Do you have the travel bug? Here are some tips from a Sask. expert
Everyone is looking for the best deal when it comes to travelling.
Saskatoon's Ashlyn George says travellers need to be diligent to find the best prices.
The local travel blogger and former Saskatchewanderer has just been named one of Kayak.com's top 10 travel hackers of 2019.
"Travel hacking [first] came in with credit cards and how you could use the point system to cover the cost of your flights," George told CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning.
"But now it is just a lot of tips and tricks and how to make things more convenient."
She has a few tips that will save you time and money while also making your trip more enjoyable.
You get the lay of the land. You get the advice of a local travel expert and then because you are doing a tour you can ask for tips on where to go afterward. - Travel hacker Ashlyn George
When it comes to flying, George recommends checking around online just to get a feel for what airfares to your desired destination are going for.
"I always start with Google Flights online and just check out what they are saying the cost of a flight might be to get somewhere," George said.
"Then I usually find it is cheaper to book directly with the airline than a third-party website," she said. "Sometimes that $30 in savings you might get through a third-party website doesn't always pan out if you have to change your flight later. It's easier to go directly with the airline."
And carry a sweater. Airplanes are always cold, she said.
Once you land at your holiday destination, stop in at the airport's information desk.
Grab some local guides and flip to the back where there are usually coupons and discounts and talk to the person behind the desk.
"They really are the experts on their own city and they are going to give you the best information."
Take a tour right away, George said.
"You get the lay of the land. You get the advice of a local travel expert and then because you are doing a tour you can ask for tips on where to go afterward," she said.
The guides can offer advice on restaurants and where the locals go.
"You want to get off that kind of tourist-beaten path if you can."
George said her phone is essential to her but it is difficult to charge it when you are on the go.
"My biggest trick is using a quick charger and putting your phone in airplane mode because it will charge a lot faster that way."
Where to go is different for everybody.
"If there is a mountain range or good hiking or a good place to get off the grid that's what I'm in search of," George said.
"But lots of people go for history and cities and food too."
Lately George has spent a lot of time in Canada and said she fell in love with Newfoundland after spending last August on the Rock.
"The people are just extraordinarily friendly."
Her next adventure is a fly-in canoe trip to northern Saskatchewan.
You can check out George's adventures on her blog at thelostgirlsguide.com
