Getting There

One huge determinant on when and where we travel is finding good deals on airfare or finding places we can drive to! 

When to Start Your Search

 I am a huge planner, so we usually start looking about 6 months out. This gives time to wait for great deals and get ideas on average prices. Its usually best to purchase tickets at a minimum of four-six weeks out.

How We Book

 We begin our search by using apps such as skyscanner, hopper, kayak, expedia, and the apps for specific airlines (Volaris, Westjet, Alaska, etc.) to look for good deals. Currently, our ABSOLUTE favorite search domain for flights is Google Flights (www.google.com/flights). Its best if you have some flexibility on your possible leave/return date, because flights can vary drastically by just one day. For example; by traveling from a Sunday to Sunday rather than Saturday to Saturday, we were able to save over $250 on flights for our last trip. Check out my post on my favorite Travel Apps for more info.

Travel Origin Locations

One of the best ways that we have found to travel is to fly from major airports, take domestic flights, and fly from countries with better exchange rates (these factors were possible due to our locations). Living in WA state, we were only a couple of hours from Vancouver B.C., and we found flights for a little over $300 each round trip from Vancouver to Cancun. (We booked in CAD, or Canadian currency, which is exchanged in our favor for USD). We were able to fly domestic while living in El Paso, we would cross the bridge into Juarez and take domestic flights from there (we even scored round trip tickets to Guadalajara for $60 each last year). If you live driving distance from multiple airports, it can be helpful to input all available to search for the best deals. For example, my hometown has an international airport, but I will usually drive four hours to the large airport (Seattle) and save a lot of money on airfare.

Saving on Travel Expenses

• Airport parking: One expense that is often not factored into the travel budget is airport parking, which can add up quickly over a week long vacation, but I found a site called airportparkingreservations.com that provides offsite locations and can save a lot of money. You just input the airport, and the website will find nearby hotels that allow you to park your vehicle in their lot and will usually provide free shuttles to and from the airport for as low as $2 per night (from my search experience). Another option, especially if driving several hours to the airport, is to book a hotel for the night that offers long term parking packages. Many hotels surrounding airports such as Super 8, Ramada, Days inn, etc. will offer packages, and it can come out to significantly less than paying for parking in the airport lot. 
• Luggage: I used to be the queen of overpacking. But after multiple trips, and having to haul luggage down broken uneven sidewalks in Mexico, that's a habit I kicked to the curb fairly quickly! For our type of travel, we found it easiest to travel backpacker style. Not only is it easier to get around with a backpack, but it also saves money. For shorter trips, packing clothes in a smaller backpack or any carry on size bag can save you up to $100! (See packing section for more details!). It can also help by paying for a checked bag (or extra carry on weight) in advance. For example, at the airport Volaris Airlines charged us $60 to carry on our overweight bags (We didn't realize the weight limit changed from our previous trip, so lesson learned, always double check!). However, when we checked the app for our options for the return flight home, we were able to increase the bag weight limit for only $30. 
• Airport expenses: One thing we always try to avoid is added costs at the airport, such as food and drink. Whenever we travel, we pack a water bottle, and fill it up in the airport once we get past security. We also pack plenty of snacks. I personally love to bring drink mix packets like propel or crystal light to add to my drink. Head over to my packing a carry on  page for a detailed list of my must have's!