The Essentials

The Bohemian Vagabond’s Travel Tips & Checklist

Flight

Booking your flight:

Domestic – There are many broker sites which will find you cheap flights, it’s a good starting point to see where the cheapest flights are to that destination. Cheapflights.com, Orbitz.com, Kayak.com, Priceline.com, Travelocity.com, Expedia.com. But I prefer to book directly with the airline as I feel more control in having direct contact, as well as mileage points. Look directly at JetBlue.com, VirginAmerica.com, Delta.com.

International – I LOVE kayak.com, in a matter of seconds, it will find you the cheapest flights everywhere! Also SideStep.com.

—Rewards Card – Whatever airline you fly, make sure you sign up for rewards points! Especially for large families like Delta Skymiles which includes Northwest Airlines, China Airlines, etc, all the points can be combined and 10,000 points = 10,000 miles = 100$ off a ticket. If you are serious about traveling, I suggest the Delta Skymiles Credit Card, which I personally have. 1$ = 1 mile. And since I save most my money to travel anyways, I prefer my dollars to go to miles instead of other options.

—Travel Agents  are another good option. I suggest doing your research online before asking a travel agent so you have a ballpark of prices. Usually, they get cheaper deals and can arrange details including hotel packages/itinerary if you don’t have the time to sort that out yourself.

Insurance

Travel Insurance - I’ve never purchased it. But if you like to play it safe, look into it.

Health Insurance – Check with your Healthcare Provider to see if they are International. Although in most countries, if you do get sick enough where you need to see a doctor, costs are relatively cheap. You’ll have to keep an open mind & trust their local medical customs.

Visa

Check online at least 1-2 months prior to your trip if the country you’re going to needs a Visa. It varies also depending on what passport you have. Visa prices range from 20$-150$ depending on the country, length of stay, type of visa (tourism versus working visa). From my current knowledge (don’t count on it), countries that you don’t need:  Most European countries, Costa Rica, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Canada, Mexico.Travisa: For all your Passport/Visa needs. They provide a list of all the countries and whether or not you need a visa to enter. ”

Some visa’s you are able to obtain at the border or Embassy, but from previous experience, I suggest you prepare that at home at a local embassy before going. For example, I got my Vietnam visa in a Vietnam Embassy in Thailand, which was completely legit & took 20 minutes to process for 25$.

Visa Nightmare:  While having a beautiful success in getting a visa in Vietnam, the bordering country Cambodia, we had major problems that would scare the living shit out of anyone. We had been warned about the problems of crossing the Thailand-Cambodia border. First off, the bus would only take you to about 2 miles from the border, then you have to grab a taxi or rickshaw to the actual border crossing. And these drivers have been INFAMOUS of bringing travelers to a fake embassy located ½ mile from the border, next to a “Visa Office”, forcing you to get off and buy, telling you that this is the only place to buy. If you’ve done your research ahead of time, you will know this is a scam. Some drivers are more aggressive than others, the more confident & adamant you are, the better you’re off. Finally getting to the actual border, we approached the visa box office, with a printed sign above that says “Cambodia Traveler Visa for 25$” The worker in his crisp suit smiles and asks for 1000 Baht = 35$. We argued for 10 minutes while he made no sense but held a devious disgusting smile insinuating in his look ‘I know you know I’m full of shit and pocketing your money, but what are you gonna do about it? I can put you in jail for no reason since you’re in my corrupt government, so pay up!’ So we settled at 30$.

Lesson – Find a local embassy near your home before traveling if you’re going to a third-world country with a corrupt government.

Passport

Make sure your passport is not going to be expired within 6 months of your trip and have at least 2 pages left.

Passport Photos I found cheapest at Costco. 2 photos for 5$.

—Check any conflicts you may have in having a US passport, and whether or not you are allowed to visit 2 certain countries on the same visit or within a time frame, due to conflicts. Such as a Jewish vs. Muslim country like having an Israeli passport stamp, then visiting Lebanon within a month.

Vaccinations

It is crucial that you check at least 2 months prior to your trip if vaccinations are necessary. You can find the list at Passport Health. What I learned from my mistake, and hope you don’t, is to go to your own physician, or any doctors within your insurance network for these shots. Most of these vaccinations are recommended anyways every few years for your own health. If you mention you are getting them for travel purposes, or go to a travel vaccination clinic (Passport Health) like I did, your insurance most likely will not cover the expenses, unless you have a high coverage. For example, the Hepatitis series A-B-C, Tetanus, Rabies.. These are all shots recommended to you. But I was charged close to $100 for each of them from the ‘Specialized’ Travel Clinic. One could easily spend $500 on these shots which can be avoided!