Best Unique Travel Resources for Planning a Trip

Best Unique Travel Resources for Planning a Trip

Sabbatical Sundays, Travel
I remember a trip to Ireland about 15 years ago. We drove across the entire country.  How did we know where to go? We purchased an Irish road atlas from a travel store. I also used Mapquest (yes, remember Mapquest?!) to pull up the step-by-step directions on my home computer, then I printed them out and brought the printed directions on our trip. Now, I often travel to cities and don’t even do restaurant research ahead of time. I just use my Google Map to find-top rated restaurants “near me.” As we plan our extended trip for my sabbatical, here are the top unique travel resources I’m relying on to plan our search. Top Travel Resources for Planning a Trip We have become so incredibly dependent on the internet, but…
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How to Set Up Price Alerts to Find Cheap Plane Tickets: 7 Tips and Tricks

How to Set Up Price Alerts to Find Cheap Plane Tickets: 7 Tips and Tricks

Travel
Given that my passions include travel and personal finance, it should be no surprise that I love searching for cheap plane tickets.  A key to finding cheaper plane tickets for an international trip is to start your search early and set up a price alert. This gives you a baseline price and then allows you to strike and make a purchase when you see a good deal. Setting Up Price Alerts for Plane Tickets Here are my seven best tips for setting up a price alert and finding cheap plane tickets. 1. Get a Baseline Price Today The first step to finding a cheap plane ticket and setting up a price alert is to know the baseline price for the itinerary you are traveling. What tool you use doesn’t matter, but…
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Airbnb (or VRBO) vs Hotels: How to Find the Cheapest Place to Stay

Airbnb (or VRBO) vs Hotels: How to Find the Cheapest Place to Stay

Travel
Depending on where you are traveling to and who you are traveling with, staying at an Airbnb or VRBO can be a much more affordable option than spending the night at a hotel. But do you know how to find the cheapest place to stay? Here are our top tips to save money on where you stay for your next vacation. How to Find the Cheapest Place to Stay Finding the cheapest place to stay requires that you ask yourself several questions. Be sure to consider the following before booking a hotel or Airbnb/VRBO so that you can save money on travel accommodations. 1. How big is your party size? If you are a family of four or more, usually renting a place will be cheaper than renting multiple hotel…
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The Best Way to Save for a Vacation in 5 Easy Steps

The Best Way to Save for a Vacation in 5 Easy Steps

Travel
I am ready for a vacation. Perhaps you sensed that in my post about How to Survive the Rest of COVID Winter with Kids. Most Americans don’t take enough vacation time, and we certainly didn’t take enough vacation during COVID-19. So, while we await the vaccine, travel restrictions lifting, and herd immunity, the wanderlust is real.  But what’s going to happen when we are all able to take a vacation again? How are we going to finance it? Will you be putting it on a credit card and planning to pay it off later? Perhaps you are counting on another stimulus check or a tax refund to pay for your time away? Or have you set aside money now?  According to a 2019 Forbes article, most Americans spend an average of…
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