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2017: The Year You Make Travel Happen

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daring travel sky dive
One of the most common New Year’s resolutions people make is to travel more. It’s right up there with eating better and going to the gym more.

And, like so many other resolutions, this one starts with the best of intentions and motivations but often fails.

When asked why, most people make up some reason involving time and money. They ran out of time, life got in the way, they forgot to ask for time off, work got too busy, they never saved enough, couldn’t find a cheap ticket, yada, yada, yada.

Tomorrow is the day to hit the gym, give up pizza, read more, or find that cheap trip to Paris.

But, when you dive deeper, you usually find people don’t follow through because they are too afraid to commit. They half-checked flights, looked up some hotels, and maybe even went to a bookstore to buy a guidebook. But when it came down to purchasing the trip, they hemmed and hawed and said, “Let me think about it a little. Maybe tomorrow.”

After all, change is hard. Getting out of your comfort zone is hard. It takes dedicated mental energy.

Turning a dream into a reality can elicit a sort of “ohh f%%k, this is happening” moment. There’s always a mix of excitement and fear. “Yes!” to doing it but also an “uhh, what did I get myself into?” feeling.

The second you buy your plane ticket, there’s no going back. You’re going. You’re locked in.

Soon you’ll be in a place you know nothing about, where you know no one, and (maybe) don’t speak the language.

The reality of that stops more people than you think from hitting “Book Now” because they aren’t sure they are “ready.”

Now, I know that you, dear reader, have a sense of adventure. You’re reading this blog, right? This is probably not your problem.

But time and/or money? These things probably worry you.

Someone literally asked me in an email last week: “Why do people still think travel is expensive?!”

When I read that, I screamed at my computer, arms flailing, yelling “Right? Why indeed? That is such a good question! I still can’t figure it out! It drives me insane!”

With all the blogs, magazines, apps, travel hacking websites, and deal sites out there, you would think the persistent myth that travel is expensive would have started to fade away by now. But it is still there. It’s hard to get rid of for the millions of people who grew up in the age of “travel = expensive hotel/resort vacation.” For the other millions in countries that are just getting the purchasing power to think about overseas travel, travel is very much still a luxury.

And luxury is synonymous with expensive.

However, there are travel deals all the time if you know where to look. 2016 saw some incredible cheap fares, and 2017 is shaping up to be no different. (There are some crazy $400 USD round-trip flights to Europe right now.) Additionally, the sharing economy has only grown in recent years, allowing you to bypass the old travel gatekeepers, and connect with locals for a cheaper trip.

So today, I’m going to get you somewhere in the world. I’m going to show you the secret to finding a cheap vacation so you can start 2017 off right and not back out of your resolution. Ready?

First, go to one of these websites: The Flight Deal, Holiday Pirates, or Secret Flying. Look for a cheap flight to a place you want to go to.

Second, book a flight. Lock yourself into a trip. Don’t worry about anything else. I promise you everything will work out. You can worry about a hotel, what to pack, day-to-day expenses, time off, what to do, etc., later. Those things don’t matter and there are many ways to cut those expenses! Worry about the logistics later.

Third, well, that’s all there is to it. There is no third.

Once you make the commitment by buying a flight, the rest is easy. Over and over again, I hear from travelers, “I was so worried about my trip. I built it up in my head so much and began to fret about all the ‘what ifs,’ but once I got on the road, it all fell into place and I wondered why I was ever worried at all.”

I know it seems scary to take the leap, especially when you are on your own. I know it can be unnerving to run out of your comfort zone. It’s basically this cartoon below, right?

The simple act of hitting “go” takes mental work!

But I’m here for you. This site is a virtual hand. I’m here to take the leap with you together. To be there to reassure you along the way, take away your fears, answer any of your questions, and provide support. (Plus, we have a whole community of people to help you too!)

How I’m Going to Help Make 2017 the Year of Travel

Today, I’m bringing back the case study project. I’m going to take five readers and help them plan their trip from start to finish. I’m going to help them each step of the way (as much as they need me to) and use their examples to show again that you don’t need to be rich to travel – or that you just aren’t limited to cheaper, developing countries.

To be one of those readers, you simply need to book a flight within 24 hours of this blog post going up. The first five people to do that and send me proof are in. It doesn’t matter where in the world you are, where you are going, or for how long. SPOTS ARE FULL! THANKS FOR APPLYING!

Just email a screenshot of where you are going, as well as the following information: your name, phone number, and age; a short bio; the ideal budget for your trip; and anything else I need to know. (Please keep it to no more than two paragraphs.)

There are no fees or strings attached. I’ll work with you via email, phone, and Skype to create a plan and help you stick to it so you can travel sooner than you planned and for less money.

I’ll feature these case studies on the blog when they are done as a way to help and inspire others (so you have to be OK with sharing your story on the website).

If you want to go somewhere but have always been a bit too afraid to pull the trigger, do so today, and let me help guide you out the door.

I will take your hand and we will leap together.

– Matt

P.S. – Looking for another way to kick start your new year? Over at the forums, we are doing our quarterly Travel Action Challenge, where you win prizes (like a $100 USD Amazon.com gift card) !

P.P.S. – If you would like to help underprivileged students travel more, we’re currently fundraising for a group of students to go volunteer in Ecuador. Help us reach our goal, change someone’s life by exposing them to the world of travel, and get some travel swag in the process. It’s a trip win!

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Destinations

Find Out This Little Known Hack for Easier Air Travel

No need for forms to file a claim. Travel insurance companies can instantly send you money while you wait for your delayed flight.

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     People don’t like paperwork, especially when it comes to travel-related documents. This hack for easier air travel is going to eliminate the hassle of filling out forms and other tedious processes. Flying is going to be much less stressful. 

 

     Just think of this – when you experience a delay in your flight, the travel insurance company is simply going to send you a text message that you’ll be receiving $100 for the inconvenience. No paperwork, no lines, and no hassle. 

 

     This advancement in the way travel insurance work is because of two companies, the Berkshire-Hathaway Travel Protection and the Allianz Global Assistance. These companies are using new technology where they can track your flight. And then if anything comes up, they can automatically file a travel insurance claim for you. 

 

 

     Since very few people know about this new advancement in travel insurance, it is definitely a hack that you should keep a note of. If you go through the traditional route of travel insurance, you’re going to wait for weeks before you will be compensated. 

 

     With automatic claims, it is going to be what the term suggests. You won’t have to fill out forms to file your claim. You don’t even have to file your claim at all. It’s going to be the insurance company who will do those things for you. 

 

Automatic Claims: How They Work

 

     Automatic claims mean that you don’t have to wait for a disruption in your flight to happen so you can file your claim. The travel insurance company will be the one to monitor the flights. If ever there’s a delay, the insurance company will be offering you a fixed amount. You don’t have to do anything from your end. 

 

 

     Apart from flight delays, insurance companies also provide benefits for damaged or lost luggage. The amount will depend on your policy. What is only required from you is for you to verify the damage or the loss. The payment will come almost immediately. You can say that it is indeed an instant claim. 

 

Benefits of Travel Insurance Auto-Claims

 

  • It is automated and therefore easier. As mentioned earlier, you are not required to do anything so you can file your claim. You only have to ensure that the travel insurance company is aware of your flight information before departure. 
  • You will definitely get better service. In cases where there’s a delay in your flight, getting a text message that you will receive $100 will at least make you feel a bit better. 

 

 

  • Money comes in an instant. Imagine never needing to wait for a check to arrive. The travel insurance company will send the money instantly. While waiting for your flight, you can use the money to shop a bit or have a few relaxing drinks. 

 

     You may wonder why this automatic claim from travel insurance companies is not well-known. Since automatic claims are still building their momentum, it is easy for people to be suspicious of it. They think that instant payments are just too good to be true. But when you study this automatic claim closely, it has plenty of benefits. 


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Making The Most Of Travel Productivity

  Overall, the key to stress-free journeys is investing time to plan points out thoroughly ahead of time, increasing your efficiency and general comfort along the way.

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     There are a wide variety of reasons why you could take a trip, be it for leisure, business or something in-between. Nowadays, so-called “bleisure” adventures are popular, incorporating the enjoyable and exciting aspects of a pleasureful escape with the efficiency of a job requirement. Nonetheless, great preparation is an essential factor of whether you’ll have a smooth, seamless trip in which you achieve your functional objectives and fondly bear in mind the experience years down the line. Below are a couple of suggestions to aid you to attain that very equilibrium.

 

 

Utilize A List

     In the hustle and bustle of preparing for your journey, the likelihood of neglecting something is really high, however, you can avoid that just by assembling a checklist well in development. All you’ll have to do is uncheck the things on the checklist and also start fresh when you’re going on a new journey.”

 

Book Proactively

     When you’re reserving your trip, leave a void in between expected goal times. In the best-case circumstance, you’ll have a possibility to relax, consume a healthier meal and refresh on your own. As well as in the worst instance, you’ll be able to attend on schedule even if there’s a hold-up with your trip or any other hitch.

 

 

     Overall, the key to stress-free journeys is investing time to plan points out thoroughly ahead of time, increasing your efficiency and general comfort along the way.

 

Build Healthy Routines

     Traveling typically suggests you’ll be in contact with even more people, public locations and items than the majority of other people. Something as straightforward as antibacterial wipes can go a long way to making certain that you don’t capture any type of ailments. You’ll need to enjoy your diet plan as well as make the added effort to find healthy food, instead of just going for the closest chow you locate at the airport terminal or in the city you have actually arrived at. It might cost you even more as well as take more time, however, it’ll certainly work out in your favor over time.

 

 

Research Funding Choices

     Travel can be very pricey, but smart individuals have a number of means to lower their prices. You can get a hotel loyalty card, which will qualify you to free stays depending upon just how much you’ve used them, not unlike airline company miles. Usually, you can additionally stack the advantages up and make on your own an extremely affordable trip.

 

     According to Ivan Baidin, CEO of Traveling Payments, “Travel-affiliate strategies can also help you make money by referring people to helpful services and products. Usually, you make around $7 from the rate of a bought aircraft tickets and $20 from a hotel booking. It needs patience as well as discovering, yet in time it repays really well.”

 

 

     An additional cost-saving method is to just make use of no-fee ATM cards. Different banks use them, so examine the fine print to see which one is most valuable total.

 


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Destinations

The Tasty Traveling Trends Of 2019

 Let us see what’s most likely to be fashionable in the next year by observing the largest traveling fads of 2019.

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     Traveling trends are consistently producing terrific buzz for travelers. Patterns from very early 2019 up until this time, as observed by travel industries, are noticing changes from long, large, and pure vacation purposes to short and mixed vacation objectives. Let us see what’s most likely to be fashionable in the next year by observing the largest traveling fads of 2019.

Tiny Vacations

     In going with short holidays, the location needs to be conveniently accessed for a short vacation. It’s paramount to select the purposeful, time-saving activities – the remarkable ones. It could be a short family members vacation or solo trip.

Stroll touring is most advised during this sort of holiday. Native foods, gallery expeditions, and scenic strolls are the most pleasing activities you can do. There are numerous “walkable” cities in the world where you can enjoy these meaningful activities such as Kowloon in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, London, England, and numerous others.

Wellness-oriented Tours

     With the ease of access to health information online, wellness-conscious visitors always associate tourism with health. As reported by the International Wellness Institute, wellness tourism is growing rapidly and has actually produced even more destinations with wellness orientations. One valid example is the existence of hot springs around the globe. These are thought to have healing abilities and were created by the existing hotels – however, with a new clientele in mind.

 

     The wellness locations most tourists chose include nature, specific weather conditions, peaceful destinations, day spas, culture, yoga exercise, and exterior health and fitness activities. These wellness destinations will certainly not just ease you physically but also emotionally. There are numerous places worldwide that supply solutions like these, such as  Hawaii, Italy, Bali, Arizona, as well as many more.

Bleisure Trips

     This holiday incorporates business with leisure. The majority of those who take a trip for their organization offer themselves many opportunities to take pleasure in tourism after organizational duties. Many tourists in bleisure journeys, search for the closest visitor destination to discover considering that they have just limited location and time choices. Moreover, they are not traveling for a getaway; rather searching for possibilities near the place they check-in. The most joyful activities to do throughout these vacations are days at the shopping center, memento searching and walking tours. Yet you can still increase the fun as long as your schedule permits. Beaches, riders, and golf courses are the next best tasks to do.

 

Social Media-inspired Holidays

     In today’s electronic age, selecting holiday destinations is more than likely, social media-inspired. Attractive pictures of lovely locations are published on social media as well as internet sites that permit first-timers to have first experience with the prospective destination. When visited, tourists might refer the destination to pals. Since pictures on social networks systems are mainly artistic, there are more real-life cosmetically artistic locations that you can choose from such as in Rome, Italy, Paris, France, Berlin, as well as Germany.

 

     Staying on par with these four large traveling trends will certainly maintain your itinerary. This will even make your traveling trip a lot more successful and greatly more satisfying.


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