Travel Costs: New Zealand

Natural attractions in New Zealand
The impressive Franz Josef Glacier wedged between the mountains.

The windows of your car are rolled down, the tunes are pumping and you’re traveling at your own pace. There’s nothing quite like a good road trip and New Zealand is one of the best countries in the world to do it. Kiwis themselves know this. If you talk to any of them, they’ll recount childhood memories of their families packing up and hitting the road for weeks at a time.

Aside from the obvious benefits of having full control of your itinerary, New Zealand seems to have been designed for road trips with stunning landscapes at every twist and turn, well maintained and signed roadways, and a wide range of accommodation styles, from free Department of Conservation (DOC) campsites to high end hotels, to fit anyone’s budget. Through our research, Tristan and I found that it would be most cost-effective to rent a campervan and travel around the country ourselves. We prefer to do things on our own and love an epic road trip, so we were extremely excited about this adventure. Read more “Travel Costs: New Zealand”

Hacking the Travel System, An Interview With Matt Bailey

Travel Hacking
Travel hacking doesn’t have to be stressful or confusing thanks to Matt Bailey of Canadian Free Flyers.

Many people tend to look at travel as a luxury, one that requires a lot of money. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve found myself thinking this exact same way from time to time. But what I’ve come to realize over the years is that it doesn’t have to be as expensive as one thinks and there are a number of ways to save money before and during your travels. Reducing your overall costs are one thing, but what if I said that you could be earning free flights and accommodations just by going about your everyday life? It’s true!

Recently, I came across this concept called ‘travel hacking’ and found there’s a whole subculture of travelers who have discovered ways to score free trips just by using their everyday spending habits to their advantage. I wanted to learn more about this practice, so I contacted one of my fellow Canadian Travel Bloggers, Matt Bailey, to explain what ‘travel hacking’ means and how his site Canadian Free Flyers has been providing its members incredible deals and travel opportunities since 2012. Read more “Hacking the Travel System, An Interview With Matt Bailey”

How To Save Money While Traveling

How to Save Money While Traveling

Whenever I talk about my travel experiences one of the many responses I always get is, “wow that sounds amazing, if only I had enough money to do the same”.  One of the misconceptions of travel is that it’s expensive. Sure, there are the unavoidable costs of transportation (air travel being the most costly), accommodation, and food. But travel doesn’t have to cost as much you may think. A lot depends on your travel style, but being prepared and having an adventurous spirit will allow you to get out and explore the world for less than you think. Below are some tips that I use that will definitely help you save money while traveling, and therefore, allow you to see more and be on the road a little bit longer. Read more “How To Save Money While Traveling”