2) Decide when you want to go. 

There are many factors that will help you with this decision.  We would generally suggest going during shoulder season.  Shoulder season is the season right before or after the main tourist season for a given area.  For Costa Rica these times are late October into early November and late April to early May.  In Europe these times are April to June and September to October.

Traveling in shoulder season means several things for you:  the large crowds of main tourest season are now leaving or gone.  This means less expensive hotels and flights.  It also means fewer people to contend with at attractions and landmarks.

You may also need to consider that there are local holidays in the areas you might travel.  You should google them before deciding on a date as transportation locally maybe unavailable.  Local stores and restaurants may have reduced hours or be closed all together.

 3) Find a Flight

Finding flights can be a daunting task.  There are so many different places to look out there that it can feel overwhelming.  We suggest you use Google Flights to begin looking.  Start by putting in your departure airport and the airport code of the one you want to fly into (there are two major airports in Costa Rica – SJO in San Jose, the largest airport, and LIR in Liberia near the west coast.  In Europe: Paris is CDG, London is LHR, Rome is FCO, Berlin is TXL, and Amsterdam is AMS.  For others here is a searchable list of airport codes).  Next click the date box.  Let it populate the prices.  Now you can search through the dates within your travel window for the perfect price.  After you have the dates in mind select them and set up a price watch for those dates.  Google will email you when the price changes.  You need to monitor the prices for at least a month before you book.  Just to get an idea how much or little they can be.

This is also a good time to sign up for Scott’s Cheap Flights.  On this site they don’t actaully sell airplane tickets, but notify you when low prices pop up.  They will send you emails about different flights around the world, and maybe you’ll get lucky and find a flight that will work for you!  Their free service is ok, but for personalized service you have to pay.

After you find the right price and you’ve figured out the dates then click on over to a few different flight search sites to see if you can get the price lower somewhere else.  We suggest Kayak, Momondo, CheapTickets, and JustAirTicket to try out for starters.  Also sometimes airlines offer lower prices on their own websites.  So be sure to check their sites before making a decision.  Remember when searching for airplane tickets to use incognito mode in your browser (or private browsing) so they don’t store cookies that will change the price when you search later.

Don’t forget to use your credit card points here if you can.  Sometimes you maybe able to get a discout or cheaper flight from your credit card company.  Search their site for flights but be careful not to use your points if you’re not getting a good value out of them.

Don’t book your ticket yet.

For other airlines and places to look for cheap tickets click here and check out the flight resources tab.

4) Find some Lodging (or travel agent)

This is where you decide how nervous you are about traveling.  If you are brave enough to go it on your own then we suggest finding a good hotel near what you want to do and in a good part of town.  Many booking sites will allow you to search maps of the areas for hotels near places you want to be.  We use booking.com, hotels.com, and trivago the most.  Like looking for flights we recomend you search more than one site.  Also consider doing a package trip with one of the major sites like Kayak or Orbitz as they can sometimes offer package discounts.  Most likely you won’t be renting a car on your first trip so find a hotel that offers shuttle service as well as has a concierge for assistance with activities and local advice.

We suggest booking with an online travel agent for your first trip out of the country.  Not only will they make sure that you don’t accidently end up somewhere you don’t want to but they will guide you to the places and things you are interested in.  There are two types of online travel agencies:  Plan yourself and Guided.

Plan yourself websites allow you to search hotels, activities, and local transportation for things that work for you.  They also offer suggested itineraries that others have found interesting.  After figuring out what you want to do they will make the arrangements for you.  Allowing you to simply enjoy your trip instead of stressing about what you will do and how you will get there. We recommend using TripMasters for this type of booking.

Guided agencies have an actual person that makes suggestions based on your interest.  Usually you are in contact with a local tour agent who can make suggestions, help you plan, and make the trip as adventurous as you’d like.  Usually these are the least stressful trips as they will arrange to pick you up at the airport and after the trip drop you back there.  These types of trips can be VERY enjoyable but usually cost a little more.  We recommend using Trip.Me for this type of booking.

There is another alternative that we really don’t suggest but these can save you a lot of money and stress.  Group tours.  Many sites offer group tours.  They save you a lot of money by booking a large group.  The issue there is this trip is not catered to you.  If you want to do more, less, or something different there is no room for that.  Groupon, LivingSocial, G-Adventures, and others sell these types of trips.

After searching around a little you should now have an idea how much this trip is going to cost.  Work towards getting the cost down.  Can you stay somewhere a little farther away?  Do you need to go all inclusive or can you eat at some of the local places too?  Is a 5 star hotel really necessary or can you do a 3?  Can you share transportation or is having a private car a requirement?  Try not to eliminate essential keys to your trip, but focus on the creature comforts first.  Tell your agent your budget and help them work within it.  DON’T OVER SPEND!  Its better to pay for the things that are important to you and discount the things that don’t matter.  If petting a panda bear is important then budget for that and not the 5 star hotel.

Be sure that your trip coincides  with the flights you found.  You might need to adjust your flight days a little (aren’t you glad you didn’t book your flights yet??)

Hold off on booking your adventure for a little bit longer, there are just a few more things to do!

For additional resources finding hotels and booking with an agency click here and select lodging resources or trip orginizing resources.

5) How can your payment benefit you?

Now is the time to begin thinking about what you can get out of this trip.  Make sure that you are signed up for any rewards programs from airlines, hotels, or activities that may have them.  Also make sure you are using a credit card that will give you top reward points for booking travel with their card.  The card we use gives 3x points for booking travel related things.  If you don’t have a card that gives you rewards then GET ONE NOW.  Spending money without getting some sort of reward points isn’t in your best interest.  It is also important to use a card that DOES NOT CHARGE A FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEE.  These fees add up very quickly.  And you can save hundreds by not having them.  For suggestions on which cards work for you check The Points Guy for the latest information. Along that same subject—

Have you thought about how you will get money on your trip?  Many people i know travel with a lot of American Dollars in cash.  They change it as they go.  There are four problems with this…

1. You have a lot of $ on you and become a greater target for thieves.
2. You pay a fee every time you change your money from one currency to another.
3. if you find yourself away from a currency exchange you might have issues paying in USD.
4. You maybe stuck with a large amount of foreign currency when you leave the country, and be forced to change it again!

There is, however, a solution.  Charles Schwab bank offers an ATM card that will allow you to use foreign ATMs without any transaction fees or change fees.  They will also pay you back for any ATM fees that you are charged by the ATM owner.  Best of all there is no minimum balance so you can just keep the money you want to take with you in there and access it when you want.  AMTs are located all over the world, we’ve rarely had an issue where there wasn’t one available.  You can also use your own ATM card while traveling, but you will be charged change fees, transaction fees, and ATM fees.

For more information about credit cards, atm cards, or money click here and select Credit/Debit card.

 6) Double Check!

It is time to double check everything.  Make sure your flights work with your itineraries.  Make sure that you have arranged for some form or transportation from the airport to your hotel.  Know how to get a hold of each hotel you’re staying at via phone so if there are issues you can contact them.  Keep your travel agent’s local number handy.  If you used a booking site for your hotel make sure you have a written copy of your reservation with you as well as knowing which site you used.

I suggest carrying a printed out copy of your itinerary with you.  Make sure it includes: dates, times, names, places, reference numbers, booking numbers and any vouchers you may need to remit upon arrival.

Finally double check that you do have the funds for this trip.  If you don’t and you’ll have to pay it off over time then use one of the booking sites that will allow you to do that.  Don’t over extend yourself just to travel, it isn’t worth it. 

 7) Time to Book!

You have double checked the times, the places, and the things so now its time… Spend some money and use that card that gives you lots of points to book your amazing adventure.  Start with the flights as they are the most volatile prices.  If you’ve been monitoring prices you know if this is a good price or not.  If it is then book!  Generally prices go up within the last 6-4 weeks before the actual flight dates.  So hopefully you’re way before that!  If the price has gone up recently, and it is still a while from your trip, then wait a little longer.  You need to book your flights before you book the rest of your trip as you may end up having to travel on different days.

Book your hotel, transportation, and activities with the agent, travel site, or credit card site you have chosen…  Use that amazing credit card you just got.  If you need to,  use their financing.  But after you have your flights, you need to book the rest of your trip.

8) The Small Things

There are still a few things you need to do.  The first of which is make sure your passport is in good order.  Many countries don’t honor passports that are within 6 months of expiring.  If yours is getting close just go ahead and get a new one.  The turnaround time is only a few weeks.  Or if you need to get one for the first time, then do that!  Walgreen’s takes good passport photos if you need one.

Check if where you are going requires a visa.  If so you need to apply for one as soon as you know your travel dates.  Some places require you to submit your itinerary as proof that you’re not staying.  Most European Countries do not require a visa, nor does Costa Rica.  There may be an entry fee or departure fee though, so keep that in mind.  Costa Rica charges $29 in USD to depart as of the time of this writing.  These fees are paid IN CASH at the time of departure.

In some countries you will be given a departure slip of paper.  They may talk fast and in a forign language to you so be aware that the slip of paper they give you is going to be needed when you are getting ready to leave.  Just put this paper in your passport on the same page as your entry stamp so you don’t missplace it.

Don’t forget that every country seems to use a different plug for their power supply.  There is 110 (U.S.) and 220.  Make sure you get the right plug adapter for your power needs.  Without really getting into the difference you need to know that most adapters do not change the power supply to 110.  For that you need to get a converter.  However, most phone plugs and computer plugs opperate at 110 or 220.  Look on the plug itself to see if it says it’s compabale with both voltages.

Its always a good idea to carry a physical photo copy of your passport as well.  You can use it to access places or as a back up should you lose yours.  Take a picture with your phone too, this could come in handy when you need the number but don’t have your passport with you.  Its a good idea to email that picture to a friend that you can contact if all else fails.

Don’t forget to download apps you might need like netflix, spotify, and maps.

For some useful apps you can click here and navagate to the Useful Apps tab.

ALSO make sure you download Mobile Passport before you leave.  It will help you on your return to the states.  Click this link to learn more.

9) Get Excited!

You’ve done it!  You are on your way to something new and exciting.  It is time to start telling your friends and family about your upcoming amazing adventure!  Make sure that you’ve given your itinerary to people close to you so if they need to contact you then they can.  Remember that your cell phone won’t work over seas unless you add an international plan to it.  But WiFi is available around the world, so plan on using that as much as possible.

It’s also time to start planning what you might need to take with you.  We suggest you figure out what you can wear twice and what you can’t so you can minimize your packing issues.  Toiletries are generally provided at hotels around the world but not at air b&b’s or hostels.  Don’t forget to pack your camera!!  You’re going to need that!

Don’t forget that your luggage needs to be manageable.  Sometimes a very large bag can be cumbersome when traveling to more than one destination.  A manageable carry on paired with a medium sized check bag will usually cover what you need most. Try to plan your carry on so that it can double as a backpack, beach bag, or carry all.  It is worth noting that you can often mail gifts and other purchase back to yourself if you out buy your luggage size.

If you need suggestions on luggage, check out our Travel Gear section and click the Luggage tab.

10) Time to Go!

It’s time to head to the airport!  Make sure you know where you’re going to park ahead of time. Use Uber/Lyft or a train to get you there if you’re not planning to drive.  TSA suggests being at the airport 3 hours before your flight it allow enough time to check in and get through security.  After clearing security go straight to your terminal so you know where it is.  After that explore the airport and enjoy all the things they have to offer.  Maybe grab a snack to take with you on the airplane and in your travels.  We suggest individually wrapped candies as you can share them with people you meet along the way!  They can be a great ice breaker as everyone likes candy.

Click here for a printable Pre-Adventure check list!

Enjoy your trip, take lots of pictures, and make sure you let us know how it goes!  We’re always wanting feedback!!

–The Far From Local team!