• Explore activities and destinations associated with your personal interests.

• Plan trips or activites according to your mood.

• Ensure that your passport is up-to-date.

• Create a list of places that you would like to visit.

• Create a list of activities that you would like to do.

• Plan your travel ahead. Early planning often leads to substantial savings.

• Consider the benefits of traveling during the off season to your chosen destination.

• Take a camera everywhere you go, so that you can capture those special and unique moments.

• Join airline reward programs. Rewards can be used towards future travel.

• Subscribe to hotel brand email lists. Lots of deals to be had in those emails.

• If a vacation is going to cause you to go into debt, postpone the trip until you are in a better financial state.

• Join hotel chain reward programs. You can earn points towards a future stay.

• Book vacation/travel related things (flights, resort reservations, tours) using a credit card. If things don’t work out as planned or there is fraudulent activity, credit card companies will most often reimburse you.

• Only use a credit card to pay for vacation related items, only if you currently have the cash in a bank account to immediately pay the charge to your credit card.

• Loyalty has its’ benefits! When planning travel consider booking flights, lodging, & activities with the same companies/brands.

• Beware of unexpected hotel, resort, vacation club and time-share pitches. You could literally end up returning home with a loan equivalent to a mortgage.

• Obtain a couple of smart phone flight tracker applications and set alerts. The applications will send alerts when the price of your watched flights increase or decrease.

• When planning a beach vacation, do some research into the area(s) to ensure that the beach situation meets your needs. This step could help you avoid disappointment.

• View travel vlogs that feature the resorts/hotels you may be considering to get a sense of the pool situation. Whether you want to be able to relax or participate in activities, a good pool is a must for some vacation destinations.

• Looking to save some money on travel? Lookout for holiday specials. Memorial Day Weekend, July 4th weekend, Labor Day weekend and Black Friday weekend are great times to take advantage of hotel/resort, airline and travel company sales. ** Plan ahead and consider travel for the next year.



• To get the best prices for plane tickets, search from mid day Wednesday through Saturday. For most flights this is the best time to search. Of course there are some exceptions to the rule!

• As a First or Business Class alternative, consider flying in the Main Cabin Plus/Extra section if an airline has this seat class as an option. You get great perks while saving money at the same time!

• Consider your cell phone services and the associated costs prior to traveling. Check with your cell phone carrier to see what your options are and choose the most cost effective choice that meets your needs.

• Book ground transportation ahead of time. Knowing exactly how you will get from the airport to your hotel and viceversa prior to arrival will assist with eleviating stress.



• Plan ahead and purchase travel sizes of your favorite toiletries. While giftshops are often available, the prices can be a bit outrageous! Save gift shops for purchasing handcrafted momentos.

• Create a music playlist prior to leaving for your trip! Place the music on one of the devices you plan on carrying with you (i.e. an iPhone, iPad, etc.). If you store your music in the cloud, be sure to download the playlist to your device, otherwise you may not be able to access it.