As the summer travel season gets underway, travel expert Jen Lewis, author of 12 Trips in 12 Days, joins Wealth! to share her best budget-friendly travel tips.
“Rule No. 1 is never waste anything you buy,” Lewis explained, encouraging travelers to take advantage of credit card rewards like points or miles with each purchase. Lewis recommended avoiding Europe this summer and opting for off-season destinations like South Africa, New Zealand and Argentina, where travelers can get better prices and avoid the biggest crowds.
Lewis explains that for the novice travel hunter, the best bet is to “pick a program that has great deals departing from your airport” and subscribe to low-fare alerts. He also stresses the importance of planning ahead to save time and money, such as choosing days when museums have discounted admission prices.
For more expert insights and the latest market trends, click here to watch this full episode of Wealth.
This post was written by Melanie Leal
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Video Transcript
So, if you, like millions of other people, are planning to travel this summer, what do you do?
So you don't have to spend a lot of money?
Join me.
Well, today I'm joined by Jen Lewis, travel expert and author of the new book, 12 Trips in 12 Months. Wait a minute, 12 Trips in 12 Months.
So, we analyze what you want, but people need tips to get through this summer travel season.
Where do you start?
What's rule number one? I think rule number one is never waste anything you buy.
That means a lot of people are already shopping online.
They already pay with a credit card.
You should be able to earn some kind of points or miles with every purchase.
Especially if you link it to, like, I took a Lyft to get here this morning.
All I had to do was link my accounts and I was able to earn air miles on my Lyft purchases.
So I think anyone can earn points or miles on these online purchases, even if they don't have a travel credit card.
got it.
With that in mind, where will you be looking at your 12 trips?
Because I think a lot of other people are trying to make the same decision when it comes to planning their trip.
The story continues
What should you be aware of and avoid as you start planning your trip?
Well, you mentioned that a trip to Europe is the most popular destination for the summer.
I'll probably avoid going to Europe this summer and look for better deals on off-season trips instead.
Southern Hemisphere, South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina.
It's their offseason now.
So you'll actually find fewer crowds, much better deals and potentially a more enjoyable experience than you'd have in Europe during peak season.
You know, Rome.
interesting.
They gave us very clear explanations of what to do and what not to do, so I think we were able to prepare the full screen.
So I want to take a quick look at some of them, and it starts off with people booking and talking about some great deals sites.
How can you navigate it?
Once you start your search and input the dates and times you want to travel, what a treasure trove of listings you get!
It can be so overwhelming, right?
You’ll get a ton of alerts and notifications, so choose one program that will give you great flight deals from your airport.
There are a lot of flight alert sites out there that will email you and tell you, “There's a flight to Paris for $99.”
Do you want to book?
click here?
This is a really great way for novice deal hunters to find great deals and book with just a click.
What about activities?
That means when you get somewhere you have to do something.
So how do you make sure you are, in theory, enjoying your trip?
Well, in that case, you won’t have to spend a lot of money along the way.
You should always plan ahead.
Buying your tickets in advance will not only save you money but also time: you will save an hour of waiting outside the museum to buy tickets, and you will probably save at least 10%.
Look for things like free walking tours available in most cities, and free or discounted museum admission, and plan your visit around those deals.
Splurge calculations are necessary, but when is it best to have a bit more leeway in how much money you spend on an experience?
I think it really depends on the person.
But for me, the main purpose of traveling is to have a memorable experience.
So whether you want to eat fancy food, eat something amazing, go to a Michelin-star restaurant, or you want a more luxurious experience, for example, I flew from Newark to New York today in a helicopter, and on the way there, I flew in a helicopter over the Statue of Liberty.
That was true.
Oh my goodness.
Okay, that was a good experience.
That's right.
It's a ride-sharing service.
This means splitting the cost and taking in some sightseeing tours along the way.
I mean, there's no better view than seeing the Statue of Liberty from above.
I can get into the city in five minutes instead of an hour and I am living like a queen right now.
Got it, Jen.
I need to know before I let you go.
What was the best trip?
1212 Trips, 12 Months book title.
What is the top photo you took?
Well, you know, there's a reason you're popular.
So it must be said that the South of France in peak season is totally different to anywhere else.
Lavender fields, sunflowers, in Van Gogh's works you can see the actual locations he painted.
It's really wonderful.
It was a very memorable trip, just because it was so peaceful.
Well, I'm Queen Jen Lewis, travel expert and author of the new book, 12 Trips in 12 Months.
Thank you so much for coming to the studio.
Be a chopper.
No less.
Don't dress too dirty.
