bagtagtraveller-blog

[bagtagtraveller-blog]

Planning Your Exploring

It's tough planning a vacation to a city you've never been to because you have no idea what to experience!

TripAdvisor is a great place to begin. They always have great reviews on nearly everything and they also provide ideas and popular attractions. Also, you can search "free stuff to do in _____" and depending on the city, awesome things pop up.

CityPass is another great cite. When we went to Chicago and New York, there were so many observatories, museums, aquariums, and just PLACES we wanted to see and they weren't free admission. CityPass combines all admissions to major attractions into one neat little price. Costs and savings vary from city to city (I think Chicago's was 80-something and NYC upwards of 100). Trust me, you'll save money using this.

Yelp can lead you to some of the best bars and restaurants anywhere. We would've driven by Tom Jenkins BBQ in Fort Lauderdale without ever knowing what we were missing! We found Tacos&Tequila in Vegas using Yelp also, and I'm certainly pretty grateful. I love finding hole-in-the-wall places and it's hard to do when you don't know anyone in the city! Yelp's reviews always provide a pretty honest account as well (the one time I didn't listen to yelp over a hotel in Ft. L, I absolutely regretted it). 

AAA gives maps! Lovely, free, useful, free, printed, free maps. Did I mention they're free? If you don't have a membership, find someone who does and tell them to grab you a map. Phones die, break, and otherwise fail sometimes, maps don't. 

These are my favorite resources to figuring out what to do in a city. My advice: GOOGLE. Once you've found something you want to do, for example Jet Ski in Daytona. Google that combined with coupon! 

"Jet Ski Daytona Coupons" 

You'd be surprised at how many coupons are advertised online and not many of them require printing ahead of time. Also, flash your handy-dandy Costco Membership and AAA Card everywhere; they both provide so many discounts its ridiculous. 

#travel #travelforbeginners #traveller #HowToTravel #bagtagtraveller

[bagtagtraveller-blog]

Where do I start?

If you have a traveling itch, you want to get out of town, or you simply want a new experience, my advice to you is DON'T BE PICKY.

1. Pick dates. This is the first step whether you have a destination or not. I found traveling somewhere Wednesday through Sunday works "best" because you get to experience the Friday/Saturday nightlife and Wednesday through Friday means shorter lines at tourist attractions. 

*I like to buy the major things (flight, car, hotel, etc.) more than 2 months in advance. The closer you buy these things to your departure date, the more expensive it is (look at how much I unnecessarily spent in the Caribbean). The sooner you pick a destination, the sooner you can begin!

2. Buy your plane ticket. I typically use Expedia and Orbitz to book my hotel and flight, and I try to do them both together (increased likelihood of saving money!). This is a large category so let's break it down:

Airlines: I LOVE SOUTHWEST. You get a ridiculous amount of drinks and snacks, it's amazing. Their seating arrangement has its downfalls but it's absolutely made up for by their prices (and two free checked bags!). The only airline I'd prefer to never fly again is Spirit. They had EXCELLENT prices but the seats were uncomfortably small/close together and they provided no beverages/snacks. 

Flight Times: I prefer arriving in the late afternoon. It gives you time to get settled/explore the hotel, grab dinner, and go to bed early so you can begin your adventures early the next day! Arriving at 6am in a new place tends to suck. Most hotels' checkin isn't until 3pm, you're jet lagged and want to nap/shower, and now you have to explore your new surroundings the whole day because you don't want to waste a day. 

Which Airport: Sometimes smaller airports are cheaper. The downside is that less airlines fly in and out. Check out your local airlines prices to your destinations' various airports and compare! For example, flying from LA International to Chicago O'Hare was more expensive than flying from Ontario Airport to Chicago Midway. Both were smaller airports so no Southwest, but the prices beat the larger airports. 

3. Make your hotel reservations. Again, I usually do this in conjunction with my flight reservations as Expedia and Orbitz tend to have a larger amount of savings. This is also a larger category so we'll break it down again:

Location: I hate renting cars. More on that later. I usually end up walking and taking taxis wherever I go so location is very very important. Google "Cool things to do in ______" and look at the options on a map. Compare this map to the map of hotels on Expedia/Orbitz. You want something central. Accept that you may have to use the subway or taxis to get to the furthest points, but the more you walk the more you save (and burn calories, so it's really win-win).

Breakfast: I like free breakfast. Hot and lots of it. If your hotel doesn't have free breakfast, I'm sorry. Some don't, some do, and it's definitely a plus. 

Chain Hotels: For example, Marriott, Ramada, Hyatt, etc. They all pretty much have breakfast and wifi (a HUGE plus). 

Non-Chain Hotels: When I go somewhere new, I like to experience local things. Some hotels in your destination have a history to them that cannot be replicated anywhere else. These are the places I want to experience. They're usually pricier, but they've always been worth it to me.

4. Renting a car. I already said I hate renting cars, here's why: I'M NOT 25. Anyone under 25 renting a car will have to pay an exceedingly ridiculous amount of insurance. I understand their point so I don't fault them for it, but it sucks. Anyway, try to find a coupon. Costco memberships and AAA always help. My dad usually rented cars from Hertz and he's a very astute man. I prefer cars from Avis and Budget. Avis always has some sort of "upgrade" deal last minute and they both always provide reasonable prices. Keep in mind you can always rent a car for just one day at your destination instead of having it for the entire time. 

Obviously there is so much more to planning your perfect adventure but these reservations are an excellent place to start. I can't stress how important it is to make these reservations as soon as possible once you decide your date and destination. 

#travel #traveller #bagtagtraveller #howtotravel #travelforbeginners #wheretostart #firsttimetravel #firsttimetraveling #spiritairlines #southwestairlines #expedia #orbitz #hertz #avis #budget

[bagtagtraveller-blog]

First Trip Ever:

In April 2013, Spring Break, I went to visit my brother in the Caribbean, specifically Bonaire. Just getting there was a mess honestly. I flew from LAX to Miami International (MIA) to Curacao (CUR) to Bonaire (BON). By the way, I missed my connecting flight from BON to CAO and had to pay the 50$ to be re-reserved onto a later flight. I also only had wifi service within the actual airport and my brother only had wifi in his apartment (thank heavens for iMessage). The 14 hour layover in Miami International was honestly not too bad. Pumpkin and I spoke on the phone for a good 3 hours and the rest of the time I ate and walked and ate and walked. Once I finally landed on the correct island and my dear sweet brother was there to pick me up, the fun began! 

We had dinner that first night in the best freakin' chicken barbecue place ever. Unfortunately, I procrastinated so long in doing this post that I no longer remember the name. 

The next few days we ventured out to Washington-Slaagbai National Park. My brother invited a few of his friends and we all journeyed to our new experiences. 

I've never seen such a gorgeous deep blue ocean before and it literally took my breath away. 

I'm not a daredevil in any way, shape, or form but I do enjoy things that make me feel alive with minimal risk. So we went cliff diving! Technically speaking I was much too terrified to dive so I jumped. 

 It was about a 30-foot drop. It may not sound like much but it was absolutely terrifying and exhilarating.

The entire island's shore is very rocky and not much meant for typical beach activity. Bonaire is definitely more scuba-oriented.

We attended a reggae concert that night in a bar that I also don't remember the name of. Great music, super packed, and nobody ID'ed anyone. The people on this island are so friendly, kind, and helpful.

The pace of life is so slow and relaxing, you don't even notice the time slipping by. Everything is about whatever you're currently doing; no one worries about what you're doing next. It's wonderful.

What I learned:

Never book a trip one week before you leave. Also, don't wait for people. Do it.

Don't sleep in an airport if you're alone: people steal things. 

Carry cash in addition to credit/debit cards. If it's international, rely mostly on your cash (huge fees for international credit spending). 

If your airline doesn't provide a meal, buy a togo meal at a restaurant before boarding your flight and eat it on the flight. Nobody likes a hungry belly. 

Total Trip Cost: approx. 1700$ 

#bagtagtraveller #travel #caribbean #bonaire #traveltobonaire #exotic #springbreak #springbreak2013 #traveller #beginningtraveller #solotrip #vacation #relaxingvacation