Stop Dreaming. Start Planning!
I know it can be a daunting task but I’m here to help you. Below you will find links to help you value travel.
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Contents
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I understand, it can be hard to know when and where to start planning your dream trip.
All of these questions can be answered in the articles linked below.
Grab the best flight prices with my personalized link or go to my partner site, Expedia for car rental, activities and accommodations.
These are world-wide trusted sites that are the best in the industry at what they do. Not interested in flights or hotels?
How about booking a road-trip or an AirBnb instead?
Not sure you want to plan a trip all by yourself?
You can always hire me to do it for you! Send an email to nick@navigatornick.com to get started.
The following resources are the ones I personally use on my own travels so I trust them 100%. They come highly recommend.
Airfare
If you want to get the best prices on flights, look at these two sites as far in advance as possible; SkyScanner and Google Flights. You will be amazed at the amount of money you can save by shopping around and tracking prices.
Once I have a destination in mind, I will have notifications sent to me from all three websites (Hopper, Google Flights, SkyScanner) so I can track the best time to purchase my flight.
These apps or websites cost nothing to use. That’s the best part, they are free!
You will find the best price on Domestic Airfare 1 – 3 months out.
You will find the best price on International Airfare 6 – 8 months out.
Points & Miles
Your airfare cost is most likely going to be the most expensive part of your trip.
I highly suggest use miles to pay for this portion of your budget.
The best travel credit card to do this with is the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.
The second card I’m going to recommend is the first card I started using when I began traveling, the Capital One Venture card.
Both of these cards are a fantastic value if you travel a few times a year. The sign-up bonus is enough to get you to Hawaii (see the Hawaii trip) or a similar round-trip completely free using miles! UNREAL.
Use Expedia below to find your next adventure if you already have something in mind to reference prices.
So, what’s the catch with all these free tools? The short answer is, there is no catch! But, if you want to save money on your trip, you have to be ready to pay once your get a low-cost airfare alert.
It seems simple, but you have to be ready with credit card in hand.
These deals can pass by within an hour or two.
As long as you’re prepared, you can always save or catch a deal on a flight.
Hotels
There are a wealth of hotels, bed and breakfast, luxury suites, Airbnb’s, condo’s, campsites and other accommodations around the world.
Whatever your preference, I can help you find the perfect fit! I love to value travel.
What is value traveling? Value traveling is getting the most bang for your travel buck.
If you dont want to bother with the research, you can always hire me to do it for you! Send an email to nick@navigatornick.com to get started.
Expedia is my preferred choice for travelers looking to book accommodations.
Hotel Colón Barcelona
Booking.com offers locally owned houses, condos, apartments, yurts, tents and other cool places to stay outside of the major hotel chains.
Check out this unique property that I stayed at in Monteverde, Costa Rica!
Would you love to try something as spectacular as the Monteverde Glamping Yurt? I can tell you from experience, that it was an amazing once-in-a-lifetime overnight stay. The only thing I regret is not booking two nights, instead of just one!
Guide Books
I’m sure you’ve heard of the phrase “Google It” before?
The problem is, there is too much information out there!
But, when Googling-it just won’t cut it, I look to guidebooks. I even started to make my own guidebooks!
Time and time again I have referred to at least a couple pages of these books when I travel. Out of all of the ones I’ve read, the following are my favorites.
Lonely Planet is the most well known guidebook series of them all.
As a comprehensive guide, you’ll find information about destinations new and unknown with lots of features you would have never considered. I occasionally find myself writing down notes and taking pictures of important info on my phone.
Travel Tip: Taking pictures of important maps or information in guidebooks is easier than bringing the actual book with you on your adventure when space is limited.
Rough Guides is a second highly rated guidebook series that I use before my trip.
The tips about secluded whereabouts and the landscape pictures really help guide my itinerary.
Excursions & Things To-Do
I trust the top excursion company in the world, GetYourGuide.
GetYourGuide makes it simple for travelers to find exactly what they want to do on their trip. You will find GetYourGuide recommendations throughout the site to book excursions and things to do.
With direct access to more than 200,000 bookable activities, travelers can easily discover and book incredible experiences.
Optimized for mobile booking, travelers can plan in advance or book on-the-go to skip long lines and sold-out signs. They also feature:
GetYourGuide Excursions
- 24-hour cancellation policy
- The lowest price guarantee
- Millions of customer reviews
- 24/7 multilingual customer care
Check out Things to Do in santorini below. Use these searches throughout the site to book excursions and things to do. Have another destination in mind? Just click “Find Things To Do” and create a new search. It’s that easy!
Insurance
World Nomads is a premium travel insurance company that will help keep you and your belongings protected during your travels.
We had to file several claims against our policy when the train station in Seville Spain wouldn’t accept our tickets we purchased online weeks before our trip.
And then again we used World Nomads when our car was stuck along a countryside road on our Costa Rica trip.
Like you, travel is in our blood and exploring is our way of life. Our mission is to help you get the most out of your adventures and support you when things go wrong.
World Nomads
In addition, when I visited the Dominican Republic, I made sure to check on safety alerts before I left for my trip. And I always do this before I leave the country. World Nomads has useful articles on their site to help keep you safe when traveling. They are a great resource on and during your trip!
Gear That I Use
I’ve always wanted the best gear but never wanted to spend the money. The best camera is the one that’s with you at all times. How can you take a picture or video, if you forgot your camera in the hotel room or at home? Chances are, your cell phone is always with you and readily available.
But, if you want to step up your IG game, upgrade to an actual camera or GoPro.
While I have upgraded from my trusty Sony A5000 and Panasonic Lumix G85, I am now using a Panasonic Lumix G9!
As you can see from the photo’s above, the camera is small, portable and practical when traveling. It is a micro four thirds mirrorless camera. And while not a full-frame camera that captures every single megapixel, it does not carry the weight.
My favorite feature is the weatherproof housing. The camera body and the lense are weatherproof and sealed.
Now, this doesn’t mean I can submerse it in the Caribbean Ocean or drop it in a Costa Rican crocodile infested river. But, it will stand up to the elements such as high wind, sand and even pouring rain.
Panasonics’ mirrorless DSLR lineup is great for somebody always on the go or a travel vlogger/photography/videographer. The Lumix G85 won’t break the bank and its durability is amazing. I wont go on and on about camera specs, but, I’ve been using it for two years and I love it.
DJI Mavic Pro Drone
The DJI Mavic Pro goes everywhere that I go.
I chose this drone over the competition because of its portability and easy of use.
Capturing moments from the sky to get a unique perspective and a birds eye view brings happiness to my soul. I bought the Mavic Pro when it first came out, along with the Fly More Combo. I have a ton of YouTube videos of my flying it. You can find the unboxing video and also flying in Punta Cana here.
A quick tip if you’re flying your drone over the ocean or in the brighter hours of the day, get an ND filter. An ND filter blocks out the harsh sunlight and cuts down on reflections. What this does is give you a broader color spectrum to edit without washing out any of the highlights in your frame. Grab a set of nice ND filters, you wont regret it. Polar Pro has been in the business of ND filters for awhile and their products are top notch. They are a brand you can trust.
Packing Cubes
Packing cubes are great for organizing your luggage and freeing up space for more take-home or souvenir items.Try them out on your next trip!
International Plug Adapter Set
Not all plugs are created equally, which is why having the right wall adapter set is key when traveling abroad. This five pack covers most of the destinations you’ll visit around the world with few exceptions. (So far the only additional plug we needed to purchase out of 69 countries was for South Africa). Not bad at all!
GoPro Hero 9 Black
I have been using GoPro from the beginning and that’s how I got started vlogging. For around $450, you can’t beat the portability and different uses for a camera of this size.
A GoPro is a great tool to have in your arsenal on a trip. Pair it with your phone, literally and figuratively, and you will have a fantastic and mobile vlogging set-up. The best camera you can have while traveling is the camera that you can bring with you. It’s small, lightweight and rugged.
Blogging
Are you thinking of opening a blog to cover your long-term travels? Or maybe you had an inspiration to build a new website as a result of something you’ve experienced on the road? I also design web sites over at www.slysdesign.com. Check out my website or drop me in an email and let’s build something together!
I have a great web hosting service, InMotion Hosting, for you to get started. Their prices are industry standard and their customer service is top notch.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you book or buy something through these links, I earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you!).
