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NewsMore people were ready to travel after the lifting of Covid restrictions, but rising costs are disrupting many travelers’ plans this winter, it says. Destination analystsA website that focuses on travel trends.
What does it mean to you?All you got through in the post-pandemic years was planning international travel, and now you’re shut down, no matter the cost. Or maybe you’re taking a trip now that the Covid-19 restrictions have eased, rising costs be damned. (Or maybe you’re reading this in disgust because with inflation, you can’t even afford to drive to the next state over for a traditional beach rental this year).
If you are a seasoned world traveler, today’s column is not for you. This is for the occasional or even once-in-a-lifetime traveler. Even in the last few years, travel has changed a lot. Here are some simple tips to be smart about your travel expenses.
According to destination analysts, the number of travelers who feel they are better off this year than last year fell from 33.6 percent to 31 percent between the first and second quarters of this year. Still, 43.4 percent think they’ll be better off next year, up from 42.8 percent. Travel decisions are definitely affected by the downward trend in people’s finances. But a year ago, many were still traveling internationally. If you’re like me and my sister, and you’ve been planning a trip for two years, you’re making the butcher lady in the kayak commercial say, “I’m not canceling this vacation!”
With that in mind, here are some tips to make your money grow even more
1) It’s all about plastic
In 1995, my sister and I went on a 10-day trip to England. Before we left, we received hundreds of dollars worth of American Express travelers checks and had to contact American Express offices in England and Scotland. How times have changed! With credit and debit cards, all you have to do when you arrive in most countries is find the nearest ATM.
Before you leave, call your bank to let them know you’ll be accessing your checking account from abroad, so they won’t raise a fraud alert when you see your card hit an ATM 4,000 miles away.
While many credit cards have foreign transaction fees, most banks will issue at least one that does not. Check with your credit card company if your card has foreign transaction fees. They are usually about 3 percent. If you have a card, and you have time, you might want to apply for one that doesn’t.
Plan to use a card with no fees, or your card with the lowest interest rate, for most of your purchases, accommodations, and meals. Make sure you have plenty of credit on the card if you can. You may even need a credit limit increase from your bank.
Most businesses in First World countries accept Visa and MasterCard, with others, such as American Express, not as common. If you are traveling to a remote location, you may have a problem. (If this is the case, find out what your ATM options are and how credit cards are accepted before you go).
Bring your debit card, too, because like New Hampshire, you’re going to run into places that don’t take plastic, and you’ll want to have some cash on you.
2) Wait for mobile phone transfer charges
Check with your carrier if your cell phone will work wherever you go. Most of the new smartphones are made in Europe – some other continents are more useful. Also find out about your carrier’s international transfer fees. You can add.
If you don’t want to use your phone for anything but taking pictures, put it on airplane mode for your trip to avoid the charge.
If you want to use your phone, find out from your carrier what international data charges are and if you’ll have service where you’re going. Fees are usually $10 to $30 per day, with additional fees for texting. If you’re planning a long trip, some carriers have a 30-day option for a one-time fee, usually between $50 and $100. Be prepared for slow and spotty service.
Some tech-savvy people get a SIM card from a local carrier in the country they’re visiting. Before you can do this, your carrier must “unlock” your phone (this is different from unlocking it to access it) so that it can use an international SIM card. Some US carriers make this difficult, and it’s a good idea to go to your carrier’s store and meet with someone in person before your trip. When you arrive at your destination, you buy an international SIM card and install it either physically or digitally. You’ll have a new phone number during your trip, and some apps won’t work until you get home and reinstall your US SIM card.
If you’re traveling with another person or a few people, you may want to have a cell phone to make reservations, get texts from Airbnb, or hotel managers. More. Everyone can go to airplane mode and save money. You may want to buy food for the assigned phone person or join in on the payments.
3) Plan the ground trip in advance
Whether you plan to rent a car or take public transportation on your trip, prepare as much as you can in advance. Supply chain issues and inflation aren’t America’s only problems this summer. You want to be sure you can get around.
Many train and bus lines in Europe, and elsewhere, have multi-day passes that make travel cheaper, and even offer cheaper tickets if you buy them online. Then you just have to make sure you are where you plan to be when you do. If you rely on trains or buses, make sure that the schedules of your destinations work on the dates and times you plan to travel.
Book accommodation in advance if you can. While some people like to travel by the seat of their pants, you don’t want to arrive at your destination only to find there’s nowhere to rest – even more true than it was two years ago.
Check cancellation policies before booking, so you don’t end up paying for a room you won’t use if you don’t arrive on time.
While booking.com, Expedia, Kayak, and other travel sites are great, if you book accommodations, make sure you understand the cancellation policies associated with using those sites. Read the fine print before hitting the last key on your computer. This goes for Airbnb as well.
4 Make a travel plan in advance II
When my sister and I went to England in 1995, you could walk up to Stonehenge and touch it. Now you have to make an appointment and get a ticket in advance. Same thing for the big tower in Edinburgh. Wherever you go, if there’s something you really want to visit, check online to make sure you can. If it is possible to make a reservation in advance, do so. Make sure you are there for the date and time of your reservation – most such places are non-refundable.
In fact, when planning your trip, don’t forget that the internet exists for a reason.
The other night, I booked a ferry for me and my sister from Dublin, Ireland, to Holyhead, Wales – a month ago. It was no more difficult than making a restaurant reservation on the same night in Manchester. My sister said, “Wow, if this was 1995, we’d have to wait until we got there, then go to the ferry terminal and buy the tickets. Did I mention things have changed?
The Internet is a wonderful, glorious thing that has made travel easy and efficient. There is no reason not to do your research and planning. This helps keep crisis and travel stress to a minimum.
5) Don’t think you have to get travel insurance, just get it
International travel has become more uncertain than ever – canceled flights, positive covid tests – you name it, there are many things that can derail your plans. Most experts recommend getting travel insurance not only for international flights, but also for cruises and flights around the US.
If you buy travel insurance when you book your tickets, read the small print and see what it covers. You may want to buy travel insurance from an online website that has more coverage, although it will cost more. Travel insurance is around 3-8% of the price of your ticket, more if you need to cancel for any reason.
If you buy from an online site, check the Better Business Bureau, AM Best (a separate rating site on insurance), or the US Travel Insurance Association to make sure the company you’re buying from isn’t a rip-off.
Before you buy travel insurance, understand your rights, so you’re not paying for something you don’t need. Check with the credit card company you purchased the tickets from as they may be eligible for a refund for a variety of reasons. Also check your home and auto insurance to see if you have travel insurance coverage you didn’t know you had—you might be surprised.
Under US law, you are entitled to a full refund if your flight is cancelled. of The United States Department of Transportation has a website. That explains how it all works and what you should get.
6) Carrying is the way to go.
Bring yourself a small bag – check the airline’s maximum carry-on limit – and don’t check any bags. There are ways to pack light even for a month-long trip (which my sister and I are doing). Quick-dry clothes (especially underwear) and padded cubes can work wonders. If you’re a clothes horse, remember that given the chaos in the airline industry around the world, you may never see your clothes again. It is much better to leave yourself to wear simple and sensible clothes that do not take up too much space. My sister, a bigger world traveler than I, is the type to dress for dinner when she’s home (I know, right?), but she happily plans to pack a months worth of wardrobe items into a backpack. He continued. She’s done a lot of traveling for like a long time.
A pair of comfortable shoes that are good for walking, maybe a pair with a light back-up if you wade into a raging river and need to dry off, should be enough.
If you find you need a heavy coat or other item you didn’t bring with you at your destination, consider buying something cheap at your destination, then donating it to Oxfam or another nonprofit before you fly home. .
On the off chance that your bag ends up in some giant lost bag warehouse, most airlines charge extra for checked bags – who needs the extra expense and hassle?
I know many people will resist this advice, but packing light will save you money and stress.
7) Get Covid update from your destination
Look up the country or countries you’re going to online to find out if there are restrictions, what the deal is with masks, if you need to get a covid test and more. Be sure to check official government travel sites, including the location of the US Embassy, for the latest and most accurate information.
8) Don’t forget your passport and your Covid-19 vaccination card
It takes eight to 11 weeks to process a passport application, five to seven weeks plus an additional $60 to expedite the process. If you need a passport, don’t wait until the last minute. If you only have a passport card, the only country you can use that for is Canada by car – you still have to pay the full $130 for a valid passport to get on a plane anywhere outside the continental United States.
You may not need a Covid-19 vaccination card on your trip, but it’s a good idea to bring it if you do. What, you haven’t been vaccinated yet? You should do this too.
9) Enjoy yourself
If it’s a once-in-a-lifetime trip, make sure you enjoy it. Thanks to the miracle of the internet – yes, that again – you can research daylight savings and find things that don’t cost much anywhere you go. Don’t over-schedule, and always have a plan B in case your plan A fails. Enjoy local food and local culture – the more local you go, the cheaper it can be. See if there are things you can do for free that are just as fun as expensive things. Even if you’re not outdoorsy, consider easy hikes and self-guided city walks instead of paying for a guide. Bon voyage!
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