athirk

Hi,

I am making two of my first international trips this year and was hoping that some of the more experienced travelers who might be reading this could help me either a) cut costs or b) make the most out of the trip (e.g. get a good package, earn double mile points, etc).

My husband and I are leaving from Seattle to Guatemala City on the 23rd (flexible) of August then traveling through Central America to return from San Jose, Costa Rica back to Seattle on the 23rd of September (also flexible).

Then, I am flying to Nairobi (airport/country flexibe -- meeting my husband somewhere in Africa, flexible) December 14th (flexible dates after the 14th) and returning to Seattle on January 8th (flexible a couple days before and after).

Any ideas for me? I would be so grateful, and it can only bring you good Karma...

Thanks!

Ashley

hopefulist

You lucky duck!!!

I use kayak.com for my flight research, but tend to book through the airline's site when I find a fair I like. Check out Spirit Air for Guatemala; I've read they've had some crazy bargains lately, $8 plus tax from LAX, for example. I paid about $500 from PDX (Portland, OR) round trip to GUA for tickets in August. An open jaw might cost a bit more.

Check out the Thorntree Forum for Central America:

http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/ca...mp;STARTPAGE=1

More budget-minded travelers (in general) than the ones who post here on Fodor's, so you'll find more money saving tips there. There's an Africa branch, too.

My best advice for travelers is to not try to move to fast and to PACK LIGHT - just a loosely-filled carry-on bag each. Let me know if you're interested in my packing list or in pack light websites.

Happy trails!

Jackie

Research. Research. Research. I have found that constantly checking flight fares is the best way to save a bundle as prices can change by the hour. I use Kayak.com and Mobissimo. com. I have recently been checking out farecast.com--it does a trend on prices and can suggest when is the best time to buy. I have also found that Saturday after midnight prices seem to drop. Flying mid-week, 6 am flights are the cheapest--you will see this when you check out the above sites.

Reading this message board, I have garnered lots of tips for saving money on car rentals and hotels. I've not planned trips to Guatamala or Naori, so can't help you specifically there. But this board as well as tripadvisor.com has been invaluable for help in selecting hotels, getting the best prices, and knowing what to expect when I get there. When I first discovered this site, I started to document how much I saved just from doing rigorous planning/research. Doing the research can be fun, albeit tedious, but it has tremendously improved our travel experiences.

athirk

Thanks so much hopefulist and Jackie! I was not aware of those sites, and googling can get a little overwhelming, so I'm excited to check them out.

Also, I'd LOVE(!) your packing list!

Cheers,

Ashley

hopefulist

Here's my packing list, originally posted in the FAQ thread of the CA Thorntree Forum (though I've ammended it a little:

I can pack everything I need for an extended trip into a carry-on sized bag by choosing clothes that layer. I have a carry-on sized conversion pack (straps tuck away as needed) that has an attached day pack. I pack valuables and some personal items in the day pack and most of the clothes (that I'm not wearing) in the main compartment. Here's what I'm planning to take to Honduras next summer to accommodate 2-3 weeks inland with high altitude mountain hikes included and 2-3 weeks of beach time:

3-4 wicking-type shirts
1 light weight long sleeved shirt
2 pairs of light weight capris
1 pair of light weight convertible (zip off to become shorts) long pants
1 sarong (skirt, swim wrap, doubles as towel or sleeping sheet)
1 bandana
1 sunhat with strap
1 light weight sleeveless nightgown
2 swimsuits (1 is enough if I'm not diving)
1 light weight fleece jacket (liner type that can be worn alone)
1 light weight goretex rain coat
uns and socks (incl. 1 neoprene pair I wear under Keens for hiking and under fins for diving/snorkel’g) <I'm taking low, goretex hikers to Guat this summer because I plan to do some multi-day trekking>
flip flops for beach and showers
Keen water shoes for everything else (they have great support and a rubber toe protector)

Cash, ATM and VISA cards, passport, etc.
Flight and lodging reservations, emails, receipts, etc.
Small medical kit and sewing kit
Cheap watch with alarm
Toiletries and prescription meds
Sunglasses, spare glasses, disposable contacts for diving/rainforests
Sunblock and bug stuff (Cactus Juice and Sawyer's Time Release Deet Formula, baby oil for sand flies)
Lip stuff
Water purification pump or Steripen (I'm a budget traveller)
Collapsible drinking cup
LCD headlamp
Compass
Earplugs
Camera, etc. (and underwater bag or 1-2 underwater disposables)
SD card reader
Smallish waterproof binoculars
Guidebook and copied map pages
Laminated plant and animal i.d. cards
Journal/writing materials
Reading material
Small gifts for kids and hosts
Small dice and yahtzee papers
A small, flexible disc (like a frisbee)
Various ziplocks, cable ties, small bungie cords
3-4’ of duct tape wrapped around a waterproof marker
Clothesline made from braided surgical tubing
Half a roll of t.p. removed from core and flattened

I buy water and reuse the bottle and usually pick up an inexpensive pocket knife when I get there.

Here are 2 great pack light websites:
www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/packlight.htm
www.onebag.com/

Hope that helps! Let me know if you have questions. Happy trails!

karameli

Hi Ashley,

When searching for airfare, I usually go to travel.yahoo.com and search dates NEAR my planned travel time. That lets me see which airline generally does the route cheapest. Then I go to that airline's website and type in my dates again, with a +/- 3-day search. That'll usually give you a pretty good idea of the lowest fare for your route.

Good luck!

Parrothead

A few tips on saving costs when traveling international:

1. Use a credit union VISA card. Generally, bank issued Visa cards charge a 3%+ premium on currency exchanges, you can cut this to 1% or less by using a credit union Visa. Do research before you apply.

2. Avoid traveler checks and do all your transactions by Visa and ATM. You will need a 4 digit ATM code overseas.

3. Prebook car rental before leaving the US. Negotiating car rental once there is never your best option.

4. Orbitz and Expedia are good sites for researching car rental rates.

kathcoll

I use www.sidestep.com
It checks multiple sites including expedia, orbitz, kayak, cheaptickets, priceline, vegas and most of the airlines websites.

jossin

In Costa Rica try a homestay for experiencing culture or bed and breakfast around Monteverde. Kayak is pretty good site too. The other international website that comes to mind is Airline Consolidators. An Eagle Creek product, or similar,is a zippered security pouch that fastens around the ankle with velcro can carry credicards ,cash, or Id. I like the Wick away moisture sleeping sheet either in silk or other material that squashes into it"s own stuff sack 2.5X4