How to Choose your Next Travel Destination

Of course we have our bucket list destinations so when my husband and I get that itch to travel (pretty much always) here is what we do..

Tracking Deal Sites: My husband loves to pride himself on finding the best deals on flights. The one we found to be the absolute best for cheap flights outside of the country is Scott's Cheap Flights. It is an email subscription based company, meaning you can't actively search for flights on their website and they can help you save up to 90% on international flights. Rather, when you sign up with them you enter in your home airport and they email you directly the best deals for flights all over the world and give you the exact directions on how to book it along with an estimate of how long they believe the deal will last for. One of the last emails they sent us was from Washington Dc to Bangkok for $647 round trip, which normally runs you over $1,000. If you haven't already, go subscribe to Scott's Cheap Flights ASAP! In 2018, we booked a trip to Switzerland for $419 round trip, normally over $850!

*Our last trip in May 2021 we booked completely by using some of our credit card points. I plan to have my husband Khris share all his tips on the best credit cards to use for travel points! So be sure to stay tuned for that in a separate post. (updated post COVID)

Flexible Travel Dates: We always chat about what couple of months work best for us to travel and leave it open as we keep an eye out for deals. The deal sites come with certain months of travel to get that deal for, so you have to be flexible! With Scott's Cheap Flights the deals pop into your inbox at any time and may only last for a day, so you have to be prepared to jump on it when one of your bucket list destinations pop up! It's sort of thrilling because you may book a trip sooner than you ever thought you'd plan to! We also seem to go on the "elbow months" of the season for that specific destination. Example, Greece their busy months begin June - September so both times we've gone were in May. Still beautiful weather with less tourists and lower pricing!

Google: We tend to stay away from main touristy areas, of course we quickly check out the main spots but we prefer the "off the beaten path route." We read a lot about alternative destinations that haven't quite been taken over by tourists yet. Although we are not the most outdoorsy couple, we have been really drawn to destinations with mountains and lakes with breathtaking sunsets. We added Alberta Canada to our list shortly after returning home from Switzerland, the photos are absolutely breathtaking and were never on my radar in the past. Trips like these create such unique experiences you could never have planned even if you tried! I also love to google the best Airbnbs around the world, which leads me to my last tip!

Airbnb: I can easily spend hours surfing Airbnb. This helps you to again, stumble upon new destinations that may have never been on your list initially! It also helps with budget planning to see the unreal locations you can stay while still staying on or under budget. Khris and I gladly choose the remote location on the side of the mountain for three main reasons: get much more for your money, live like a local and for the pure relaxation and peace it brings. I've had some of the best naps of my life on these trips!

#Travel #Switzerland #Mountains #CostaRica