Transportation

Getting flights: There is an art to buying tickets. I’ve gone to Hong Kong RT for $600, Europe RT for $300, New York RT for $250, etc. If you know how to stretch the dollar, go to the right sites to find good deals, then the world is your oyster.

  • google.com/flights and then cross reference with cheapoair.com. Google.com/flights is a great website, but unfortunately some airlines do not show up on it! Like Southwest)and I am on mailing list

  • The Flight Deal / The Fare Alert newsletters for cheap flight deals

  • Chase points! Always worth to redeem in points vs in cash. Be aware, sometimes flights are actually cheaper monetarily wise online.

Getting Around: Depends on the situation but…

  • Ridesharing Apps: Uber (Europe, North America, Latin America, most parts of Asia), Grab (Southeast Asia), Didi (China) to get around with large groups of friends and avoid taxi spike

  • Bike & Scooter Apps: Jump / Lime (North America, Latin America, Europe), Didi / Meituan (Asia) to get around when I want to explore the city

  • Public transit: Subways to quickly move through the city during rush hour. Always check to see if they have 10~ day / 2~ day unlimited passes because those tend to be cheaper than consistently refilling your card!

  • Renting cars: I love using Turo (car sharing service) if you’re under 25 as it is cheaper, GetAround has a partnership with Uber, and Hertz gives corporate discount.

lodging

Depending on where I’m going and for how long, I love doing a mix of Airbnb’s/hostels ... and sometimes 4+ star hotels for a bit of comfort

  • Airbnbs: bargain with the host! Tell them about your clean track record, a bit about yourself and ALWAYS ask for a discount. I’ve gotten as much as $500 off once. EVERY PENNY COUNTS. Airbnb’s are super nice because it also gives you a chance to interact with the host, see local culture, and feel like you’re actually embedded into the city (staying at a place locals would stay at). Book Airbnb's through Acorn for 10% back.

  • Hostels: I love using HostelWorld. Make sure to cross reference the hostel with TripAdvisor and maybe their actual website to make sure you’re not getting any surprises. Hostels are great for jam-packed activity days / solo traveling / meeting new people.

  • Hotels: Great for a good getaway, and truly such a relaxing - no fuss experience. I’ll do this if I’m traveling with someone I’m dating or for a <4 person trip. I think if you’re traveling with more people it makes it hard as hotels have less communal space. I'm personally a SPG member, so I try to stay loyal to SPG… which means adding up points and free wifi! Book hotels through Ibotta for 5-10% cash back depending on site you use.

  • Couch surfing: I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO TRY THIS! If anybody has gone before, drop me a line! Love to hear about your experience. (Edit: I turned 26, realized my fear of strangers, and now have no desire for this. If you tried this, let me know if you think I’m missing out HAHA)

payments

I wouldn’t have worked at Visa if I didn’t do a slight plug about the best way to pay abroad.

  • Developed countries: Look for a no foreign transaction card. It is 100% worth it (and honestly I feel like card with no fx fee are the bets ones in terms of points anyways).

    • Chase Sapphire Reserve: My personal favorite and my go-to card. Though there’s a steep annual fee ($495) I get annual $300 travel credit, free Global Entry, lounge access, and my signing bonus gave me $1800 in travel credit. Last year alone I redeemed $1,218 in points. The add up is actually crazy worth it ($300 annual fee + $100 global entry + $100 lounge access / bahaha from the alcohol I drink before flights + $1,218) = $1,718 for a $495 fee! #worth

    • Uber Visa Card: If you don’t want to pay for an annual fee, my personal recommendation is the Uber Visa card. Having a non fx fee card will make traveling so much easier for you (and safer!) since you won’t have to carry a huge wad of cash around. The Uber Visa card is a no-fee credit card that has no charges for transactions fees, 4x back on travel and dining and 2x on online purchases.

  • Developing countries: Certain places will only take cash. Cash is king (except in China haha)

    • Fidelity Gold Debit Card: My favorite debit card, reimburses any transaction fee and you never want to draw unwanted additional attention to yourself by carrying around extra cash. Can’t recommend this card enough! Exchanging cash you usually get a lower rate (IE in Carnival in Brazil there was actually a 10% surcharge for tourists and in Argentina the ATM fees are around $10 per each cash pull with a $70 max because of inflation rates.) This card was seriously my saving grace and if you’re planning long term travel, I think it is worth to set up.

    • Cash: If you don’t have this card, bring cash! ATM fees most of the time are never worth it.

  • In any situation: It’s always better safe than sorry. Sometimes cards will get declined or you’ll be stuck in a sticky situation. I usually carry around $200-$400 in USD cash w me “just in case” and in hundred dollar bills bc 20s/10/5’s are harder to switch. I carry USD over other currencies because USD has such a strong exchange rate and is quite viable in most countries you’re traveling to (especially if you’re doing a multi-leg trip).

Planning

  • Friends: Ask friends for recommendations. This has been my go to, especially when I have friends who have lived in that area. I try to link any good docs friends have shared in my blog!

  • TripAdvisor: Has been the most consistent across all continents (LonelyPlanet sometimes has questionable recommendations and Yelp’s coverage isn’t as wide)

  • Instagram location finder: Type in the city you’re looking for in the search bar, and it’s great for searching for places to go, and food to eat (just make sure to cross reference with TripAdvisor/Yelp ahead of time cause sometimes people take pictures #forthegram and not for the actual quality of food)

OTHER

  • International Data: I am obsessed with GoogleFi. Gives you international data anywhere in the world + built in VPN!