Planning a holiday is both exciting and stressful. Here are some helpful hacks to make trip planning a little less crazy.
- When booking flights online, turn on ‘private browsing’. Why? Because travel sites can track your online searches. So, you could potentially see higher prices each time you return to a site. After all, they know you must book a flight either way.
- Wear compression socks. While the risk of developing blood clots on a flight is low, it goes up as travel time increases.
- Request a ‘fragile’ sticker at the airport check-in counter; it’s free. Then, your bags are more likely to be handled with care. Bags marked ‘fragile’ are considered a priority, so they’ll come off the plane first.
Flight Hacks
- Check-in online just prior to 24 hours before your flight. If there are empty seats to be filled, the carrier may offer you a lower upgrade price.
- Create a frequent flyer account. Then, the next time you fly, put in your frequent flyer number, and start earning valuable points toward free travel.
- Fly on low traffic days. Tuesday through Thursday’s are best. And avoid prime time flights like 6-11 am and 4-7 pm to give you the best chance of a premium seat.
Get Free Stuff
- Free Food. If you’re traveling with kids, cut costs by eating at places that let kids eat for free. Ask the hotel staff for suggestions.
- Free Exercise. The best way to get your bearings in a new city is to join a free walking tour. Meet new friends and gain insights from a local on the best restaurants and local entertainment.
- Free Museums. Check the local museums for free days. In London, all major museums are free. The Louvre in Paris is open on the first Sunday of every month. And presently, the Museum of Modern Art in New York is free on Fridays.
You Deserve an Upgrade
- Asking for what you want is always a good idea. Being kind to the people who work in the travel industry is also a good idea. Combine the two, and likely score some rather good perks.
- Bring a small gift of appreciation for the front desk person at your hotel. Perhaps a chocolate bar or a £10 Starbucks gift card. A little bit of kindness goes a long way.
- Consider booking your stays in the off-season. Hotels are much more likely to offer you a room upgrade or extra amenities if they’re not fully booked.
- If you’re celebrating a special occasion,a milestone anniversary, honeymoon, or birthday, let the hotel staff know. Chances are they’ll go out of their way gift you something special.
Pay Less for Upscale Accommodations
All things considered, one of the best ways to upgrade your holiday is to rent someone else’s timeshare! Reserve a sprawling upscale condo without having to sit through a time-guzzling timeshare presentation.
Wyndham Resorts is one of the biggest developers in the world. So, there are a ton of properties from which to choose. All the on-site amenities come along with your stay as well. Such as access to on-site spas, concierge services, private hot-tubs, and more! The best part about Wyndham Resorts is that you don’t have to be a timeshare owner to stay. If you want to get out of your timeshare find out how to cancel a Wyndham timeshare.
Where to Rent a Timeshare
Timeshares are simply upscale condominiums in coveted locations around the globe. Anyone can rent them. You just have to know where to look.
- RedWeek is the largest timeshare rental site. The sky is the limit when it comes to upgrading your vacations.
- Armed Forces Vacation Club has insane deals worldwide. Check out their $359 a week vacations throughout Europe.
- Ebay Marketplace Travel has incredible deals everywhere, from Disney World to Australia.
Walking is the best form of free exercise there is!
What a great idea to check out timeshare rentals, I had no idea it was possible.
I love these travel hacks, especially the one about putting Fragile on my bags and how to score prime time seats. I also had no idea you could rent someone else’s timeshare! That is actually alot easier to enjoy and you can think if you want your own while on site, so that’s awesome.
I am all about traveling smart and these tips will help me get the best deals. I love it, thanks for sharing.
turn on ‘private browsing’ – this is so brilliant. Great advice. we are currently trying to book and I am totally following this.
These are really cool travel hacks. I will try out the upgrade one, you just never know if it will work.
I cannot wait to travel again once this the pandemic is over. Thanks for sharing these tips.
Love traveling! These are such great tips to know before taking a trip! Thanks for sharing.
I didn’t know you could request a “fragile” sticker at the counter. We always check out online the night before, too. It’s great!
OMG, travel hacks, you’re speaking my lingo! I’ve been travel hacking since 1994. Excellent tips – people often forget about kids eat free places. I’ll have to check out the timeshares. I usually just attend presentations for free vacations. And use my hotel points for free stays.
Such great tips! Yes, private browsing always helps I didn’t know about FRAGILE stickers, so will try this trick next My bags always come late