Travel Advice

Now I am no expert but here are a few basic travel rules I use to get the most out of my trip.

1. NEVER eat at a chain restaurant. Why eat at a chain, you can do that at home. You may love what you get or hate it but at least you have experienced something new. My wife and I have been very surprised at the quality of Chinese food in the oddest of places small town New Mexico, plus it is usually VERY cheap. I have been very pleasantly surprised with the food in Malaysia and Mexico. Doing this also allows you to meet some really nice locals that can share some tips.

2. Stop at visitors centers and get coupons whenever possible, we took a 3 week trip and never spent more than $30 on a hotel room. We even went in asked for the AAA rate and the coupon was cheaper. It may not be the Ritz, but staying at a hotel build in the 1950's has a lot of charm. They usually have vacancies and yes they are very clean.

3. Don't make set plans. Try not to have an itinerary only a general direction. Traveling with no set schedule is an experience most people never have but should. If you see something interesting on side of the road, stop and spend a day. I would hate to be somewhere cool like the Petrified Forest and have only 4 hours to spend there.

4. GO CHEAP!!!! you don't get to experience a place by being coddled at a 4 star hotel or restaurant. Go where the locals go, do what the locals do.

5. JUST DO IT!!!!!!!!! How many times have you heard people say "I wish I had traveled more" or "I always wanted to go there". If you put it off you will never go and probably regret it for the rest of your life.

6. Go where the locals go and do what the locals do. Locals know the best place for food and entertainment, also its usually the cheapest or best value.

7. Do something different. Don't just go to Hawaii, I.E. try Fiji, the Caymans or some other remote island that is just as good or better. Popular tourist places are much too pasteurized, fake, and commercial. Less visited places are more relaxing, you don't have to fight crowds, and are often far cheaper.

8. Pack lightly and leave room. You will often want to take home more trinkets than you have room for. You can also buy cheap clothes in many countries if needed, I bought pairs of nice khaki shorts in Malaysia for $6 U.S. The less luggage you have the easier it is to get around. Many airlines also charge extra for heavy bags.

Cheap Travel Secrets

1. Use an online company such as travelocity.com or expedia.com to find fare. When using them use different dates of travel to find the best rates on airfare. Traveling on a Monday or Tuesday can save you lots of money versus a Friday or Saturday.

2. Try using a different gateway city. It is often much cheaper to book a flight from your home town to New York, then from New York to Asia, than booking a flight straight through from your hometown to Asia. By booking each leg of the trip yourself you can save as much as $500 on a round-trip to Europe or Asia.

3. Coupons!!! Using coupons you find on the internet can save you bundles. One of the best examples of this is for a cruise. A great way to get a cruise coupon is to go to the cruise line website and ordering a free brochure. Most free brochures come with coupons ranging from $50-$200 off per person, or give you that much shipboard credit. You can also find these coupons on ebay for $1-$5 a piece.

4. When traveling in Asia or Mexico it can be much cheaper to book directly with your hotel. They have more freedom with rates and will often give you a bargain price just to fill the room.