This is probably my favorite travel tip. This tool has allowed me to take some incredible trips at a really low cost. For example, I went to Hawaii round trip for $388 and China for $400 round trip!
Just search Google Flights. On the main page, you’ll see the typical fields where you can enter your destination and travel dates. Ignore all that. Simply enter where you are traveling from. In our case, we’re flying out of MCO in Orlando. Then, hit the Explore button. The site will show you the cheapest prices to fly to various destinations all around the world!
What I do from here is just look around. Check out different areas, zoom into different states, and see what deals I can find. I check this site regularly, maybe once a week, to see what deals might pop up. You do have to have some flexibility. It may not be the best resource if you have a set time and destination in mind. But if you’re just looking to explore a new area and snag a great deal, this is an easy way to do it.
Traveling can be so fun…until you get sick. It’s miserable to be sick while traveling. My family was on vacation last year and my son-in-law got COVID. By the end of the trip, we all got it.
Here are some tips for staying healthy while traveling:
Get Some Rest: Try to rest well before your trip to avoid starting your journey fatigued.
Stay Hydrated: It’s easy to forget to drink water when we’re out of our normal routine. Make a conscious effort to drink plenty of water throughout the day.
Pack Healthy Snacks: Bring along healthy snacks like fruits and veggies to keep your energy levels up and avoid unhealthy options.
Get Plenty of Sleep: Ensure you get enough sleep during your trip to keep your immune system strong.
Practice Good Hygiene: Wash your hands frequently and avoid touching your face. This helps prevent the spread of germs.
Carry Hand Sanitizer and Disinfectant Wipes: Use them regularly to keep your hands and surfaces clean, especially in public areas.
With a little extra effort, we can keep our families healthy and hopefully all have a good time as we travel this summer!
Summer travel is off the charts this year! Everyone seems to be going somewhere. This past Sunday, airlines recorded their busiest travel day ever.
So, if your family is traveling, expect crowds! It’s going to be difficult to avoid them. But, I have one tip that may help: go early or go late.
If you can arrive at your destination nice and early, maybe even before they open, it might help. The crowds aren’t as crazy because most people don’t want to start their day super early while they’re on vacation. If you’re not an early riser, consider going later in the day. Everyone tends to go mid-morning, so if you go in the mid to late afternoon, a lot of the crowds (or lines) should be dying down.
For example, at our theme parks, I always get there before they even open and try to get on the most popular rides before the crowds really show up. Additionally, you can use apps to check wait times and plan your visit to less crowded attractions during peak hours.
This way, you can make the most of your trip without spending too much time in line or navigating the crowds.
Your family might be planning a summer trip, perhaps even something special for the Fourth of July. When my family takes a trip, we put a lot of effort into planning and expect things to go perfectly. However, unexpected events are inevitable—that’s just life. You might miss a connecting flight or encounter an issue with the hotel.
Don’t let a mishap ruin your trip. Whatever happens, it’s all part of the adventure. Embrace it. The key is to maintain a positive attitude no matter what comes your way.
For instance, my wife and I were in Ireland with a rental car when we got a flat tire. We found ourselves stuck on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. I was frustrated and started to grumble, but then I asked Hope to take a picture of us on the side of the road, capturing me trying to change the tire. Even though it was stressful at the time, we now look back at those pictures and laugh.
So, just remember: whatever happens, keep a positive attitude and make it a great trip!
I love finding little ways to make traveling easier. This one may sound weird, but whenever I travel, I make sure to throw a couple of plastic trash bags and a few Ziploc bags in my luggage.
You’d be surprised how often a plastic bag can save you when something unexpected happens on a trip. Recently, I was on a cruise and went for a swim. Then I had wet clothes that I had to put in my luggage because it was time to go home. I was so glad I had some extra bags. Or maybe you have some extra food that you want to take with you. I’ve also used them when something leaked in my luggage and I needed to clean it up.
A few weeks ago, Hope and I traveled to Alaska. It was daylight 24 hours a day. We used the plastic trash bags and some tape as blackout curtains for our windows so we could get some sleep.
Carrying plastic trash bags and Ziploc bags is a simple yet effective way to be prepared for all kinds of unexpected situations. These items can be incredibly useful and take up very little space in your luggage. So next time you pack, don’t forget to include them!
When you’re traveling, you want to do everything you can to ensure your trip goes smoothly. One common issue is losing or forgetting important documents at home.
This week’s tip is to take pictures of all the essential documents you might need during your trip, such as:
At a minimum, store these pictures on your phone. To take it a step further, you could also upload copies to the cloud so you can access them from anywhere. Services like Google Drive or Dropbox are great for this.
You could also share copies of your critical documents with a trusted family member or friend. In case of an emergency, they can assist you remotely.
By having digital copies, you ensure that you have access to all your important documents from any device. This way, everything is in one place, helping your trip go as smoothly as possible.
So many people are going to be flying this summer! In fact, for Memorial Day, they said we broke records with the number of people that were flying, and it’s probably going to be that way all summer long.
So, my travel tip this week is to fly on the days when fewer people are flying. Try to plan your departure and return flights on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Airports will be less crowded, and the lines will be shorter because everybody wants to fly on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
You can also save money flying on those days. Airlines often lower their prices midweek, so you might find better deals on tickets. Additionally, less crowded flights mean a more comfortable travel experience with less stress and more available seats. You’ll have a better chance of avoiding delays and cancellations that can be more common on peak travel days. Happy travels!
Summertime is a great time for a family vacation! For years, friends have asked me to share my cheap travel secrets, so I have decided to finally spill some of my favorite tips.
The biggest tip I tell people to improve their vacations is to go where the crowds aren’t. For example, if you’re thinking about going to the Grand Canyon, it’s great, but it is CROWDED! There are parts where you can’t even drive your car because of the crowds—you have to take a bus. Instead, consider going to a national park that’s not as busy. Check out places like Arches National Park or Canyonlands National Park in Utah. They are beautiful! Just pick a national park you’ve never heard of because they’re all great, but some are significantly less crowded than others.
The same applies if you’re thinking about going to a museum. For example, let’s say you’re going to Washington DC. There are so many museums, but everybody’s got to go to the Smithsonian. So, of course, it’s crowded. It’s great, but if you’re looking to avoid the crowds, consider some of the lesser-known museums. Maybe check out the National Law Enforcement Museum or the Museum of the Bible.
Just try to be creative and dig deeper when planning your trip. Try to go where others aren’t thinking about going.
We love celebrating the summer with you and your family. Check back here to see new tips each week this summer!
I have often found that the best time to book a flight is as soon as I know I’m definitely going. Get in before the planes get full, because as the planes fill up, they tend to raise the prices. I will also check the price several times during the course of a day because prices tend to fluctuate. I’ve found that the best time to look is normally in the middle of the night. Somewhere between 1am and 7am seems to be the lowest prices most often. So, it might be worth checking because normally planes will let reservations go around midnight, which opens some seats up and may save you a few bucks.
Any tips for travelers trying to make the most of their budget during spring break?
Sadly, spring break is one of the most expensive times to travel because they all know that your kids only have a limited time to travel and spring break is one of those times. Prices tend to get jacked up. So, if you’re going to try to do spring break, try to go places that most people don’t think of going, things that are less popular. Everyone is thinking about going to Fort Lauderdale or Miami. Maybe you could go some place else, like Crystal River or anywhere that you don’t think about at first. Those places will normally be less busy and you’ll have a shot at saving some money.
How can you pack light for your trip?
With as much as they are charging these days to check a bag, I don’t check one anymore. I only take what I carry on the plane. So, I examine every single item I bring, and the question I ask myself is not, “Will I use this at my destination?” But “Will I use it enough to justify bringing it?”
If I’m going away on a seven day trip, I’ll bring enough clothing for about four days. And I will just wash it halfway through the trip. Even if I have to just wash it in the sink in the hotel room, I’ll do that just so I can pack as light as I possibly can. And also remember, you don’t have to bring everything. Unless you’re going on a trip in the backwoods somewhere, there’s going to be a store where you can buy anything you end up needing.
What are some of your favorite staycation ideas for Central Florida?
One of the great things about living here is that there’s always a beach nearby. So, when I plan a vacation, I’ll do one of two things. First, I’ll do a beach getaway…maybe Daytona or Melbourne, or sometimes driving over to the west coast and going to Indian Rocks Beach or Clearwater. The other thing I love to do for a staycation is go camping. One of my favorite places is a place on the southern tip of St. Petersburg. It’s called Fort De Soto Park. There’s lots of campgrounds, and if you can get one, they even have campsites right next to the water! It’s just so chill. If you want to fish, you can do that right from your campsite.
How can you support local businesses when traveling?
Oh, I love this question! I often go out of my way to try to find local businesses in order to help them but also because you just get a more authentic travel experience with the mom and pops than you do with the big corporate restaurants and businesses.
Let’s say you’re on a cruise, many times, you’ll find the big corporate places all around the port. So, I will try to walk away from the port, maybe see if I can go three to five blocks away and just find little restaurants and little mom and pop shops and try to eat or shop at those places. This will give you a much more local experience. Just walk a little bit, because all the big corporate places will be the first thing you see.
What is your go-to vacation activity?
I think I’ve changed over the years. For so long, my go-to vacation idea was going some place to see how people live and see the differences between their lives and mine. It gives you a better perspective of the world. But here of late, I think my go-to vacation activity has been cruising. There’s something really cool about jumping on a cruise ship and letting someone else cook for you, clean your room, and take care of you. And here in Florida, we’ve got so choices of ships and so many ports we can leave from, so these days, that’s my go-to.
Do you have any tips for making the most of your trip with a time limit?
I would say, do your homework! One thing that’s great about the internet is that you can easily learn about an area from people who live there and people who have been there. There’s lots of websites you can go to and even Facebook Groups that will help you learn about an area. Also, take the time to watch videos on YouTube about your destination. You’ll get tips from those who know and those who have been. By knowing what you want to do when you get there, you’ll take yourself out of the position of getting there and wasting time trying to decide what to do.
How can families save money on meals and dining out while on vacation?
I love this! This is really one of my favorite tips. Go to the supermarket. First of all, if you can buy some food that you can make in your hotel room or wherever you’re staying, you can save a lot of money. But, something else you can do at many supermarkets is buy prepared foods. So sometimes I’ll just buy some prepared foods, find a nearby park, and then just have a nice picnic. It’s a great experience, and it’s a chance to try to some local food while not breaking the bank.
Do you have any advice for avoiding the crowds during spring break?
Yes, I do! Go where people aren’t going. Everybody picks the same great vacation spots. So, what you may want to do is find a place that’s in offseason and isn’t as popular. Find a small town that looks like it’s got some small town charm or maybe just a quiet beach town where there’s not a lot going on. Try going there! While everyone else is going to south Florida, maybe you can go up to South Carolina, find a special place, and avoid the crowds!
Do you think travel insurance is ever worth the cost?
Yes! If you’re traveling with someone who is maybe a little bit older who could end up being sick or have some reason they might not make the trip, it might be a good idea to have travel insurance to cover that person or even the whole trip to make sure nothing goes wrong. Or, if you’re traveling at a time when things could go wrong, like we have here in Florida with Hurricane Season, it might be a good idea just to have that insurance to be safe. But if you’re younger and healthy and you’re going to a place where you’re sure there won’t be a problem, then you may not need it. It really depends on your situation.
What would you suggest for families just looking to do a day trip during spring break?
This goes back to what I said before, try to go some place where people aren’t going. The theme parks are going to be packed. The beaches will be busy. So, try to find some place that people aren’t really talking about…maybe a nearby town you haven’t explored or a beach that isn’t as popular. Try to go to places people aren’t going so you can avoid the crowds. That said, it can be really difficult to avoid the crowds during spring break.
Where was your favorite spring break destination?
You wanna know the truth? I don’t have one. That’s because I go out of my way not to travel during spring break. Now, this is easy for me because my kids are around 40 years old so I can pull this off. I try to go before spring break or after so I can avoid the crowds and get better pricing because that’s when people aren’t traveling.
Are there any hidden gems or lesser-known attractions around town that would suggest?
Finding lesser-known attractions is a great way to try to avoid some of the spring break crowds. Here are a few of my favorites in central Florida.
Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales
Safari Wilderness in Lakeland
Silver Springs State Park in Silver Springs
Wekiwa Springs State Park in Apopka
Exotic Animal Experience in Orlando
Renninger’s Flea Market & Antique Center in Mount Dora
This is probably my favorite travel tip. This tool has allowed me to take some incredible trips at a really low cost. For example, I went to Hawaii round trip for $388 and China for $400 round trip!
Your family might be planning a summer trip, perhaps even something special for the Fourth of July. When my family takes a trip, we put a lot of effort into planning and expect things to go perfectly. However, unexpected events are inevitable—that’s just life. You might miss a connecting flight or encounter an issue with the hotel.
