Everyone wants the best value for their money….that’s the next blog topic. How do you get best pricing for the vacation you want? There’s pros and cons to every option, planning a trip is no different because there are so many options.
Premium & Luxury Brands and going to Alaska, for example will only get more expensive as it gets closer to the sail date. Lower price point options on ships that are bigger and not sold to capacity, older ships, shorter and longer than 7 day cruises seem to naturally fill up slower or not at all, giving pricing to get those last rooms filled. With a quick call, I can help you narrow down the list, usually to 1 or 2 that fit your specific criteria.
Other things to consider is flight, if you’re able to drive to where you need to be that cuts down on the risk waiting until last minute hoping to get cheap prices, airlines go up in price as the departure date approaches, not down!
Are you planning your trip around a specific venue that requires tickets, transportation, parking etc? When should you get your tickets ahead of time and how far in advance? There are absolutely places you can decide last minute to stop and get tickets when you arrive. The trick is having an idea of what other people are thinking and going to do = supply vs demand seems to always be the equation.
What else determines pricing? Traveling on/off peak seasons, holidays, events… If you are willing to risk taking your trip when there could be less than ideal temperatures, possibility of storms, weekdays, avoiding the things that draw crowds.
Your mindset and expectations is really the combo that will determine if you enjoy your trip or not. What if something out of your control happens- which seems to be pretty much always.
I have been traveling full time for several years, sometimes I have trips planned in advance and other times I wait until the last minute to see which direction I go.
My first trip to Mexico was after something tragic happened which caused flights to Cancun to drop making it affordable for me to go then I connected with someone in a dive group, we ended up booking dives together at a local shop, met up for dinner then I went back a few more times. I was in an area that made it an easy commute at the time.
As I am spending extended times in different cities, I watch for opportunities that make sense so I can stretch my money as much as possible….traveling is the goal for me and I think the “once in a lifetime trip” is a dangerous phrase because you’re putting so much pressure on yourself and the entire world to cooperate trying to force it to be perfect. The truth is, you can go again….but will you want/choose to? When I first started branching out and spending money, it was scary. I had been saving, being responsible and my money was there for later….when is later? I’ll have another topic on traveling during different ages and abilities. People also want to know about how I fund my lifestyle and do as much as I do, so there will be another post sharing the details and my decisions.
How do I help my clients plan a trip that makes sense for them? First, we have a call to get clarification. Using a variety of maps is so important to see the zoomed out picture. Look at destination options that fit they type of trip they’d like to enjoy. Next is how is the best way to get there? Then I work thru the process step by step so that the details make sense. The little things do seem to matter the most causing lines to cross into best value over pricing. How much stuff do you need to travel with? Are you able to go with just a personal item, what about +carry on? Do you take so much stuff that you need to check bags? Then I’ll have more questions about how are you going to haul your luggage around? No one wants to haul their regrets around from the airport, to the car/shuttle, train/ferry etc. Where are you going and how well are the walking paths, roads etc? Are you going to be able to easily maneuver your bags, what about stairs? I try to just use my 1 travel bag although in Europe I did get a little carry on with wheels that made my life much easier. Seeing people struggle with all their stuff confirms that I don’t want that to be something my clients or myself experience. While we’re on the topic of luggage, what you do you actually need? I plan to do laundry, although not always possible and I’ve had to buy a few things which wasn’t the end of the world and I like the stuff and wouldn’t have bought them if it wasn’t necessary. Doing laundry on the cruise isn’t my favorite activity but its not that bad either. I pack a little dry detergent cause I am not paying for that onboard! Friends and family never mind if I ask to do a small load during my stay. I try to stay in hotels and resorts with a kitchen and W/D to save money on eating out and it seems laundry is more of a priority for me than I realized. But then this is also crossing over to value over best pricing. Last comment about taking less stuff, you have less clutter and the rooms are typically small with a little bit of storage options. My goal is to be comfortable which seems to come from being minimalistic and organized. Later I’ll share about diving because the amount of wet gear and mess changes the game entirely!
Here is one last bit of information when choosing hotels and rooms. The crappiest option may not be the cheapest. Don’t be afraid to check for discounted rates and special pricing at the nicer places. I have been shocked to find that they’ve got options that are comparable. Then we bounce around the topic of value again and playing would you rather. Would you rather stay in a gross hotel with a decent view or would you rather stay in a nice resort with the possibility of your window being of all the hidden stuff like the dumpsters?
People sometimes make jokes after a disaster happens at a destination like, “I bet you could get a good deal now!” Honestly, you probably can but are you willing to take this opportunity to do something good for that community? The tourism departments for other countries need tourism money to rebuild, they need people to come for the experience, products and services to survive. You don’t need to travel straightaway but booking your trip when they’re needing the money now but you can travel later when the repairs are done, you can make a bigger difference in people’s lives than you realize. On the other hand, if you worry or have concerns that make planning the trip stressful or scary, you don’t have to. This topic is how to get best pricing and if you’re realizing that you prefer best value for your money. Watch for my next article.
If you’d like to have a conversation with me about any/all things travel, send me a message, I look forward to hearing from you.
-Stephanie
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