So you want to travel abroad… Part 1

This is my breakdown and tips to help with the travel-planning-scaries. I know it can be very overwhelming to plan a trip so far away, but after you plan your first trip the second, and so on, pretty much plans themselves! Ready, let’s get to it!

Step 1- Timeframe

When planning any of our trips, aside from my month in Prague that was in the dead of winter, I start with trying to travel outside of peaktourist times. I know this can be tough for most people because of work and school schedules but it’s honestly a huge part of still having decent weather while keeping cost down, and making your money go farther. We plan on homeschooling our kids, rather than sending them to public school, so this will allow more flexibility in our day-to-day life and travels. We understand this choice, like many others, might not be for everyone and might not be for us long term either, we shall see.

Back to timeframe: Traveling outside of the June-August months is pretty much key. Americans are starting summer break, students are out of school, and Europeans may be venturing out for their own holiday in early to mid August. Honestly, most of Europe is quite beautiful in April–May and September-October. You get the nice, milder weather (most places don’t have AC), smaller crowds, and your wallet will definitely thank you.

Tip: Don’t travel in the summer months if you can avoid it. You will notice that the price for flights and accommodations significantly increase towards the end of May and then really jump on June 1.

Step 2- Length of trip

Deciding how much time I’m going to spend in Paris is always the first thing I tackle when planning any of my trips overseas. It is 1000% my toxic trait and it drives my husband crazy. As much as he loves Paris, he’s got a very long list of places to see and I really put a cramp in his style with my constant pursuit of Parisian nights. Anyways, here I am again going on about my time in Paris… Okay, back on track! We usually like to spend 4-5 days in each of the places we go. Our style of travel is “pretend you are a local and don’t let anyone think you aren’t.”

Tip: Don’t rush through cities and don’t pack too much activity into too little time.

Step 3- Flights

I use Google Flights because I think it’s the best all-around search engine to find a lot of flight options in one place. Once I have locked down an idea of when we would like to go, Google Flights generates a calendar with prices so we can see which days around our desired time is the cheapest. I usually start looking at flight options about six months before our trip, but have found that some of the best prices are around four months before we leave. Google Flights also gives you an option to book through their site or be redirected to the airline’s page. Super easy to use, super efficient.

Tip: Always search all things travel-related in a private browser window. This way, airlines and travel companies can’t monitor when you are looking to go and use that information to spike prices in those highly searched times.

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Step 4- Research the area

Once your flights are booked, you are ready to start scoping out the area. Finding local parks, attractions, and activities is a great place to start. What is the city known for? What are some of the popular things people tend to do? What are some of the more “local” experiences you want to have? How easy is it to get around the city? How do you plan on doing that? This will be very helpful in narrowing down a place to stay, more on that in a minute.

Tip: Figure out what type of travel you want for the trip. Really touristy, do-all- the-things? Minor structure, something planned for each day while still having freedom and flexibility? Or, super chill and plan-free…let the day take you where it wants? See part 2-step 8 for more details.

Step 5- To Airbnb or not to Airbnb?

Some of the coolest places we have stayed were through Airbnb, so I never rule it out and actually tend to start my search there. Something about having your own apartment or small flat makes you feel more like a local and not just a visitor. In more recent years though, it hasn’t been as cost effective as it was in the past. The boom in popularity has driven up prices and sometimes it doesn’t end up being any cheaper than staying at a hotel.

Hotels, which used to be the more costly option, do have their own perks. With most hotels you get a more secure stay. Having a doorman and/or concierge in the lobby 24 hours a day is a huge plus, especially for solo travelers. You are also getting other options like, linens, food or drink service, guaranteed cable and Wi-Fi, and sometimes even a complimentary breakfast.

Tip: You don’t have to pick one or the other. We definitely mix it up on trips and have done hotels here and Airbnb there, although some, if not most, places will offer a weekly or monthly discount. Go where it’s easy on the wallet so you can do more outside of where you are staying.

More to come…

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