Value Added Travelling

I am often asked by my clients to find a travel deal for them.  However I like to present them with options that create value in a vacation, not just a vacation based on price alone.  The reason why I love travel is to create memories and strengthen the bond I have with my travel partners be it my husband or friends.  I will never forget the time I was in a cage surrounded by sharks miles off the coast of Oahu or walking around the Parthenon in Athens and seeing stray dogs look both ways before they crossed the street!  While I understand that we all have a budget for travel and cannot always spend more than what we have set aside for a specific trip I think that value needs to be addressed.  I am a big value for dollar type of traveller.  Sometimes I would rather put off a trip for a little bit longer to save for a certain experience or keeping the scheduled dates of the trip and put it on credit.  I always set up a budget for everything I want to do on vacation and then pare it back if I am over budget.  What must stay and what can go.

Hop On Hop Off bus tours are one of my favourite ways to get a ton of value for dollar when on a city vacation.  With multi-day tours available you can see so much of a city with comfortable transportation that comes with a multi-lingual narration piped into earbuds that are usually included.  But bring your own.  It is better for the environment.  HOHO’s stop at all the most popular attractions.  You can get off and either just do a quick visit or take advantage of museums, castles, cathedrals or geographical landmarks. Often free walking tours and river or canal tours are included that add amazing value.  My favourite way to use HOHO’s is to ride the entire route once without getting off to see the entire route all at once.

Free guided walking tours in key destinations are a great way to discover a new city or reacquaint yourself to one you have previously visited.  It is also a great way to meet new and interesting people.  Or meet someone new who is bat $hit crazy and smells like bologna (true story) who you will remember forever and giggle while reminiscing with your travel companions.  A funny memory and story adds value!  These walking tours are not just for the backpack-minded type of traveller.  Free walking tours are valuable and reward everyone, including families and couples.  Guides work on tips only.  This motivates them to work hard and truly engage with everyone to give the best tour possible. Companies like Freetour.com are great.  They offer tours in over 120 different countries and also include pub and bar crawls.

I have been inspired by watching Rick Steves’ travel shows. He has been travelling Europe for over 40+ years and is a leading authority on Europe.     Rick is dedicated  to providing free access to travel information.  You can use the Rick Steves Audio Europe™️ App.  It is a vast library of self-guided walking tours that are regularly updated.  You can view and follow walking-tour maps in the app as you listen to the corresponding tour and you do not need a wifi connection to listen to them.  His website ricksteve’s.com is also a wealth of free and useful information.

Staying on budget is very important to me.  So I try and find the best possible ways to do that while still getting a ton of value from my vacation.  But I also splurge when I feel that adds value.

I do not like extremely long layovers or overnight layovers and I will avoid them at all costs. I rather pay more for flights that have great departure and arrival times and layovers that are not too short and not too long.  Picking the perfect available flight has a lot of value to me.  I want to arrive at my destination as well rested as possible.  In the event that I will have a long layover having lounge access is necessary.  And if the layover is very long I will book an airport hotel.

I mentioned arriving at my destination well rested, but I also like to be well rested during my vacation as well.  I have been known to only get a few hours of sleep, but I want those few hours to count.  I look for hotels that are well reviewed for comfort, quiet, and have amenities that help with relaxation like a pool and a good lobby bar for a night cap.  In-room amenities like blackout curtains and sound proof windows are also helpful.  This is where using a travel agent can be extremely useful.  Let them do all the research and present you with the best of the best in your budget.  And having them book it for you makes it full circle.

Often times I book private tours.  I find private tours valuable if I am limited on time or if I want undivided attention with a guide.  Time is valuable.  A private tour allows you to slightly or fully customize a tour and with only your party on the tour you do not have to wait for stragglers from larger group.  Having your guide all to yourself leaves only your interests and questions to be addressed.  I have been on tours where someone (bologna lady) hogs the guide’s time with questions or comments that do not pertain to my interests or rambles on about their own experiences and leaves little to no time for your questions.

I will always pay to pick my seat on flights. This is non-negotiable. Every flight, every time! This adds value to me for for a few reasons. 1. Being a nervous flyer I like to sit to the closest to the front of the plane as possible and also choosing an aisle seat. It brings me comfort that I can see what’s going on. I have this theory that if the flight attendants look calm then all should be ok. May sound silly, but that comfort brings value to my vacation.! 2. I like to stay very hydrated on flights and having an aisle seat prevents me from disturbing the person who is on the aisle., even if it is my husband! 3. I do not want to sit separately from my husband.. And 4, and possibly the most important, passengers who checked in late and anyone without a confirmed seat assignment are first on the chopping block if the flight is overbooked. I have somewhere to be - a vacation, - and I am not missing my flight!

Creating memories with added value will leave you with a lifetime of stories and flood you with all the feels we want from a vacation.  Do not just walk aimlessly around a city looking at its architecture, learn about it in a free city walking tour.  Increase your budget to be well rested, and don’t forget to be present in the moment!  I love to listen to travel stories and memories from everyone and hope to hear all about your version of Bologna lady some day!