better yet, we would crash with family or friends. The most expensive aspects of the trip, if you broke down the costs per day, would be dinners or certain tourist attractions. Also, the hubs and I are pretty low maintenance when it comes to flight quality. I mean, who needs pretzels or leg room anyway? Hubs compares airline fees via sites like Priceline, Expedia, cheapOair, etc. Kayak is an easy comparing site. Be sure to look for sales and try to avoid flying on actual weekend days and during prime hours. Don't be afraid of layovers. Actually, we are extending our layover in Boston for a day so we can see a Red Sox game. Back in 2007 my family and I got to spend our last few days of vacation in Germany on an extended layover from Russia. An extra hour or two at the airport isn't the worst thing, either. It gives you more time to eat and pick up last minute souvenirs.
2) Drive There
Road trips can be the best with the right company, snacks, and music/audio book. You (most likely) own a car, so you've already got the most important part! If you're worried about wear and tear on your car or need more space, rent a car with unlimited miles. We had to rent a truck for a couple of days to haul some stuff to Indiana. It was fun getting to see the different landscapes and crossing the Ohio River. I wish we had had more time, but riding around in a "new" vehicle was nice! A major plus to driving is the low cost of gasoline, especially right now. Where I live it's currently less than $1.60 a gallon! Remember when it was around $4 a gallon? Driving may take longer than flying to reach your destination, but it can be more cost efficient. And besides, what's that quote? The journey is more valuable than the destination? I'll look it up later.
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| Enjoying the sunrise over the Rockies outside Denver, CO |
3) Day Trips
Find a place you have never been before that's nearby. There's surely a park, attraction, historic site, or some hidden gem within a few hours of you! Living in the South, we have numerous Civil War locations to check out. Hubs and I try to find new adventures less than a few hours away. We love looking for new hiking trails, restaurants, museums, breweries, and spa retreats. Being a tourist in and around your hometown is fun and gives you a sense of pride. Plus, it helps you find great places to show off when out of town visitors crash at your place! My mom and I live a few hours apart, so we compromise and meet in the middle once a month for lunch. It gives us an excuse to check out new restaurants and shops we may now have in our own towns. Extra bonus to day trips, at night you get to curl up in your own bed.
Find a place you have never been before that's nearby. There's surely a park, attraction, historic site, or some hidden gem within a few hours of you! Living in the South, we have numerous Civil War locations to check out. Hubs and I try to find new adventures less than a few hours away. We love looking for new hiking trails, restaurants, museums, breweries, and spa retreats. Being a tourist in and around your hometown is fun and gives you a sense of pride. Plus, it helps you find great places to show off when out of town visitors crash at your place! My mom and I live a few hours apart, so we compromise and meet in the middle once a month for lunch. It gives us an excuse to check out new restaurants and shops we may now have in our own towns. Extra bonus to day trips, at night you get to curl up in your own bed.
Don't let expenses or lack of vacation time hold you back. All you need to explore new places is some time and a mode of transportation! There are plenty of ways to get out there, somewhere, anywhere! So stop making excuses and GO!
Here are my keys to easy travels:
be flexible
be optimistic
shop around for deals
be ready to explore
think outside of the box
pack light
Buen Viaje!
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