Travel Guide

Now that you're 10 and traveling more often, I figured it might be helpful to cover the basics, just in case.

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Booking Flights

Where to book:

There are a lot of different platforms you can use to book flights, some of which are scams, so you'll want to be careful when deciding where to book flights if you aren't going through the airline's website. It's always best to book directly through the airline but that doesn't mean you can't use other platforms to search for flights. Personally, I like to use Google flights or Skyscanner to look for cheap flights and then I'll look for that same flight on the airlines website and book it through there. I have also heard that Student Universe is a good app to use because they sometimes have exclusive discounts. Although Frontier and other budget airlines are safe, keep in mind that you probably don't want to book with them for trips where you need to get to your destination on time. Budget airlines are frequently delayed and not a good choice for trips where you need to be somewhere at a certain time or even day.

What to look for in flights:

When booking flights, you want to avoid Boeing MAX planes when possible. Other Boeings, like the 717, are perfectly safe but, after certain news stories and documentaries came out, I have a strong fear of MAX planes, therefore, you are not permitted to board them unless it's the only option. You can almost always see when the aircraft is when booking a flight, so be on the lookout for that. Some of the most common safe aircrafts include: Boeing 717, Airbus A380, Airbus A320/321, Boeing 787, Boeing 747 and Airbus A340.

Booking Hotels

You have some experience with this now but I'll do a little refresher. There are a lot of hotel finding sites like Booking, Expedia, Kayak, etc. but booking direct is always best. It's fine to book through a 3rd party, but understand that it carries a risk. If you're going to a popular destination during peak season, it's not uncommon for hotels to overbook and when that happens, 3rd party bookings are the first to get the boot. Overbooking aside, there's also just a risk that there's an error and the booking doesn't actually go through to the hotel or something gets lost in translation. To mitigate this, it's best to call the hotel prior to your trip to confirm that they have your booking in the system and that everything is good to go.

When booking with a hotel, pay attention to their policies. Many hotels require guests to be 21+ to check in and most require a credit card to hold the room. Ensure that you meet the age requirements of the hotel and always have your ID with you, you won't be able to check in without it.

Travel Warnings, Visas, and Misc.

When you finally get around to getting your passport, I expect that you'll venture further out into the world. When visiting other countries, it's a good idea to check for travel warnings for the areas you plan to visit. For example, certain parts of Egypt or even Mexico can have travel alerts for specific areas or even just warnings that there is a higher rate of crime against certain nationalities (like Americans). You'll also want to do some research on any common issues that tourists usually face. Whether it's the camel ride price switchup in Egypt or the huge pickpocketing problem in Spain, you want to be aware of these issues and plan accordingly.

It is also absolutely vital that you are familiar with the destination country's tourism laws. The last thing you want is to land in Brazil for Carnaval, only to find out that you need a travel visa to get past customs (which you do). Every country has a different timeline for visa applications but it needs to be done weeks, if not months, before your departure date. So be sure to check before you book a trip.

When spending money in another country, it's best to use your credit card. If your card gets stolen, it is far easier to get your money back from a credit card than a debit card. Before traveling, you'll want to let your bank know where you're going and what dates you'll be there, so they know not to automatically block foreign transactions, as it would be flagged for fraud. This can usually be done through your banking app, but it varies by bank. You'll also want to check to see if there are foreign transaction fees and, if so, what they are. It's also a good idea to have some local currency in cash, but shop around to see what places have the best exchange rates. Airports typically have the highest exchange rates for foreign currency, so it should be a last resort.

For your phone service, you can either look into travel options through your service provider or get an e-sim card. Using an e-sim card will provide you with data so that you can use your phone for the internet or directions without needing to be connected to wifi. For calling/texting, however, you will need to use Whatsapp/Imessage/Facetime, otherwise, whoever you call/text in the US will be charged for international calls/texts. This will mainly be an issue for anyone without an Iphone, Imessage and Facetime are wifi/data based so they won't incur charges.

Bonus tip: power outlets in other countries are funky so make sure you have an adapter that will work for wherever you're going.