Category Archives: Travel

I’m not a fan of using traditional travel sites because I can’t always find the cheapest and most convenient travel destinations.  However, I do like Google Flights, because it allows me to select dates and shows me the prices of multiple destinations near and far that I can travel to if I just want to get away.

If you find yourself looking for a quick break from winter, I’d suggest you check out Google flights to see what airfares cost from your closest airport.  At one glance you will be able to see airfares to multiple destinations in the US, Caribbean and beyond.

www.google.com/flights

Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman Island

Lest you think I don’t practice what I preach, earlier this week Sergio and I booked a trip so we can escape from Old Man Winter.  Earlier this year I wrote, How to survive a Boston winter.  The first post in that series suggested that you book a trip prior to the holiday season so you aren’t stretched by the Christmas credit card crunch and so you can score cheaper airfare.

We were able to get great airfare to Grand Cayman Island in the Caribbean so we booked a trip. If you feel like demands at work would prevent you from getting away, keep in mind my previous post Please go away – often and book a trip to get away – even if only for a couple nights.  Great airfares out of Boston remain available to warm destinations like Florida, Puerto Rico and Caribbean.

Oxford Economics released a report in September that found Americans are taking fewer vacation days than ever before.  In 2013, Americans took an average of 16 days of vacation, compared to 20.3 days in 2000.  Taking fewer earned vacation days translated into nearly 170 million lost paid days off. Interestingly the report found those who forfeited vacation time did not receive better raises or bonuses.  The message I take from this is:

Plan Your Vacation Today

Anyone who reads this blog, knows that I love traveling and I love spending time with friends and family.  If you haven’t the opportunity to get away, plan a stay-cation and enjoy time away from work. You might be surprised to learn that 1) Your colleagues miss you and appreciate you more; 2) You feel refreshed.

You can read the Boston Globe article and the study by linking here.

WOW air, an Icelandic discount carrier announced its first flights to the US earlier this week.  WOW air’s decision to fly to Boston starting March 27th means that Iceland Air which has owned this route for years now has competition.

WOW air will start with five weekly trips in the spring, and I’m itching to go. Iceland Air introduced Bostonians to this cool European destination years ago and I’ve never heard a bad word about the this tiny little (gay friendly) country.

Boston – Iceland fares start at less than $250

WOW air also has connections through Iceland to more than a dozen European cities including Berlin, Copenhagen, London, Paris and Warsaw – so look for more competitive fares to these and other cities once they start flying in the spring of 2015.  More details about WOW air here.

Have you ever been inconvenienced by a delay or cancellation on an international flight? International travelers in the US and Canada can now seek recourse and potentially be compensated for those travel headaches by filing a claim with flightright.com. This online site specializes in European flight delay compensation laws and they will do all the heavy lifting for you; assuming 100% of the risk while pursuing your claim.  Once the claim is settled flightright will send you a check less the 25% commission they charge.

Perhaps I should have written this a few months ago since so many take summer vacations, but I save most of my travel for later in the year, preferring to enjoy summers in New England. Regardless, these money saving travel tips remain true year round.

1. Be flexible with your travel dates.  Why does everyone plan vacations that start and end on weekends? You can take the same number of vacation days and leave mid-Week. The upside is airfares are often cheaper and you have two short work weeks.

2. There have never been more lodging options.  Americans tend to stick to US chains when traveling abroad, but try local chains or independent hotels.  You can often read reviews of these properties on sites like TripAdvisor.com and the popularity of sites like AirBnB and GayHomestays give you even more choices if you’d like to look beyond traditional lodging establishments.

3. Check out the destination’s tourism sites.  Cities in particular often have websites set up to promote tourism that include discounts to places of interest to tourists and public transportation. It is worth checking out before you go.

4. Eat where the locals eat. Every city has great “cheap eats” that locals know and love. We always go out and splurge on a few meals, but some of our best dining experiences have been at places frequented by locals. Do a little homework up front or when you arrive ask locals for tips and suggestions.

5. Check local blogs for tips.  You must’ve seen this one coming from a mile away.  There are bloggers everywhere now and chatting with a local on where to stay, what to see (and more importantly what to avoid) can save you more than just money.

Safe Travels