Travel Advice from Ninjas and Hackers

(the title is kind of deceptive...I know...)

I'm not really in the mood to give instructions or prattle on today, so I will simply point you towards two travel blog entries I read today that I found particularly informative.  I do not know either of the authors, I came across the sites in a google search.

The first is entitled: Buying Air Tickets – How to find the best flights and cheapest fares

The writer gives a clear, basic run-down of the differences between major and budget carriers, including the pros and cons of each.  Followed by some good general tips on how to obtain cheaper tickets.  I personally prefer Expedia.ca over Kayak for flight search engines.  The Skyscanner site he mentioned was good when I tested it with flights within Europe but didn't pull up anything insightful to get me across the Atlantic.  I know little about Round The World tickets but I'd be willing to investigate :)

The Ultimate Travel Hacking Guide's title made me chuckle (I'm easily amused), I collect aeroplan and air miles like everyone else, but I guess I don't have that kind of cash and flexibility to take weekend getaways to random places for the sole purpose of earning "double the miles". The tips for how to search around different sites and what to look for is pretty helpful if you're willing to put in the time and patience to find some savings.  As for the part about saving a few bucks from a favourable exchange rate, I haven't tested other currencies much, but CheapOair got me some small savings when I flew to San Francisco. The credit cards and mileage runs are not for me, but it is interesting to learn how to win one back from these credit giants and overpriced carriers.

Another handy little tool that I plan to start utilizing more is the Bing Travel price predictor for popular routes.  Search for your flight and in the results page you will see a "Price Predictor" with a suggestion to either buy now or wait, if you click on the link it'll give you a little more background info.  I wouldn't use Bing Travel for booking my flight per se, but sometimes it does make a difference knowing I can wait until the next paycheck to pay for my flight.  Some other sites are also beginning to develop price predictors as well, glad this is catching on.

Cross-border, it's not just for shopping...

Despite lofty plans to see the world, I've never focused my attention on much of the U.S., Caribbean, nor South America.  Therefore I've had little to say about travels going in that direction until some travel-related status updates/tweets last week sparked a conversation with a knowledgeable friend.

I'm struggling to find a cheap flight to Newark/New York City for Easter weekend and my friend Jos suggested I look for alternative flights out of Buffalo or Niagara Falls airport.  Though I have yet to take advantage, I have kept an eye out for flights from Buffalo for some previous travel.  I don't know enough to write about it, but I'm aware that contracts exist between certain countries which will make travel between them cheaper, and airport taxes and fees differ between airports/countries.  Therefore it is advantageous to look into flying out of the US sometimes, perhaps less so since 9/11 tightened security, but there are times when money is money.

From what I've learned clicking around on the net, Buffalo Airport offers a large number of domestic and international flights.  Most still require a stop in one of the major hubs (ie. New York, Newark, Chicago, Detroit) before actually crossing international lines, but for flights to the west coast, or if the US offers much more affordable travel to your destination, it's worth the drive across the border.  For those who don't drive, both Greyhound and Megabus have buses that will take you directly to Buffalo Airport in about three hours (hopefully there's adequate time in there for getting across the border, I've personally had some difficulties with Megabus.  Definitely allot extra time in there.)  Megabus has excellent pricing from Toronto to Buffalo Airport, I've found a number of $1 tickets.

Niagara Falls airport is much smaller and more akin to Toronto Island's Billy Bishop Airport.  While there are fewer flight options, it was also easier to isolate what they do offer -- and that's affordable travel down south, specifically Florida (where you can catch many connecting flights to the Caribbean, Central, and South America.  The airport is serviced by three airlines - Direct Air, Spirit Airlines, and Allegiant.  Their flight routes are as follows:

Direct Air:

Allegiant:

Spirit Airlines:

For non-drivers like myself, Jos has informed me Greyhound has a bus that goes to Niagara Airport. Sweet!

Have any of you flown out of Buffalo or Niagara?  I'd love to hear your experiences and thoughts about this route.  I've been told about flights from Buffalo to New York for under $100, hope one of those flight sales pop up soon!

Happy New Year! Happy New Travels!

Greetings to 2012!  I hope this year brings lots of exciting travels for everyone and adventure where ever you can find it.

I'm hoping for a number of trips this year to destinations new and old, as always please write to tell me about yours, then we will scope out deals together.  I'd shared with my facebook friends at the end of the year that it doesn't take a new calendar year to set new goals, make changes, find forgiveness, etc...but Jan 1st is as good a time as any.  That being said, whether you have travel plans outlined for this year or not, now might not be a bad time to start thinking about it.

The concept of saving money has always eluded me.  It took me years to get into the habit of rustling up the cash for tickets, hotels and spending prior to leaving on a trip rather than begging mom for her credit card and then being stuck paying her back for months on end after I got back.  The idea of putting money aside without a tangible goal aside from 'saving' never appealed to me, the world could end tomorrow and where would all those savings get me?  Better to enjoy it today in the form of a sushi lunch and some new movies.  This is one of reasons I like to look ahead and have travel destinations in mind, it gives me an idea of costs and how much to put aside.

Even with best intentions though, sometimes it's hard to come up with all the cash when you need it.  For example, if the plan is to travel in June with a price tag of $3000 and start saving now, that would mean finding $500/month (if you get paid bi-weekly or bi-monthly that's $250 per pay).  For me personally, $500 is tough, but not impossible.  However it's not as straightforward as putting away $250 every pay, because not every travel expense is evenly proportioned as such.  Usually there are benefits to buying your plane ticket 4-6 months in advance, but at this point you may not have that kind of cash ready.  By the time you do, ticket prices may have risen.  A great hotel deal might pop up in March, but you're not ready to book, and by the time you've saved up enough in May, the hotel might be sold out.  It's these little frustrations that will mess with your regimented savings plan every time.  Hopefully you're nothing like me, and have lots in the bank, and even more credit at your disposal.  Otherwise, it might not be a bad idea to start saving now, whether you've decided on your destination or not.

The methods and thought process of choosing a vaca spot are numerous, I won't even try to advise you on how to do that.  I'm the girl that's picked cities based on Cirque du Soleil's touring schedule and Andy Warhol exhibitions.  Once you do narrow it down though, the first thing to do is get an idea of how much it's going to cost you.  This is a list of things I try to find out before making my final decision:

• What are the different methods/flight routes to get there?  Which is the cheapest mode of transportation/route I'm willing to take?  How much will that cost me?
• What time(s) of year do I want to visit?  How does the price fluctuate if I go a few weeks earlier/later in the year?
• What types of accommodation can I safely stay at?  What is the price difference between them?
• How can I maximize this vacation and what will the additional costs be?  Are there any nearby cities I can visit on the same trip?  How do I get to the additional destinations/how much to stay there?
• Are there any costly events/shows I want to attend while I'm there? (This is to factor into the cost)

 At the end of this deliberation, you should not only wind up with your final decision, but also a bunch of numbers that you can now total to see the estimated cost of your trip (this is often the part where you get a little weak at the knees :P).  Don't forget to add in meal costs and general spending.  Though prices fluctuate wildly from country to country, for Europe/US I would suggest factoring in $40-$50 a day for meals ($10 breakfast, $15 lunch, $20 dinner... you will obviously be under or over for individual meals but I find it usually evens out as long as you don't dine in fine restaurants for every meal).  Under general spending would be public transit costs and admission fees into tourist attractions, museums etc.  If you're at at all-inclusive resort you obviously don't need to worry about this, with the number of galleries and museums I go to, I factor in $50/day (however I spend less than the average person on food so I cut back there).  It's up to you whether you want to include a shopping/bar budget now or later.  Take your total and round it up (it's always better to have a bit more than not enough), that's your savings goal.

Despite it's shortcomings, the equal portion per pay savings plan is still the easiest one to stick with and there's nothing wrong with doing it that way.  If you can manage though, get as much saved up early as possible, it'll make life easier on your credit card.

Dream big, plan ahead, and have fun!  Happy New Year everyone :)