There's a big difference between a "trip" and a custom travel experience. Far too many people are getting "beat by the algorithms" when they use popular booking websites to plan their vacations. We're getting funneled into a system that makes us settle for what the computer tells us is possible instead of reaching the limits of what travel can be. I made so many mistakes as a travel newbie years ago. I don't want this to happen to you! That's why I'm sharing my five tips for first time travelers. 

1. Stop Assuming Amazing Travel Experiences Are Only for the Rich, the Famous, and Instagram Influencers

Those cool travel experiences you see other people having are available to you. Too many first-time travelers bring a feeling of being "inferior" to the process. I've seen it a million times with first-time clients. They constantly "think small" because they assume that they have to stay on the "tourist" path.

Once I show new travelers how just a few tweaks to routes and schedules can actually allow them to see more places, they begin to understand that they don't have to limit themselves. What's more, smart travel planning actually allows you to have a much richer vacation while spending much less than you would have with a cookie-cutter trip. It's all about knowing the little tricks for tacking on extra time here and there, picking up transportation options, and taking advantage of specials. I guess the gist of my tip here is "don't settle."

2. Find Free, Cheap, and Easy Ways to Get Tours

Here's a story of how I helped a client see Orlando for just $2. I recently had a client who was traveling to Orlando for the first time for a lighting-fast weekend getaway. As a big Harry Potter fan, her focus was on visiting Universal Studios instead of hopping around to see other parks during her short stay. We decided that the best use of both time and money was to book a stay at one of the Universal resorts. This allowed her to get an early start on the rides each morning because she was within walking distance. I was able to find her a fantastic seasonal deal that made her suite affordable for her budget. What's more, the slightly higher price of staying right inside the park was offset by the fact that she didn't need to pay for a rental car to get around.

The only regret my client had was that she felt like she wasn't going to see anything outside the park. It felt weird to her to fly three hours to get to Orlando without ever seeing the city. The brevity of the trip combined with her desire to avoid the cost for a rental car meant that truly seeing Orlando would be impossible. Was it really impossible?

When I looked over her itinerary, I noticed that her flight was departing in the evening of her last day. I made the suggestion that she spend the morning and afternoon at the park before heading to the bus terminal that's located right off of the main esplanade at Universal. From there, she could hop on a bus to the airport. 

Tourists generally avoid using the bus to get from Universal to the airport because the ride is about 90 minutes. You could ride an Uber to the airport in just 10 minutes. However, the bus goes all over Orlando during that 90-minute detour to get to the airport. For my client, that meant a free driving tour of Orlando that was combined with a ride to the airport that costs $2 flat. The Uber ride from the resort to the airport was around $50. 

This is a really simplified example of how it's possible to get nearly free tours in most cities if you know how to play around with time and resources. In this case, my client was thrilled that she got to enjoy a 90-minute ride showing off the sights of Orlando as a relaxing way to close out her fun trip. It only required her to leave for the airport an hour earlier than she would have when taking an Uber. I've helped clients sneak in "free tours" to see more attractions in less time in cities around the world!

3. Put Some Padding in Your Budget for Unexpected Wonders

Always pack a little more money than you think you'll use. The reason I say this is because it's very common to stumble upon adventures and excursions once you're in a place. This could look like everything from a zipline-over-the-treetops opportunity you didn't know about to a bar-crawl experience you do not want to miss. My advice is to have a buffer that represents about 15% of your total trip cost. If you're traveling for $3,000 in total, that means having another $450 to $500 reserved for an opportunity you can't pass on!

4. Use a Travel Agent

It can feel very empowering to book a vacation on your own using an airline website and other online booking resources. I remember feeling like a jet-setting king when I booked my first flight by myself online back in the early 2000s. People who haven't already planned tons of vacations aren't aware of how limiting travel-booking websites are. You're seeing what these brands want you to see. As you can imagine, they don't want you to see the actual best prices possible if they know they can get you to pay what looks like the cheapest travel prices you can find online. Booking sites also take the individuality out of planning a trip because they push out options that appeal to "the masses" in order to get as much traffic to their websites as possible.

In addition to providing you with one-size-fits-all travel options that you have to shoehorn your plans into, popular booking sites also "ghost" you when you bump into issues. If this is your first time traveling on a plane, the last thing that you want is to have your flight cancelled and then be unable to reach your travel agent when you most need help. I'll never forget how one of my early travel experiences was absolutely ruined by a lack of customer service for a canceled flight that left me stranded. 

The deals offered by travel sites are also pretty exaggerated. It's an industry secret that travel agents have access to unpublished fares. We also get the first pick of travel specials before they are opened up to the public. The advantage of working with a travel agent today is that you're going to pay less for better flights, hotel rooms, and excursions. You're also going to have a travel expert who is actually accountable for your travel experience.In addition, if this is your first time traveling alone, a travel agent can help you get the best deals on travel and avoid solo supplements and other surcharges for solo travelers. 

5. Purchase Travel Insurance

I'm a big advocate for travel insurance. It just makes sense to have coverage when you're entering into a situation that leaves you so vulnerable to hundreds of different shifting factors especially if this is your first time traveling alone. You have to prepare for the fact that things probably won’t go as expected.

Also, "vacation life" is so different from "normal life." While you may spend eight hours a day at your desk in "normal" life, you're potentially walking and trekking for eight hours a day in unfamiliar terrain and cities during "vacation" life. The math for the stronger likelihood of having some kind of injury happen is pretty simple. Spend a little bit of extra money for major peace of mind.

Remember: If you're feeling overwhelmed by traveling, avoid the temptation to constantly pare down your plans. Travel abroad if that’s what you really want! I'm confident that you can plan a big, bold trip that lets you feel in control. Let me know how I can help you get started!