My Top 10 Favorite Vacation Hacks for 2024
Ven a la Luz, Tulum
The Origins of My Travel Bug
Just a girl from a small town, dreaming of adventure…
Anyone who knows me knows I love to travel. I grew up in a small town in Ohio that was devoid of culture and adventure. Unlike most of the people around me, who were content to follow the same predictable routines day in and day out, I longed to escape Ohio’s gray monotony and see the world.
First international adventures….
When I was in college, I spent a semester studying abroad in London and traveling throughout western Europe, and after that I was absolutely hooked on travel. A couple years later, my husband and I spent a summer backpacking through Europe, traveling via our EuroRail pass. This was before smartphones and social media, and I truly believe that made everything so much better.
I remember one day, we were at a train station in Germany and had to make a quick decision about what train to get on next. We saw a sign that said “Wein,” looked at each other and shrugged, and, agreeing that it sounded interesting, hopped on the train. We were pleasantly surprised to get off the train in Vienna, Austria! (“Ohhhh, Wein means Vienna!!!”).
Since then, we’ve revisited Europe a few times, explored various states across the country, and embraced the wonders of traveling to Mexico and the Caribbean. While we may not have logged as many miles as some, we consistently prioritize experiencing new destinations whenever possible. And now that our boys are a little older- 9 and 11- traveling with kids has become soooo much easier!
The Essence of Travel
For me, travel is all about getting outside my comfort zone and learning something new. I love the thrill of being lost in a new city, trying to communicate with locals in their language, shopping for groceries in a foreign market, and immersing myself in the culture and history of a new place. Don’t get me wrong, I also love a good beach day, but I much prefer driving to a hidden cove off the beaten path for a day of lazy floating and picnicking then being amongst the masses at a mega resort.
My Top 10 Favorite Vacation Hacks
We’ve just returned from an incredible trip to Tulum, Mexico, and the excitement from the unparalleled beauty and adventure is still radiating through me. Inspired by this unforgettable experience, I’m happy to share with you- my My Top 10 Favorite Vacation Hacks for creating your own unforgettable travel adventure!
Know Your Vibe
Decide what type of trip you want. Local? National? International? Beach or city? What is most important for you to experience- new cultures, interesting cuisine, or creature comforts? (As an example, I didn’t put much thought into cuisine when planning my 20th anniversary trip to Turks & Caicos with my husband, and we ended up subsisting on wayyy too much fried conch due to the lack of other options!) Finally, what type of vibe are you going for- party scene, family friendly, touristy, off the beaten track, etc?
Find Flights
Next, sign up for Google Flight alerts. It’s a simple and free way to explore cheap flights to anywhere. Google Flights allows you to search up to seven destination and departure airports at once and the calendar shows you the cheapest dates within a two-month period. You can also set price alerts so you’ll be notified when prices on a tracked route or flight change.
Research Accommodations
While exploring flight options, start thinking about accommodations. Do you enjoy being pampered at an all-inclusive resort? Will a standard hotel room work for your group? Or do you prefer the spaciousness of a vacation rental like an AirBnB? How do you want to take your meals- via room service, on-site restaurants, local eateries, or do you want to prepare your own? Finally, how important is walkability- to the beach, town, restaurants, etc?
Nail Down the Digs
Once you know what type of accommodation you want, start exploring options in the places you are tracking flights to. Ideally, you want to have 2-3 options so that when the best flight deal comes up, you can act on it.
Book it!
Book your flight, then immediately afterwards, book the accommodation. Now, celebrate!! The hard part is over!
Determine Local Transportation
Now it’s time to think about transportation. With the exception of Europe in my 20’s, I always rent a car. I just love the freedom and flexibility of going wherever, whenever. And, when traveling with a family, having that controlled space is sooo much better than crazy taxi rides or crowded buses, imho. Of course, driving in a foreign country requires a certain level of calm and adaptability, so if reading street signs in a different language, understanding kilometers rather than miles, and navigating the potential chaos of laneless streets, lawless drivers, and questionable rules of the road fills you with anxiety, then I would strongly suggest utilizing hotel and/or public transportation!
Find the Fun!
Now the really fun part of travel planning… your excursions! I’m not the type of person who schedules every hour of a trip. On the contrary, having a detailed itinerary makes my skin crawl. But what I like are options. I want to know what’s available, if we want to do it. For example, on the Tulum trip, I knew we’d likely want to explore the ruins, swim in the cenotes, and visit the Ven a la Luz sculpture. So, I made sure to do a little research in advance, noting things like hours, price, and other guidelines (for example, you’re not permitted to wear sunscreen in the cenotes, so that took some pre-planning). Some things require advance booking, like when we visited Flora Farms in Cabo, so I did have to arrange that ahead of time. My best advice: Check out the options, keep notes on the important details, schedule what must be scheduled, and allow flexibility for the rest. Remember, it’s all about options.
Know Your Packing Personality
Packing. This process really depends on your personality. My husband and I are last minute packers. Why? Well, I pretty much have the list in my head for a week or so, and life is just too damn busy to pack anytime before the last minute! However I know many people start to have heart palpitations if their bags aren’t ready to go days in advance, so you do you. What I can suggest is that everyone brings their own carryon luggage, and skips baggage claim. We did this on our last international trip and it made life so much easier! No waiting forever after customs. Just make it through the line and out of the airport you go! Similarly, when returning, it’s really nice to bypass baggage and just head on home.
Embrace Humor, Flexibility, and Gratitude
While on the trip… three words: Humor, flexibility, and gratitude. Let’s be honest, traveling can be stressful. The more travelers you add into the mix, the greater the chance for a snafu or a bad mood. Know this going in! Know that things will be different. Know that there will be frustrations. Know that some things will just not make any sense. Know that your routine will most certainly be disrupted. You might get lost. It might take an hour to get served. The air conditioner might break. The pool might be closed. You might get a blister. Etc, etc, etc. The point is, if you put the trip on a pedestool before you even get there, those unrealistically high expectations are bound to be unmet. Instead, leave with an open mind. Give yourself permission to feel a little stressed, but then bring yourself out of it. Make a joke about it, remember this will make a great story. Bring some levity to the situation. And then look around you, and allow yourself to feel grateful for the experience.
Leave Work at Home
My final hack for an incredible vacation is to not bring any work with you. Leave your computer at home. This is what has been missing from my last several trips. The beauty and the curse of remote work is that you can truly work from anywhere; however, having a project, a report, or a client session hanging over my head on vacation kind of steals some of the magic. Not to mention, it steals me away from family time. I know it can be really hard to completely disconnect, especially if you run your own business, but I encourage you to get creative and figure out a way. For me, that means more advance planning and setting hard deadlines for myself, before the trip begins. Just because we can work from anywhere, anytime, doesn’t mean we should.
And there you have it! My Top 10 Hacks for an unforgettable vacation. If you have other tips or hacks, please share them- I’m always looking to learn new ways to level up our travel experiences!
