Whether you’ve rediscovered your yearning to travel, or you’ve been looking at the dusty suitcase tucked away in a dark corner of your wardrobe, you may be wondering what travel looks like in 2022. Is it the same? What new considerations are there? Is it harder than it was pre-pandemic?
In my humble opinion, travel has not yet returned to its pre-pandemic disposition. With many COVID-19 restrictions still in place, as well as complex visa structures, modified flight routes, increased costs and a rather general lack of cohesion as to what the rules are, travel is not what it used to be in the good ol’ days – circa, February 2020.
Despite these minor challenges, more people including myself are embracing this seemingly new world of ours and learning to travel again.
As we slowly emerge from the biggest hindrance the tourism industry has seen in modern times, I felt it was worth taking some time to share some of the more recent travel hacks I’ve implemented over these past months of travel, with the aim to aid you on your next journeys, wherever they may be.
Manage all your currencies with Wise
Currency conversion has never been easier thanks to Wise (formerly Transfer Wise). Wise launched in 2011 with the vision of making international money transfers cheap, fair, and simple. And they live up to their name.
With their easy-to-use mobile app and desktop platform, I can manage up to 21 currencies in one place and access the best exchange rates.
Why I choose Wise:
- No subscription fees
- Low transaction fees
- I can use my card in over 60 countries (tried and tested in EU, Egypt, Indonesia, USA, and Australia)
- I can transfer money onto my card and it arrives in minutes
- I have set up an EU and USA bank account on their platform to send/receive funds
- They have great security e.g. 2FA and I get updates when I spent money
Get a fee-free transfer of up to 500 GBP using the below link – https://wise.com/invite/u/biancac215
Book one-way flights with OneWayFly
On a recent flight to the United States of America (USA), I checked in at the counter, displayed my vaccination certificate and my required visa (ESTA) and passed through customs without any issues. It wasn’t until I was boarding my flight that I was asked to present proof of a return flight out of the USA. I didn’t have one booked.
While this information would have been beneficial to know before I had minutes to spare and was left in a predicament, luckily I knew about OneWayFly – a platform that offers on-the-spot flight and hotel reservations valid up until 14 days.
How it works: Simply visit the OneWayFly website, book your ticket and pay. Then show your ticket to the staff at the desk when you travel.
What is the cost: You can book any flight for €18.90
Travel insurance that covers COVID-19
I’ve always been a fervent advocate for travel insurance and never travel without it. I believe it is a small price to pay for the security that comes with knowing you are protected from any unexpected medical bills or costs involved when your travels don’t go as planned.
SafetyWing Insurance provides coverage for unexpected illness or injury (including COVID-19), as well as eligible expenses for hospital, doctor or prescription drugs.
Get travel insurance from $42USD* per month
*Unfortunately, they do not cover travel-related expenses caused by cancellations due to COVID-19.
Pet-sit and travel the world on a budget
TrustedHousesitters is a global marketplace that connects home and pet owners with sitters, to solve a common two-sided problem – pet care and cost-effective travel.
I have been using Trusted Housesitters since 2019 and have looked after people’s pets in exchange for accommodation across the world. From Edinburgh, Scotland, to Newcastle, Australia and Windsor in England. This app has helped me reduce the budget for my travels while also enabling pet owners to travel with the assurance their pets will be looked after.
Related Reading: How to budget travel with Trusted Housesitters
Get 25% off your first yearly membership with this link: https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/refer/RAF261585/
Offset your travel-related carbon with Offsetra
Indeed every step we make seems to have an impact, whether we see it or not. The carbon impact of travel has been on the radar more and more as the consequences of our actions become measurable against a changing climate.
This flight calculator allows me to witness that if I travel from Los Angeles International to London Heathrow my carbon footprint would be 1.30 tonnes of CO2e.
What does that mean? I’m not entirely sure but carbon should be absorbed not emitted. Offsetra helps here. Carbon offset initiatives like Offsetra and Tomorrow’s Air fund carbon removal projects through users’ monthly subscriptions – think Netflix but for carbon offsets. These kinds of initiatives are really taking off as individuals are looking for simpler ways to offset their travel footprint that don’t necessarily involve ceasing travel.
Ensure You Book Your Accommodation In Advance
It’s important that you book your accommodation well in advance to avoid any kind of disappointment. The thing is that you had to do this pre-covid anyway, but it’s even more insane now with so many people wanting to make the most of their life. It’s not to say that you’ll never be able to find somewhere on the day that you arrive, but you don’t really want to risk it when there is currently a higher number of travellers than there ever has been.
This is the same if you are booking a regular hotel, an RV park, or any other kind of accommodation options, so it’s not exclusively related to hotels. You can book through their own personal websites, or you can book through a site that does all of the comparisons for you, making your life easier.
Find the best flight prices with Skyscanner
Skyscanner has always been my go-to for flights. Some extra tips I can share to get the best prices are:
- Set flight price alerts
- Look for flights on Tuesdays or Wednesdays
- Use a VPN to change your location
- Use incognito mode to hide your cookies
