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How to Budget for your Travels

January 4, 2017

One of the most common things I get asked about is how much travel actually costs and how to do it economically. Over the years of frequent travel, I’ve gotten really good at minimizing the cost by using points and miles to pay for travel or finding amazing airfare deals to fly all around the world. And yet, travel still does cost money even if you try as best you can to minimize that cost.

The best way to travel economically is to plan ahead, first and foremost. The farther you can plan ahead, the less stuff is going to cost and you’ll also have time to pay for it. So as we start the year, if you’re hoping to travel more this year, here’s how to budget for your 2017 travels and figure out just how much you’ll need for whatever kind of trips you want to take!

*Note – all these are ideas from the West Coast of the US, if you live in Europe or Asia, it probably would be a lot cheaper for each of these ideas.

For 7-10 day Trips Abroad

For those larger trips where you might spend 7-10 days traveling abroad, if I’m not using any points and miles, I usually budget around $4,000-$5,000. Granted, I hardly ever pay that anymore since I’m using ways to cut that back (more on that below), but if you were paying for everything out of pocket for 2 people and doing everything middle of the road, this is what I would budget.

Also note that you may pay more in peak season like Summer.

This would include: economy airfare abroad for 2 people, 3-5 star hotels for each night traveling and all food and expenses during the trip.

Example Trip: Portland to Bavaria and Austria, including stops in Amsterdam, Munich, Salzburg, Hallstatt. Also includes rental car, intra-Europe flights, all 4-5 star hotels and food and activities while there.

For Long Weekends Abroad

For those time when you want to utilize a holiday and don’t want to take time off of work but want to escape somewhere abroad, I would budget between $1,000-1,500. My advice for this type of trip would be to fly direct, even if it costs a little more – but you’ll be able to maximize more time on the ground. Again, this is if you’re paying everything out of pocket and probably traveling in the off season.

This would include: economy airfare abroad for 2 people, 3-5 star hotels for each night traveling and all food and expenses during the trip.

Example Trip: Portland to Iceland for 3-4 days

For Long Weekends Domestically

When you want to escape but want to stay closer to home, this is a great way to travel really economically. For long weekends domestically, obviously depending on how far you go, I would plan on $300-$800.

How to Save Money on Travel This Year:

–Cash in those airline miles you’ve been saving. I personally love Alaska Air and the Chase Sapphire points programs. And if you aren’t a member of any travel loyalty programs – sign up now!

–Get a credit card with great travel rewards if you haven’t already! I love the Chase Sapphire card for amazing travel rewards.

-Jump at booking cheap airfare. When you see an amazing airfare – book it. Don’t wait! They often will go away or jump up after you look.

–Dig more into budget airlines. There are some amazing budget airlines flying to the US these days including Norwegian Air, WOW Air and Iceland Air. All offer amazing deals to Europe like our $350 roundtrip fare from LAX to Stockholm. So take a look at their website directly to see the best deals!

–Look into cheaper destinations like SE Asia, China, or Spain. If you want to travel but don’t want to pay the prices in cities like Paris and London, look at spots around the world where you’ll get more bang for your buck. If you want to go to Europe on the cheap, Spain and Portugal are amazing options. If you want to head to Asia, places like Thailand and Cambodia are super cheap or head to China where everything will be cheaper.

–Travel in the off-season. Don’t want to spend so much on travel? Travel in the off seasons when tourist spots are trying to real in travelers – you’ll get everything for so much cheaper, plus everywhere will be quieter. You’ll always pay more around big holidays like Christmas or during the Summer – so travel in other times of the year.

–Plan ahead. The farther you plan ahead, the better prices will be and you’ll also give yourself more time to be able to pay it off.

The Best Kimpton Hotels in the USA

December 16, 2016

I’ve long been a fan of Kimpton hotels in the US and even before I started working with the brand through Land of Marvels, they have always been my go-to hotel chain. I love a good boutique hotel, but when they happen to be a chain with great loyalty benefits too, that’s just icing on the cake. The Kimpton hotel chain bases itself around the “boutique hotel” idea, each hotel different but all designed impeccably and with attention to all the details I love: great design, comfort, modern conveniences like outlets everywhere, and great food. If you haven’t heard of the chain yet, you really should jump on the bandwagon – especially since they are beginning to expand internationally with properties in the Caribbean, Amsterdam and Paris in the coming years.

Honestly, I can’t wait for the company to expand and offer more destinations and I’m sure they’ll continue to be my go-to hotel brand. This post isn’t sponsored by Kimpton, I just genuinely want to share the word about this great brand of hotel properties so you get to experience them too! So today, I’m sharing the best Kimpton Hotels in the USA that I’ve had the pleasure of staying at over the years and I can’t wait to see where the brand goes in the future!

Amara Resort and Spa – Sedona, Arizona

One of my favorite hotels ever, our stay at the Amara Resort and Spa in Sedona was way too short! The hotel features a dramatic backdrop to the local red rock landscape, beautiful decorated rooms and an easy location within Sedona. And to add to all that – the hotel restaurant is beyond incredible!

My Review

The Taconic Hotel – Manchester, Vermont

After our recent trip to the Taconic Hotel in Vermont, I was sold. The hotel is not only gorgeous and basically brand new, the staff was incredible as we celebrated my birthday! The design is beautiful, the hotel restaurant divine and the property easy and convenient!

My Review

Hotel Monaco – Seattle, Washington

I’ve stayed at a lot of the hotels in downtown Seattle and I think this still might be my favorite. The location is great but the design is one of my favorites of all the hotels in downtown Seattle. It’s whimsical and quirky, with beautiful appointed rooms.

My Review

Hotel Wilshire – Los Angeles, California

For a stay in LA, this is one of my favorites. A gorgeous and Instagram-worthy rooftop pool, a sleek and modern design and easy access makes this a go-to spot for your trip to LA.

My Review

What to Know Before Visiting China

December 15, 2016

I wasn’t sure what to expect from our visit to China honestly. I’ve heard good and bad things from other people who have lived in or visited China, but in the end, we really did enjoy our time there and I’m sure we’ll be back at some point in the future. However, China is a country that is still sometimes hard for foreigners, so in that regard, here are my best tips for what to know before visiting China so your trip can be as great as ours was!

English is NOT widely spoken.

We found the language barrier in China way worse than in other Asian countries. English is NOT widely spoken and actually, even in our Western Hotel it was a challenge to communicate at times. Be sure you know that ahead of time and know how you’ll deal with it. Language apps are a great way to help with written information in other languages, but speaking, it’s helpful to know at least a few words to help you communicate.

The Chinese language is spoken loudly.

After a few days in China, we remarked many times at how loud and “yell-y” the Chinese language is. Everyone seems to be yelling at each other even in normal conversation and it really got to me as it felt like everyone was always yelling. I hate yelling and it made me anxious, so be forewarned about this before heading to China.

Internet is a pain.

Heads up, the internet in China is not great. For Nick and I, who rely on fast and easy internet access when we travel, we had a lot of issues upon arrival in China. First off, major sites like Google and Instagram are blocked in China, which meant we had to figure out a way around that. We used an Express VPN service to get around China’s firewalls and paid for a one month subscription to the service. Basically, you need to sign up for a service for a month – it was super easy to set up on our devices and we were able to connect to all the blocked sites within 5 minutes. Though even with access, the wifi connections weren’t great and we went in and out of service throughout Beijing.

*Since this post, China has significantly cracked down on using a VPN and now deems it illegal – so use at your own risk.

Use Cash.

Most places only take cash so be sure you have Chinese Yuan cash on hand. But everything is pretty cheap, as far as Western standards, so you won’t need as much as you would, for say, Europe.

Haggle.

The Chinese are expert hagglers – don’t pay full price for anything in markets, etc. You’ll always want to bargain.

Book a hotel with breakfast included.

In China, and Asia in general, it’s often hard to find Western breakfast food. While in China, it’s best to pick a Western hotel chain brand that will have a buffet breakfast serving all types of food. We found there weren’t a lot of breakfast places outside of hotels in Beijing, so be sure to check out if your hotel has one before booking.

Always bring toilet paper with you.

Almost all public toilets in China won’t have toilet paper – so always carry a roll of your own. I buy a travel size roll from REI before traveling to places I know I’ll need it and it’s easy to just slip into your purse.

Book a Western brand hotel.

In China, it’s best to stay at the Western Hotel brands if you want Western comforts. Asian hotel chains have a different set of standards, so if you want more of what we’re used to in the West, it’s best to stick with a brand you know. We chose the JW Marriott brand and loved it in Beijing.

Beijing’s Traffic.

The traffic in Beijing is no joke. Especially during rush hour, the city comes to a halt in traffic so be aware and update your timeframe accordingly.

The pollution is real.

Even though the few days we were in Beijing we got really lucky with no pollution, the day we arrived it was a thick smog over the city. My eyes burned and everything had a musty smell – hence why most people wear masks. The pollution in China is no joke – so keep an eye on the pollution levels (Apple’s weather app tracks it nicely) and plan accordingly.

Traveling to China?

See all of my posts on the country!

Old Beijing on the Shores of Hou Hai Lake

December 12, 2016

After the Forbidden City, we wandered a bit further North to the Hou Hai area of Beijing, through hutongs and back alleys until we made our way to the lakes. I had seen an Instagram about this area a long time ago and saved it, thinking it’d be a great spot for us to stop in Beijing. Without knowing much about the area, other than it was an older section of the city, we didn’t have much of an expectation. But as soon as we wandered up to the first lake of the area, outlined on each side of the water with old sections of Beijing, we were blown away. This area by far ended up bing my favorite in Beijing.

Shops and restaurants line the small lakes and small bridges with hanging red lanterns guide your way around. We wandered the area for a while, taking in all the small shops and restaurants and then stopped for Hot Pot on the way back for lunch. I would for sure recommend this area to anyone headed to Beijing – it was a quiet respite away from the modern busy areas of the city!

Traveling to China?

See all of my posts on the country!

Travel Tips : Secrets of a Frequent Traveler

November 15, 2016

I hear a lot from people, “I don’t know how you travel so often!” Most of the time people are referring to the actual act of travel, airports, long haul flights, the exhaustion, the time it takes, etc. For some reason (well actually, we know the reasons) people hate the actual act of travel. And I get it, airports are annoying and time consuming, flights can be long and space limited, the food is bad and expensive and if it weren’t for the thrill of arriving at your destination, it can often seem like travel is just a horrible waste of time, money and energy. But here’s a secret, it doesn’t have to be.

If you don’t travel often, you might not know the tips and tricks of how to bypass a lot of the “headache” of travel. So today, I’m sharing with you the secrets of a frequent traveler, how I get through the travel process (usually) fairly easily and without a ton of headache. And while there are still the occasional issues (hello leaving Iceland!), most of the time travel is pretty effortless for Nick and I as we’ve learned how to bypass all the inconvenience of the actual act of travel and now you can too!

Learn to enjoy the journey.

I spend a lot of time in airports and on airplanes and I will tell you, the first secret is to figure out how to enjoy the journey of traveling somewhere. I love flying for a number of reasons. For one, I love the idea of traveling somewhere. That feeling gets me through the tough parts of travel, that idea that I’m headed somewhere new or somewhere different. Secondly, I love the idea that for however many hours I don’t have to answer emails or phone calls, that I’m essentially “unreachable.” I don’t often get the chance in my daily life to watch movies and TV shows for hours on end or to just sit and write without any distractions. Learn to enjoy the long flights or time spent in airports to do the things that you don’t get to do normally.

Use the perks of frequent travel.

One thing that frequent travelers will always tell you – use the perks of that frequent travel. And even if you aren’t a frequent traveler, you can use a lot of these as well!

The first – Elite Status. Let me know just tell you, my life changed when I made Alaska MVP Gold elite status a couple years ago. If you travel, even every once in a while, pick a loyalty program through the airline you use most often and work up to their elite levels. From early boarding to free treats onboard, being elite with an airline is a huge perk to making travel more enjoyable. Every time I get handed a free chocolate onboard Alaska flights and am thanked for being a valuable Alaska Air customer, it just makes me feel even better about travel.

The second – TSA PreCheck + Global Entry. When this first came out about 4 years ago, we jumped at it and signed up immediately. We got Gobal Entry which also includes TSA PreCheck, but if you only travel within the US, you can also just apply for PreCheck on its own. Basically, TSA interviews you and then decides if you are able to be prescreened for security and border control. With TSA PreCheck you get to go through a dedicated security line, you don’t have to take out liquids or electronics, don’t have to take your shoes, coat or scarf off and you literally just put your bags through and then walk through a metal detector and you’re on your way. PreCheck has saved us so much time at airports over the years that we smile every time we go through – it’s SO easy! We only show up about an hour before our flights any more as we know we’ll just speed through security.

Now Global Entry is equally amazing and has probably shaved hours off our time coming into the US. With Global Entry, when you enter the US from abroad, you don’t have to wait in the long immigration lines. You head directly to kiosks where you scan your passport and finger prints, it prints you a receipt which you give to the agent and then off you go. No waiting AT ALL! We are able to have shorter connections when coming into the US because Global Entry saves us so much time. Especially at larger airports like LAX, we walk up to these huge long lines and bypass them entirely. It’s only $100 for 5 years – and believe me, it’s well worth it and beyond!

Carry-On Only

Another secret of frequent travelers – don’t check luggage. Not only do you have to get to the airport way early to check bags, it also costs money these days. And on top of that, it’s super annoying and a huge hassle if the airline loses your bag en route. I started doing Carry-On only years ago and very few trips do we check luggage. We have found that really for up to 10 days, it’s fairly easy to pack in carry-on bags only – especially when you have great luggage like our Tumi hard sides. In short, this will save you a ton of time and money, plus the peace of mind for always having all your luggage with you at all times when traveling.

Don’t try to see everything.

One mistake that a lot of travelers make – trying to do everything in a place. A secret of frequent travelers – don’t try to see everything. Pick and choose specific things that you really want to do and see, that way you won’t stress yourself out and you’ll really enjoy your destination. Also know you can go back and see more, but you’ll enjoy your trip more and be less stressed at the end by pacing yourself and knowing that seeing a portion of the things on your list is more worthwhile to really see them, not just fly by in an effort to see everything all at once.