Travel Tips for Easy Travel Planning

Let’s Talk Best Travel Deals, Travel Apps, Loyalty Programs and More Travel Tips from the #JustHaves Twitter Chat

Travel is in my blood. Born in the Hospitality industry to a travel agent mom and part of it professionally for over 20 years, I’ve had one foot on a plane, hotel, restaurant, or cruise ship for most of life. When the talented on-air personality and lifestyle expert Justine Santaniello of JustHaves.com invited me as a guest on her Twitter Chat to talk about travel, saying I was thrilled is an understatement. My mission at GoEpicurista.com is to inspire you to #MakeSomedayHappen one delicious bite, sip and trip at a time, so I appreciate any opportunity to share tips that will help you GO enjoy life today and not postpone traveling, or going to a fabulous restaurant or doing whatever it is that makes you happy to an elusive “someday”.

The one hour chat with Justine and the #JustHaves community went by in a flash with great questions, tips and comments rapidly popping up on my screen. My friends know it’s difficult to shut me up when the topics of travel, food and/or wine come up, so you can imagine it was tough to edit myself to one answer per question, at 140 characters or less. I must also apologize if I missed responding to any comments as I was chatting from my current post in paradise – i.e. Turks and Caicos – where it’s absolutely lovely but the WiFi, as everything else on the island, is on what we affectionately call “Island Time”.

Below are the questions I received during the chat with a bit more information than 140 characters allowed. Do you want to know when to get the best travel deals? What to do with your frequent flyer miles and reward points? What apps and travel sites I use to plan my travel? What the best times of year to travel to different destinations?Then read on. I hope these travel tips will make your travel planning easier, so you can GO enjoy your next adventure. And, if you have any other questions, please ask away, just don’t be surprised if you get a multiple part answer.

Please do keep in mind travel tips are subjective to your tastes and preferences. You may choose to ‘rough-it’ with couch-surfing and hostels or go all out with luxury 5-star hotels. There’s nothing wrong with either option. You will find me somewhere in the middle. I like comfort and luxury but only splurge on one-of-a-kind experiences. I like to find deals and plan my trips to get the max out of my time in a destination. My travels are usually guided by the thought “I can sleep later”, however I do leave some room for relaxation and off-the-cuff spontaneity in my itineraries. Most importantly you have to leave room for the unexpected. These tips all come from my travel experiences which may be different from yours which is what makes travel so much fun to talk about.

Travel Tip:

Always know what type of traveler you are getting travel tips or reviews from and whether it aligns with your own travel style. Your expectations may not be the same. @LisaCroccoPR and I are on the same page when it comes to packing in the fun on a trip.

@GoEpicurista that's the only way to do it! I'll sleep when I'm home. #JustHaves

— Lisa Crocco (@LisaCroccoPR) September 10, 2015

1. When can you find the best travel deals? Is there a certain time of year?

Be Flexible.

Travel deals exist year-round – the key to getting them is being flexible.

Travel when others don’t.

Follow the law of supply and demand and go during low demand.

^ Travel on off days – usually Tuesday & Saturday and off times. Peak demand is on Friday after 5pm.

^ Travel during the low season for your destination of choice, to get the best deals.

A1b Low Season is best time to visit any destination. Less Crowds + Great #Travel Deals. #JustHaves

— Christina Thomas (@GoEpicurista) September 10, 2015

^ You may consider low season as being the least desirable time to visit, however that is not usually the case. It just means the main reason visitors choose that destination is not at its peak demand. A family destination is most popular when the kids are on school breaks and tends to drop in demand when school starts.

For example, you can find great deals with substantial savings for my hometown of Orlando, Florida in the month of September, once the kids have returned to school. The weather is nicer and there are less crowds at the theme parks too. Those that homeschool their children often take advantage of this.

A tropical destination is most popular when it’s chilly elsewhere. To take advantage of low season deals in this case, visit a tropical destination with the kids in the Summer and you get a much better deal than Winter.

^ The low season deals with hotels depend on the type of hotel. A meeting hotel’s slowest months are usually during Summer when companies and professional associations hold back on hosting conventions. On the other hand, this is when family resorts are at their peak and most expensive. To get the best travel deal, evaluate your priorities. The hotel’s amenities vs. the destination’s activities. For example, you can get a great room rate at an Orlando meeting hotel during Summer and still enjoy Disney and all the theme parks at a fraction of the cost of staying at the theme park resorts. If you will be at the parks all day, the fact the hotel doesn’t have a lazy river or a kids club may not be that important. Again, it’s all about your priorities. On the same note, a city hotel in a financial business district will have better rates on weekends vs. weekdays.

A1a: Best Weather = Lots of Crowds + Most Expensive #Travel. Evaluate priorities. Be Flexible for best deals! #JustHaves

— Christina Thomas (@GoEpicurista) September 10, 2015

One of the most often asked questions whenever I mention low season travel is “What if low season equals poor weather season?”

This could often be the case as the best weather always equals higher demand. However, it may not mean the weather is poor during other times of the year. Research your destination to find out average temperatures during your travel dates.

^ Usually best weather = most crowds & most expensive travel so again, evaluate your priorities.



Lots of Beach Umbrellas during High Season at Grace Bay Beach in Turks & Caicos and they will all be in demand

Low Season Destinations

^ Low Season Travel to the Caribbean for best air and hotel deals is late Summer, in August and September. Temperatures will definitely be hotter but if you are planning to be at the beach or pool all day that may not be an issue. Plus, you do get fewer people to fight for beach chairs and umbrellas.

Many on the chat mentioned they love cruise vacations and I agree. I find them to be the most relaxing and ‘most bang for your buck’ vacation package. You pack and unpack once, you see multiple destinations without flying or driving to get there, everything is in one place and there is plenty to do, or not do, based on your preferences.

^ For Caribbean Cruises, the best deals are found for the week or two before or after holidays and during Hurricane Season, primarily September – November. Sign up for your favorite cruise line’s newsletter to be alerted to hot deals. I also use CruCon.com to find cruise deals on all the top cruise lines.

I have been taking Caribbean cruises, at savings of over 50%, during the month of September for almost 10 years and have never had any major issues with poor weather or hurricanes. As long as you are flexible, go ahead and take your chances. However, you must be ok if your cruise gets cancelled or the itinerary is changed to avoid the weather conditions. Cruise ships, especially the larger ones, are very good at charting a course to avoid bad weather. If it rains, find an indoor activity, there are plenty aboard a ship.

The chances of a hurricane or tropical storm in some Caribbean destinations is lesser than others. Check the Hurricane Center to see how hurricane season is shaping up, book last-minute – 3 weeks or less, be a bit adventurous and again, flexible, if you have to change plans.

^ For Europe, the best travel deals are found for November – March, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

^ For Mediterranean travel, go during Spring in April – May, or Fall in September – October. It’s beautiful!

@FuorITinerario who plans small custom itineraries to help you Discover Your Italy, suggested traveling in the Spring as well. However, @LaneyLiner visited Italy with them in July and thought it was amazing. So you see, there is never one right answer. There is only the right answer for you.

@LaneyLiner thanks for your support @JNSantaniello I would go for spring … let's talk more over direct message #italyinsidertips

— Discover Your Italy (@fuorITinerario) September 10, 2015

^ For ski destinations, the best deals are found last-minute when snow comes early before season starts or if snow continues after season’s end date.

^ A word of caution on Low Season Travel: Check the schedule for attractions on your “Must Visit” list as closures are common during the slowest times of year. This may be a deal-breaker for you to go during low season but on the other hand you may not care about those attractions that are closed.

In Turks & Caicos, during the month of September, I have found many restaurants, hotels and attractions closed for refurbishment this time of year, however, there are no crowds so the beaches are practically deserted for an amazingly relaxing time.

For the Best Travel Deals just remember: Be Flexible, Book Last Minute, and Go in Low Season.

2. What are the best locations to visit in the Winter vs the Summer?

Evaluate Your Priorities

^ The most important consideration when travel planning are your priorities. What do you want to get out of your trip? Do you want to relax? Do you want to explore? Is there a particular attraction you want to visit? Will you spend a lot of time in your hotel enjoying the amenities or will you be out sightseeing all day?

^ Don’t pay for what you won’t need or use. A luxury resort with lots of amenities is fantastic if you plan to relax and chill out all day. On the other hand, if all you need is a bed and a clean room to sleep in after a long day of sightseeing, why spend all that money on the extras of a resort? If you don’t play golf, don’t pay high prices to stay at a golf resort.

I am not a fan of crowds when I travel, which is why I’m a big proponent of low season bookings. Obviously, some types of travel require better weather than others and that will limit your options but there are always alternatives.

^ Visit a ski resort during Summer and enjoy fantastic hiking and other nearby activities at a fraction of the cost. For example, visiting Mt. Hood outside of Portland, Oregon in July is simply breathtaking.

^ When escaping the weather GO to the opposite hemisphere. Visit South America in Summer & enjoy their Winter. Argentina and Chile are quite beautiful during Winter.

Travel Tip:

Write down the top three things you must see, do and eat during your trip and plan around those activities. What are the top 3 features or amenities your hotel must have? If you make your travel plans to satisfy those top 3 things, then you will be happy and anything else is icing on the cake!

What are your favorite travel destinations?

^ My favorite Summer Travel destinations are the Caribbean, Oregon and taking Road Trips around the USA. @FocusOnYou agreed mentioning her favorite California road trip in the summertime. I love the drive from San Francisco to Sonoma, Napa and the wine country area as well as the drive along the Pacific Coast Highway to Oregon and Washington State. Simply a gorgeous view of the USA. My next road trip destination will be Savannah because I hear there’s plenty to eat, i.e. I mean do, there.

My hubby and I do a CA road trip every yr. One yr w/ friends, this yr w/ my mom. Good times. Big Sur, Wine Country, SF. #justhaves

— The Focus On You (@focusonyou_) September 10, 2015

^ I am not a big fan of cold weather so I enjoyed visiting Singapore during late Fall, early winter, as their weather is quite consistent year round. It is warm and humid but the country is spectacular. We stayed at Marina Bay Sands which is one of the most spectacular hotels in the world and well worth the splurge.



Some hotels are a must! Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands is one of them.

3. Do you have any favorite apps or sites that help to plan a vacation?

So many travel sites and apps out there, and so little time to use them all. I am always searching for the best ones and right now, these are the ones I use most often:

Tourism Offices / Visitor Bureaus

^ When travel planning, always visit the Tourism Office or Visitor Bureau website for the city or country you are visiting. It will give you the best overview of your destination and provide a starting point on deciding where to go, where to stay, where to eat, etc. For USA Travel, go to DiscoverAmerica.com.

Booking Sites

^ To research and compare prices on air travel, hotel and car rental, I use KAYAK because it lets you filter your search based on the amenities you want and then you can book directly with the company you want, which is always prefered.

^ Rates are very similar across the board for the various third-party booking sites – Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, Hotwire, Priceline, Trip Advisor, etc. so pick whichever one you like best. I don’t use them often as they tend to have many restrictions and making any changes and getting refunds is difficult. Plus, I find you often get better perks with the airline or hotel if you book directly. These sites are best for last-minute travel bookings, if the deal is better than what you can get booking directly. Always, remember to read the fine print.

^ For car rental in the USA, I have booked great deals, saving hundreds of dollars, using ‘hot rates’ with Hotwire.com. You select the type of car you want but don’t know which car rental company will be booked until after you make your purchase. Most big name car rental companies that Hotwire uses – Enterprise, Avis, Alamo, Thrifty, etc. – all have the same type of cars and service. I select ‘mid-size’ category and chances are I’m going to get one of four or five car models, regardless of the rental car company used.

I don’t recommend booking blind for hotels as hotel amenities and standards of service can vary widely. The star rating system used for hotels is not a guarantee. You can find fantastic 3-star hotels and terrible 5-star ones on these sites. Hotel location is also more important. One mile away into a less desirable neighborhood can make all the difference in your stay.

Review Sites

^ To get a feel for how a hotel, attraction, or restaurant is I use Trip Advisor combined with lots of common sense to ignore the crazy rants and rankings. Trip Advisor is the largest review site in the world and now they are also one of the largest travel booking sites as well. It is very helpful to read about others experiences and this usually gives you a good idea on whether you would like it or not, however there are some serious rants on this site that you must ignore. The review from the lady complaining there was too much sand on the beach and actual fish in the ocean comes to mind. Can you believe it?! Rankings on Trip Advisor are based on popularity, how many reviews a business receives and guest satisfaction, rather than quality. I have seen many hotels and restaurants be higher ranked than others of better quality so I don’t pay much importance to the rankings. I look at the reviewer’s profile and see if they match mine. When it comes to travel, our expectations are all different and whether a business meets those expectations is just as much based on the reviewer’s eye as it is on the business. This is the case on any review site like Yelp for restaurants and retailers and Cruise Critic for cruises, which I use as well.

Trip Itineraries

^ To organize my itineraries, I use TripIt. A free app that will automatically store any tickets you purchase based on the email confirmation sent to your registered email address. The paid premium version provides flight alerts and a few other bonuses. It’s nice to have everything in one place and it works offline in case you don’t have WiFi.

Events Calendars

^ When I travel, I like to go to local special events, especially foodie events like food festivals, wine dinners and tastings. To find out what is happening in any city, google “X city calendar” to find the various sites with local calendars.

^ Eventbrite is a good source to find a variety of events, from conventions, workshops, festivals to concerts, which you can search by type and location. This site also allows you to purchase your tickets and will send you reminders.

^ Local Wine Events is a great resource to find wine events and festivals around the world. You can subscribe to alerts for the city of your choice as new events are added regularly.

Travel Deals

^ For travel deals and great travel tips, check out JohnnyJet.com. He publishes a great newsletter you can subscribe with daily travel tips.

^ I have found some great last-minute travel deals on TravelZoo, including their top 20 and their local deals for events, restaurants and attractions. Subscribe to their email alerts for your city of choice.

Hotel Alternatives

^ For a place to stay, don’t be afraid of booking alternatives like AirBnB and VRBO. I have found some fantastic places on these sites at a fraction of the cost of a hotel. Plus, you get a more “local” experience staying in this type of setting. Do your research, talk to the owner and check out the reviews before booking. Keep in mind cancellations for these sites is stricter than hotels. Lastly, do not expect hotel amenities and services. You will not have housekeeping, room service or valet. If those are important to you, then those sites are not for you. It is always about YOUR priorities.

Travel Inspiration

^ I am an avid fan of Instagram – you can find @GoEpicurista here – and have found it to be a great source for travel inspiration and foodie finds around the world. Search the hashtag (#) and the name of city or country you’re interested in. The #InstaTBN feed has awesome posts from Travel Bloggers around the world. In some countries, Instagram is more widely used than Facebook or the web. In the Dominican Republic, for example, you can find the best restaurants and dishes to order by following food bloggers on Instagram. One of my favorite sites there is @TheFoodLifeofDR. A picture is worth a 1,000 words.

^ I wholeheartedly agree with @LisaCroccoPR using Pinterest when travel planning. It is an awesome resource for inspiration and to organize your resources, articles and posts you may want to refer to. I like to do boards for destinations I plan to visit. Just be prepared to be on there for hours because Pinterest is like Target. No one can go in and only buy, or pin, one thing.

.@Pinterest has been awesome for searching vacation tips & places to go/things to do! Plus it has pics! #JustHaves https://t.co/EatyfXAPiB

— Lisa Crocco (@LisaCroccoPR) September 10, 2015

Road Trip Planner

^ On my travel bucket list is to take more road trips and during the chat, @LisaCroccoPR also recommended RoadTrippers.com as a source for road trip map planning and inspiration. I checked it out and can’t wait to use it to plan my next road trip.

A3) I use @Roadtrippers for road trips! It gives you awesome places en route of your destination. #JustHaves https://t.co/qoZx1uxwCU

— Lisa Crocco (@LisaCroccoPR) September 10, 2015

4. Do you recommend using a travel agent?

Having grown up in a travel agency, I have seen the many changes in this business. We have so many options to research and book our own travel online that travel agents may seem obsolete. However, I’m a big proponent of using travel agents in these situations:

– When going to a new destination you may not be familiar with,
– For multi-city itineraries and extended travel,
– For action-packed itineraries,
– When looking for unique travel experiences
– When traveling with a group.

Their expertise will help you make the most of your time and resources and reduce the stress of planning. Their booking fee, if any, is minimal compared to the customer service you receive from the reputable firms.

A few things to keep in mind:

^ Look for Travel Agents that specialize in the destination you are going to.

^ Avoid Travel scams by using ASTA American Society of Travel Agents. You can also check their Better Business Bureau ratings. Never pay for travel in cash or with a debit card, always use a credit card. If an offer appears too good to be true, it most likely is!

^ Always confirm your travel arrangements directly with the hotel or travel vendor booked to ensure they have your reservation, before you arrive. If there are any issues with the travel agent, you are in a better position to rectify it while still in your home country.

5. How can we find free activities and travel deals at our destination?

^ Search the website for the City/State/Country Visitor’s Bureau or Tourism Office.

^ Search the city Chamber of Commerce website and find out what the locals are doing.

^ Search “Free Events” and the name of the city.

6. How do you know if you will need a rental car?

This depends on your itinerary, what places you want to visit and what public transportation is available.

Evaluate the Area

^ Use Google to search the city public transportation website and Google Maps to see distances and chart your course. You can then save your map to use later during your trip. I use google for everything and @EinnaHarrison asked what was life before Google. I can’t remember but I know it involved paper maps and it was not nearly as fun and stress-free.

@JNSantaniello @GoEpicurista @google life saver google maps. Life before? #justhaves

— EinnaHarrison-Mellon (@EinnaHarrison) September 10, 2015

^ A rental car is needed in certain big cities, like Los Angeles and Miami, where you will likely be visiting different areas of the city over long distances, and public transportation is not as easy to use. Rental cars are also your best choice if you are looking to take day trips outside the city limits.

Let Others Drive

^ For better sightseeing, let others drive. I am a big fan of public transportation. In Berlin, taking the city bus #100/200 would take you on a loop around the entire city, passing by all the major attractions, for the cost of a day ticket. When you need a taxi, if Uber is available, use it.

Rent Only When You Need It

^ Depending on your itinerary, you may not need to rent car for your entire stay. Only rent for days when sightseeing. There is no sense in paying for a car to sit in the hotel parking lot while you are relaxing at the beach all day, especially if you don’t get a price break for multiple days of rental.

Don’t Forget Parking

^ Don’t forget to factor the cost of parking at the hotel and around town. In some cities, the cost of parking will be much more than the cost of the car. These fees can add up quickly! And when parking in meters on the street, always put extra money in. It is easy to underestimate the time you will be in a particular spot when you are sightseeing and the cost of a parking ticket is much more the few extra dollars you put in the meter. Sadly, this too I learned from experience!

7. What are your favorite destinations for family trips vs. romantic trips?

For Family Travel:

^ For Multi-generational Family Travel, choose destinations with lots of activities to satisfy everyone. It’s important for everyone in the group, from kids to grandparents, to be able to do things on their own as well as together. Please don’t plan an itinerary where you are together 24/7. This also applies to groups of friends traveling together. Cruises are one of my favorite type of vacation for groups and families.

^ For Travel with Kids, resorts with a Kids Club and kid’s activities are the best. They are worth the additional fee as they allow the kids to enjoy kid-appropriate activities and give the adults the time to relax on their own without worrying about where the kids are.

For Romantic Travel:

My philosophy on Romantic Travel is simple: Warm weather = less clothes. Cold weather = more snuggling. It’s a Win/Win so take your pick.

^ My favorite type of romantic travel involves a beach, a bottle of bubbly and a candlelit dinner. The Caribbean is perfect for this. Bora Bora is on the bucket list too, which was a popular destination on the chat.

#borabora is our bucket list trip! #justhaves

— Justine Santaniello (@JNSantaniello) September 10, 2015

^ Go somewhere new & explore together. It will provide a shared first experience that you will both be able to talk about.

^ Go somewhere meaningful, like where you first met. It is always nice to go back to a place that has special meaning to you to rekindle the spark of romance.

^ Any travel destination can be romantic if you do something you both enjoy. Don’t drag him to museums if he’s an outdoorsman. Don’t go to wine tastings if he’s a beer guy. And please, if your girlfriend or wife’s idea of camping is more like ‘glamping’, for the sake of your relationship don’t take her to place in the woods to sleep on a tent without access to a shower. Trust me on that!

8. How far in advance should you book your hotels and flights?

This is one of the toughest travel questions because it is a constant moving target. Just when you think you have it figured out, things change.

For Booking Flights

^ Try to book three months out. Many say that the best deals are found on Tuesday afternoon, and in some cases especially for more intricate travel, calling the airline and booking on the phone may get you better flights and seat assignments than booking online.

^ When booking air online, use a different IP address to search and then book. This is a strange thing but I have confirmed it that searching and then going back to book will in some cases result in rate increases.

For Booking Hotels

^ If you are traveling to a city during high season or a big event, then book as far in advance as possible. You can always cancel later if something better comes up. Just make sure you look at the cancellation and deposit policy before you book. I once booked a hotel with a 30 day advance payment requirement.

^ Hotels will often offer last-minute deals to fill rooms. Unless your heart is set on one specific hotel, wait to book and call the hotel directly instead of their 800 number. Again, it pays to be flexible.

^ Don’t drive yourself crazy with rate changes and rate comparisons. Do your research, pick a reasonable price within your budget and book. You can set up price alerts on the booking sites if you want but clear those alerts after you book or they will drive you crazy.

9. How can we best utilize our frequent flyer and hotel points?

A9a “Buy Low Sell High” Earn points on low-priced flights/hotels, use for high-priced perks. #Travel #JustHaves

— Christina Thomas (@GoEpicurista) September 10, 2015

Buy Low Sell High

^ The advice for the stock market is also true for frequent flyer and loyalty rewards programs: “Buy Low Sell High” Earn points on low-priced flights and hotels and redeem them for high-priced perks. For example, Marriott Rewards can be earned at their 16 hotel brands. Points earned on their value brands like Courtyard or Fairfield Inn & Suites can be redeemed at luxury brands like JW Marriott or Ritz Carlton as they are part of the same program. It requires a bit of planning and strategy, like the stock market, due to tier systems but it is doable and can lead to greater value for those points.

Capitalize on Rewards Partners

^ Always look at rewards partners and global airline alliances (OneWorld, Star Alliance) that can earn you points and miles towards a program you are already a member of. For example, Diners Club Rewards points can be converted to Marriott Rewards points.

Use Travel Credit Cards

^ Use a travel credit card for all purchases and earn points for purchases you already make which you can redeem towards travel. Just make sure it is a card you can pay off your balance each month as interest fees will negate the savings. I use the BarclayCard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard which offers cash back as credit on my statement, you earn double points on all purchases, has no foreign transaction fees which is important when traveling internationally and has a low annual fee of $89 which is waived in your first year. The sign up bonus on most of these credit cards is often enough for one airline ticket. Some avid travel hackers are known to apply for different cards each year to make the most of sign up bonuses.

Sign Up for All Rewards Programs

^ Always sign up for the rewards program for every airline, hotel, cruise line, car rental you use, even if you don’t think you will use them again. It doesn’t cost anything to sign up and earn those miles/points and you may be able to combine them with other rewards programs.

Be Loyal

^ Try to use the same hotel chain, airline and cruise line as often as you can. Consider the cost comparison of those you have rewards with vs those you do not as it may be worth a slight increase in initial spend to earn the additional miles / rewards.

Always Ask

^ Ask hotels and car rentals if they accept other rewards programs. They may have reciprocal agreements or they may provide alternative perks to make up for not having rewards points to give you.

Use the web

^ One of my favorite websites for information on travel rewards programs is The Points Guy Getting the most out of all the rewards programs out there requires a lot of planning and strategy. This site is a great resource to do just that.

Travel Hack

^ Travel rewards can be earned on the ground without ever setting foot on a plane. Chris Guillebeau, author of The Art of Unconformity, founder of World Domination Summit and creator of The Travel Hacking Cartel, and all around super nice guy, has traveled to all 193 countries in the world and has picked up quite a few pointers to travel cheap. If you want to plan an around the world trip spending the least amount of money, this is a great website to check out. It’s all about strategy and membership to the cartel will show you how.

How long should you hold your miles? Should you save them?

The answer to this depends on the type of rewards program you have and whether the miles/points have an expiration date or not. It also depends on what your travel plans are in the future. If you are planning a big overseas trip you may want to save up. International flights and hotels are the ones you want to use those miles/points for to get the most bang for your buck.

10. How can we plan a great staycation?

Staycations are a great way to enjoy your hometown and take a little getaway break without the high cost of travel. Every town has something noteworthy to see, do and eat and sadly many people never go out to enjoy these things even though they are in their own backyard.

Subscribe

^ Join email lists of your favorite resorts, attractions and restaurants in town. They often send out offers and last-minute deals that you can take advantage of.

Be A Tourist

^ Be a tourist in your backyard. Pick one day a month to visit a popular attraction, museum, or historical site and pretend you are visiting from out-of-town. You can even come up with a fun city you can you tell people you are from.

^ Take a weekday off and go explore like a tourist while everyone is at work. It feels different being off work during the week vs the weekend. Obviously, reverse this advice if you normally work weekends.

Get a Day Pass

^ Book spa services or a round of golf at a luxury resort and get a day pass to use the facilities for the day. You can enjoy the pools, amenities and restaurants to recharge your batteries for the day at a fraction of the cost.

Make a Night of it!

^ Luxury hotel restaurants often have special room rate packages. Go out to a nice dinner and make a night of it!

Be A Foodie

^ Most major cities have a Restaurant Week or Restaurant Month, which offer the opportunity to dine out at substantial savings and try restaurants you’ve never been to. For example, Visit Orlando Magical Dining in September, Miami Spice in August, New York Restaurant Week in Summer and Winter are a great way to enjoy higher priced popular dining options for less dough. If you want to know more about Orlando’s Magical Dining, here’s my guide.

^ At least once a month, GO to a new restaurant on your “Someday List” and #MakeSomedayHappen. You know, those restaurants you say you want to go to ‘someday’?

I could go on and on with travel tips but I hope these will be enough to get you started. GO enjoy traveling in your home town and away from home. The memories you make will be priceless.

Thank you again to Justine Santaniello for inviting me to her #JustHaves Twitter Chat last week. I had a blast. Her site JustHaves.com is a great resource for all lifestyle topics so be sure to check it out. Follow her on Twitter @JNStaniello and check out her weekly #JustHaves Twitter Chat every Wednesday at 8pmET.

Do you any favorite travel apps and sites or awesome travel tips to share? Please share in the comments below.

If your friends enjoy travel as much as we do, please share these travel tips with them using the social media buttons below and let’s start planning our next adventure.

Cheers!

GO Epicurista