We often see on Instagram pictures of friends having fun in stunning cities or top summer destinations. It also happens to me, when I take brilliant snapshots and suddenly people comment on them stating they are jealous and wishing they were with me.
This has nothing to do with possessing large amounts of money, you just need to know when and where to plan and book your holiday. So, let's start this brief guide to start to prepare your next sensational vacation.
1. Book the flight
The best period to book a flight is about 6 weeks prior to your journey or at the last minute fringe. Then, considering the low-cost companies, try to check the airlines' websites almost every day to test this rule. Or an easier and alternative way is to consult websites that do the searches for the cheapest flights for you. One of the best at the moment is, without doubt,
Skyscanner.
2. Accommodation
There are three ways to find spectacular accommodation and pay less.
Booking.com is the leading hotel website, presenting various offers on every kind of hostel. Personally, as I travel alone, I use it when I want to stay in city centers (for security reasons) with comfort. For example, when I go to Budapest, I stay at the same 4 stars hotel found on
booking.com.
[B
]AirBnB[/B] is now my favourite site to book accommodation. I might be lucky or not, but I always find great deals. An example? Well, I stayed in a beautiful flat in Barcelona, where, from the terrace, I had the
Sagrada Familia straight on my left sight and the historical
Saint Pau Hospital on my right. All just for 15 euros per night, not to mention my host was so kind and helpful. And this happened in Belgium too: one year ago my accommodation in Charleroi was cheap, logistically convenient and cozy.
Hostels. Another way to enjoy a city and meet new friends is to spend your nights in a hostel. It may sounds a creepy solution, but, trust me, hostels nowadays have improved their standards greatly, and you will even find luxury hostels around (just Google them, they are amazing). A good site to use to book hostels is
hostelworld.com. It is easy and quick to pay, as you leave a deposit and pay the rest of your amount directly at the hostel.
3. The perfect guideWhen you decide your next destination, try to choose it looking at
Global Greeters' page. There, you can find a volunteer guide who will meet you at the selected city or town and, for up to three hours she/he will lead you on an unconventional tour along the typical and local streets, squares and markets. They will not have common touristy itineraries, as what makes these greeters' network unique is their original and local-life-focused tours.
Are you ready to take off now?
