First International Trip

Now that you have been a little outside your comfort zone and traveled a bit through your own country, it is now time to travel to a new country. Below I talk about how to prepare and where to visit for your first international trip.

1. Get your Passport

Even if you don't have any plans or any ideas of where you want to go you should GET YOUR PASSPORT now. I find that just having a passport increases your chances of traveling internationally because not only don't want it to go to waste, but if a good deal or a trip with friends is pending, then it is one less step you have to take. Getting your passport can be a pain and combined with planning flights, hotels, etc... you can easily get overwhelmed. Your passport is good for 10 years, so just go out and get it today!

2. Where should I go?

If you are very risk averse the easiest option would be Canada. It is not too far away and they speak English. I would at least recommend visiting Montreal if this is the route you want to take as they primarily speak French, but everyone also knows English.

The other option for short flights would be Mexico. A lot of people are worried about crime, but I have never had a problem. I still don't recommend Mexico as your first international trip as visiting a local area might be too much on your first trip and staying at a resort won't end up being too different from visiting Florida.

Now that we got that out of the way, I would recommend that your first international trip be to Europe. Overall life is fairly similar to the United States, but with the different cultures you have a lot to learn. In some cities there will be language barriers which can be exciting, and the food will be quite different. Most places in Europe are very safe and you won't struggle too much overall. For your first trip to Europe I would recommend one of the following cities in no particular order:

London / Paris / Munich / Amsterdam / Barcelona / Rome / Athens / Lisbon / Dublin

These cities all have many attractions and are used to having many international travelers come to their city and know how to accommodate them.

3. Where should I stay?

Hostel: If you are traveling alone or with friends I would always recommend to stay at a hostel. Don't watch the horror movies and listen to all the terrible stories. I have stayed at some really nice hostels and some really disgusting ones. Make sure to research them and read reviews before booking them. Also, be sure to book ahead especially at busy times of the year and on weekends as they can fill up.

The reason I say hostels are for two reasons. One they are usually the cheapest option. I have seen hostels for $7 a night in China and the most for around $40 a night in Europe. There is no better option if you are alone. If you are traveling as a group, a hotel may be cheaper. The second reason for staying in a hostel is that you are forced to meet people and sometimes you end up traveling together. Every time I stay at a hostel there are at least 4 different countries represented in the room. It is great to hear new perspective and talk about the different cultures and stereo types. It is always interesting to hear about America from international travelers. In many instances a lot of people from the hostel like to go to a bar together and just have a good time. Sometimes they have been in the hostel for longer than you have and can tell you what to see and what to avoid or the best ways to do something. I always try to share my experiences of how to do something when new people come to the room. The best place to find a hostel that I have found is hostelz.com . You usually only have to put down a deposit of 10% and pay the rest on arrival.

Be sure to bring a lock with you as sometimes it is the only way to secure your luggage and belongings. I've never had any problems with this method, so just always have a padlock with you. Also, keep in mind that hostels typically will charge you for everything, although small amounts. Usually internet is by the hour at a cost, but just pay the amount or find a nearby internet cafe, which is very common in Europe.

Hotel: If you are traveling as a couple or are not in the mood to mingle with others, the obvious solution is to book a hotel. However, keep in mind that European standards when it comes to space is much different. My friend and I traveled to Paris and it was his first time to Europe and he said we should get a hotel with a hot tub. I told him we would be lucky if we had anything other than a bed. Rooms can be quite tight and bathrooms can also be very small. Book your hotel based on price and location. Don't worry about the amenities. In a large city in Europe, you want to be near a train line. This way you will be able to access everything without needing any other form of transportation.

The best rewards program I've found for hotels is through hotel.com. If you book 10 nights within a 12 month period, you get a credit for the average amount you spent over the 10 nights. I've probably earned well over $1000 worth of credits that I've used that I have earned through hotels.com. Also, since they have a price match guarantee, they will always be the cheapest.

Stay with people you know:

There is no better way to see a city than with a local. If you have any old roommates, friends or classmates that live abroad, send them an email and see if you can stay with them. I often find that travel books only take you to places where other people with travel books go. Locals can show you the real places and you can have a way better time this way. This would be my number 1 choice if this is an option for you.

4. Getting Around

Never rent a car! I have traveled all over and have never rented a car. Use public transportation. It will save you money and almost everything you want to see will be located near a train station. There are a few destinations where you should rent a car, but I would say 99% of the time you won't need one.

Get the unlimited pass

Even if it is a little more expensive and you don't get the full use out of it, having the unlimited pass always will allow you to relax. You won't need to figure out how much it costs to go from A to B and it will keep you from walking more than you need to. Often when buying one ticket at a time, if you are going only a few stops you will force yourself to walk to save money. If you do this multiple times throughout the day, you will really wear yourself out. Just get the unlimited pass even if you spend $10 more.

Conclusion:

For your first big international trip, visit one of the cities above. Don't buy a flight to a less known city for your first international trip. Think of it as someone visiting the US and going to Kentucky as the first trip. Although it might be interesting and a cultural experience, they just aren't setup for international travelers. Taking the first big international trip is a big step and will open the door to all future travel. Bon voyage!

But I can't travel... Flying is way too expensive!

Yes yes, of course this is the first thing everyone says when I tell them they need to be traveling more. You can read any article you want about the tricks to finding the cheapest airfare, but none of them are right. Some sites tell you to buy on a Tuesday, some tell you other tricks, but I can tell you coming from an airline pricer, THERE ARE NO TRICKS. We don't do anything on a particular day that changes the market in one direction or another. We do however file sales on a regular basis and flight prices do change often and quickly, but it is based on demand and not because it is Tuesday. Here are my tips to find the cheapest flights and yes some of them are harder than others.

1. Work for an Airline or become a good friend with someone else that does

I had just finished my freshman year in college when I realized I needed to travel. Everyone else was going home to see their family and I wanted to travel. I was living in Phoenix and saw a commercial from Mesa Airlines and said they were hiring people and you could travel for free. I was a bit skeptical, but gave it a chance and ended up working as a baggage handler at Sky Harbor during the summer. One of my friends jointed me and we ended up meeting another guy who became another of our good friends and we traveled the country together. As an employee we paid absolutely nothing as long as there was a seat open on the flight. Our first trip was to Santa Barbara and then later flew to Las Vegas that night and we paid nothing. We just went for the day and didn't even stay at a hotel room.

I do realize that not everyone can just go get a job at an airline, but maybe you know someone that works at one. Most airlines give the employee plus one guest unlimited free flights. This is a great deal to be that friend. You don't have to work there and you get to travel for free. You do however have to pay the taxes (but hey $40 to Tokyo isn't too bad). Employees also usually get buddy passes for other friends that are not listed on their benefits and they get cheap standby travel as well. I just had a friend fly from San Francisco to Chicago for $112 roundtrip and then we went from Chicago to Paris for $264 round trip. If you live in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Honolulu, Phoenix, Denver, Chicago, Atlanta, New York City, or Dallas you might have an easier time finding airline employees since these are the cities that contain the headquarters of a major airline. If you don't know any airline employees and don't live in one of these cities, continue below for the next tips (or check the Holiday Inn bar for people in Captain's uniforms).

2. Don't choose your destination first

If you want to travel and pay the least amount for a flight, don't choose your destination first. I see too many people saying they want to visit Spain or Japan and they watch airfare day to day and wait for the perfect time. Just like the stock market, timing is nearly impossible and you may not end up getting a good deal.

Instead choose your top 10 destinations and see which one is the cheapest and go there. I have done this multiple times and ended up places I never thought I would go. I once found a flight from Phoenix to Bermuda for $320 roundtrip with all taxes and fees included (try to find this now). This is a great way to end up with a cheap flight.

3. Always fly to/from big cities

Competition drives down prices, so try to fly to and from big cities. If you live somewhere like Santa Barbara which has a small airport, you should always be checking flights from LAX. Airlines know some passengers, especially business passengers, are willing to pay a premium to fly out of a local airport. With lower competition the premiums can be quite high. Be willing to drive a bit further and save more money on a flight.

4. Travel during the offseason

This one seems like common sense, but if you want to go somewhere for cheap, go in the off season. Visit Europe in the winter and visit Mexico in the summer. October and April are great months to get cheap flights. Visiting places during the off season can also make the rest of the trip cheaper with cheaper hotels and better deals. It can also be fun to have a place to yourself. When visiting Barbados in the summer we were able to get a hotel for half price, free breakfast and had the beach to ourselves. It couldn't have been better.

5.  Be willing to make connections

Airlines charge a premium for non-stop service, so be willing to fly an airline that makes stops along the way. They will almost always be cheaper. If you are flying to London, British Airways knows that many business travelers don't want to deal with the hassle of changing planes so they charge extra for this. If you take another carrier that stops, they know their flight route is inferior and will often charge less. It really doesn't waste much time to make a stop, but can save you a lot of money.

6. Check for Free Stopovers

Airlines almost never advertise this, but quite a few will allow you to make a stop in a city and continue on for free as long as the stop is less than 7 days. An example would be if you flew from Chicago to Prague and had to connect in Paris. If you go on to the website and book the flight as multiple segments instead of as roundtrip, you can often leave a break of a 5 day stopover in Paris in your trip. This way you get to visit both Paris and Prague on the same trip and the flight doesn't cost any more than if you just switched planes real quick in Paris. Take advantage of this! Often airlines will only allow 1 stopover per flight and they are almost always in large cities. I have seen stopovers offered for London, Paris, Frankfurt, Munich, Amsterdam, Brussels, Copenhagen, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Taipei,  and Beijing. I am sure there are a lot of others out there as well.

7. Volunteer to step off oversold flights

A great way to get a free flight is to volunteer to step off a flight and take a later one. Often they give you a free round trip ticket and a hotel for the night if it is the latest flight. Sometimes I even book my flights at the busiest times because I know the chance of this happening is pretty high and I want a free ticket. There are many others that have figured this out so be sure to follow my steps below:

- Buy a ticket on Friday or Sunday evening since this is busiest time you could fly
- Find a seat near the counter so you can be the first up when they announce they need volunteers
- Tell the gate agent you are very flexible and can leave whenever

If you don't follow these steps you may not get the free ticket. Once time I volunteered and I left 1 hour later in business class. The only catch was that I had to make 2 stops on the way back, but in business class and with a free ticket in hand, this was no problem!

Conclusion:

I know a lot of these are common sense, but any way to save a few dollars always helps. It's not easy to find great deals, but with these tips you can always find something that works. The hardest step for people is just booking it. Once you have that flight you have to go, so start looking and get that first trip started.

Your First Real Trip

I want to start off with a post for someone who has very limited travel experience. Maybe you have gone to Disneyland with your family, or visited family somewhere in the country. Sometimes it can be hard to take that first step to see a new place. Seeing family is great, but now it is time to take the next step to see the world.

Start off by traveling Domestic, but somewhere that is much different than the world you are used to. I recommend taking about 5-10 days to visit a place for the first time. If you have fewer days it can be hard to fit everything in, and more days can start to get expensive and can be hard to adjust back to life when you return (post vacation depression is a real thing!). I have a few suggestions for you depending on where you live now. I have assembled a few destinations depending on where you live now. Please find where you live below and read the suggestions.

West Coast:

If you live in any of these states in red, you should travel to New York City for your first big trip. New York City will feel like another planet compared to where you live now. The only true high density city on the West Coast is San Francisco, but still feels completely different than a high density East Coast city. Everything will feel brand new. Taking the subway around, people flooding the streets, taxis on every corner, etc... 

I remember the first time visiting New York City and wondering what life would be like here full time. It felt so hectic and fast paced. Coming back to the West felt like the world slowed down. When you visit New York City, you will of course want to visit all of the tourist sites such as the Statue of Liberty, Central Park and more. These are all great, but make sure to take time and just try to simulate what life would be like full time here. Take the subway at rush hour, sit at a cafe and read a book, ask some locals what the best pizza in town is. Don't spend all of your time in Manhattan. Be sure to visit Brooklyn and other residential areas and just walk around. Make sure a few days are spent without a schedule. Take it all in and when you return home realize how tough that was. You have completed your first big trip. Stay tuned to see where you should go next.

When to Visit: Summer/Fall. New York City is always best in the Winter and in the fall. You might get the best flight prices in February, but it can get very cold and won't be too much fun. Travel in October when flights can be cheaper and you still have warm enough weather to see everything. Watch out for big events that shoot airfare and hotel prices way up such as the New York City Marathon.

Northeast:

If you are from the Northeast, then you are used to dense cities and have probably visited New York City, Boston, etc... Time to change it up a bit and your first trip should be Hawaii. You are probably used to a fast paced lifestyle and your family probably took you on trips as a kid to other big cities. Everyone I knew that grew up on the East Coast had visited London and Paris, but had never been to a place where you could relax and where the best restaurant in town wasn't #1 on the to do list. 

Honolulu is always the easiest city to visit. If you aren't sure you can handle a rural life, then this is a good balance. There are plenty of restaurants and shopping, but you can spend most of the day at the beach. If you really want to get away from it all you should visit Kauai or Maui. At either island you can forget life in the city and just hike and get in touch with nature. Enjoy all the colors and unique animals and plants. The food in Hawaii can be pretty bland, so don't expect too much from restaurants. Try finding a place to stay with a kitchen and take advantage of the local produce and make your own food. This is going to feel very foreign for a city person, so take it all in and enjoy your first big trip.

When to Visit: Mid Winter. Hawaii's weather never changes, but you can escape the cold of the Northeast if you go in the winter. Each island has its own weather, so just be prepared.

The South:

If you are from this part of the country, a place that will feel completely different will be San Francisco. The south is a much more conservative place and San Francisco is one of the most liberal. In San Francisco you will see the latest technology trends and maybe even a protest or two. San Francisco has some great attractions such as the Golden Gate Bridge, but don't miss some of the neighborhoods. Take a walk through The Mission and The Castro districts. Find a restaurant that has a line around the block and eat there. This is very common in San Francisco and the average San Franciscan is very into food. Everything is infused or inspired with or by something. DO NOT visit the beach, unless it just for the view. Beaches here are very cold and not too fun unless you happen to catch a 90 degree day (2 out of 365 chance). Try not to be overwhelmed or angry at the openness of San Francisco. This city was built on this concept and even if you don't agree with the views, just be the silent observer. 

When to Visit: September/October. The weather here is usually quite chilly and very breezy. Bring a rain jacket with you and some sweatshirts no matter what time of year you visit. In the fall San Francisco can get pretty warm and hopefully you catch a few nice sunny days. Even if you don't you can catch the view of the fog rolling in over the coast which is a site that never gets old.

The Midwest (if you live in Chicago, please see "The Northeast" section):

This is for all people living in the Midwest except for those living in Chicago. Please go to the Northeast section if you live in Chicago. For everyone else, your first trip should be Chicago. I know it won't be a long trip for most of you, but that's perfect for your first trip. Although Chicago is in the Midwest, it has many qualities unlike the rest of the cities in this region. This is a dense city like New York City, but with a Midwest flare. Enjoy what city life has to offer. 

DO NOT spend too much time in "The Loop". Your hotel might be here, but don't spend all of your time here. Although there are a few points of interest, you want to spend more time around other attractions. Take the El Train to the north and catch a Cubs game at Wrigley Field. This is a must for anyone, not just baseball fans. Rent a bike and ride along the trail next to Lake Michigan. There are great views of the city and you can see the beaches as you pass. This is a great city to expose yourself to big city life without having to travel too far. Force yourself to take as much public transportation as possible. Not only will this save your money, but it will be an experience all in itself.

When to Visit: Summer/Fall. With hot summers and cold winters, it can be tricky to plan a trip. Fall really is the best time to visit with the weather and the changing colors. DO NOT visit in the winter. A lot of must see places close and it really is not a fun city to walk around when it is below freezing.

Conclusion:

The US is such a big country that you can travel to somewhere quite exotic without even needing a passport. Since this will be your first big trip, finding a place that is very different from home, but still speaks English as a first language will keep you optimistic and ready for more travel. Feel free to comment on this post if you have anything you would like to add. Next post I will tell you how to spend the least amount of money and still see everything on any trip.

Introduction

Hi All,

I decided to create this blog on a whim, but wanted to share with everyone how I have been able to travel around the world at the age of 26. I realized all of the ways I had done this weren't quite as obvious to someone that doesn't have a ton of travel experience.

As a child we only traveled to Florida, California and Mexico (each multiple times). Having been born and raised in Denver, warm destinations were always the desire. I felt like I was missing out on the rest of the world, so after moving to Arizona for college I got my first job at the airline. I worked here only for the flight benefits and took home as close to no money as you could, but that didn't matter. Flying for free really opens the travel possibilities. Of course there are other expenses, but I will touch on these as well so that you can see the world for as little money as possible and as soon as possible.

Between the age of 19 and 26 I have traveled most of the US including Hawaii & Alaska, Asia, Australia, Europe and soon South America.

I wanted to start this blog for complete beginners as an introduction to travel. I know too many people that don't even have a passport. This blog is for you. I want to answer questions such as where should my first destination be? How can I spend the least amount of money? What destination should my first trip to Asia be? How can I do all of this before I retire?

I look forward to sharing all of this information and thanks for reading.