Up to 1 year before we travel we start planning. Here are some of the steps we take ~>
- Determine where we want to go (either because we've found a good price on a flight, need to use timeshare points, want to check off another destination on our list, or because we're attending a meeting).
- Determine dates of travel (using as broad of a time period as possible & keep in mind what time off I'll have accrued at work)
- Set up flight alerts using http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/ and using multiple departure cities (typically Hartford, Boston & Providence). We also expand for multiple arrival cities (since we don't mind driving). Having a range of dates and airports is helpful. Note that SouthWest Airlines has to be checked separately. We've found that the best fares are usually 42 - 90 days before the date of departure & Tuesdays/Wednesdays are our preferred travel days (both in terms of cost & returning with a few days before having to return to work). Additionally, we really don't want to pay for luggage so that does factor into what airline we use.
- Begin building itinerary. I actually create a table in Word that I put the dates of our vacation & then start filling in the details as soon as I have them [including any confirmation numbers that I receive, complete addresses, local telephone numbers]. This itinerary sits in the very front of either a binder with page protector sleeves or a large envelope [depending on trip]. It stays in my bag throughout our entire trip. I sometimes add notes if we take a detour or do something different.
- Check rates for rental cars. Recently we've been utilizing http://www.pioneervalley.aaa.com/pv/home/index.php as we're AAA members & their rental car rates have been the best. We have a credit card that covers the insurance for rental cars so we always pass on the extra insurance.
- Determine route. This is a little complicated as we often have 2 laptops working at the same time. We use http://www.mapquest.com/ & move the route according to what we want to see/where we want to go. We do print out the route & we bring our GPS, but I also ALWAYS bring AAA maps and/or an atlas if we're out of the country. If (for any reason) the GPS doesn't have a signal (or the phone doesn't have a signal), or we want to expand our trip (since we often get an early start) I bring physical maps. I bring highlighters & have been charting our trips the past couple of times. It's fun to look back. If I'm looking for ideas on what to see I've used http://www.fodors.com/community/.
- Work on where we're going to stay. I like to know that there's a bed waiting for me every night. We are part of a timeshare group that allows us to stay in resorts that are part of the participating network. Sometimes there isn't availability or a resort where we want to go. We've used http://www.hotels.com/ since after 10 days we earn a free stay. Additionally, I've found deals via social media (Groupon.com, Livingsocial.com, etc). I always check the online reviews of hotels and restaurants via http://www.tripadvisor.com/ & it's a good idea to call the hotel directly to see if they'll match the rate or if there are specific questions re: the room. Always read the fine print. Our grown children have used https://www.airbnb.com/ in both the U.S. and in Europe with great success, but we haven't tried it yet.
- Once we have an idea of where we're going & where we're staying I look into what we're going to eat. I have utilized http://www.restaurant.com/?sitetype=mainsite. You can often find coupon codes for Restaurant.com. Again - I check http://www.tripadvisor.com/ as well as one of my favorite sites http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurants/. Roadfood.com is a great place to get advice on "where to eat". If we're staying in a timeshare condo we always make a stop as soon as we arrive in town at the local grocery store (we try to support local stores vs large chains). We get a member card at the courtesy booth in order to get the sale prices. In order to save on our food costs we usually eat 1 meal out & 1 meal in (either breakfast included in our hotel or cooked if we're staying somewhere with cooking facilities). We'll have a late lunch & then either have dessert in or something light later in the day. Our family likes to graze so we usually have the following in our car (stopping at a grocery store when we pick up our rental car is an early stop): bottled water [we bring a collapsible 6-pack style cooler that folds flat], packets of CountryTime lemonade [I can't drink anything with artificial sweeteners), mixed nuts, peanut butter & crackers, tortilla chips & salsa [our "go to" condiment], dried fruit [we picked up dried apples from a local vendor on this trip] & any fresh fruit from local farm stands.
- Determine where we're going to leave our car. We have used Park n Fly options when we've taken an early a.m. flight from Boston. This has been a good solution for us as we're in the city ahead of time & the rate to leave our car at the hotel & take the hotel shuttle to Logan is cost effective. If breakfast is included - even better. If we are taking a later flight we have been leaving our car at Pre-Flight. https://www.preflightairportparking.com/reservation/bos/boston-logan-international/airport-parking/7. They have a frequent flier program that earns 1 free day of car parking [on a future stay] for every 4 days. Additionally - they have a 15% off discount coupon online. When we go out of Bradley we use Z Airport Parking. http://www.zairportparking.com/. Their rates are very good & they have our car started & waiting for us when we return. We haven't travelled out of TF Green Airport in a while, but I think we've just looked online for a good price.
- Here are some additional things that I wanted to include.
- Take the time to find the best credit card for your use. We have a card that doesn't charge a fee for foreign transactions (important when we're out of the U.S.). Additionally, this card earns points which can be used for gift cards (which we've used for gas cards & restaurants) or cash back (which we use to pay for some of the travel costs).
- Note that Cracker Barrel restaurants have a program where you can pick up an audio book at one restaurant & return at another. The fee wasn't much (less than $5) & can make a long trip very interesting. Alternately - borrow some from the library or download onto a reader/iPad.
- It's fun to prepare a travel playlist. Either burn onto a CD or create for the iPod & bring the adapter for the car.
- Travel books - my favorites are the DK Eyewitness series, but there are some other good ones. Make photocopies of applicable pages if you don't want to bring the entire book.
- I save up magazines that I subscribe to for a few weeks before we travel. They're a treat when I don't have time to sit & read quietly.
- Coordinate clothing around 3 colors (this trip was teal, white & khaki). We do check the weather for where we're going & if it's more than 1 week I do laundry. My goal is to travel with 1 carry-on per person & 1 piece of checked luggage. I don't want more than I can carry if I have to go up stairs. We always pack a complete change of clothes in our carry-on in case the luggage goes somewhere else. Try to not over-pack. You want room for purchases.
- Bring a deck of cards & a card game. Our favorite card game (right now) is Five Crowns. It's a good way to pass the time at the airport.
- Carry the travel documents (including the itinerary) in a large Ziploc bag.
- Check with the hotel at check-in re: any discounts they have for local attractions/restaurants.
- Pick up business cards from places as you go along. It's easy to forget the names of good restaurants/vendors & you might want to go back (or recommend them to a friend).
- I've seen the idea of sending yourself postcards as you travel. It seems like a good idea, but we haven't done it yet. We recently saw someone in Glacier National Park stamping her postcards with the date/location stamp that can be found in the Visitor Centers.
- Bring your own shopping bag (folded up in your luggage). I can almost guarantee that you'll use it.
- Bring an empty water bottle and/or a travel mug for coffee.
- From one of my closest friends (Mary C) - Start each day by asking each other, "what is the one thing that you'd like to see/do today". If everyone has a chance to weigh in on what's going to happen there's less chance of disappointment. This simple idea has changed the way we travel.
- Look at purchasing an Entertainment book if you're going to be staying in 1 area for a length of time. http://www.entertainment.com/discount/local_editions.shtml
- Add 7/26/13: I bring along space saver bags that you can squeeze the air out of (not the kind that require a vacuum) to bring back dirty clothes (or even clean clothes) so that I have room for more purchases. It's amazing how much room you can save.
- Sign up for TravelZoo for weekly deals. We've traveled using their specials to Europe & you can find some great savings, but you have to act quickly.
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