The Idiot’s Guide to Travel
How to plan your next trip
“If our lives are dominated by a search for happiness, then perhaps few activities reveal as much about the dynamics of this quest — in all its ardour and paradoxes — than our travels. They express, however inarticulately, an understanding of what life might be about, outside of the constraints of work and of the struggle for survival.” -Alain De Botton, “The Art of Travel”
I was speaking with my mom recently about her upcoming trip to the UK when it suddenly dawned on me: travel planning has changed a lot. Back in her day, vacations were often arranged through a handful of licensed travel agencies that handled airfare, visas, accommodations and tourist attractions. Today it’s handled by consumers and a series of virtual travel agents.
Websites like Priceline, Travelocity and Expedia all vie for our attention and hard-earned money. With all of these choices, it’s hard to even know where to begin. We’ve all been here before.
I’ve been traveling for the better part of my adult life. In the past year I’ve spent upwards of 120 hours in the air.
I’m here to share some of the tricks I’ve learned along the way.
