If you set a goal and put your mind to it, anything is possible. Start small, and eventually, you’ll be saving a portion of your income every month. From there, it’s only a matter of time before you have enough for that great trip you’ve always dreamed about. Remember, it all starts with the first dollar! Here are the basic ways we save money for travel and stay on the road longer for cheaper.

How to Start Saving Money for Travel

Reduce Your General Expenses

I know that your legs probably look killer in that new dress, ladies. And perhaps that new fancy shave gel does make your beard look better guys…however, do you need everything you’re buying? Chances are probably not. One of the main ways to cut expenses is to cut out all the crap that you don’t need to have a fulfilling life. How much can you cut out to live comfortably?

Just because you make and have the money does not mean you should spend it right away on every payday. You don’t need a new TV or a dozen pairs of shoes. This is the very first step in saving for travel—live below your means. You can also look at more creative ways to reduce expenses such as renegotiating contracts with service providers like phone service or internet. It’s often possible to threaten to switch providers that offer a lower rate to keep you as an existing customer.

Love To Cook

One of the easiest ways to save money on travel is to start cooking all your meals. That means breakfast, packed lunch, and dinner. Do not pick up a coffee and bagel on your way to work because that cost can quickly snowball. Restaurants are always more expensive than a home-cooked meal.

In the United States, a low-cost meal out with friends costs me at least $20-$30, and then, of course, we tip in America, so there is another $4-5 on top of that. The easy solution is to go to the grocery store, grab a cookbook, and whip up your dishes. You can even get cookbooks from the local library for free! Not only will it help save your paycheck, but it is much healthier.

If you absolutely must eat out, make your decisions wisely. When we began saving for travel, we went out once a week to our favorite sushi spot. The meal wasn’t cheap, at almost $100, but we were afforded the luxury because we cut out the bad takeout, chain restaurants, and delivery that can add up to a lot more in a week. No matter your finances, it never hurts to reassess your expenses, and it’s great to start with food purchases.

Cut Out the Bar

I bet you knew where this was going. First, I took away clothes, then food, and now alcohol! Yep—it’s not rocket science. Alcohol and bars can be very costly. Why not host your friends over for wine night? Or invite everyone to your house with beer to watch the game instead of going to the sports bar? These choices are easy ones to make and can easily set you on your way to financial freedom.

Ditch Cable

Now that Netflix and the internet are available in almost every country in the world, there is really no excuse for having cable TV. If you love staying entertained with TV shows and movies, why not invest in a cheap streaming service and ditch the expensive cable premiums? We love Netflix and HBO!

Get Active Outside

I remember when we lived in NYC, gym memberships were through the roof! $150 a month to work out? Not everyone can afford that. There are many ways to stay active without signing your life away to a gym, like biking to work. Maybe learn how to play basketball, volleyball, or baseball? Or go for a run in a nice park nearby.

When I was in college, I would save money for travel by utilizing my school’s free gym. When that is not available, I watch YouTube workout videos in my living room or the park. There are all kinds of totally free ways to stay active outside. This is the one expense we give some wiggle room to. Staying in shape and keeping a hobby is a crucial element to a happy and healthy life. Just keep costs in moderation!

Take Advantage of Travel Credit Cards

I sign up whenever there is a new credit card offer with great travel incentives. I’ve spent 11 years building up my credit so that this is possible, but even great cards are offered for those with no credit. The real advantage comes with a rewards credit card that garners points for everyday purchases.

The best rewards cards offer enticing sign-up bonuses and points on every purchase that can lead to 2% cashback in your pocket. Those points can pay for flights, hotels, or even car rentals. Be responsible with any new credit card. Pay your bill on time, in full, and don’t spend what you don’t have. Here are some more tips for travel banking.

Diversify Your Income

When I was in college, I scoured the internet for a job that would let me work only on weekends. I ended up working as a waitress every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and earning great tips. Years later, when Cam and I moved to NYC, he worked weekends for overtime pay, and I took on a second job.

It wasn’t ideal, but we knew we had the time and energy to do extra work. Whether it be online work, bartending, blogging, or dog walking, a second job will bring in additional income and most likely bring in new friends, too! It doesn’t have to be your standard job, either. You can also invest in yourself with classes or books that will further you in your career or as a person.

Cameron’s parent’s favorite hobby is flipping furniture they buy at flea markets and rehabbing it for a profit. On top of that, they own and manage several beach rentals on Airbnb. As we mature in life and find greater financial stability, we’ve taken up a financial advisor to help invest in safe long-term solutions to help our money grow.

No Smoking

I hope that you are not a smoker, but if you are, one of my main tips for saving money is to cut it out. Smoking is not only harmful to you but to others around. Okay, but I am not your mother, and you can do what you want. But I am 100% certain that not smoking will help you save money for travel. Just think about putting in an extra $10/week or day to your travel fund. That’s $520 or $3650 a year, or in other words, a plane ticket to Europe, Thailand, Ecuador, or maybe even a vacation in South Africa.

How to Save When Travel Planning

Plan to Travel in the Offseason

Traveling during off-peak times can severely reduce your travel expenses. We’ve sometimes stayed in beautiful hotel rooms that are 70-80% their normal price simply because it is the shoulder period! Of course, each location’s offseason changes, but in general, traveling during spring or fall is a great time.

During the summer, many people are with their families on summer vacation, while in the winter, many people travel for the holiday season. I personally love traveling during the offseason as there are fewer crowds, and generally, the locals are friendlier.

When it comes to rewards travel, you can also save on redemption. Many airlines offer lower point redemption rates outside of peak dates. This extends to hotels like Marriott’s Bonvoy program, which recently released low season rates for point redemption. You can read more about traveling during the shoulder season here!

Travel Slow To Save Money

Transport costs are by far the most expensive part of traveling. It’s part of why we stay in certain regions longer and generally try to get long-term apartment rentals. Not only do you get worn out by sitting on a train, plane, or car every other day, but this it is a sure way to eat up your travel funds.

Tip: Many Airbnb hosts will offer discounts if you message them directly and tell them you are staying long-term. We have done this in Belgrade, Namibia, Scotland, Greece, Thailand, Indonesia, and Cape Town, and it worked out great!  You can check out some tips and read more about Airbnb here. 

Travel to Cheap Destinations

The United States, Australia, East Africa, and Northern Europe are all wonderful but expensive to travel. Traveling to cheaper regions of the world will help you travel longer. Of course, we all know that traveling around India, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines is affordable by Western standards. The other lesser-known cheap spots are the Balkans and Eastern Europe, South Africa, Greece, Nicaragua, Peru, Uraguay, and Costa Rica. See some of the most affordable destinations in the world here.

Get a Travel Buddy

I recommend picking up a travel buddy to cut costs while traveling if you can. Two people will be handy if you share accommodation, split a rental car, or cook meals together. If you can’t find a partner to travel with you this time, that’s okay—staying in a hostel is a cheap way to sleep and is a fun environment for meeting other travelers.

Or, if you are comfortable, you can try Couchsurfing. Couchsurfing is a website connecting travelers and locals, offering a free couch for travelers to crash on. While I think it’s a great way to meet people and stay somewhere for free, it’s important to check reviews and use common sense with strangers. 

Tip: There are active Facebook groups with people always looking for travel buddies. Another good app to download is Meetup, which is great for finding people in cities to do things with. 

Keep Flexible Plans

Flexibility is key to traveling on a budget. A flexible schedule will help you score cheap plane tickets and let you stay in one place for longer. A flexible attitude may also lead you to more affordable countries you may not have otherwise thought to go to, which is what travel is all about.

We set open dates and unknown destinations with Skyscanner to see where we can score a low-cost flight. Once we land in a new country, we travel overland by bus, car, or train to save on costs. We often travel for months so we don’t have to pay for the flight to go back and forth to North America.

We know this isn’t viable for everyone, but it is a good starting point to get the most bang for your money. If all you know is that you want to travel to a certain area of the world, research different flight routes and dates to get the best deal. Some of our favorite flight booking websites are Secret Flying and Skyscanner.

Pack & Come Prepared

This is mainly for my American readers. After traveling to over 60 countries, we have noticed one thing: the U.S. has the lowest prices on consumer goods I’ve ever seen. Pack your camera, laptop, suitcase, and, yes, even clothing and makeup before you fly abroad. I can almost guarantee it will be more expensive outside of the US (especially those electronics and makeup, ladies).

How to Save Money While Traveling

Stay cheap

It has probably taken a few lifestyle changes to save up some money for travel, so why change that when you travel?

Walk!

One of our favorite things to do when we arrive at a new destination is to walk around and explore. Not only is walking essential to living a healthy lifestyle, but it’s also free! When we are in cities, we literally walk everywhere, even if it means taking an extra 30 minutes to an hour. Then, we can get a feel for and direction for the city without spending a penny.

If your destination is too far to walk, opt for public transport instead of a taxi cab. I promise it’s more fun! Tip: We use the Google Maps app to get around in a new city and always love its accuracy. Maps.me is also great if you are driving and don’t have access to WiFi. 

Stay on Budget

I always find it helpful to set a daily budget for yourself and track it. We aim to spend less than $50 per day when traveling, and that will include anything from our coffee to our hotel room. Of course, that’s easier for Cameron and I since we are usually together and can split many costs. If you decide to partake in activity and go over your budget one day that’s okay, just try to stay under your budget the next day. A good budget-tracking tool I like to use is the Mint app.

Work While You Travel

If your goal is to travel for as long as possible, consider picking up a job on the road. There are plenty of jobs that allow you to stay abroad, including teaching English, becoming a virtual assistant, translating, and working on a yacht. Another great option is to volunteer.

Given the many jobs these days, working remotely is also possible. If it’s a good fit, consider putting in a request with your management to work while abroad. It won’t feel like you are on vacation the entire time, but you can still enjoy life in a new city like Rome, Cape Town, or Kyoto.

While you probably won’t get paid, many volunteer programs will provide food and accommodation for a few work hours each day. I’ve done this a few times in Croatia and Morocco. Websites that connect volunteers with business owners are Workaway, HelpX, and wwoofing.

Know the Rules

Ensure you read the fine print on train tickets, airline tickets, hotel rooms, and apartment rentals to avoid extra charges. This is especially true when booking a flight and knowing each airline’s baggage policy. A few hotel rooms and many Airbnbs will also charge cleaning and booking fees, so it’s important to read up on everything so you aren’t surprised by extra charges.

Manage Finances

Have you read our travel banking guide? It’s a comprehensive guide that will teach you how to manage your finances on the road. Opt for a credit card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees on every purchase abroad. Then, pick up a debit card with no ATM fees so that you aren’t charged a fee every time you pull out cash.

Always try your best to avoid using money changers and airport exchange booths at all times as they usually charge a high fee and find a way to rip you off. You can learn more about how we access our cash abroad here.

Eat in and Do Your Research

One of the easiest ways to go over budget is dining at restaurants every night. Go to the grocery store cook a meal whenever possible, and ask the locals for affordable lunch and dinner spots to try out. Stay away from the tourist areas when looking for places to eat, as the food will cost twice as much and taste half as good. As a last resort, we always go to TripAdvisor and find out where we can get a great meal at an affordable price.

Join Free Walking Tours

Many big cities around the globe offer free walking tours. I love going on these not only because they are free, but also because I can learn about a new city while learning my way around, and it’s also a great way to make new friends! Just make sure to tip your guide!

Travel Insurance

Get travel insurance to avoid surprises and expensive trips to the hospital abroad. I know that it may seem unnecessary, even though I hesitated to buy travel insurance before my first trip abroad. However, it’s important to buy a policy for those just-in-case scenarios.

We like to use HeyMondo. Their policies not only give you medical coverage abroad, but they also give you trip protection coverage, i.e., missed flights, lost baggage, and theft. If you’ll travel for a full year like us, check out IMG Global for long-term plans.

Stay Connected

Don’t land in a new country and turn on your cell phone only to get hit with roaming charges. Any text, call, or Facebook message will most likely cost you an arm and a leg with your cell phone provider back home. Instead, go pick up a local sim card so that you have a working phone while abroad – it’s always nice to be connected! In many countries, data and minutes are incredibly affordable.

It’s also worth noting that in this day and age, we can find WiFi at almost any hotel, coffee shop, or restaurant (it’s true—I even found it in rural Africa). Not to mention, it’s a lot safer to have a phone line for emergencies.

What do you think? Can you save money for travel by implementing a few of these tips? I guarantee that reducing needless items will help your wallet out in no time.

More on Travel Finances

• The Best Travel Credit Cards For Your Next Trip
• How to Start A Travel Blog That Makes Money
• How Travel Bloggers Make Money • Our Story
• Amazing Travel Banking Tips That Will Save You Money
• Tricks On How To Save On Accommodation

Since we travel full time we inevitably have to rent cars to explore many destinations. We’ve rented cars all around the globe, so much so that it is too many to count. So we want to help you determine how to rent a car, and more importantly, how to save money if it’s your first time!

If I had to guess, I’d say we have rented over 70 rental cars across six continents and 90 countries. Every time we think about a rental car, we moan and groan in anticipation of setting up another rental car booking. 

However, after repeating the dreadful task a ton, we’ve developed some helpful car rental tips and advice. If you’re wondering how to rent a car abroad or domestically, this post exposes all our favorite car rental tips and tricks.

Discover Cars is our favorite car rentals comparison site!

Our First Hand Tips for Renting a Car

1. Avoid Airport Surcharges

One of my top rental car tips is to avoid renting from the airport if possible. Airports typically charge a premium for the convenience of picking up your car right after your flight and dropping it off right before the departure flight.

Sometimes, the convenience for us is worth the fee, but sometimes, it’s not. Many times, the car rental offices located inside the city offer lower rates, so weigh your options to see if it’s worth it for you to get to the city first and then rent.

We did this recently in Calgary when we found out Enterprise was charging a $50 fee for airport pick up. The cab ride to the Enterprise in city center cost us $25 – so we saved $25! Plus, we didn’t need a car the first night in town since we arrived late, so we saved there, too.

2. You May Not Need Car Rental Insurance

Car rental companies love to upsell you on their insurance plans. It starts during the booking process and will continue when you arrive at the office to pick up your car. Sometimes, we politely decline and they don’t press any further. 

Other times, we have declined insurance and they proceed to scare the stuffing out of you until you give in and buy their ridiculous insurance plan. Typically this happens with smaller companies and not name brands like Hertz, and Enterprise – but it all depends on the location!

For Americans, if you have your own auto insurance policy, it may cover collision damage and even personal liability for a rental car. It’s worth making a call to your insurance provider to check what is covered. Additionally, many travel credit cards provide secondary CDW that will help after your primary insurance. A few notable credit cards provide primary CDW insurance we have this with our  Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, two great travel credit cards.

3. Get the Right Card

The best way to rent a car is with a credit card. Bringing me to my next point – credit cards with primary rental insurance. The Chase Sapphire Reserve is my favorite travel credit card for many reasons, but the primary rental insurance is one of its best perks (including Priority Pass membership).

When you put your rental car on your Chase Sapphire Reserve card you get primary coverage around the world up to $75,000.

4. Do Your Homework

Wondering how to rent a car? Remember to do all your homework first online. The best way to rent a car is online. Before we reserve a rental car we do our due diligence online first. Typically we will start with Discover Cars or other price comparison websites to get an idea of what a car rental will cost us. We always click through to the booking as many times these third-party booking engines will have extremely low prices that will be raised at checkout, or don’t include the taxes and any extra “fees.”

These third-party booking sites will also give you results from random car rental companies I’ve never heard of Dave’s wild west car rental, 1800Cars, ZoomZoomCars – the unique names could be endless. When we see these random car rental companies we always do our research to see if they are legit or not. Looking at Google reviews always helps!

Nine times out of ten we book with well-known rental companies such as Alamo, Enterprise, Avis, and SiXT. However, we have booked with third party companies and have never had a problem so don’t think they are all bogus. When booking with a larger company, we often go directly to their website to see if there are better prices available.

We’ll then go direct to the company website, like Hertz, Alamo, and Dollar and compare their prices there. Sometimes they are lower if you book and pay right then, but often this means your car rental is non refundable.

I usually prefer to stick with Discover Car, as we’ve used them around the world, and they are almost always cancellable – but always make sure to look at the details!

5. Take Reviews With a Grain of Salt

One of my top rental car tips is to learn how to read reviews efficiently. I always do my research on car rental companies and read reviews of the exact branch. I have to note that, like hotel reviews, I take many reviews with a grain of salt. Reviewers tend to get pissed off easily, and many times, it’s for circumstances that could have easily been avoided or are kinda “duh” situations.

They didn’t fill up their fuel when they returned the car, or their rented GPS has an upcharge, or they got charged extra for tolls. I disregard all those reviews when picking a car rental company to go with. Companies are also more likely to have someone write a bad review if they’re upset rather than a good one if they had a pleasant experience.

The ones I do take note of concern about customer service, cleanliness, and quality of cars, or if the branch tends to overbill and randomly charge your credit card. Again, do your research before booking. While I’ve never seen a rental agency with perfect reviews, I have definitely seen the difference between terribly rated places and 4+ stars.

6. Fill the Tank Up Yourself

Make sure you take note of this car rental tip. It may seem really convenient to have the rental agency fill the gas tank back up when you drop off the car, and it is! Don’t be fooled. You will be paying for that convenience later. If you got the car with a full tank in it make sure to plan extra time in your day to fill up the car before you return it.

Rental car companies will charge a premium on the gas in place of your convenience. At some shoddy car rental companies (ugh hum Rent A Cheapie in Cape Town) even made us provide a receipt that we just filled up the car at the nearest gas station. Completely wasting our time and frustrating us in the meantime.

There is also the option to prepay for fuel. Many times, the prepay rate is lower than the area, but you’re buying a full tank, and the rental car company is making a bet you won’t bring it back at exactly zero. So, most times, they win on the prepaid fuel. In general, it’s best to fill it up yourself anytime you rent a car!

7. Don’t Walk Up & Book a Rental Car

This is another great car rental tip. Like a flight, you’re going to find the best car rental rate beforehand online. Actually, if you book a car with less than 24 hours advance notice your rates may skyrocket.

If you walk off the airplane with the thought of just walking up to the car rental booth to rent, you’ll likely be surprised by the high prices – or worse – a car rental agency completely sold out of rental cars. We always aim to rent a car with at least 24 hours notice. If you do need a car on short notice, it might be best in this instance to go with smaller independent providers who can negotiate a rate with you.

8. Stick to One Driver

When thinking about how to rent a car, you may be curious if you should add additional drivers. Many times you will be charged additional driver fees if you want to add a second driver. If it’s not a long-distance you may want to designate a driver to stay behind the wheel rather than pay for the extra person.

Cameron prefers to drive over me and is pretty much our exclusive driver on road trips. He has put in more miles than he cares to admit on roads in foreign countries, like 25,000 across Africa.

9. Be 25+

Thinking “what do I need to rent a car?” Well it may help to be older! In the United States, you will pay a “young driver” fee if you are under 25 years old. So embrace hitting your mid-twenties – you can now get better rates on car rentals!

When I was under 25, I created a free account with USAA, which waives the young driver fee with partner companies. But you’ll need to do your own research to see if this works for you.

10. One Way Car Rentals Cost More

Picking up and dropping off at the same location will fetch you a better price than a one-way rental charge. We’ve rearranged whole trips to avoid the one-way rental charge rental companies impose.

Sometimes, if you have to get somewhere, this charge is unavoidable, and you may just have to pay it.

11. Expect a Hold Charge

Every single one of our forty or so rental cars has put a hold on our credit card for the rental period. Holds can range anywhere from a few hundred bucks to $1000+ in some countries. The “excess charge,” as it is called, is typically stated in your reservation details, but it is easy to miss.

We are aware that they must put this hold on our card, but it can be a huge shocker if you are unsuspecting and end up over your credit limit on your credit card. These excess charges are for scenarios where you disappear with the car and are never seen again or if you break something and refuse to pay for repairs. Stuff like that.

12. Don’t Opt for a GPS

Car rental companies absolutely love it when you add a GPS onto your rental for an extra $10-$15 a day. Avoid this charge by using your smartphone for navigation. We download offline maps of whole countries to Google Maps.

This gives us turn-by-turn direction even when we don’t have WiFi or data signal. Make sure to pick up a phone cradle before your trip for the drive. That way, you have distraction-free driving.

We’ve also used Maps.me to get us across, Africa. Back in the day, before smartphones, I even bought a new GPS for a two-week car rental in Australia, which turned out to be cheaper than what the rental company was going to charge.

13. Always Inspect and Take Photos

If you run into a guardrail with your rental, you’re going to be charged for damages. If someone else ran into a guardrail before you and you don’t note it when you pick up the rental car, you could also be charged for damages. Always, always, always, inspect every single rental car you get with great detail – inside and out, including the rims – this is my most important rental car tip.

Note any damages with the company and take photos just in case. This needs to happen before you drive off the lot for the first time with your rental car. We are both meticulous with rental car dings, scratches, windshield cracks, and cigarette burns.  Never assume that a scratch or ding is not important or big enough to note. When you return your rental make sure you get a slip signing off that all was okay on the car.

We’ve been blamed multiple times for things like “excessive sand on the floor in Mozambique,” random pieces of cheap plastic falling off in Mexico, and we were even charged for a small scratch on the hubcap in South Africa. Take photos and put up a fight if you think you are in the right.

14. Search For Discounts With Partners

If you’re a AAA member, you may secure up to a 20% off discount with Hertz, a 10% discount at Thrifty and an 8% discount at Dollar. Costco extends discounts to its members as well. Additionally, being affiliated with organizations like AAA, AARP, or USAA may grant you the perk of registering a second driver at no extra cost, saving you from the usual $10 to $15 daily fee.

15. Book Economy Cars

Economy cars are the cheapest option on car rental sites, and is what we typically book when traveling, unless we have a larger group. Not only does booking an Economy car save you money off the bat, but often economy vehicles are the first to sell out, increasing your odds for an upgrade!

Our Experience With Car Rentals

Not exactly car rental tips, but we give you our experiences with a few companies. Our experiences with rental car companies are always a toss-up. I’d say 75% of the time, we have a hassle-free encounter, but there have been certain companies that we prefer not to use anymore. We’ve rented from every major car rental company there is. Here are our thoughts.

• Enterprise: Enterprise is usually more expensive with their competitors, but we’ve had great customer service experiences with them and are always given a nicer car. We drove around Canada with them for two months and had no issues. 
• Alamo: Lately this has become our go-to car rental company. Decent customer service and a hassle free check in/check out process in Colorado, Idaho, and Costa Rica. We did hate their Cancun location though. They took forever to check in and tried to charge us for damages we did not do on the way out. Will still give them one more chance though.
• SiXT: SiXT is great for us, especially in Europe. We’ve scored some fantastic rates with them and I always look to their website first. Customer service is also top-notch and their offices are nice and modern.
• Europcar: Decent experience in Scotland. They are more budget than SiXt, but we have had positive experiences.
• Keddy by Europe Car: Decent experience in Portugal, a smaller more budget subsidiary of Europcar.
• Hertz: We will go OUT of our way to avoid Hertz. After a bad experience with them in both South Africa and Ireland, we are officially done.
• Rent A Cheapie: Only in Cape Town, Don’t do it.
• Avis: We’ve rented with Avis multiple times and the experience can be hit or miss depending on the branch. We were treated very well on the Hawaiian islands of Kauai and Big Island.
• Happy Campers: Happy Campers is a family run campervan business in Iceland and South Africa. We loved our rental experience with them.

The anxiety ranges from thinking I will miss my flight and failed security screenings to mini heart attacks every time there is a small bump in the air – in short, my brain runs wild during the process.

Since I travel full-time for a living, I have to overcome these feelings and board the next plane. I take several strategies to ensure a smooth travel experience when I fly long distances. Whether it be your first flight or your 50th, I hope these long haul flight tips will help you the next time you fly.

Long Flight Tips To Know

1. Wear a Sweatshirt

If you’re wondering what to take on a long-haul flight, a sweatshirt, fleece, or jacket should be of most importance. Don’t forget a coat or sweater when getting on any flight. I’ve noticed the temperatures in planes range from insanely hot to insanely cold.

There’s only so much you can do if it’s hot, but a sweater will help you with any chills. Airplanes often don’t have extra blankets if you’re on a full flight. So if you arrive without something to keep warm and the plane is freezing, you’ll be snuggling up with your seatmate and one blanket.

2. Pack What You Need to Be Comfortable

This is one of my top long haul flight tips. When getting on any long-haul flight, I make sure I have everything in my carry-on to be comfortable for the entire trip.

My long-haul flight essentials are typically a charged phone, sweatshirt, lotion, a toothbrush with a small tube of toothpaste, my glasses, chapstick, my computer to work, and noise-canceling headphones.

Say what you want about yoga pants, but they are my go-to on long-haul flights. If I’m getting on a 10-hour flight, my main priority is my comfort, not looking fashionable. I’m not saying you should go looking like a dirty vagabond, but it’s unnecessary to fly in heels and a dress if you don’t want to.

My perfect long-haul flight outfit is black yoga pants, a cute shirt or oversized sweater, and my Allbirds. Avoid belts and excessive jewelry as they will hold you up at security. Cameron suggests a sweater, t-shirt, Vaha pants from prAna, and Vans sneakers for men.

Other long haul flight essentials to stay comfortable:

• Travel-sized deodorant
• Floss
• Face cleansing wipes
• Lip Balm
• Eye Mask
• Hand Sanitizer

3. Order Vegetarian

One of my top long-haul flight tips is to request a vegetarian meal. If you’ve ever been on a flight offering food, you may have noticed some people get their food before everyone else. That’s because when booking they selected a special meal. This could be vegan, kosher, vegetarian, or other options.

We always order vegetarian when we are booking because we eat mainly vegetarian and because that means we get our meals before everyone else! I’ve also noticed that the special meals are often fresher and more specialized than the typical meal.  The first step to having an enjoyable long-haul flight is to be complete and happy.

4. Invest in TSA Precheck

We love our TSA precheck and I can’t believe we waited so long to get it. If you travel more than a few times a year in the United States, TSA precheck is impressive and a great time saver. It makes the whole check-in and security process at the airport much less stressful.

We don’t have to take off our shoes or pull out our laptops, but the real advantage is the time you save in line. It’s so lovely (especially when we are running late) to hop in the precheck line and breeze past the main security.

If you are a Chase Sapphire Reserve or Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card cardholder, your card will reimburse you $85 for your TSA precheck application or $100 for Global Entry. One of the many benefits of having a travel credit card!

5. Bring Your Own Headphones

Most long-haul flights have in-flight entertainment and will provide you with their headphones free of charge. However, these headphones are typically the cheapest and most uncomfortable earbuds ever, so one of my top tips for long flights is always to have your own headphones.

I always have a pair of excellent headphones in my carry-on backpack that is adequate to have in/on my ears for hours on end.

6. Bring Backup Entertainment

We’ve been on a few long-haul flights that don’t have any entertainment. Let me tell you; those can be brutal if you don’t have a backup source of joy or a way to pass the time. So one of my top long flight tips is to bring something for entertainment.

Want to know how to spend time on a long-haul flight? Whether it be a book, kindle, iPad, phone, or laptop, make sure you have something on you, or it could be a very long flight. Have your book or download your movies beforehand.

7. Don’t Forget a Water Bottle

My water bottle is always on me so I save plastic and money when traveling. Bring a water bottle on board the plane with you so that your flight attendant can fill it once and not waste a plastic cup or keep coming back to refill. Check out a few of our favorites here.

8. Be Kind to Your Eyes

One of my top long flight tips! I would highly recommend prefilling a contact lens case with contact solution before any long-haul flight for my fellow contact and glasses users. We all know that feeling when you fall asleep with your contacts in and wake up with them glued to your eyeballs.

Don’t let that happen on board, and come prepared with your glasses and case so you can interchange between the two. It’s pretty easy to forget when you’re on a long-haul flight.

9. Board the plane last

I learned this long-haul flight tip from a fellow passenger I was chatting with on a flight to Costa Rica. He told me he always tries to be the last person to board the plane.

If he doesn’t like his seat, he can sit somewhere else (assuming it’s not a full flight) and pretend it was his original seat. If you do this and have a special meal, tell the flight attendants to avoid confusion at mealtime.

10. Pick Your seats Before your Flight

When you book your flight, select the seat you want. Whether aisle or window, it’s essential to choose one randomly instead of being assigned one.

Some handy long haul flight tips I’ve gathered over the years:

• Don’t pick a seat in front of an exit row. The chairs often don’t recline.
• Don’t pick seats right next to the lavatory or it could be a smelly ride with people always lined up near you.
• When we travel as a pair we try to choose the window and aisle of a row, leaving the middle open. At best no one will choose that middle seat and you will have the row to yourself. At worst the seat will get filled and 99.9% of the time the middle seat will switch with you to avoid the middle.
• Enter your airplane model into SeatGuru to see which seats and considered the best and worst.
• Recheck your seat map the night before your flight to see the occupancy levels and if you can switch to better seats.
• Seats towards the front of the plane will experience less turbulence.
• When checking in ask the gate agent how full the flight is and if you can change your seats.

11. Check In Beforehand

When the 24 hours before your flight time hits, you will likely get an email prompting you to check in. This is great if you are flying carry-on only, but if you have bags to check, you will still have to get to the airport and either check-in with a ticket agent or print your bag tags out and self-drop them off.

So allow extra time for that, and if you already checked in online beforehand, be prepared to do it again anyways.

12. Don’t Go Overweight on Baggage

This is one of those long-haul flight tips that seem simple, but I see it almost every time we go to the airport. Passengers go over their weight allowance for their checked bags and then scramble to open their luggage and readjust their items while others are trying to check-in.

I have done it a few times, and it always creates unnecessary stress at the airport and makes everyone else in line wait on you. Before you pack your bags, pay particular attention to your weight allowance.

Once you are packed up, weigh your bags on a scale to ensure you are within your airline’s allowance. Most airlines allow 23 kg or 50 lbs for checked baggage; however, low-cost carriers typically only allow 20 kg for checked baggage.

13. Pay for Baggage When Booking

Pay attention when booking and see if checked bags are not included in the price of your airline ticket or not. Most US domestic flights do not include checked baggage, and low-cost carriers never do. However, most long-haul international flights have one to two checked bags included in the price of the ticket.

Always check the specifics on checked bags when booking your flights. You will want to pay for your baggage during the online booking process, or you could pay extra at the airline counter.

14. Bring a Travel Pillow

A good travel pillow can make a long-haul flight more endurable. I prefer ones that wrap around my entire neck and provide good support for when my neck ultimately slumps to one side.

If you are flying international on an overnight flight, the airline will typically provide you with a blanket and a small pillow, but don’t expect quality here. If you are flying a low-cost carrier – like WOW Air, Spirit, Norwegian Airlines, or Jetstar don’t expect comfort items to be readily available for free.

15. Enjoy a Glass of Tea or Water

It’s essential to stay hydrated when flying long haul. Don’t drink too much alcohol and instead stick to water or tea. Typically the airlines only have one type of generic tea, so I usually make sure I have a few extra handy nice flavored tea bags and ask the flight attendants for hot water.

Chamomile tea is excellent when flying to soothe your nerves and muscles. If you fear flying, you can try taking melatonin to help zonk you out if you have anxiety – but don’t get too zonked out.

16. Set Your Clock to Your new Time Zone

One of my top tips for long flights is to set your clock before you land! Chances are you will switch time zones on your long-haul flight.

When I board the plane, I like to set my clock to the time in my new country. I then set up my internal clock to my new time zone. It helps with jet lag!

17. Pack Some Snacks

Even if your long-haul flight has food onboard, it may still be worth it to pack a few snack items. Things like Clif Bars, dried mangos, nuts, and apples hold up well on a plane and can curb your appetite. I often find airplane food to be pretty crappy, and I love being able to control what I eat with pre bought snacks.

18. Carry On All Electronics

When we travel, we have two bags – our checked luggage and a backpack. The personal bag holds our computers, camera, lenses, kindle, and cords.

We never check electronics for three reasons. One – they are fragile and could easily break. Two – because you never know who is going through your bag! Three – because we want our electronics to work and entertain ourselves when on the flight.

Lithium-ion batteries in electronics are prone to fire in rapid temperature shifts. For the plane’s safety, it’s best to keep large batteries on your person in the pressurized cabin.

19. Get a TSA Friendly Suitcase

The Transportation Security Administration is pretty notorious for having bad service and practices. Things like broken locks or missing/damaged items are common occurrences for passengers. Then there are countless videos showing airline employees rummaging through suitcases in search of valuables.

While you can’t completely prevent something from happening to your belongings, you can minimize the risk and get a TSA Friendly suitcase.

These locks mean you can secure your belongings and know that no one can enter your bag besides the TSA. I travel with the eBags Hardside spinner and love it! It features a Flush-mounted TSA-recognized 3-dial combination lock for safe packing, and I haven’t had any issues yet. You can see our favorite hard-side luggage pieces here.

Side note: Many travel credit cards and travel insurance will reimburse you for any lost or damaged luggage. 

20. Remember Your Phone Charger

Many of the long-haul flights I’ve been on recently have USB ports to charge your phone, so remember to bring your charging cable to be fully charged when you land at your destination.

These days it’s a valuable tool as it holds all of our reservations, maps, currency calculators, and ride service applications.

21. Pack a Pen

You will want to have this simple item in your carry-on bag, but it’s often forgotten. If you are flying internationally, filling out the customs form on board the plane will save much time at immigration.

However, it always seems like no one ever has a pen, and I wouldn’t count on asking the flight attendants. Travel with one in your bag to stay ahead of the game.

22. Bring a Yoga Mat

I travel with my travel yoga mat to practice yoga in countries worldwide.  Sitting on a plane for hours is uncomfortable and unnatural for the body, and it’s essential to take time and care for your limbs when you can. I love to stretch before and after the flight I reach my destination.

23. Consider Priority Pass

A Priority Pass membership may be worth it if you are a frequent traveler. We have been Priority Pass members for years and will never go back. It has made traveling around the world so much more enjoyable. Priority Pass is a membership that grants members access to many airport lounges worldwide. It is convenient if you have long layovers or arrive at the airport early.

We have been granted many of the lounges access our top-notch with great food and drinks, free WiFi, and comfortable places to sit. (However, a few have been shoddy, cramped, dirty, and not much better than the terminal.) 

We received a complimentary Priority Pass membership as Chase Ultimate Reserve cardholders. The card has a high $550 annual but tons of perks that have paid itself tenfold.

Just think about all the money you spend on food and drinks at the airport. With membership in airline lounges, you can knock those costs out as they often have free food, drinks, and coffee – some even have full bars. This has been a game-changer for us regarding long-haul flight tips as we find hanging out in the lounges is far more relaxing and comfortable than spending hours in the terminal.

24. Plan for Your Landing

If you are changing climates, pack what you need to be comfortable in your new home. You don’t want to arrive at a snowy destination in flip-flops or be wearing a parka in a dream beach destination.

25. Invest in Airtags

I’ll finish this list of tips for long flights with a very important one. Post pandemic travel has been busy and chaotic. It seems there are more travelers than ever and not enough employees. Often the airports don’t know how to handle the influx of people leading to delays and plenty of lost luggage. In 2022 we invested in Apple Airtags, and they have more than paid off as airlines have lost our luggage a handful of times.

Thankfully with the Airtags in our luggage we are able to see exactly where are luggage is. If it made it on the flight, or if it didn’t…

They are a cheap investment if you travel a lot, considering the peace of mind they can give you always knowing where your bags are. Don’t have an iPhone? Check out Tile.

Above all, sit back and try to enjoy your long-haul flight with these tips for long flights and get excited about an epic trip! Want to see what all to take on long haul flight? Check out our flight essentials list here. 

The Best Travel Packing Hacks

Wear Your Heaviest Clothing on the Flight

One of my top travel packing hacks is wearing heavy clothes when you fly, especially if you are flying only carry-on, as you do not waste precious space by jamming your most substantial items in your luggage.

If you’re traveling with items like hiking boots and a large jacket, make sure to wear the boots and carry the coat. These heavyweight items can consume valuable space and weight.

It seems simple, but we always make sure to have the most cumbersome and largest clothing items actually on us when we fly. This is most helpful in the winter months or when we’re on a ski vacation.

Invest in Packing Cubes

An excellent suitcase packing hack is to use cubes! Yes, we love packing cubes and never go anywhere without them! They’re an amazing way to organize your luggage, and you can utilize all sorts of strategies. You can organize by clothing type, outfits, or color.

It makes finding things a breeze and saves you from always folding and unfolding clothes. A bonus is when unloading the bag, as you don’t have to worry about your clothes touching the dirty floor. Packing cubes make putting your clothes away in dressers a breeze too.

Word of warning, don’t substitute plastic bags for packing cubes as they trap moisture. The moisture can make for funky clothes, especially in the summer or in humid weather destinations.

Store Items in Shoes

An excellent travel packing hack is to utilize your luggage space with a pair of shoes. Shoes are often weak when you pack a bag as they’re heavy and can take up a lot of space in your luggage. However, if you utilize a smart packing strategy, you can use the area within your shoes.

You can stuff your shoes with your socks or something glass like a bottle of perfume or cologne. Not only does this save space, but it can protect a fragile item in transit.

Invest in Insoles

Are your stylish shoes not the most comfortable when you travel? Instead of purchasing new shoes just for a trip, why not consider upgrading your existing ones with a pair of custom insoles?

Learn to Love a Sarong

A sarong is a go-to packing item as they’re wonderful for all kinds of travel. You can use a sarong as a blanket, cover-up, and a travel towel.

If you’re traveling around Southeast Asia, they are particularly useful as you’re often required to cover your shoulders and legs to enter a temple. The same goes when you enter the churches of Europe.

Get a Dirty Shoe Bag

We always travel with at least three pairs of shoes. Typically this is a pair of running shoes, a pair of Allbirds, dress shoes, and sandals. I often wear classic boots and pack my lightweight running shoes in my luggage.

I use a nylon bag to store my dirty shoes to protect my clothes and luggage, which is one of the most important travel packing hacks to keep the rest of your luggage clean. If you’re looking for a quick travel packing hack to find a suitable bag, take one of the disposable laundry bags from your hotel room.

Don’t Pack the Soap

No need to pack your soap and other toiletries as hotels always have this item. We rarely travel with easy toiletries such as soap and shampoo. The one exception is specialty products we can only get at home, such as face lotions, toothpaste, face wash, deodorant, etc.

If you are staying at an Airbnb, there is still the chance to buy it at a nearby grocery store, which will save on your baggage weight when flying to and from your destination and ensure that there are no spills or shampoo leaks in your bag.

Toiletry Bags Are Gold

For the liquids and toiletries that we pack in our bag, we always store them in a toiletry bag. It can save your clothes from razors, makeup, toothpaste, or liquid. I use a regular toiletry bag from Tropicfeel, while Tasha prefers a hanging one.

Hanging ones are great for staying organized and keeping your stuff off the counter. If you need a new bag check out our list of the best toiletry bags.

Bring the Right Luggage

Another of my favorite suitcase packing hacks is touring with the right luggage. Unless you like paying for expensive overweight luggage fees, starting your trip with a lightweight suitcase is best. We have a post about our favorite carry-on backpacks and the best carry-on luggage if you need a new piece of luggage and some ideas.

We like stylish, lightweight bags with four sturdy wheels and simple organization pieces. Our favorite suitcases are always hardshell ones, as shown in the photo above. You can check our post on backpacks for Europe if you want to learn more about backpacks.

Less is Always More

People always tend to overpack. If you’re smart and pack light, it almost always leads to a more enjoyable trip. We like to adequately pack our bags and then go through them a day or two in advance.

The night before our trip, we remove what we absolutely don’t need. We’ve learned to be pretty ruthless when packing. We’ve ditched countless items in hotel rooms simply because our bags were too full. If we had left the item at home, we would still have our things.

Plan Before You Go

If you’re having difficulty with the travel packing hack above, try to plan your outfits in advance. If it’s a trip, you can even do a test run and have a mini fashion show with yourself before leaving.

Pack several different outfits and then mix and match. Remember that black goes with everything, and so does white (though white gets dirty very easily), and to stay away from colors that clash. You don’t have to avoid color, but I generally try to stay away from patterns since they aren’t so universal. Pack so that you can intertwine outfits easily.

Use Small Bags

If you take a daily supplement, vitamins, or medicine regularly, portion them out for your trip and don’t take all the bottles.

Pack it in a small bag or pill organizer to reduce bulk. Just make sure if it’s a prescription, you have the label! If you’re looking for the perfect size, try out little pill packets.

Keep Liquids Together

Carry-on travelers must ensure all liquids are in a clear plastic bag. This will save a lot of time and energy in the security line when flying. Or maybe you like the TSA searching around your bag for a little bottle of contact solution? We do not! To avoid this, we recommend applying for a TSA precheck if you are flying in the United States. This makes airport security a breeze.

Have a Dirty Laundry Bag

You can’t talk about packing hacks without bringing a laundry bag. We like to travel with a small fabric or mesh bag for our dirty clothes. This keeps the rest of our clothes from getting dirty and smelly. You mustn’t use a plastic bag or something that does not breathe as it will cause damp clothes to mildew.

If you have a wet bathing suit and don’t have time to dry it before packing, try using a waterproof bag like this one here.

Roll Your Clothes

One of our top travel packing hacks is to roll instead of fold. We love to roll our clothes to save space. It’s a great way to pack a suitcase and one of our favorite packing hacks. Each item gets rolled and then placed in its respective packing cube.

Opening the packing cube also makes the selection a lot easier as you can see all the items from the top. As an added bonus, it’s effective at wrinkle prevention!

Protect Fragile Items

An excellent packing hack is to consider what can break in your bag and take steps to protect it. If I’m going to check my luggage, I like to wrap my perfume bottle in a scarf and pack it in the center of my bag. If you travel with electronics like cameras or a laptop, always carry them on. I do not trust the TSA with valuables and put all electronics and important items in an anti-theft backpack.

Be extra careful of products like perfume or colored lotion in your checked luggage, as they can damage your clothes if they explode. We recommend putting them in a bag for when you are in transit.

Plastic Wrap Liquid Tops

Air pressure can change a lot in flight, resulting in toiletries exploding in your luggage. There is a simple packing hack if you want to avoid items like sunscreen from exploding in your luggage. Cut small pieces of plastic, remove caps, cover the top, and replace the cap.

For smaller items, we use Humangear travel tubes. The soft and squeezable design permits easy dispensing with a no-drip silicone valve that keeps the cap clean and doesn’t explode.

Pick up Some Dryer Sheets

Take a few dryer sheets and layer them in between your clothes. This is one of our favorite travel packing hacks to keep our clothes smelling nice.

It’s much easier and more effective than packing a whole bottle of fabric freshener. Who doesn’t want to smell Tide fresh?

Try Out Wrinkle Release

We’ve tried the trick to steam your clothes in the bathroom, but it never seems to work. And traveling with a fabric steamer takes up a lot of room in your suitcase. Instead, we like to travel with a bottle of wrinkle release and utilize any iron when we have the time.

Balance Weight in Your Suitcase

Try packing your bulkiest items on the bottom of your wheeled luggage to keep your suitcase balanced.

You should also bear in mind the weight in each clamshell suitcase’s half. It’s easy to end up with all the weight in one half of the bag. A poorly balanced suitcase is more difficult to roll and prone to falling.

Keep In-flight Necessities Within Reach

If I have an outer pocket, I like to keep all of my flight essentials within easy reach. Things like headphones, lip balm, water bottles, an eye mask, travel pillow, or your favorite book should all be easily accessible in your carry-on bag.

Consider what you’d like to have while stuck on a plane or bus and plan accordingly. It’s no fun to keep getting up and disrupting other passengers when you need something out of the overhead compartment. Check out our list of long-haul flight essentials to make travels more enjoyable.

Get a Cross Body Bag!

One of my top travel packing hacks for not just women – but men too! Do yourself a favor and get yourself a Lululemon Everywhere Belt Bag or something similar! I bought one a year ago and now go everywhere with it. Before, I was stuffing my phone in whatever pocket I had, or in my bra, or even worse – my husband’s pocket. I hated it. I couldn’t stash all my cards and makeup because I didn’t want to travel with a large purse.

And that’s where a travel belt bag came in. These small belt bags are perfect for going through the airport or venturing around a new city. There are many colors to choose from, and although they don’t look as stylish as a purse, they don’t look out of place.

Plus, they are much more secure than a traditional purse, as the way they wrap around the torso would detract from any pickpockets.

Use a Clamshell Suitcase

We love clamshell hard-side suitcases as they provide easy access to our luggage. Keep in mind that clamshell suitcases occupy a larger space in the hotel room, which is a negative when in small places. However, the ease and organization of a clamshell suitcase are the best, and almost all of our bags are clamshell designs.

Leave Space or Pack Old Clothes You Can Ditch

This is packing hack advice101. You’ll want to bring souvenirs home, so you have two ways to make room in your luggage. Either leave enough space in your bag to add a few more items, or you travel with a few older pieces of clothes you can leave behind.

Get Active

If you like to stay in shape when traveling, consider picking up fitness items that travel well. I like to travel with a jump rope and a workout band set.

With those two items, I can do just about any workout with some space, as hotel gyms can be limited and sad sometimes. Or, if the trip is short enough, I ensure my hotel has a decent gym so I can ditch the gear.

Put Your Belt In a Shirt

This is one of the best packing hacks there is. Suppose you’re traveling on business or like to dress smart place your belt inside your collar to keep it clean and stiff. This is great for a quick fix, but it’s best to try out some collar stays if you travel a lot.

Personalize Your Suitcase

I learned this the hard way when the airline lost my black suitcase, and when they thought they had found it, they brought me someone else’s black suitcase. If only I had had something to quickly identify it as mine, a bright tag would have even done the trick!

So to end this list of packing hacks I recommend you personalize your suitcase. No one wants to lose their suitcase, which is much more likely if your suitcase looks like hundreds of others. Try to pick out a unique, colorful, and stylish bag. Or you use a simple sticker, ribbons, or a luggage tag to differentiate your bag.

Roam Luggage is one of our favorite luggage companies, they allow you to customize your bag completely down to the wheels and handles. You truly can make a piece of luggage that no one else in the world has!

In our travels, we camp, volunteer, participate in cleaning, participate in conservation efforts, support non-profits, and celebrate the eco-lodges. We also make an effort to reduce our waste and choose companies whose ethos aligns with our own. Of course, we are not perfect by any means, but we are conscious of our choices and always look to change for the better.

Previously, we’ve talked about the best eco-friendly products and shared tips in a large number of posts about reducing your travel impact. However, there are so many ways you can become a more environmentally conscious traveler we decided to compile them all here.

It all starts with simple easy fixes that anyone can do! You’ve probably at least one or two of these tips, but we hope everyone takes away a new idea for eco-friendly travel.

Why Care About Eco Friendly Travel?

It has to do with what we’ve seen in life and what is left on our “bucket list.” We’ve seen hummingbirds in the Ecuadorian rainforests, followed elephants traversing the desert, dove into the wonders of the Indian Ocean, and wandered serene bamboo forests in Japan. The list could go on.

Then I think about what lies in store for future generations. Those who may not have the opportunity to witness snowfall peacefully in the backyard, dive on the Great Barrier Reef, or canoe down a wild Zambezi River.

I grew up in Michigan and every year we had snow on Christmas, and winters lasted a little too long for my liking — I even had to move South to escape the cold. The past few years, though? Temperatures during the holiday season are hitting record highs. On my last Christmas in Michigan, the ground was no longer covered in white, but instead, it was a mushy brown mess.

I took the snow for granted, and none of us have protected our winters. This all has a much larger impact than some people in the midwest no longer having to complain about the trudge through knee-deep snow. The soil below that is now more prone to freeze without the snow for insulation which can have a large impact on the farmer’s crops of the midwest. This is just a localized example — on a global scale, the implications are massive.

It makes us sad for our planet, for our future generations, and for the naysayers who claim this is all just a “hoax.” However, there are many things that we can collectively do to be more conscious of our world when we are traveling and in our everyday lives.

Eco-Friendly Travel Tips

Turn Off the Lights

This is probably the most brainless simple eco-friendly travel thing to do. Turn off the lights when you are not using them, there’s no reason to have them on. One billion people live without electricity, and that is usually what I think about when I see unneeded lights on.

If you’re reading this, my guess is you are not one of those one billion people and can make a push for more eco-friendly travel habits. While you’re at it make sure to conserve A/C or heat in your home and unplug your electronics when you are not using them.

Vote with Your Tourism Dollars

This is quite possibly how you can make the largest difference when you travel. Whether we want to admit it or not money makes the world go round. Almost all of our most environmentally destructive actions stem from financial gains. There is a flip side here. This means that choosing where you spend your money can make a big difference in how the tourism market grows.

For example, choosing to go with an environmentally conscious tour operator even if it means paying a bit more, participating in conservation efforts, or staying at eco-lodges can make a big difference. A lodge we visited, Wolwedans, was almost entirely self-sufficient in the middle of a desert and had made extraordinary efforts in conservation. They are only one example of many companies that exemplify sustainable travel and make the world a better place.

When you choose to spend your tourism dollars with eco-friendly businesses it paves the way for more businesses to follow suit.

Reduce Your Beef Intake

If you want to really be environmentally friendly this tip is critical and one of the top ways you can reduce your footprint in the world. According to the Worldwatch Institute, 51% of global greenhouse-gas emissions are caused by animal agriculture. The land, water, and all other variables that go into the livestock sector in the US generate as many greenhouse gas emissions as all vehicles combined.

In one of my favorite documentaries, Before the Flood, Leonardo Dicaprio states that a half-pound of beef is the equivalent of running the air-conditioner! About two years ago we made the choice to go pescatarian for a plethora of reasons, but the environmental impacts of the beef and livestock industry were definitely the number one contributor. Honestly, we don’t eat much fish anymore either…which brings me to my next point.

Reduce your Seafood Intake

Although we will still indulge in sushi in Japan (I told you we are not perfect), we pretty much live a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle. Once I made the decision to give up meat I knew that I didn’t want to give up seafood too. I absolutely love sushi and do indulge in a good shrimp cocktail. And beyond that, we don’t really care for seafood too much.

and then I learned…

Most fish on our dinner plates is a product of destructive fishing practices. We are overfishing through horrible methods that damage sensitive habitats and often catch marine wildlife that ends in their deaths. Commercial fishing is responsible for the death of countless numbers of sharks, whales, dolphins, and sea turtles as they’re unable to breathe in the nets and die by the time they pull them on the boat.

Some of the destructive fishing methods you may have heard of are bottom trawling, cyanide fishing, and dynamite fishing.

• Bottom Trawling is the most destructive industrial fishing practice there is. Bottom Trawling is where a large net with heavy weights is dragged across the ocean floor picking up everything in it’s path from dolphins to turtles. When they are dragged up the fishing boats take what they came to fish and throw the rest of the now dead marine life back into the ocean. Bottom trawling also destroys the coral reef and disrupts sediment. The effects of this can be seen from space!
• Cyanide Fishing is a method of fishing where fishermen literally squirt sodium cyanide into the water to stun fish without killing them and make them easier to fish. This destroys the coral. This practice is seen frequently in China, Singapore, and Hong Kong eating live fish is common.
• Dynamite Fishing is another terrible technique where explosives are set off underwater destroying everything. The dead fish float to the top to be collected and then served for dinner.

90% of world fish stocks are overexploiting the fishing industry. We are simply killing too many fish for the ocean to replenish and we could lose important species if we are not careful. Supply not meeting demand.

I’m not saying you should go completely vegan here, that is a personal choice to make. However, I am saying that limiting your beef and seafood intake to one or two times a week is a good start. Other ways you can help make sure you are eating sustainably sourced meat and seafood is to ask where your seafood and meat are coming from and to look for eco-labels. If you enjoy line fishing and want to eat the fish that you catch this is also an alternative method.

Switch to Solar Power

We’ve stayed in many lodges that have switched to solar power – and love it! It’s initially very expensive to set up, but the long-term cost is small. The sun rises in most places every day for no charge at all! We should make use of it. We always opt for accommodation with solar panels rather than grid powered if possible.

On a smaller scale try switching to solar-powered products. We’ve been traveling with the Little Sun for years and love it! (The company also gives back). Little Sun is a high-quality solar-powered LED lamp lantern. We used it camping all over Africa and it was amazing. But there are tons of products like the Little Sun! We also like to purchase products like solar-powered lanterns instead of flashlights for camping.

Not only are they cheaper than battery-operated lanterns, but they are more durable. Now, we don’t have to worry about buying batteries!

Ditch the Hair Dryer

I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve used a blow drier in the past four years and I must say I love how healthy it feels. Aside, from that time a crazy Serbian hairdresser trashed it.

Hair dryers take up a ridiculous amount of electricity, and space in your suitcase, and they dry out your hair. Consider ditching them and going all-natural. It’s an easy fix and such a small part to play. It’s not going to save the world, but every single step counts.

Turn off the Taps

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth and take shorter showers. Many people in the world don’t have the luxury of having water come out of their tap conveniently as we do in the west.  Making a conscious effort to conserve water can go a long way. This is a no-brainer when it comes to living an eco-friendly life.

Decline Plastic Bags

Always always always decline plastic bags while shopping. We travel with reusable bags for grocery store trips, or opt to carry our groceries when we don’t have a bag.

I love companies like Trader Joe’s which only use paper bags and I wish more supermarkets in North America would follow suit. I also love how grocery stores across Europe charge you for each plastic bag used, which makes the consumer more conscious and think about if they really need that damn plastic bag.

Until big retailers do away with plastic bags across the globe it’s up to us to keep resisting that plastic. In North America, grocers provide you with as many bags as you want when you don’t really need them (and it drives me insane). We personally would rather stuff our hands full and walk out of the store than waste a plastic bag.

Also, purchase some reusable produce bags when you get those reusable grocery bags too, please. Nothing makes me cringe more than people putting bananas in a plastic bag. Seriously, bananas already have protection on them. If I have to use unnecessary plastic for my produce shopping I won’t buy the item.

In Southeast Asia, the 7-11 will give you a plastic bag handle just for your iced coffee – because actually holding the cup is too inconvenient. I’m not just picking on these places though, plastic consumption is rampant everywhere and it’s up to us to demand a change.

Single-use plastic really gets me worked up – can you tell?

Invest in Eco-Friendly Products.

There is no reason to accept a plastic straw today. There are so many alternative straws that I can’t believe plastic straws are still a thing. We have silicone, metal, bamboo, and paper straws. (our favorite are silicone). This was a very simple fix that can have a big impact on your plastic consumption.

It’s not just straws though. It’s disposable razors, coffee cups, and lids, shampoo bottles, plastic cutlery, etc. The list goes on and on. Purchase some small eco friendly travel products that will cut back on your waste.

Purchase Fair Trade Clothing

Who makes the clothes we wear every day and what kind of conditions do they work in? Have you ever asked yourself this question?

It’s very tempting to buy clothing from Old Navy and H&M. I mean who doesn’t love $10 yoga pants?

However the reality of this that many of these affordable large scale clothing companies pay their employees. The fashion industry is a culprit of depleting the earth’s resources and pretty much-using cheap slave labor to get us our cheap clothes. It’s important to think about these things when purchasing clothing and opt to go for fair trade clothing.

Just a few of my favorite eco-friendly clothing brands are:

• United By Blue
• REI
• Patagonia
• Yoga Democracy
• prAna

Help Educate People

Going off this, many people around the world aren’t aware of the effects of plastic, littering, meat consumption, cheap labor, and soil degradation. Companies like LUSH do a great job informing them. But as travelers, we can help too. Next time someone insists on giving you a plastic bag tell them that plastic doesn’t decompose. When someone has that extra large bbq platter tell them about how harmful the meat industry is to our environment (but not in a douchy I’m a vegan way).

When you see someone littering try not to scream inform them that a wild animal could die from their waste. We all are people of this earth and should work together to protect it.

Remember though not to be condescending in your help. Be informative and help educate in a productive way.

Travel with a Water Bottle

We both have a collection of travel water bottles and we never forget to bring them on a trip. I do not purchase plastic water bottles anywhere. Always having a waterbottle greatly limits our plastic water bottle purchases. Saving us money and saving the world from yet another wasteful piece of one-time use plastic.

We are big fans of refilling our water bottles from the tap. When we are at restaurants we ask for tap water in a glass. If we are in a country where the water is questionable we either buy large water tanks and refill from there as these are typically reused or we trust that either our Lifestraw Go or Grayl waterbottle will do the job.

I’ve only gotten sick from water once and it was in Uganda a day after we rafted down the Nile river and drank a gallon of Nile river water while thinking I was going to grown.

If you’re having a tough decision about the best travel water bottle on the market we’ve made a post to help you out!

Always Ask for Tap Water

If we are anywhere outside of North America and ask for water with our meals we are almost always given a bottle of water. This is not only completely wasteful but will also cost us an additional $2-$3 per meal. Always specify that you want tap water at restaurants to avoid this (it’s free!).

Pick Up the Trash

Pick up any trash that you see floating about and dispose of it properly. Every little bit counts and it sets an example for others. I can’t even say its the most simple eco-friendly travel tip, but it certainly isn’t hard. Wherever we travel we find ourselves picking up trash even if it’s not ours. You should do the same! Leave a destination better than you found it.

Make Eco Friendly Travel Choices at the Market

If there is an option then try to avoid any plastic at the grocery store. I usually find it easy with things like milk – where there are plastic and paper containers that the milk is filled in. Paper although slowly is degradable, plastic is not. And say NO to businesses that make wasteful decisions. Such as, individually wrapping every single apple/broccoli/pepper in plastic wrap. Ridiculous!

Reuse your Towels

Avoid unnecessary washing and reuse the towels you are given in a hotel or guesthouse (or at home!). In most hotels, this simply just means hanging up your towel so the maid knows that you will use it again and not wash it. You can read about the best travel towels on our site as well. We like to travel with the Youphoria Travel Towel, which dries quickly and folds up small when traveling.

It’s dead simple things like packing a travel towel to become more eco-friendly. If we start out with baby steps and we can make big gains in becoming more environmentally friendly travelers.

Road Trip and Carpool

This is one of my top eco friendly travel tips. Consider taking a road trip instead of flying to help cut down on your carbon emissions. This is especially true when you are a group. Plus it saves on travel costs and provides breathtaking scenery. See our favorite road trips here.

Use Public Transport

When traveling you can help save on carbon emissions by not renting a car and utilizing public transport. Take the bus or train, bike, or walk instead of driving. Also, have yo unheard of BlaBlaCar? It’s a rideshare app that connects travelers looking for rides to similar destinations.

At home in Canmore, we are part of a few Alberta Rideshare groups and people frequently post in there to offer rides and split gas. I’m sure your local hometown has a similar group too!

Return brochures and maps

Destinations spend quite a bit of money, plastic, and paper to provide tourists with glossy brochures and maps. Instead of throwing these out leave them for the next traveler or return them to where you picked them up.

Don’t use Hotel Toiletries

I love when we stay at hotels that have refillable shampoo and soap dispensers! When I see the small little bottles of shampoo, lotion, and soap in hotel bathrooms it makes me cringe because I know that ultimately all those little bottles are used once and then are ending up in the landfill.

I like to travel with my own toiletries, not only because they are always 100% better than what the hotel provides but also because then I’m not wasting these plastic bottles.

If you do end up finding yourself needing to use these just remember to take the unused portion with you. As hotels have to throw these out if even just a little bit is used.

Leave Reviews

Going off that point if you like or don’t like the way a hotel is doing something leave feedback. Feedback forms and reviews are the best way to get your opinion across to the right person. This also goes for restaurants, coffee shops, and tour operators too.

When I see a coffee shop using metal straws I compliment them on it, note it in a review, recommend it on this blog, and also will return to the establishment. When I see a hotel chain or restaurant being wasteful I will leave constructive criticism with hopes that it will get to the manager and they can make a change.

Avoid Large Scale Cruising

Cruising is one of the most popular ways to take a leisurely carefree vacation. They are relatively inexpensive, provide you with all your food, plan out your days for you, get you from point A to point B, have round the clock entertainment, and make it simple to eat new people. What’s not to love right?

We have made a conscious decision to avoid large scale cruising and you will never see it promoted on this website. However, I have to admit from an outsiders perspective I totally see the appeal of a cruise vacation. Most people don’t have an unlimited amount of vacation time and definitely, don’t have the time to plan a full trip especially if there are kids involved. Cruises do all of that for you and provide day care!

The reality is that large scale cruising is terrible for the environment for so many reasons. First cruises are responsible for dumping all your lovely sewage into the ocean. It’s estimated that 25,000 gallons of sewage waste is dumped per cruise ship a day! They pollute the air and are pretty much floating cities. It’s estimated that a cruiseliner such as Queen Mary 2 emits 0.43kg of CO2 per passenger mile, compared with 0.257kg for a long-haul flight.

On top of dumping waste into the ocean and polluting the air cruises wreak havoc on the ports they visit and give almost nothing back. Every day thousands of people get off on little tiny islands or cities like Venice, and the economies and environment can’t cope with the numbers. Cruise passengers are given a few hours to explore and maybe invest in a few dollars into a souvenir.

Since all food is covered on the ship, most passengers don’t buy food or beverage where they visit. Most cruise companies also persuade you to book their excursions and often times scare you from going with someone local. While it may seem that the cruise passengers are giving back to the economy in the ports they frequent the economic gain is very little in reality.

In addition, as opposed to the cruise liners working with the places they port, many cruises invest in terminals that only benefit their own economic interests and threaten the ports if they try to raise their prices. The worst news is that it’s projected that over 27 million people will take a cruise this year, so if we really want to be more eco-friendly consider limiting your cruising.

Leave Your Trace

Remember when you are out on trails and hiking to stay on the path if there is one. Be careful where you step and don’t damage the precious ecosystem. Try not to pick flowers and harm plant life. It’s important to follow the rules. If there is a sign saying keep out it’s there for a reason and you should abide by those rules. Don’t be that person ruining sunflowers for the sake of an Instagram photo.

Don’t Touch the Coral

When in the water scuba diving or snorkeling it’s also important not to touch or harm marine life. This is not only harmful to coral, but you could also put yourself in harm’s way by touching something poisonous. Also, make sure to mind your fins and not kick or step on coral and disrupt sediment.

Respect Wildlife

Whether you are on an African safari, sailing around the Mediterranean, or seeing penguins in Antarctica it’s crucial you respect the wildlife. Don’t touch the wildlife and definitely do not feed them. Doing this encourages animals to rely on humans for food and not their own natural diet. Keep the wild! You are in their home and only their to be an observer and revel in their magnificence.

Don’t Engage in Unethical Animal Activities

The World Animal Protection believes at least 550,000 wild animals are suffering in unethical tourist attractions globally and that 110 million people will still visit these attractions per year.

In the last two years of our travels, we’ve found ourselves in many places famed for their wildlife like Africa and Asia. The travels on these two continents have been incredible; however, we’ve noticed a reoccurring theme of questionable animals encounters specifically designed for tourists.

Recently it was promotions for elephant rides in Thailand, and before that donkeys and camels whipped into submission to haul fat tourists around Jordan. Then there were the instances of caged civets in Bali for Luwak coffee or lion walks in South Africa.

You can see all the unethical animal activities never to engage in here.

To be fair I understand why people want to do things like pet a lion, ride on the back of a dolphin, or sit like a prince on top of an elephant. Travelers are very curious and the chance to get up close and personal with another species is appealing.

The truth is that many of these animals are kept in appalling conditions, beaten to submission, caged, and looked after by (most of the time) inexperienced and poor locals just trying to put food on the table, not a zoologist or scientist. Wildlife interactions are inherently questionable as it forces the wild animal to act in an unnatural way, elephants weren’t made for rides.

Our desire to be close to wild animals could be killing them. To avoid unethical animal encounters make sure to always do your research before booking with a tour operator. Anyone that guarantees wildlife encounters you should be wary about booking. Book with reputable tour operators who are not exploiting animals for profit when you travel. You can find more about ethical animal activities that we recommend here.

Buy Local

When you’re traveling and considering souvenirs, restaurants, cafes, and hotels try to make a conscious effort and buy local products.

Stay away from big chains like TGI Fridays, Marriot Hotels, and Starbucks and instead put your dollars into a local cafe, a hip coffee shop, or a boutique hotel. We like to buy our souvenirs from co-ops when they are around and would always rather give money directly to a local artisan or small shop than a large store.

Just a few of our favorite places around the world have been:

• Upendo in Zanzibar
• Neema Craft Center in Iringa, Tanzania
• Go Kigali in Kigali, Rwanda
• Mulberry Mongoose in South Luangwa National Park, Zambia
• Yellow Flower Cafe in Bali
• Circle Coffee Bar in Hanoi
• Bitty and Beau in Wilmington, North Carolina

Travel Slower

Flying, road tripping, train travel, and bus travel all do their damage on the earth. If you are traveling every three days as opposed to every three months your carbon footprint is significantly more. Travel slower, stay in one place, and get to know a destination better instead of hopping around so much.

Offset Your Flying

Both short and long haul flights use a massive amount of C02. Frequent travelers have a huge carbon footprint because of this and we are no exception. Of course, you can travel slower and pledge to take fewer flights, but another thing you can do to give back is offset your flying. Almost everything we do from driving a car to heating our house contributes to our carbon footprint.

Thankfully, you can offset the carbon you produce by purchasing carbon offsets through a number of programs. For those that don’t know what this is, a carbon offset is a financial contribution to projects that help reduce CO2 emissions, like tree planting and reforestation. The Nature Conservancy and The Carbon Footprint calculator have free CO2 emission calculators that let you punch in your flights and it will tell you how much you need to donate to offset your carbon.

Ready to do your part and do more eco friendly travel?

Once you’re signed up, we recommend you read the rest of this post about using the Airbnb website and how to have the most enjoyable stay. We’ve used the Airbnb website for five years and have stayed in hundreds of places. Over that time, we’ve learned many tips and tricks to find an excellent short-term rental.

If You Want a $75 Airbnb Promo Code, Read On

The Airbnb first-time codes vary in the rebate from USD $25 to USD $40. This free credit is for a guest who intends to stay for the first time, hoping people will try out Airbnb’s service and book again in the future.

However, if you sign up to be a host, you’ll get an even greater Airbnb Coupon Code that works. This will provide a first-time host with an equivalent of around USD $75. Sign up as a host here using our referral code to get the discount.

Of course, even $100 in travel credit on Airbnb does not sound like much in many countries. However, we’ve scored some fabulous places for all of $50 a night worldwide. That could be a 50% discount on a three-night stay or more!

2023 Update: Is there a valid airbnb coupon in 2023? The answer is sadly, no. Airbnb has discontinued its Airbnb coupon code at this time. But we encourage you to keep reading for our best tips on how to choose a good Airbnb, make sure you pick good hosts, and most importantly not get scammed. With these tips you'll have a fantastic vacation! 

tips for maximizing your Airbnb coupon code

1.) Check Your Settings

The first thing you want to do after you score your Airbnb coupon code that works and begins your search for an Airbnb rental is to make sure your settings are correct. I know this sounds simple, but even though we have messed up the settings on Airbnb’s platform, travel is our life (our job, really).

First, enter the city you are searching for your trip. Next, put in how many people you will be traveling with so you don’t book too many or too few beds. You may notice that the price may increase with more people at your party.

The big thing here is determining if you want an entire place, a private or shared room. We almost always want our apartment. Whole apartments or homes typically cost more than a private room, but we never feel comfortable staying in someone’s home. However, we made a mistake before booking an entire apartment based on a property’s photos and descriptions, only to find out it was a private room in their home. So do your due diligence!

2.) Set the Dates

This is your chance to set the dates you need. Many hosts will offer discounts for stays longer than a week, and if you stay longer than a month, you may also see a deduction. Airbnb automatically includes this discount on the final price.

3.) Set Your Price Point

Airbnb allows you to set your price maximum with a line graph. Typically these are the prices of the rentals only. When you get to check out, you will see any additional fees tacked on. Airbnb pushes a 12% fee for using their platform to the guests and 3% to the host. When you check out, you will also see any other charges like city tax and cleaning fees.

4.) Check the Location

Many times when you start playing with prices and getting pickier with your Airbnb rental, Airbnb’s website will automatically widen your location search. So, pay special attention to the map and location details of the places you are looking at, so your rental is your desired location.

5.) Turn off Instant Book

Airbnb has implemented a super annoying feature called “Instant book.” Meaning, that when selected, you are only seeing places that you can instantly book, significantly limiting your search results. Airbnb’s interface automatically switches this on for you, so make sure to turn it off unless you are in a hurry and need to book something instantly for the next day.

6.) Decide if You’re Okay With a Cleaning Fee

Many Airbnb hosts add a cleaning fee to their rental. I’ve seen cleaning fees range anywhere from $5 to $85 per stay. To me, paying a $50 fee for a one to two-night Airbnb rental is not okay, so I will disregard a property when I see this. Longer stays are easier to justify a cleaning fee, depending on the night’s total price.

Cameron and I have received glowing guest reviews over the years as we leave Airbnb clean when we leave. The good reviews give us a bit of negotiating power, and we sometimes ask hosts to knock off the cleaning fee if we promise to leave it the same way we found it. However, as a newbie Airbnb user, this may not be possible.

Whether you are paying a cleaning fee or not, you should still keep your place like you would want your home to be maintained. These are private homes and apartments, so treat them with respect.

7.) Make Sure There Are Reviews

The number one thing I look for when choosing an Airbnb and where to use my valid Airbnb coupon is to seek out properties with many reviews. Generally, we try to book Airbnb with at least 10 or more reviews, but even that is on the low end.

We have only booked one place before with no reviews, and it was a total gamble that turned out to be fantastic. No reviews can be useful, as a property that lacks reviews may lower the price for the first couple of guests. Everyone has to start somewhere!

8.) Read the Reviews

Now that you’ve found a place with many reviews, you need to read the reviews. Make sure they are positive and that reviewers mention both the host and the actual property. The longer we stay at a place, the more in-depth I will analyze.

The bad thing I’ve found about Airbnb is that the review system is a little manipulative. With Airbnb, you often have face-to-face interactions with the owner – which is excellent – but it means that people are less likely to leave bad reviews and notes when they should. It’s hard to meet a friendly person and then complain about things.

Also, Airbnb gives the host the option to review guests; it means that guests are less likely to complain when they feel they should. Reviewing a Marriott or Hyatt is more likely to detail complaints, and negative experiences since the receiving end isn’t an individual. Just keep that in mind when you’re looking at reviews. They tend to be a little more positive than they should sometimes be.

9.) Look for a Superhost

If you are wary of booking an Airbnb, consider switching on the “Superhost” function when searching. Superhosts have to maintain a high response rating, be active users, have glowing reviews, and never cancel on guests. Super hosts generally charge more for their status, but you get what you pay for in the end.

10.) Read the Description Properly

Read the description of the place you are considering. I always ensure there is the internet as that is important to Cameron and me, but the description can tell you many other things. It can tell you if you are booking a shared room (like a hostel), a private room in someone’s home, or an entire apartment. It will also tell you things like nearby restaurants and points of interest and help you decide if it’s a great place to stay for you.

Also, pay attention to the check-in and check-out times since you’re arriving at a real person’s place. So checking at 2 am after a long flight may not work for Airbnb, and you should opt for a hotel that is open 24 hours.

11.) Check the Cancellation Policy

If you think there is any chance your trip could fall through, try to book a place with a flexible cancellation policy. Many hosts have a non-refundable cancellation policy, and if you book one of these and have to cancel, Airbnb will not be on your side regarding a refund.

12.) Message the Host Before You Book

I never, ever instant book a place. That’s because I like to message the host and tell them about us, why we are traveling there, and any details about the trip. This is my test to make sure the host is responsive and personable. It also helps answer any important questions regarding our trip.

13.) Request a Discount

If you are staying for a week or longer, you may be in the position to contact the host and ask for a discount on the price. They don’t have to say yes, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

Good past reviews don’t hurt your chances of getting a discount, either. We often request special rates from hosts – especially on the shoulder or off-seasons. We can only do this because we have 40+ glowing reviews since we always use Airbnb.

If it’s mid-summer and you’re booking a place at the beach, you probably will have more trouble getting a discount.

14.) Consider the Fees

It’s worth noting that Airbnb charges guests a whopping 12% “Service Fee” on top of the rental price for using their service. This is in addition to the 3% they are charging the host. The fee is unavoidable if you are booking through their platform.

Of course, you can message the host and try to take things into your own hands, but you’ll realize as soon as you try this that Airbnb’s platform blocks out all emails, social handles, and phone numbers to prevent this.

It’s also worth noting that if you take things off of Airbnb to reduce the fees, you lose any right to contact Airbnb if there is a problem – this goes for both the guest and the host.

15.) Call Airbnb as Soon as There is a Problem

If you realize there is a problem once you check in to your new place, don’t hesitate to tell your host first. If the host doesn’t resolve it quickly, then don’t wait to contact Airbnb. You have 24 hours to notify them of a problem, and they should help you get it sorted.

16.) Book Longer Stays

Many times a longer stay with Airbnb will give you an automatic discount. Property owners can set custom rates if you book for a week or month. We’ve seen, on average, a 15% discount on stays a week or more, up 40% off the nightly rate on monthly stays.

Our last Airbnb even came out cheaper if we booked it for one week instead of the required five nights. That meant we could check out late on the last day and let the host know we departed afterward.

17.) Utilize Filters

When using your Airbnb coupon code first booking, you should utilize all the filters you can. As the Airbnb platform grows, so do its features. Their filters and options are always changing, so if you are looking for something unique, you can generally find that on Airbnb.

If you want to stay in a Yurt or a treehouse in the forest, you can search for that! 

Other ways to use your valid Airbnb Coupon code

Your new Airbnb coupon code doesn’t have to be used for accommodation. Airbnb has done mega expansion and now has things like experiences on there. Airbnb experiences are great to look at when you are seeking new things to do when you travel. 

We just tried our first Airbnb experience in Japan and had a fantastic time. Instead of going to a travel agent or a booking center when we were in Kyoto, we were literally able to search for the experiences in the city and read reviews. From there, we could determine if the experience was good for us (and we were able to use our Airbnb coupon!). 

We tried Japanese Kendo and also tried our hands at making traditional sushi in an old mansion. Both were found on Airbnb, and both were fantastic experiences!

An Airbnb Experience Coupon

You can also use these first-time Airbnb coupon codes as an Airbnb experience coupon. They work the same way, and the Airbnb coupon credit will be deducted from your account once you book an experience.

Love and Hate Airbnb

Before using your Airbnb first-time user coupon, it’s important to note some of the implications of using Airbnb. We have a love/hate relationship with Airbnb, even with the Airbnb promo code.

We hate Airbnb because of the damage the sharing economy has inflicted on the housing market. Getting a one-year lease may have been easy and affordable five years ago. It is common to purchase property as an investment to rent on Airbnb or even sign a lease.

With Airbnb, landlords can double or even triple what a monthly tenant would pay. So it’s easy to understand the appeal of renting short term. I mean, if you were a homeowner, would you rather get $800/week for your property or have a long-term tenant for $1200 a month?

It has resulted in rental prices around the world skyrocketing. I recently found a one-month basic apartment rental in Nicaragua for $2000 in a country where the average salary is $400 a month. That doesn’t sound right to me. Airbnb also charges guests 12% to use their platform and 3% to the host. I think this is a great deal for the hosts because sites like Booking.com and Agoda charge 15-20%. As an Airbnb user, 12% can really tack a lot on to the total cost of a rental.

To top it all off, my Airbnb customer service experience has been horrendous. I can’t speak on behalf of a host, but again as a guest, you don’t have much authority regarding problems with your rental experience. What started as two guys renting an air mattress in their living room has become another impersonal company. Along the way, it seems they lost sight of the customer.

That being said, we have been in and out of dozens of Airbnb rentals. Almost all of them were tremendous experiences. Airbnb gives travelers like us an easy and viable hotel alternative. As long-term travelers, we actually prefer to stay in an apartment or house as it affords us all the amenities of a home. That means we can cook, watch TV, wash our clothes, sit at a comfortable desk, and feel at home. It is a more comfortable and personal way to travel.

When traveling with a family or group, we can all fit into a home rather than multiple hotel rooms. It is a massive plus as it allows people to socialize and enjoy their trip together. Yes, it was possible to find rentals before Airbnb, but not with the ease and assurance that their website brought.

Airbnb places you in touch with locals, much more than a hotel has ever provided us. We’ve had drinks, lunches, and long chats with some of our Airbnb hosts. They also provide a local’s insight into their region and almost always share a small part of their home with us.

It’s those reasons that we recommend Airbnb on our site. People like us who value a “home” when they travel and want to integrate with the community continue to draw us back. For now, we can not replace it, so we encourage you to try out the Airbnb first-time coupon so you can decide for yourself what you think.

Airbnb Ethical Issues that Made Us Reconsider Using the Platform

Don’t Forget Your Valid Airbnb Coupon Code

In case you didn’t sign up for your Airbnb coupon code at the start of the post. We’ve included the discount link to get your $40 off your first Airbnb booking. Create an account with the link provided by us.

The Airbnb coupon code is only good for your first time and gets you $20-$40 off your first booking over $70 or more. Airbnb frequently changes the discount amount for first-time bookings, so you must check to see how much they offer off this month!

I hope you guys have an awesome travel experience whether you decide to go with Airbnb or not.

However, as the company continues to grow and fails to earn a profit, we continue to question the legacy of the tech icon. We have several arguments against Airbnb and want to share some of the negative impacts to locals from the platform. As long-time users and very early adopters, we’ve had some bad experiences over the last two years that have led us to question if Airbnb is ethical.

Our best advice for sustainable travelers is to use the platform thoughtfully and consider its impacts on locals. Let’s dig into a few Airbnb issues that are cause for concern.

The Airbnb Coupon Code Has Been Discontinued

If you’ve reached this post in hopes of an Airbnb discount code, we regret to inform you the program has been discontinued. The company has determined its priority is to sign up new hosts, and they no longer consider offering incentives for new users necessary.

Airbnb Service Issues and Concerns

Before we go into the ethical issues we find with Airbnb we’ll chat about how their service issues bring about problems for guests (and hosts!)

Guests Are Charged High Fees

When you book a hotel through a booking platform or directly with a hotel, you do not pay any fees outside sales and local taxes. Since hotel businesses receive marketing from booking platforms, they pay a commission to the platform at 10-15%.

However, Airbnb charges guests a hefty fee of 12% for each booking, while hosts pay 3%. That means for every $1,000 you pay, Airbnb charges $120 for the use of their service. It seems like a steep price to pay to a platform that only acts as an intermediary, even more so as more businesses are built around it.

You get little for this fee too. Even if you have a problem with your booking, you will still have to call Airbnb and have a long, drawn-out conversation with them to discuss the difficulties of the Airbnb you booked. You can’t get around this fee either by messaging the hosts and trying to book a place privately as Airbnb blocks and filters out addresses, emails, and phone numbers until money is exchanged.

We’ve recently started finding properties on Airbnb and Googling their names a bit more to see if we can find the property on Booking.com. 95% of the time that we find the property on another booking platform, it is cheaper.

There's a website called HiChee, which will compare platforms if you plug in an Airbnb link. It's not perfect for finding alternatives, but it's a start. 

Cleaning Fees Are Common

The Airbnb Service fee isn’t the only additional fee guests must pay. Unlike hotels, guesthouses, or hostels, guests must pay to clean the unit they rent. Very few properties charged a cleaning fee when we first started using Airbnb in 2014. Now it’s rare to find a listing without a cleaning fee.

Host listings and Airbnb are businesses that charge for their service and require guests to pay for their cleaning. It feels like paying to clean your table after leaving a restaurant. This can drastically alter the cost per night for an Airbnb, especially for short stays.

It also drives me crazy when I search for Airbnb properties under a specific price point, only to find when I click through to the booking, the hosts tacked on an enormous cleaning fee to make up for their lower price.

For example, if you are looking for an apartment under $100 a night, you can filter through the results to find it more easily. You find the perfect property and are about to book, only to get to the booking page to see a $150 cleaning fee at the end. Hosts commonly use this tactic to lure guests into booking for a lower price, only to be shell-shocked when clicking “book.”

Airbnb Has Become Poor Value

With all the fees, it’s become commonplace for Airbnbs to cost far more than hotels. You receive far fewer amenities for that higher price than a hotel or guesthouse. I also wouldn’t plan on early check-in or late check-outs.

I’ll never forget the day we booked and paid for an Airbnb in Bangkok a night early so we could arrive the next morning after a red-eye flight at 7am, only to receive a negative review from the host about how we “checked in uncomfortably early.” This came from a host in London whom we had never met.

It is worth exploring options for longer stays of a week or more. Airbnbs can be an excellent value for longer stays and a great way to save on accommodation. The added benefit of a kitchen and living room can be a game-changer. However, if you plan to spend most of your days out, the value of an Airbnb becomes very questionable.

Airbnb lacks Quality Control

We were early adopters of Airbnb and would find unforgettable stays. We often found small cottages on farms, charming guest suites, summer homes, and old family apartments that made for amazing stays. However, these days it appears to be more and more about business than a pleasant stay for guests, and this is one of our main Airbnb concerns.

As Airbnb continues to focus on onboarding new hosts and new hosts begin their businesses around the website, the quality has dropped. New property purchases are quickly onboarded to the platform with cheap appliances, useless finishings, and silly oversights.

For example, our last Airbnb in Salt Lake City lacked key features like a colander in the kitchen, a coffee maker, functional knives, and barstools that actually fit the countertops. It’s pretty common for an Airbnb to feature the cheapest kitchen utensils and cheapest Ikea furniture, and for the hosts to never check in on the cleanliness or upkeep of the place. It just needs to look nice in photos, so guests will book immediately.

Unreliable Reviews are an Airbnb issue

Most Airbnb hosts treat their properties as businesses and have become speculative investments. However, guests don’t always view this as a transactional service. This means they forgive oversights for hosts that would never be the case for a hotel.

Uncomfortable bed? No problem! Leaking shower? It’s okay! Broken dishwasher? Forget about it! The number of times user reviews have burned us has gotten out of control. Once people put a name to a face, the reliability of the review goes out the window.

Airbnb Lacks Hospitality

With the advent of websites like FlipKey and the old guards such as vacation management companies, Airbnb can feel very impersonal. Most now utilize self-check-in and fail to even provide local information on the area.

Every Airbnb we used to visit would feature a nice book with local recommendations, but those feel few and far between now. As the Airbnb business continues to grow, many of its hosts have become increasingly distant.

Airbnb Lacks Key Services

There’s no concierge or local you can go to for questions when staying at an Airbnb. If you forget a toothbrush or need some more shampoo, you’re out of luck.

An Airbnb outside of Nelson, British Columbia, gave us sheets full of long black hair, and we only discovered it as we went to bed the first night. Of course, it was too late to replace the sheets or contact the host, so we slept with only a throw blanket that we had stashed in our car.

Another two rentals failed to provide dish soap or a sponge to wash our dishes for a full kitchen. Next, it will be BYOTP – bring your own toilet paper.

It doesn’t stop there, either. Many rentals are stocked with cheap and/or old furniture that is far from comfortable. It’s great that you may have a couch, but that old futon isn’t too comfortable to enjoy. A bed that’s so old it sags in the middle is reserved for the worst dive motels, but we wouldn’t be surprised to find it on “nice” looking Airbnb for $150+ a night.

Do You Need A Kitchen?

If you’re on a short stay, you’ll want to enjoy some of the local restaurants. While it’s nice to have a kitchen for longer stays, and I love to cook with local products, it’s not always necessary. If you have plans to spend most meals dining out, a kitchen is not all that useful.

Airbnb Ethical Issues

Airbnb Destroys Local Housing Markets

This may be one of the most important considerations when booking an Airbnb. The short-term rental market has been devastating to many local rental and real estate markets. The high rates visitors are willing to pay have driven many locals from neighborhoods.

As we live in a desirable area of the world, we have first handily seen this happen in our small town too. Properties that would sell for $500,000 five years ago are now listed above $1 Million with taglines like “short-term rental potential!”

Airbnb’s slogan is “travel like a local,” but there isn’t much truth to that message. In many of the most visited cities in the world, like Barcelona, New York, and Lisbon, the local short-term rentals have ruined the livelihood of many locals, forcing them out of the city. While visitors replace locals, it leaves us wondering what “locals” Airbnb refers to in their slogan.

Several trends point to long-term doubt about the company’s legacy. A recent poll for landlords in the U.K. found that nearly 10% are considering switching from long-term tenants to short-term rentals. This would exacerbate a growing affordable housing crisis and wealth divide.

Questionable Legality

The company has admitted that the greatest challenge is local laws and regulations. Many cities and destinations actively fight Airbnb around taxation and the right to operate as they move to protect their constituents.

Many local regulations explicitly outlaw short-term rentals under 30 days or require licensing, like Barcelona, New York, and Bangkok. However, all of those remain some of the top rental markets on the platform. The company pleads the fifth…

Airbnb Has Many Ilegal Sublets

A worrying trend in Australia found that nearly 35% of short-term rentals were illegal sublets. Tenants are violating their lease agreements and racking up multiple rentals to rent on Airbnb without the owner’s knowledge. This may not seem like a significant risk to renters, but it does bring about some Airbnb ethical issues.

Lack of Regulations

There have been safety concerns around Airbnb, and there is a real disparity between listings. This largely stems from the sharing nature of the platform. Hosts are free to upload to the platform, and after a basic online check, they are approved for listings. This sobering story of a security guard at an Airbnb that murdered a female guest has never left my brain.

No Airbnb representatives come out to inspect the properties or ensure guest satisfaction.

Safety and Privacy Airbnb Issues

With the lack of regulations and inspections, Airbnb leaves it up to the guests to determine if a place is ready. Over the years, numerous allegations of hosts assaulting or violating guests’ privacy have been made.

Examples include hidden cameras inside the rental and violent crimes against guests, including murder. Granted, as we’ve always said, these are rare circumstances, and travel is typically very safe.

Airbnb Has Poor Customer Service

Airbnb emphasizes the hosts that comprise its platform and not the guests. You can see this through the numerous policies they have implemented over the years.

Guests pay for the service. New users are no longer given a sign-up bonus. They have no regulations for listings on their platform.

airbnb has a bad Business Relationship With Bloggers

While I’m certain most do not care about the company’s relationship with bloggers like ourselves, we certainly care a lot. So, we’re going to spill some tea… At the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic, travel was in very murky water, so the company turned to travel bloggers for help.

They introduced a lucrative affiliate program to drive clicks, garner clout, disperse information, and drive a lot of bookings. Essentially they asked bloggers to promote Airbnbs on their websites and in return bloggers would receive a small commission back. All of this coincided with the company being publically listed on the stock market. The program was a massive success, and everyone generated an income.

Due to the income, many travel bloggers focused their time on producing content around the platform by hiring writers and editors and pouring thousands of hours of work into their sites. Luckily we were focused on another project, which kept us from spending too much time on this, but many others were affected.

Less than a year into the program, they discontinued it with less than 30 days’ notice and stopped responding to emails. They stuck it to many small business owners who helped support them through tough times. You likely won’t see many digital marketers reference Airbnb moving forward.

we Do Love Some Properties

All that being said, and at the risk of not sounding too negative on these Airbnb issues and prblems, some of our favorite stays and experiences of all time have come from Airbnb! Almost all of them also come from what Airbnb should (and used to) be though, great interactions with the host at a meaningful place.

We repeatedly found something in the platform’s early days and less so now. We’d feel awful to speak discouragingly of the hosts who have opened their doors to us over the years.

They have been outstanding examples and made our trips immensely enjoyable. We’ve enjoyed a small room above a Japanese cafe, an old farmhouse in the French countryside, a picnic with an older Irish woman on the Irish coast, and a gorgeous live-in-suite with friendly hosts in Utah.

There is also a strong argument that the sharing economy does benefit locals in certain communities. It can help support small business owners and drive tourists to regions that could benefit from their dollars. If tax dollars are collected, they can also service public service programs that benefit the community.

Even in North America, it’s tough to argue against a family renting out their live-in-suite for additional income over visitors giving their money to a big corporate hotel. These are some of the positives of Airbnb.

At the end of the day, the platform needs greater regulation and a better selection of properties with personal hosts, rather than whole complexes going up with the sole purpose of buying from overseas investors. Or at the least weed out the bad ones that seem to make up most of the platform these days.

Our biggest piece of advice these days would be to seek out reviews that mention the hosts specifically. Look for unique properties and READ plenty of reviews. Examine photos closely and make sure it has exactly what you want. On top of that, seek out licensed stays as owners that take the time to follow local regulations often provide a good guest experience.

There are some gems on Airbnb, and it may be well worth exploring your options on the platform. It’s not all bad, but our idea of a positive Airbnb experience is most definitely at odds with the corporate behemoth it is turning out to be.

An airport outfit is all about comfort, as long travel days are bad enough that we don’t need our clothes to cause any extra discomfort. We all want to look and feel fresh when arriving at our destination. If we can do that and gain some style points, it’s a win.

The excellent news is athleisure is very much in, and it’s pretty easy to craft a comfy outfit that still looks great. Packing a comfy outfit for a quick change on the plane is always possible, but that can be a gamble with airplane restrooms. With a few tips and ideas of what not to wear on a plane, you’ll be happy from start to finish.

Long Haul Flight Essentials For Your Next Trip

How To Craft The Perfect Airport Outfit

Hoodie

Planes are cool environments, and you will want something for some warmth. For air travel, this is a great time to accessorize and make a statement for your outfit and destination. We love a classic sweatshirt or hoody for most trips if it’s not a business trip.

You probably don’t need a trench coat or heavy cardigan if you’re off on a beach trip. Instead, opt for a lightweight hoody that is easy to store in your backpack or luggage once you arrive at your destination. A great option for women is the Handful Chillax Pullover Hoodie. The loose hoody has the perfect fit that looks as good as it feels. As a bonus, the plush terry material uses a blend of cotton and recycled polyester.

A Comfortable T-Shirt

A classic t-shirt or tank is comfortable and the perfect base to layer. A wardrobe staple, we can not imagine a trip without at least a couple. Graphics are a good way to make a statement, but they lack the versatility of solid colors that can be mixed and matched on a trip for more outfits.

Technical fabrics are a great option to stay comfortable and, most importantly, fresh on long travel days. Cotton shirts tend to get funky and smelly fast. Instead, I recommend synthetic materials like nylon or polyester, or you can go natural with wool.

A great option I love is the lightweight Hello Sunshine V-Neck from Handful. The shirt is made from recycled polyester for a bit of eco-friendly cred and it always provides UPF+ 50 for lightweight protection no matter the destination! I find the fit super flattering and the material cool and comfortable. It’s pretty much the perfect t-shirt for an airport outfit. If you prefer tanks or long sleeve shirts, Handful also Hello Sunshine versions of those!

Casual Joggers

Athleisure has come to dominate fashion, a trend I can get behind. Joggers are an awesome way to remain comfortable and still look stylish. Handful makes some fantastic joggers that look sharp, offer excellent performance, and feel great for long plane rides.

While the joggers may feel casual, a matching hoodie can produce an adorable look. I matched my joggers to my hoodie from Handful with their Chillax line of clothing. You can’t go wrong with a pair of joggers; they’re great for running, long flights, or relaxing at home.

hi-five Leggings

I’ve been wearing Handul leggings for years now. I have about every color you can imagine, but for an airport day there’s really nothing quite like a solid pair of black leggings.

The hi-five are easily the most comfortable leggings I’ve ever had. When more in the mood for compression and leggings over joggers, I’ll reach for the 7/8 length leggings.

Handful leggings have a high waist design that hug all the curves. They are squat proof and provide complete coverage that is not see-through – perfect for doing a few yoga stretches at your boarding gate. What I love most about the Hi Five is that they have pockets, which are always appreciated at security when I’m trying not to lose my passport!

Wool Underwear

Long days to your destination are inevitable, so staying comfortable is best. Poor or old underwear is one of the easiest ways to make a long travel day worse. I love wool underwear for flights dry quicker and have antimicrobial qualities.

It’s essential for women as wool underwear provides better hygiene than cotton. Plus, they stay fresh longer and keep you more comfortable. After a lot of testing, my favorites are from Icebreaker. They have many different styles to match your preference. I prefer a bikini cut for long flight days.

As an added tip, carrying an extra pair of underwear for long-haul flights is a great idea. Restrooms on planes may not be the best place to change, but it’s nice to have lounge access on a layover or as a backup once you land.

Sports Bra

A properly fitted and comfortable bra is another way to make long travel days more enjoyable. I prefer a sports bra because it offers the proper support and better technical fabric. The key to a smooth travel day is to minimize any source of discomfort.

Handful makes some decent joggers and travel clothes, but they got their start with exceptional sports bras. As an active woman who loves running, hiking, snowboarding, and practicing yoga, I know my way around sports bras. Handful easily makes some of my favorites!

I love the Adjustable Bra for an airport outfit, as it’s easy to tailor the fit. Plus, the straps are lightweight, so they do not become annoying after a long day.

Sneakers

You’ll want some comfortable footwear if you’re going for the athleisure look. adidas Ultraboosts make great travel shoes as their stylish sneakers and very comfortable. They hit the target between a sneaker and running shoe with enough tech to fit either environment.

I prefer more active sneakers with an athleisure outfit, but my favorite daily travel shoes are from Allbirds. You can’t go wrong with comfortable shoes, but I love sneakers that can double as gym shoes. Staying active while traveling provides you with more energy.

Belt Bag

Losing your essentials when traveling is easy, and organization can be challenging. A belt bag is my favorite accessory that is as practical as stylish. It can easily carry my phone, keys, AirPods, chapstick, passport, and wallet. It’s one of those items you’ll wonder how you lived without it. Not to mention it’s a pretty awesome accessory for your outfit.

Travel Tote

There are a couple of options for travel luggage, but one of my favorite stylish options is a travel tote. Many options are available, but my favorite comes from the Longchamp. The Le Pilage is an iconic travel tote.

It’s a classic carry that offers as much function as it does style. Thanks to its use of nylon and structure, the bag can fold to the size of a paperback book. This makes it a great travel accessory, as you can even pack it in your luggage when you reach your destination.

Travel Backpack

I need a bag with the organization as I travel with photography equipment and a laptop. For this, I love the exceptional quality and practicality of the Peak Design Everyday Backpack Zip.

The backpack provides accessibility, organization, and quality I’ve seen in no other pack. Plus, the 20L backpack in black is pretty sleek looking. I love using the carry-on pass-through to carry the bag on my roller suitcase.

Carry-On Suitcase

Suitcases with four wheels are best for the ability to roll sideways down the aisle of an airplane. Airline employees tend to go with two wheels, but those brands offer many discounts to employees. Plus, they have the luxury of boarding first, and no one is weighing their bags.

I prefer hardshell as it does a better job at protection and security. A hardshell suitcase is also a bit more stylish as they come in various colorways and patterns. My favorite bags are from Delsey.

Airport Outfits That Look Great When You Get To Your Destination!

Basic Travel Tips For Women

Always Have a Hat Or Hair Tie

Having a great hair day after an eight-hour flight to Europe is tough. I mostly wear my head up when on travel days. However, having a backup plan to manage my hair with a cute hat and a few spare hair ties is always a good idea.

Pack Eye Care

Airplanes are dry environments, so it’s a good idea to pack some eye care. Pack a spare set of contacts and glasses if you wear contacts like me. Everyone will benefit from eye drops to keep their eyes hydrated and reduce strain.

Stay Hydrated

Dehydration is one of travelers’ most common challenges on long-haul flights. It’s very easy to get dehydrated on a long flight, which compounds the effects of jet lag. I suggest you carry a travel water bottle with you on flights. It’s a no-brainer long-haul flight essential.

24 Important Long Haul Flight Tips To Know Before You Fly

What Travel Outfits To Not Wear

Rompers/Jumpsuit/Onesies

Rompers and jumpsuits are super comfortable and cute, but they have a fatal flaw any woman knows about involving the restroom. If you’re on a plane, the last thing you need is an outfit that makes the cramped and often dirty bathroom more difficult. So think twice about that romper.

Uncomfortable Undergarments

Ditch the old undies and opt for something more comfortable. Not only is it better for your hygiene, but sometimes travel days involve a lot of sitting. This goes the same for socks old cotton socks tend to stick, so opt for new socks or choose wool ones. Wool is also great at temperature management which keeps your feet comfy.

Sandals

Your bare feet are not the place for an airplane or an airport. In most cases, fellow passengers and cultures find it unhygienic. Not to mention bare feet on an airplane floor or security is gross. No one wants their feet on that ground.

There are some cases where sandals are okay such as short flights to beach destinations, seaplanes, etc. You get the idea, but in general, sandals are a big no for a travel outfit.

Pajamas

Leave the PJs in your luggage unless you’re flying in an Emirates First Class cabin. While Athleisure looks sharp, there is a line between comfy joggers and sweats and your pajamas when traveling. The latter looks slobbish.

White

Be careful with white outfits or bottoms. They look great, but it’s easy to stain the pants when you travel. The cramped plane seat or public transport is an easy spot to spill food or drink on your lap.

Revealing Outfits

We don’t need to show off everything on travel days, not to mention planes are generally cold. Being a mid-cut shirt/sweatshirt feels appropriate when traveling if you’re comfortable with your stomach showing while you sit. For guys, there is no need to give everyone a ticket to the gun show when you’re flying. Keep the tanks for the beach.

26 Helpful Travel Packing Hacks You Need to Know

This day our Airbnb host gave us a late checkout of 2 pm, so we walked, and ate, and walked, and ate, and drank a few coffees all day around Larnaca until heading to the airport late at night.

Our Cobalt Airlines flight to Abu Dhabi was due to depart at 2:10 am, getting us into the UAE city around 9 am before we would catch out flight onward to Sri Lanka. We arrived at the airport early so that we could change into our comfy red eye clothes, I could take out my contacts, and do all the things necessary before a long haul flight.

The airport was suspiciously quiet, and I immediately noticed no one manning the Cobalt airline check-in station, one of the largest Cypriot airline carriers.

We flew with them to Cyprus, and the airplane was seriously disrepair with little shits. So I wasn’t shocked at the lack of communication from Cobalt, but I was still annoyed I couldn’t check-in.

I knew it was late, but it was strange that we still couldn’t check in for our 2:10 am flight two hours ahead. I was irritated, I had questions, I wanted to check in and get into the damn lounge and eat some food before I got hangry.

Then I saw it…

A camera guy, an anchorwoman, and a news crew shooting photos of the Cobalt office. I knew something was going on that all passengers were unaware of. I walked over to Cameron and our luggage and we quickly typed “Cobalt Air” into Google.

Cobalt Air Suspends Services: Bankrupt

Excuse me? What does that mean? I’ve yet to hear anything from anybody!

I made my way up to the airport help desk with a group of other passengers demanding answers. The poor clueless staff gives none. They have no idea what’s going on.

A British guy turns to me, “that’s it,” he says. The Europeans had dealt with this before.

“Now what,” I ask. “What does this mean!?”

“It’s bankrupt. They’re done, they won’t help you — you’ll have to make other plans.”

Stunned I walk back to Cameron to tell him the news and I see the news crew charging toward him. Makeupless and in yoga pants, I run away – the last thing I want to be is on Cypriot television.

“So how do you feel knowing your airline is bankrupt?” They ask.

“Ugghhh what?” He says.

Yep, everyone knew this was going to happen. Except for Cobalt passengers.

Little did I know at the time that this was typically how it works when airlines go bankrupt. They let you carry on with your travel plans until the eleventh hour, suddenly vanishing into thin air. No explanations, no announcements, no emails, no nothing.

We sat at the airport until 4 am that night, frantically figuring out what to do. Researching different flight options, see if there was a way we could still connect with our Sri Lanka flight.

Pissed off, then laughing at being so pissed off, trying to find a hotel in the Cypriot high season. We finally made it work – but more on that at the end of this post.

If you found this article, chances are your airline may have gone bankrupt too. It’s predicted this will start happening more and more, especially with low-cost carriers. Want to know what to do? So did we.

What To Do If Your Airline Goes Bankrupt?

1. The Brutal Answer

There’s not a lot you can “do” when an airline goes bankrupt. You can’t demand a refund from the airline – they’re bankrupt. You’re probably not going to talk to an employee – their employer went bankrupt, and they are out of a job.

You can’t hire a lawyer or seek help from sites like Airhelp – there is no one for them to go after – the airline has collapsed.

It didn’t take long to grasp all this after Cobalt went bust. We quickly realized that we would be responsible for all financial charges incurred because of this fiasco, and it would be up to us to readjust our planning. The sooner you realize this – the better. Trust me.

2. Contact Your Travel Agent

If you booked your trip through a travel agent, now would be the time to call them so they can start making other plans for you themselves. They are there to make sure you are relatively unaffected. If you didn’t book with a travel agent…

3. Make Alternative Plans – Quickly

The next thing you should do when you find out your airline goes bankrupt is to make plans. If it’s late at night, you need to secure a place to sleep for the night. There will be many people affected by an airline bankruptcy, and you need to make sure you don’t get priced out of hotel rooms.

In our case, getting a hotel room was critical because it was so late at night. I didn’t want to sleep on the airport floor because of the drama. We quickly sought out hotel rooms but didn’t act fast enough.

Our flight was due out on October 18th at 2 am. Cobalt declared bankruptcy after the last of their aircraft was back in their home airport of Larnaca at 11:50 pm on October 17th. This is typical of airline closures, they declare bankruptcy when all company aircraft are at their home base.

That meant there were a lot of stranded people who all of a sudden needed a room in the middle of the night. Needless to say, there weren’t a lot of options, and because of the last-minute and late-night bookings, prices were much higher than usual. Once news officially broke of the collapse, hotels started raising prices. So don’t wait to book a place.

Now is also the time you’ll want to figure out how you will either get home or to your final destination. Do not wait to see if the collapsed airline carrier will reimburse you for this – they’re not.

It was a “pay now and figure out the reimbursement later situation”. Yes, you will be out of money, and it sucks, but it’s better than being stranded.

You’ll want to make your alternative travel plans quickly before seats get booked up by other stranded passengers or airlines start to raise their prices. In our case, this meant figuring out a new flight option before everyone else woke up the morning of October 18th and heard the news.

Although we found out the news at 12 am, I actually consider ourselves luckier than the holiday goers who found out at 8 am, and there was panic at the airport and a low supply of seats. More on that later.

Rescue Fares

I should also mention that sometimes, depending on where you are in the world, competitor airlines will offer “rescue fares” to stranded passengers.

Companies like Ryan Air and Icelandair have recently done this in the aftermath of competitor collapses. A rescue fare is a discounted fare only available to those impacted by the bankrupt airline.

4. Contact your Hotel, Car Rental Company, Tour Provider, etc.

If you booked your trip with a tour agent, you need to call them and make them aware of the situation. A good one will work with you to rebook you on a flight and sort out the rest of your trip.

If you made your own hotel, car rental, and excursion bookings, it’s important to call them and cancel your reservation or make adjustments. Hopefully, they will cancel your bookings without charge if you explain your situation.

Our hotel, unfortunately, didn’t and still charged us for the nights we had booked even though our cancellation was out of our control. (They got a bad review from me) Bringing me to my next point…

5. Contact Your Credit Card (Crucial Tip)

This is my top tip and the reason why this section is a highlight. Your main and only recourse for refunds when an airline goes bankrupt is with your credit card company.  But first, let me remind you that you need to book your flight with a credit card.

Do not. Ever. Ever. Ever book a flight with anything other than a credit card in case this happens to you. Debit cards are notoriously harder to get reimbursed than credit cards, if not impossible. If your flight goes bankrupt, the best thing to do is check if the credit card company offers a travel insurance policy that covers cancellations due to bankruptcies.

Fortunately, it is not uncommon. You can also dispute or cancel the payment that you made for the flights, as many credit card companies put that money into a holding for a few months until they actually pay the service provider.

Many American credit cards offer trip cancellation insurance, but the coverage and eligibility differ. But you should be able to get at least something back with the Chase Sapphire Cards. They offer coverage to the cardholder and immediate family members up to $10,000 per trip if a travel supplier goes under.

Unfortunately, and conveniently the Cobalt Air website wouldn’t take my Chase Sapphire Reserve Card (my preferred credit card) at the time of booking, so I put the charge on my Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card, which did not provide trip cancellation insurance. 

My next course of action was to file a dispute on the entire Cobalt Air charge on my Capital One for failure to provide service. I won the dispute as Cobalt Air could not fight it and I got my money back for the cost of the flights, but I was on my own for the costs of the new hotel rooms, taxis, and surprise flights I had to book.

FYI I also filed a dispute with the hotel in Abu Dhabi that would not let me out of my booking and won that as well.

6. Contact Your Travel Insurance

If you have purchased travel insurance for your trip, now would be the time to see if they cover trip interruption or cancellation due to airline insolvency. It’s most likely going to take a phone call and some persistence, but it’s definitely worth it if they cover all your expenses incurred.

7. Don’t Count on Compensation Under the Passenger Rights Act

Many European low-cost carriers have been going under in the past few years. Unlike the US and other nations, the EU has very strong passenger rights. However, the rules don’t usually apply to airline collapses. When an airline cancels your flight but is still in business, you can claim back funds because the airline is still operational.

If your flight is canceled due to bankruptcy, the airline ceases all operations, is insolvent, cannot refund any claims, and will be rolled over into bankruptcy. After our flight went bankrupt, the Larnaca airport employees directed all affected passengers to the EU Air Passenger rights form. Which clearly states:

“In case of a bankruptcy, claims should be filed to the administrator/liquidator.”

Well…that’s not very helpful, is it?

Of course, the rules all depend on where your airline’s home country is. It’s best to do your research and see if you can claim back your ticket regardless. Sites like AirHelp will take cases on for you for a small percentage of the payout, but I wouldn’t count on this. I sent them my details for this particular flight of ours and received a response that they could not pursue the case.

However, AirHelp is great for ensuring you get canceled flight compensation from EU flights. So if your flight didn’t go bankrupt but was just canceled or delayed, seek help from them!

8. Try to Make the Best Out of It

Understandably, you’ll be pissed off if your airline goes bankrupt, but try to make the best of it because if you don’t, you’ll be cranky and get wrinkles. If this happens at the end of your vacation, make plans to get home and consider yourself fortunate you got to enjoy your vacation first.

If this happens before your vacation, make other plans to go elsewhere. My favorite is to hop on Skyscanner, put in my departing city, and use the Everywhere function to find the cheapest flight to a new country.

We were mid “vacation” (or mid “life” because we were continuously traveling) and found that the cheapest flight out was to Jordan. We had yet to travel to Jordan, and we had to go somewhere, so we booked it and enjoyed our new travel destination.

9. Know That You’re Not Alone

You’re probably cursing the Gods because your airline went bankrupt, but remember that you are not alone in this situation, and there is always someone worse off than you. We quickly realized this, and honestly, it made us less angry with the “it could always be worse” mindset. It’s estimated that over 10,000 people were affected by the Cobalt collapse alone.

When our flight went bankrupt, we met many people in far worse shoes. One man I talked to could barely speak English, had no money and had little comprehension of what was happening. And he didn’t have a visa into Cyprus, the country he was stranded in. Oy.

A group of girls I talked to flew from Athens to Abu Dhabi with a layover in Larnaca. Cobalt knew in advance that no flights would go out of Larnaca but still let passengers board the plane, knowing they would all be stranded in Larnaca.

They would have all rather found out in Athens so they could make arrangements in Greece’s capital, as Larnaca is not a well-connected airport. They told me they had to get home to Fiji, of all places. Oy.

Then I read a story of a couple having their whole wedding in Cyprus shattered because now none of their friends or family could make it there. It ended up costing them over $5,000 to rebook flights.

Cameron and I were fortunate as we had the flexibility and financial independence to make quick moves. I felt sympathy for how each passenger was treated in this case. Lastly, it’s important not to forget about all the employees who are suddenly out of a job.

What Can You Do To Avoid This Situation?

There’s very little you can do, but there are steps you can take to hopefully avoid this happening.

1. Pay with Credit Card

You have more rights to claim your purchase with a credit card than a debit card.

2. Make Sure your Travel Insurance Covers Bankruptcies

Always read the terms and conditions of your travel insurance and what kind of stipulations there are for trip cancellation.

3. Don’t Book With Low-Cost Carriers

It’s incredibly hard to turn a profit in the airline industry, and low-cost air carriers will be hit hardest. Filing for bankruptcy is not uncommon, and it’s predicted that more and more will go bankrupt each year.

Airlines have to support low airfares while dealing with rising fuel costs. Monarch, Air Berlin, Primera, Cobalt, and more recently, WOW Air are all European carriers that went under. It’s not just Europe, though. The other day, the second largest air carrier in India, Jet Airways, went under, stranding thousands of people.

One thing is for sure. The airline bankruptcy trend is not one to die out soon.

If you want to be almost 100% sure your airline won’t bust, book with the big guys and avoid low-cost carriers.  Aviation analysts are showing growing concern over the future of FlyBe, Norwegian, WOW(another one bites the dust), and Wizzair.

4. Keep Your Eyes on Aviation News

When I booked the Cobalt Flights, I didn’t know that the airline was in trouble, but many others in the aviation industry did. There were rumors that the airline could not secure funding from Chinese investors weeks before our flight, but I’m guessing most passengers were oblivious.

If I had Googled the airline or done more research, I probably could have found this information too. If you’re skeptical of an airline, try to dig into the details and news.

Finally what did we end up doing after all this?

We received zero help or assistance from Cobalt. I received an automated email while sitting at the airport, stranded and looking for hotels, that our flight was canceled. Not bankrupt, just canceled. That was it.

A few hours later, there was a press release stating that Cobalt ceased operations (although you could still book a flight on their website, and the rest of the Cobalt air flights still showed as taking off on time on the leaderboard – HAH).

We overpaid for a late-night cab, went back to a hotel in Larnaca to get some rest, and did more research about our plans. Not wanting to sleep without assurance that we could leave Cyprus, we booked the last remaining seats on Jordanian Air to Jordan, one of the only direct flights we could find.

We both had always wanted to travel to Jordan and figured this was a great time to check it off the list. Sure, we missed out on our five days on the beaches of Sri Lanka, but we replaced it with five INCREDIBLE days in Jordan.

I got refunded on my credit card for the Cobalt Air charges and messaged our Airbnb host in Sri Lanka about the issue. Thankfully, he let us out of that booking. Between the extra hotel room in Cyprus, taxi fares, and new airfare to Jordan and then on to Sri Lanka for a travel conference, we had the whole fiasco cost us upwards of $1,500.

The Cypriot Government promised refunds and assistance to all passengers affected, but I have yet to hear back more than six months later and know that I never will. I emailed them and EU Air Passenger Rights as directed. I filled out all the necessary forms, but that was a big waste of time. Sometimes you just have to know when to give up and let go.

We are not immune to this type of thing happening again, given how much we travel, and neither are you. Hopefully, this post will help you a bit in the future or, at best, make you feel better.

It wasn’t always like that.

I was young, nervous, and naive on my first solo trip to Iceland. I made many travel mistakes then, but I got a lot right. Travel, it turns out, is not so difficult. After all this travel, several crucial elements remain the same. This is how we travel the world and what you can learn from it.

How to Travel the World

Set Up the Finances

The first step to getting yourself traveling the world is to set up your finances. Many claim they don’t have money to travel, but we’re hard-pressed to believe that is true for everyone. With easy saving strategies, you can save money for your next trip.

Once you’ve secured the funds, ensure you’re set up to travel abroad. We suggest picking up a good travel credit card, a low-fee bank card, and a travel wallet to carry your passport and ensure your cash is secure. You can read more about our travel banking tips.

If you understand the basic principles of finance while traveling, you can save your hard-earned dollars. Which, in turn, can lead to more travel. This way, you’re not stuck wondering about the best travel credit card or how to exchange foreign currencies and avoid ATM fees. It’s all an endless cycle of intelligent financial decisions that lead to more travel.

Decide and Book Travel

If I don’t know exactly where I want to travel globally, I start with a general region of interest. Since we work for ourselves full-time, we have a lot of flexibility in selecting dates. Flexibility is the key to finding a good deal. The high season typically results in high prices.

You can find a great deal with an open flight search using Skyscanner’s Everywhere feature or Google Flights’ map feature. They’re easy to use and have taken us to many places on a whim, like Latvia, India, South Africa, Bali, and Peru.

To use the feature on Skyscanner, type in your departure city in the “from” field and then hover over the “to” portion until you receive a popup that says, “Can’t Decide Where? Search Everywhere.”  Select the specific date you want to travel or put in “full month” so that it will find you the best deals on the best dates of the month. The world is your oyster with an endless selection of possibilities.

Google Flights has a similar feature that we find ourselves using more often. Once on their homepage, you can easily select your departure city and leave the “Where to” section blank. Select “flexible dates” and see what you get!

After searching multiple times and finding a good route for you, it’s best to clear your cookies. These browsers can save your search features and then raise the price when they know you are interested in a particular flight about to book.

Plan an Itinerary

Once you book flights and decide on the country you want to visit, it’s time to start working on an itinerary. I’m certain you don’t want to stay in the city you flew into the entire time. This is when I started researching online and on travel blogs to determine a good itinerary.

We like to use fellow bloggers’ itineraries and travel information, as these days, they are among the best online resources for travel information. We avoid anything AI like the plague as it’s not the human experience of opinion. Once we get a general idea of where we want to go, we begin with booking accommodation. We start with the first night, an accessible hotel room close to the airport, unless our flight arrives early.

Decide on Accommodation

When you are wondering how to travel the world, you should note what kind of traveler you are. Depending on your type of traveler, now may be the time to book accommodation. We do a mix of planning and taking it daily, but we always book our first night before arriving.

If you would like to have all aspects of your trip sorted before you arrive, check the various platforms, such as Airbnb, Booking.com, and Agoda, to get an idea of availability and pricing. This ensures you often get the best price and place to stay. However, planning and booking in advance also mean you have to adhere to a schedule, and if you don’t like a place much, it’s tough to change plans if there is no free cancellation.

Score a Place for the First Night

It’s okay if you want to wing your trip. We do it quite a bit, even at the expense of less appealing accommodation options. If you decide to wing your journey, I recommend booking accommodation for the first day of your arrival.

No one wants to arrive at a foreign destination after a miserable long-haul flight and have no place to rest. No matter when you get to your destination, book at least your first night to settle, relax, and recollect your thoughts. Trust me; it will make the rest of your trip much more enjoyable. It also helps with immigration as it’s often the first question they ask.

Pick Your Means of Transportation

During the planning process, we must decide how to get around the destination. In some places, the public transport, train, or bus system is excellent, that includes most of Europe and Asia. If you don’t have your own means of transport, your travel will be severely limited to other destinations (hello, North America, Australia, and Africa). In Asia, you can get by with public transport for large destinations and then a cheap motorbike to get around regions or cities.

That doesn’t mean you can’t get around via public transport, but you should consider the access to the places of interest. That goes for parts of Europe, too! Many European destinations can be reached with public transport, but they are best visited with a car rental, like in Scotland or Ireland. Generally, the sooner you book a car rental, the more you save. However, make sure you book at least 24 hours in advance, as booking systems will significantly raise the price with less notice.

Bring the Right Luggage

We like to pick the right luggage for the right destination. That often falls between the choice of a backpack or a suitcase. The choice depends on the destination,  pace, activities, and season. We always prefer to take an Osprey Farpoint for an open adventure in developing countries where we will take public transport and move a lot. The backpack allows you to be flexible, save on airline baggage costs, and move on and off public transport.

If we are staying in one place for a while, on a business trip, or want our belongings to stay organized, we choose a rolling suitcase over a backpack. Typically, a suitcase is my go-to luggage choice if traveling in Europe or throughout North America. It is better suited for short distances from cabs to the hotel room and protects nice clothes. Our last option would be a duffel bag, which is great for more rugged adventures.

Pack for Your Trip

Typically, a month before a major trip, I think about what I need for the destination. That usually includes travel adaptors, travel towels, a new piece of luggage, a down jacket, or even a new wardrobe. Check the weather in all the locations where you plan to spend time.

Just because you’re heading to one country doesn’t mean the weather will be the same throughout. Take Peru, for example; it’s one of the most diverse countries in the world, with nearly every biome on the planet. I suggest doing a mock pack at least a week before any long trip so you can ensure you have everything you need.

Purchase Travel Insurance

We don’t travel without travel insurance, and neither should you. You never know what can happen while traveling, so it’s best to be prepared. If you can’t afford travel insurance, you don’t have enough to travel yet. Of course, I wish you well and hope you have a fantastic trip, but we all know accidents can happen. It’s a brilliant idea and a good precaution to prepare for an accident or unforeseen issues. Thankfully, we’ve never had to make any claims, but they offer competitive rates and good plans.

Download an Offline Map

Before we board the plane to our destination, we have an offline map on our new city/town/country phones. You can download an offline map from Google Maps, but sometimes, it takes quite a bit of memory and can take a while to download.

So, I suggest you ensure you have it on your phone before you arrive at the airport. Offline maps are our saving grace for navigating a new country when we know we may not be connected to the internet. They’re a fantastic tool, great for walking around a city or for turn-by-turn driving directions.

Know the Exchange Rate

Another thing I like to do when I travel the world is to make sure I know the exchange rate. XE Currency is my favorite app because it gives me up-to-date currency conversion. You’ll need to be connected to the internet the first time you put a new currency on your phone, so make sure you do this before arriving at a new destination. We paid $46 for coffee and oatmeal in the Dubai Airport because we didn’t know the local currency and figured it couldn’t be that bad.

Deal with Flights

The day is finally here – the day you leave for another fabulous trip! But first, you have to deal with a long-haul flight. If the flight crosses oceans, book with a carrier you love. Emirates, Qatar, Turkish Airlines, and Cathay Pacific are just a few of my favorites.

A great airline can make or break a flight experience and set your whole trip up for a good time. I try to avoid budget carriers at all costs, but sometimes it is the only route, and there is no choice. There are also instances when the money savings are too significant to avoid.

A few things that help me have a more enjoyable flight are:

• A jacket, as it’s often very cold on planes.
• Preorder a vegetarian meal, as special meals are served first.
• Invest in TSA Precheck if you travel around America. (You can get reimbursed with many travel credit cards nowadays)
• Bring headphones that are better than the crappy plane ones. I have these noise-canceling headphones.
• Pick the right seat, even if that means paying for seat selection. It’s worth it to be comfortable. Aisle seats are my preferred choice.
• Consider getting a Priority Pass or some form of lounge access.

Grab a SIM Card

Yay! I Landed in a new country or destination. You’re likely groggy, jet-lagged, and feeling dirty. I know all you want to do is get to your hotel to shower and rest, but first, I recommend picking up a SIM card to stay connected when traveling. Because of our jobs, we like to stay online when we can, plus we find 4G often works a lot better than hotel WiFi networks.

The airport is the most accessible place to pick up a SIM card. Even though it’s usually more expensive at the airport, it saves us the hassle of dealing with locating and navigating our way through a new city to save a few dollars.

Get Cash to Travel the World

The main things you need to know when researching how to travel the world are about money, finances, and cold hard cash. Before you leave the airport, strap yourself with some cash. Many developing nations operate on a cash basis, and you could struggle to use your credit card. Even if you’re traveling in Western Europe, you should always have some cash in case of emergencies.

We don’t recommend using exchange offices, especially at the airport. They often have hidden fees and terrible exchange rates. Instead, we use the ATM, which usually provides the most up-to-date market rate. Do not accept their exchange rate either, instead allow your bank to convert.

If the airport ATMs are not working, you’ll want to at least have some backup cash on you. USD or Euro is the currency of choice and the most valuable. It’s also helpful to have in the event of emergencies. It’s not often that airport ATMs are inoperable, but it can happen in developing nations or small airports. It’s helpful to cover

Collect Yourself

You’ve landed, you have your cash, you are connected to the internet, and alive! Take a second to collect yourself and your things. Sometimes I like to sit, have an overpriced coffee, and chill at the Starbucks for twenty minutes. It’s our moment to ensure we’re leaving the airport with all our belongings and directions to our place.

Grab a Ride to Your First Place

Now it’s finally time to get to your first hotel from the airport. You’re almost there – you can rest, chill, and do what you came to do – travel the world! Many airports have buses or trains that take you to the city center. If we are coming off a long-haul flight and don’t feel like dealing with anything else, we will pay for an taxi cab to take us to the hotel. I’ve realized throughout my travels that sometimes it’s worth it to pay!

If you’ve rented a car from the airport, now is the time to pick it up. Always check for damages, take photos, and look for hidden charges before you drive off. We like to pick up and drop off rental cars from the airport. Even if there is a surcharge, it will save money on a taxi to and from the airport and create less hassle for us on already stressful travel days.

Explore, Don’t Buy Souvenirs, Research

Now that you are in your fantastic travel destination, it’s time to relax, research what you want to do, read a few articles, and enjoy your travels. I often like to take my first day to explore the area, hop into a cafe or restaurant, and get a feel for the environment.

And unless I have to have something, I don’t buy souvenirs until the last few days of my trip. This gives me a general idea of pricing and allows me to pick what I like best – plus, I don’t have to lug everything around during my whole trip. Oh, and don’t ever buy the first thing you see!