Janessa Mckeaver
Planning a vacation should be as relaxing and eye-opening as the actual journey.
The traditional way of planning vacations — flipping through travel books and magazines — is an exhausting time suck. Lately, we've been planning our dream holidays using travel-planning applications. Globetrotters can find trip inspiration, affordable flights, off-the-map sights, delicious local eats and the best hotels deal right on their smart phones, tablets or computers.
Grab a cup of coffee (or a piña colada if you see a tropical getaway in your midst), plop down on a comfy seat and we'll show you how to map out your next adventure — all from the comfort of your home, office or favorite cafe. All you'll need a reliable Internet connection.
Even if you're saving money for that plane/train/bus ticket, planning a few trips in the meantime will abate the wanderlust, for sure.
Once you've narrowed down your list of possible destinations, it's time to find the best airfare. Your roundtrip ticket will likely be the biggest cost of your trip. From experience, it's best to check travel sites several times a day and throughout a week because ticket prices fluctuate hourly. It would also be ideal to book a few weeks in advance and to check with smaller carriers as well as the major airlines. To keep costs low, make sure to do your research about seasonal prices.
We asked travel blogger Geraldine DeRuiter aka The Everywhere it’s how she scores the greatest airfare deals year-round. Her secret is starting the search with Kayak.
Kayak, recently acquired by Priceline, scans hundreds of airfare sites for top deals. Searching the Kayak website, iOS or Android app can surface top-notch deals in seconds. The best part besides saving money — if you create a profile, your flight itinerary can be accessed across platforms.
Where to stay is a huge component of any trip. After a long day of eating delicious food, meeting locals and sigh if you have lots of friends who travel or follow
The traditional way of planning vacations — flipping through travel books and magazines — is an exhausting time suck. Lately, we've been planning our dream holidays using travel-planning applications. Globetrotters can find trip inspiration, affordable flights, off-the-map sights, delicious local eats and the best hotels deal right on their smart phones, tablets or computers.
Grab a cup of coffee (or a piña colada if you see a tropical getaway in your midst), plop down on a comfy seat and we'll show you how to map out your next adventure — all from the comfort of your home, office or favorite cafe. All you'll need a reliable Internet connection.
Even if you're saving money for that plane/train/bus ticket, planning a few trips in the meantime will abate the wanderlust, for sure.
Once you've narrowed down your list of possible destinations, it's time to find the best airfare. Your roundtrip ticket will likely be the biggest cost of your trip. From experience, it's best to check travel sites several times a day and throughout a week because ticket prices fluctuate hourly. It would also be ideal to book a few weeks in advance and to check with smaller carriers as well as the major airlines. To keep costs low, make sure to do your research about seasonal prices.
We asked travel blogger Geraldine DeRuiter aka The Everywhere it’s how she scores the greatest airfare deals year-round. Her secret is starting the search with Kayak.
Kayak, recently acquired by Priceline, scans hundreds of airfare sites for top deals. Searching the Kayak website, iOS or Android app can surface top-notch deals in seconds. The best part besides saving money — if you create a profile, your flight itinerary can be accessed across platforms.
Where to stay is a huge component of any trip. After a long day of eating delicious food, meeting locals and sigh if you have lots of friends who travel or follow