Travel Tips For Travelers From Travelers (part 2)

Sierra Nevada by Sterling College

We all love to hear some good tips and tricks from the experts from time to time so I decided to ask some of the most influential travel bloggers out there for their opinion. The two questions I popped were: Could you give us a few travel tips? (how to prepare for the trip, how to save money on the road, how to pick your hotel/destination, etc) and What travel plans do you have for 2011? Where are you headed to & what are the hot spots on your map this year? The answers below are in random order. They love to travel, they are real and they are living the dream. Ladies and gentleman, I present you:

Also see Travel Tips For Travelers From Travelers (part 1)

Dave from The Longest Way Home:

Travel tips: Research well ahead of times. You'd be surprised how many people leave applying for visas, or not knowing they need visas until the last minute. Every country is not the same. Overland into Malaysia gives you 3 months, while going overland into Thailand gives you only 15 days on arrival visas. Save money by eating where locals eat when you are not treating yourself. Look for medium to full places rather than empty places. And, if possible bring your own drinks as they are usually more expensive to buy. Compare hotel prices via online booking sites. Then check the hotels own website. Quite often there is a difference in prices. And, watch out for hidden charges like WIFI, or Air conditioning. Telephone ahead to be sure.

Travel plans: I've already been in The Philippines this year. In 2011 it's set to be one of the new "hot spot" destinations in South East Asia. Personally I recommend the island of Palawan, and the town of El Nido. It's about as tropical as you can get. With lots of private islands you can hire a boat for very little. You might even bump into George Clooney as he had a resort on an island out there!

Erin from La Tortuga Viajera:

Travel tips: My most distinct travel tip is to ignore what the travel agents and hotels advise you to do (well, not ignore, but don't base your plans solely on their tips). Living in a country like Spain with a Spanish husband, I've learned the importance of doing what the locals recommend as opposed to tour guides and hotels. The first thing I do when I go anywhere is find a local and ask them what they recommend. Locals are usually proud of where they are from and will typically suggest un-touristy sites and unknown places off the beaten path. A restaurant that might otherwise look completely uninteresting on the outside, might serve up the most authentic of cuisine. On top of that, since spots like this often aren't as touristy, they are often better priced. My best advice is don't be afraid to ask a local what to see in the city you are in, what cities/places nearby are worth visiting, where to eat, and what to order. It can't hurt and they will likely give you the best advice. And it's FREE!

Travel plans: 2011 will obviously be filled with lots more travel around Spain. There is always a new pueblo, tradition, or food to discover. I never tire of exploring my home away from home. Beyond Spain, I plan to head to Turkey as well as a the Republic of Georgia, where a dear friend of mine will be giving me an inside look at what she loves so much about her country. Since I rarely plan travel too far in advance, I'm sure I will be hitting lots of places in between!

Amanda from Dangerous Business:

Travel tips: When it comes to preparing for a trip, I leave nothing out. I love doing research into a new destination, and I read about everything - from popular attractions, to reviews of accommodation and restaurants, to stories from other travelers. I even look at road maps. Even if you're a go-with-the-flow sort of traveler who doesn't like to make many concrete plans before a trip, doing research can be helpful. I find out what things need to be booked ahead of time, what things can be missed or avoided, and what other travelers who have already been there have to say about it. Just doing some extra reading can help with all the things you asked about - from budgeting to choosing where to stay at night. And, if you go in knowing how much things should cost, you'll be less likely to get ripped off along the way.

Travel plans: This year is going to be a year full of U.S./Canada travel for me. I have very limited vacation time and money, so exotic, far-off locations are out. I'm kicking my year off with a week-long trip to Hawaii in February. I'm then hoping to hit up Chicago for a long weekend in March or April, and maybe travel a bit around my home state of Ohio in the spring. In June, I'll be heading up to Vancouver for TBEX'11. And then in early August my sister and I are planning an epic all-American roadtrip from Ohio to California and back. I can't wait!

Amar from Gap Year Escape:

Travel tips: One of the biggest money saving tips I can give to travellers, both pre-travel and while they are away, is to shop around. If you sit around a group of people on a tour, especially in places like Asia, and ask how much the each paid you'll find a great degree of variation. Just because something comes your way first and the person smiles sweetly at you, doesn’t mean it’s the cheapest option. Shop around for everything, whether it be a tour or a souvenir. Be prepared to barter or ask for discounts. The worse they can do is say no.

Travel plans: No travel plans for this year actually. I've only recently returned from a huge trip so I am enjoying the down time. For me the places high on my list are South America, Antarctica and Africa. I'd quite like to do New Year's Eve in Antarctica and see all the baby penguins!

Brendan from Brendan's Adventures:

Travel tips: Travel for the destination, time off for work, the bragging rights, or whatever, just remember to enjoy the journey. Every now and then simply stop look around, take a deep breath of air in and remember that you will never be in that exact moment ever again. It is those moments in travel that give us clarity and reason. Never take someone else's opinion too seriously. I've seen people cancel days in great cities because other people have told them about how horrible it is. Make your own judgments because everyone's perception is completely different.

Travel plans: 2011 is shaping up to be a big year. I have media work all over the east side of Latin America. I will be in the Chaco of Paraguay, the Pantanal of Brazil, Salvador de Bahia, Brazil for Carnival, and Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba and more tossed in there as well. I have been traveling for nearly 20 months straight now, and will be working my way back home to Canada, I think... I think that the hot spots for this year are going to be those places that are a little off the beaten track. I just got back from Antarctica, and places like the Arctic and Greenland might become big hits as well. Also, I have a feeling that travel in Colombia is gaining steam.

Barbara from Hole In The Donut:

Travel tips: I'm a perpetual traveler, therefore I do very little in the way of advance preparation for trips, other than determining visa requirements. Since I tend to stay in places long-term rather than just a few days, I prefer to just arrive and talk to the locals to learn what is worth seeing and doing. However I do make an exception with regard to culture, customs, and scams; these I want to know about before arriving, and I rely on Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree forum for this information, which is the most informed, giving community of travelers on the Internet. When I begin a new trip, I generally make reservations for accommodations for the first two days, since I don't want to look for a place to stay when I'm tired from a long flight. However, after the first couple of days I never make reservations, simply because I don't want to be locked into concrete plans. Without reservations, I can hop a bus or a train to a new destination on a moment's notice, and I just find a hostel or guest house upon arrival. Usually, I research the options at my intended destination and arrive armed with a list of potential places to stay, and HostelBookers.com is my favorite site for researching my options overseas. In the U.S. I prefer HotelsCombined.com, I also use Venere.com in Europe; AsiaRooms.com in SE Asia and Indonesia, and Wotif.com in Australia and New Zealand. A side benefit of staying in hostels is that most offer a free breakfast. I fill up in the morning and then eat only one other meal per day, which saves money on meals, especially if I am preparing it myself in the hostel's common kitchen. While I try to use ground transportation and travel like a local whenever possible, there are times when flying is necessary. Since airfare can be the most expensive part of travel, I work hard to find the best flight deals. I never use the big online booking agents because they don't search all discount carriers (and now American Airlines has removed themselves from the Expedia and Orbitz). It takes a bit more time, but I go to the AIRPORT websites that I want to fly between, search to see which of the discount airlines serve those airports, then book directly on the airline’s web site. Discount or affordably priced airlines in the U.S. include Southwest, AirTran, Spirit Airlines, and jetBlue; in Europe they include Ryanair, easy Jet, and airberlin; in SE Asia try Air Asia, Asiana Airlines, Nok Air (Thailand only), and Tiger Airways (also Australia); and in Australia check into JetStar, Regional Express (REX), and Virgin Blue.

Travel plans: Although my travel plans are fluid and ever-changing, at the moment my itinerary through June 2011 includes Thailand; Cambodia; Laos; Nepal; Scotland; England; Wales; Vancouver, BC; Washington DC; Malaysia; Borneo; Indonesia; and (maybe) the Philippines.

Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experience with the world!

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