We are constantly looking for ways to save money, and make our planning and travel as hassle free as possible. Here are our current tools to do that:

Finding Good Airfares:

Google Flights. Googles UI on top of ITA Matrix, with some simplifications. This has become our go-to tool for finding good fares when we already know dates. It now links to different sites to purchase tickets. If purchasing directly from the airline is a reasonable choice, do that. If you have problems or want to make changes, avoiding a third party ticket seller is very helpful.

Momondo has some great search tools across many airlines, and uses flexible dates.

Secret Flying You can subscribe to email updates, or pay a fee to subscribe to to alerts on routes and fares their tools have found that are unusually low. It also identifies mistake fares that are sometimes absurdly low, which generally sell out in a matter of hours. Read their details on mistake fares, as there is sometimes a risk that the airlines may not honor the fare. This is how we found a couple fares to Europe in 2017 for under $500 round trip per person from Boise, Idaho.

Going: Similar to Secret Flying.

Don’t forget to check directly with airlines that tend not to be available through combined search tools: Southwest, JetBlue, etc.

Even if you find a good fare on the comparison shopping sites, you may still want to book directly with the airlines instead of through the OTA (Online Travel Agencies: Expedia, Travelocity, etc.) There are some good reasons to do this.

We tend to shop through a lot of sites in advance to get a feel for what typical fares are for locations we want to visit, and then we are ready to grab a great deal when it comes up. Or if no killer deal happens to pops up before the trip, to at least book a reasonable fare. Note that the best fares are usually from major airports.

Housing

For stays more than a day or two, we prefer apartments to hotels, for a few reasons:

• We aren’t full time tourists (that would be waaaay too tiring) so some days we are just hanging out in our place, and the amenities of an apartment are superior to a hotel room.
• Apartments often have more than one room, and the extra space helps when one person wants to take a nap, or we just want to spend some time in our own space on a down day or rainy day.
• Apartments have kitchens and often a washing machine. Meals and snacks are cheaper, easier and more to our liking when done in the apartment. We need to do laundry every few days and it is much more convenient to do that in an evening or a day that we planned to be home anyway.
• Apartments are mingled with normal residents, so there are sure to be local services that we use such as grocery stores, bakeries, ATMs, pharmacies.
• Apartment hosts are resource for things to know about the local area, or a resource for help in an emergency.
• An exception to AirBnB preference: when staying in a poor economy. We tried some AirBnB type places in India and in general would not recommend it. We found living “like a local” there was not to our liking. The apartment itself and local shopping were not to our standards. Hotel stays were reasonably priced, included safe meals etc.

We find housing by scouring the usual sites: AirBnB.com, booking.com, hotels.com. Trivago.com, Priceline.com, VRBO.com. For longer stays we have sometimes negotiated with the owner for a lower rate. Recently we have been trying out hotelslash.com when a hotel room is a preferred option (for example, a one night stay near an airport)

Rental Cars:

Rental cars are increasingly more expensive. When we are in the US, a car is a necessity. When traveling in other locations in the world, renting a car depends on the country and our travel objectives. Here are some techniques to get the best rates:

Reserve Now, finalize later. Rental car rates are as fluid and unpredictable as Airline fares. We make a cancelable reservation in advance, then continue to track the market as the date approaches. If a better cancel-able rate shows up, we replace the old reservation with a new one. When we get close to the actual travel date and we are fairly certain about the trip, then we consider switching to non-cancel-able rates if those rates are better.

Automated rate finder. I’ve rented a dozen cars recently, and I’ve used almost as many ways to find the best deal. rentalcars.com or carrentals.com or priceline.com, or checking directly with car rental agencies. Recently, though the most useful tool I have found is https://www.autoslash.com/ Input your pickup and drop off date and time and autoslash will grind away for a few minutes, then sends an email with links to the best pay-at-pickup deals they could find. Often these deals are at priceline.com, but at lower rates than if I went directly to priceline.com. I think autoslash has access to special discount codes. But wait, there is more. Autoslash can continue to check on rates and send updates when it finds better rates in the future. I had a reservation in Dublin that I rebooked 4 times as autoslash found increasingly lower rates over the course of a month.

Off-Airport Locations. Airports collect a surcharge from car rentals to help pay for the airport. That generally makes cars more expensive to rent at the airport than in town. There are two downsides for renting at an off-airport location:

1. Transportation to/from the off-airport location.
2. Off-airport locations have short business hours, so there is a limited window to pick up or drop off a car. If you plan to pick up the car after arriving in town by air, a flight delay or cancelation can seriously mess with your travel plans.

One way rates: Typically there is a large fee for a one way rental. We have occasionally found exceptionally cheap one way rates when a rental agency has a surplus of cars in one location and wants to get them moved to another location. Sometimes that great rate may be from the downtown location to the airport in the same town. It may be significantly cheaper to Uber from the airport to the downtown location to pick up the car, then return the car to the airport when leaving. Alternatively, a one way rental may allow you to explore an area, AND be a leg for your trip to a different area.

Internet stuff:

Security

We spend a lot of time using WiFi in hotels, hostels, AirBnb appartments and the like. To protect against snooping (and to appear that we are in the US when communicating with banks, or watch Netflix etc.) we use ExpressVPN. (Full disclosure: We do get a small benefit from ExpressVPN if you click through this link, but I would recommend them anyway….) There are other good services such as NordVPN. Check review sites, but note that free VPN’s are not going to cut it. To have a VPN that is fast enough, available in enough places and truly secure, you need to pay for the service.

Passwords:

To generate and manage the many many passwords we use the paid version of LastPass, which lets us retrieve passwords on our computers and phones. For many sites we use two factor authentication using LastPass Authenticator. You really need all three to have enough personal security: high strength passwords, unique passwords for each site, and two factor authentication. Last Pass delivers all three elements.

Cell phone:

We use Google Fi Unlimited when travelling overseas. It is expensive, but it just works no matter where we go. (except in Montenegro for some reason) Fast data rates, fixed rates, $0.20/minute for standard phone calls (we use Slack, WhatsApp and other services that use data to make calls when possible)

Financial Tools:

We’ve settled on a strategy of having four credit cards and two ATM cards. Here’s how they are used:

Credit Card 1: Primary Travel Card
We chose a card with outstanding foreign travel benefits. We use this card for all foreign expenses, and for all domestic travel expenses (car rentals, airline tickets, lodging, restaurants) Our Choice: Chase Sapphire Reserve Visa. No foreign transaction fees, 3% back (in points) for all travel related expenses, 1% back on everything else everywhere in the world. It comes with a host of other premium travel benefits. This is our main travel credit card. The $550 annual fee may seem steep but $300 is returned each year as a credit for travel related costs so the net actual fee is $250. Currently there is a 60,000 point bonus for signing up and using the card, which is about $900 benefit when points are used through the Chase Travel website. Chase also covers the $100 fee for Global Entry, once every 4 years, and includes Priority Pass Select for free use of many airport lounges around the world (plus two or three travel companions). Other benefits include trip insurance and rental car coverage throughout the world. Those costs would otherwise add up quickly.

Credit Card 2: Backup Travel Card
If the Primary Travel Card is ever compromised/lost on a trip, then we can easily transition to the backup card with no interruption on the trip. We keep this card separate (usually in luggage), so it doesn’t go missing at the same time as the main card. We otherwise don’t use the card so it is not compromised. Our choice: Amazon Prime Visa Card No annual fee, good travel benefits. Well, we do use it for all Amazon purchases since the card provides 5% cash back for Amazon Prime members.

Credit Card 4: Domestic Purchases
We use the Fidelity Rewards Visa Card. This is a 2% cash back card on all purchases. Cards with high cash back amounts generally have poor travel-related benefits, so we use this card for all non-travel related purchases in the US. (gas, retail)

Credit Card 4: Domestic card for Autopayments of accounts
All automated payments that can be paid through a credit card, go through this card: insurance, subscriptions etc. I never use this card for anything else, so it is highly unlikely to be compromised or suspended for uncommon usage. I’m using a basic no-fee card from my credit union to do this job, but you might choose a card that provides some cash back benefits. We do forgo collection travel points, but then if my main cards are compromised or last, I don’t have to track down and change a bunch of auto-payments at the same time. We have a no-fee United card that at least collects United points at 1 point per dollar.

ATM Cards

Primary ATM Card:

Cash is a necessity in many countries and for smaller purchases. We use an ATM quite a few times every trip. Foreign transaction fees , poor exchange rates and ATM fees can really add up, but these costs are completely avoidable if you have the right card.

As far as I know, there is one ATM/Debit card that stands head and shoulders above the rest. The Schwab Bank Visa Platinum Debit Card. There are no deposit minimum in the associated Schwab checking account, no annual fees, no foreign transaction fees, and a refund of all ATM fees anywhere in the world. Card holders must also open associated Schwab Brokerage account, but there are no deposit minimums for that account either.

I have used this card to withdraw local currency throughout the world for the past 5+ years and it works as advertised. I have checked the exchange rates from time to time and they are very close to published rates at reputable websites such as XE.com. There are no hidden fees or gimmicks here, it’s just the ideal travel ATM card. IMPORTANT: decline any suggested exchange rates to dollars that are offered by the ATM. They are generally poor exchange rates and often include a percentage markup. Just let Schwab do the exchange.

I think Schwab offers this great card as an enticement to use their banking and brokerage services (which I do). Some people keep no balance in the Schwab account and move money from their normal bank account into the Schwab Checking account just when needed for travel, and then move any leftover money back into their normal bank.

Backup ATM card: Whatever normal ATM card you have with your bank. If you lose your primary card or it is lost or stolen, then at least you have a way to get some cash, even if there are fees to pay. Keep the backup ATM card in a different place than your primary card so they don’t get lost/stolen together!

In-country Transportation and Navigation

When we need a taxi, we generally use whatever ride sharing app is in use locally. Uber, Lyft, Grab, Bolt, FreeNow etc. Some apps include taxis as well. You can arrange a ride to a specific destination without having to speak the local language, or describe your destination, or fumble with cash to pay the driver. Register your information and payment method in the app, set the destination pin, the pick-up pin, push the button and presto, it usually works out pretty well. In some situations at airports or major train stations, ride share drivers aren’t allowed to pick up directly at the station, so you may need to walk into a parking lot or a nearby street to be picked up.

I research apps before getting to a new destination so I know if I need to download a new app. For example, Sofia Bulgaria has no ride sharing services and only two Bulgaria-specific taxi apps work there. It was worth setting up the apps even though we were there for only 5 days.

We use Google Maps to navigate when driving (and walking). In well traveled areas it does remarkably well. Some downsides: not all roads that Google Maps finds are equally drivable, so check the route carefully before you start out. We’ve ended up on some sketchy tight roads going through residential neighborhoods in Europe and Asia, rather than on faster, wider roads because Google Maps thought we could save a few feet or minutes with the shortcut. Driving in small roads in the mountains of Slovenia, some roads were not actually there (well, the actually road was 100 m further down), and some google-suggested roads turn into footpaths in reality.

Sometimes Google won’t know that a bridge is closed (another Slovenian driving story), so pay attention to any temporary road signs that are warning you about current conditions. Luckily Google will figure out a different route if you just drive away from the non-working path. I don’t know a better alternative and it is sooo much better than the days of paper maps.

For public transportation in a city, or for finding intercity travel options, we use Google Maps, Rome2Rio. Google even knows bus and subway schedules and will give you options as to when to start walking to catch the next bus/subway/train, or help you plan when to leave at some future date/time.

For intercity travel, after checking out the travel options we then use the websites/app of the suggested plane/ bus/train/ferry services to book arrangements. Fortunately English is the language of international travel so most travel-related services (bus/train/ferry) offer an English version of their websites. I have also used Omio.com and the companion mobile app to purchase tickets for buses, trains, ferries, etc. in Europe. They do charge a service fee but it is often preferable to use one app you know well, rather than to download, create an account and decipher multiple random local transportation apps.

If you plan to be in a city for awhile, I find it is worthwhile to go ahead and figure out the local apps for buying train, bus, tram tickets. You can take time to study options in the comfort of your hotel or AirBnB, and purchase online. So far I have yet to have my credit card information compromised by any of these local apps, even though I have given credit card details to many different transportation apps.

When buying tickets, you really want to avoid a trip to the bus or train station, wait in a long line to talk to a bored and impatient ticket agent through the glass, in English (which the agent doesn’t really understand) while 15 people wait in line behind you. Do it online, at your pace, in advance.