Travel tips + saving money
Book your flights
I highly recommend using SkyScanner.com and SkiPlagged.com (sounds a little sketch, but I promise it’s not haha!). There’s a “take me anywhere” option to find the cheapest deals during specific dates or months. Googleflights.com is also a great tool to use as well and you can subscribe to a specific flights to notify you when prices change. The best way to get cheap flights is to be flexible on dates, destinations, or ideally both. If you have a really kind family member or friend who has extra flight mileage points, they can give you their points to help on a flight.
Check for the star
Starting on October 1st, 2021, every air traveler 18 years of age or older will need a REAL ID compliant driver's license. They are marked with a star at the top of the card. If you’re not sure, contact your state driver’s license agency on how to obtain a REAL ID compliant card.
Passports
Please double check your expiration dates on your passports before booking an international flight. If your passport expires within the year you’re traveling, you may need to start the renewal process as early as eight months before your expiration date, depending on your destination. There are options to expedite your passport to receive it in less than 3 weeks.
Travel Insurance
I recommend buying travel insurance if you’re traveling international. In any case your luggage is lost, have a medical emergency, or your flight is delayed or cancelled having traveling insurance will cover you from A to Z in those moments. I suggest going to Insure My Trip to compare different insurance companies to get the most out of your money.
Exchanging Currency
Most larger banks like Wells Fargo, Bank of America, or Citibank will exchange your money for you for free if you have an account with them. If you don’t bank with them, I’d hop on Travelex and if done early enough you can order online and they’ll mail your money to you before the trip. Don’t exchange at the airport as their rates are ridiculously high. You should take $50 - $100/person for each day you’re overseas until you can reach an ATM.
TOP CAR RENTALS
enterprise.com (best for avoiding additional fees / average daily rate $50)
nationalcar.com (best for customer service)
alamo.com (best for unlimited mileage & second driver / average daily rate $42)
hertz.com (best airport locations / average daily rate $48.50)
avis.com (best discounts / average daily rate $60)
budget.com (best for paying upfront / average daily rate $35)
dollar.com (best for rewards programs / average daily rate $30)
thrifty.com (best online check-in system / super cheap rates but sucky customer service)
Book Transportation
Once you have decided on your location and booked your flight: find out the best way to travel between the airport, lodging, and shoot location. If you have other people coming, do you need multiple rental cars or can you borrow a vehicle from a family member who lives nearby? Do you need to reserve ferry tickets or book a helicopter tour? Will any of your locations potentially require a 4WD vehicle? Are you comfortable with 4WD roads? If not, look into hiring a professional 4WD company.
Rental Cars
The only reason I would use Uber is if our location, airbnb, and airport is super close by. If we’re in a big city or abroad, their public transportation might be more accessible, Google Maps is a huge help in figuring out public transportation! If renting a car is the easiest option, I personally use alamo.com and never have any trouble with them. Definitely check your current auto insurance to see if it covers rental cars. If so, most rental car shops will try to suck you into buying their insurance at additional costs, but if your current auto insurance already covers that then you just saved money! If done in advance, and if you’re 25+ you can rent cars for about $50/day. If traveling abroad, you might be required to purchase a drivers permit to drive within their country, double check if your current ID works or if you’ll need to purchase a permit.
Nearby Lodging
Check Google Maps to find out out how long the drive time will be between your lodging and chosen shoot location. The closer your lodging can be to your location, the more streamlined your day will be but for some remote locations, it’s not uncommon for the closest hotel to be 1-2 hours away. Consider the amount of space that you’ll need at your lodging: Is it going to be just the two of you? Are other people coming or will I be bunking with you guys?
Pro Tip
Check out my Amazon Travel List of items that I find helpful while traveling. Whether this is your first time or 100th time flying within the states or abroad, here are a few things that might make traveling a lot easier or more comfortable!