Written By: Iris Luo
Travel is always a resonant topic, no matter it is domestic travel or international travel. I’ve been living in the US for over five years. During these years, I traveled a lot either for attending academic conferences, visiting families in China, or taking summer/winter vacations. But making a travel plan and finding the best travel deals are tiring. Below, I will provide some useful information based on my personal experience.
For long-distance traveling, usually, there are three parts involving in a trip, that is, flight, hotel, and transportation.
Flights
Booking a flight is always the beginning of a trip. If it is within the US, you can choose to book tickets through the official website of the major airlines, including United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Alaska Airlines. It is more secure if it involves fight cancellation or other issues, but it sometimes does not have price advantages. Another way is to search travel agencies’ websites and find the best deal. Usually, I use Kayak, StudentUniverse, and Cheapflight to compare the price and choose the best one. Google flight is also another good source to search for flights and compare prices. In addition, a friend recommended me to sign up for Scotts’ Cheap Flights mailing list and you will get notifications about some discount flight information (price, when it is good time to buy). It is also useful. Below I show some email I got from Scott’s.
A useful tip: register as a member for major airlines and join their mileage programs. Each time, when you finish the trip, you will earn a certain amount of mileages. After accumulating them for a while, you can use these mileages for booking tickets or buying goods.
When to book a ticket seems tricky. I heard that the best time to book a ticket is 55 days before your trip date. But I think it really depends on your travel plan and your travel budget. If you have a certain plan ahead of time, then I recommend checking airline websites regularly. If there is a cheap flight, then booking the flight first before planning for the rest of the trip is also a strategy.
Hotels
Hotels.com, Booking.com, Expedia, Trivago, Agoda, and Airbnb are some good choices to book a hotel. Travel agencies also have hotel information, and they usually provide packages for both flights and hotels. Price is normally high during winter break, Christmas, or around Thanksgiving, and it is hard to reserve a room. If you want to take a vacation at that time, it is better to plan early.
Airbnb is becoming more popular among young people now. First, it is different from living in a hotel. Instead, it is more like living in a home, and there are chances to talk with the landlord. It is also a good way to explore and experience the local culture there. Second, it is normally cheaper than hotels. I booked it once before when I traveled to Montreal, Canada, and the landlord is a student at a college in Montreal. I remembered I talked a lot with her. She introduced me to lots of places that are worth visiting in Montreal and even prepared maps for me, marking the routes to different sites. It was a really great experience.
Tips: when booking Airbnb, please remember to read the comments from previous renters. It is a good reference for finding good landlords.
Transportation
When you arrive at the travel destination, there are several options for transportation: public transportation, Uber/Lyft, or car rentals. If the destination is a big city like New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, or Tokyo, public transportation is enough for exploring the downtown area of the city. Uber, Lyft, and Wingz are also some options for transportation, especially if it is not far away and you do not want to wait for public transportation.
But if you want to explore the city, it would be better to rent a car. Some rental companies include Hertz, Enterprise, and Alamo. If you decide to rent a car, plan first. After you arrive at the airport, most rental companies provide free shuttles from the airport to the place for picking up the car. Same as returning the car. It is better to rent a car at the airport, and also return there.
Plan your vacation and have fun exploring the world!!!
Lists of the websites good for traveling that are mentioned in the article:
Flights:
Kayak (https://www.kayak.com/)
StudentUniverse (https://www.studentuniverse.com/)
Cheapflight (https://www.cheapflights.com/)
Scotts’ Cheap Flights mailing list (https://scottscheapflights.com/)
Hotels/lodgings:
Hotels.com
Booking.com
Expedia (https://www.expedia.com/)
Trivalgo (https://www.trivago.com/)
Agoda (https://www.agoda.com/)
Airbnb (https://www.airbnb.com/)
Transportation:
Uber (https://www.uber.com/)
Lyft (https://www.lyft.com/)
Wingz (https://www.wingz.me/)
Hertz (https://www.hertz.com/)
Enterprise (https://www.enterprise.com/en/home.html)Alamo (https://www.alamo.com/en_US/car-rental/home.html)