By adminMarch 26, 2023

BEFORE YOU START. LET’S DREAM A BIT!

Where is your dream travel destination?

Think about when you would go. What season of the year? How long would you stay?

Would you stay in a Hotel? An All Inclusive Resort? A Villa? Cruise Ship? 4 or 5 Stars?

Resist the urge to drop down to 3 Stars or Lower…. DON’T YOU DARE LOL

What Amenities would you like? Swimming Pool? Beach? Air Conditioning? Gym? Yoga Studio? High Speed Internet? Any other amenities?

Think about what experiences you’d have.
What would you do? Party? Relax? Snorkel? Tours? Hike? Dine? Zipline?

Get a crystal clear picture of it.
What would you wear? How would the air smell? What would the food taste like?

Who would join you to experience this?

Really imagine their faces with you at the destination!

NEXT, WE’LL PUT THESE DREAMS TO PAPER!

NOW WRITE THE DETAILS OF YOUR DREAM TRAVEL EXPERIENCE:

LET’S GET STARTED!
You’re now ready to start your Travel Budget. Set your timer! 15 minutes from now you will have solid dollar estimates for your dream trip! Best of all, these simple figures will be more accurate than the ones floating around in your head.At the end of this guide, we’ll also proved a ton of essential secrets to foolproofing your travel plans so that you get the best experience for your money while minimizing the stress of booking.Let’s Go!
STEP 1: CLICK HERE: WWW.EXPEDIA.COM Tip: Our Expedia links provide our followers with up to 40% discounts on travel. Use them rather than going directly to Expedia to receive benefits. Plus we receive a tiny commission — win-win!
STEP 2: COMPLETE THE “TRAVEL FORM”
Include Flight & Hotel (Car optional but usually not required)Origin: Where You Currently ResideDestination: The Dream Travel Destination you listed on Page 2Departing & Returning: This correlates with the “Month of Travel” on Page 2Leave “Direct Flight” uncheckedHit SEARCH |
STEP 3: QUOTE 1 – BEST PRICED HOTEL
Select Filters on the Side4 & 5 Stars OnlyProperty Type (If you have a preference)Amenities (Make Sure to check Air Conditioning)Ensure “Price” is selected in the Sort bar across the topSelect the Top Choice
STEP 4: ROOM SELECTION
Glance through the photosSelect The Appropriate Room TypeTake note of the Room Type You’ve Selected:Bed Size(s), Ocean / Sea Views, Luxury Options, etcYou’ll need this for laterPro Tip: Click “Show All Rooms and Rates” – Many times they’re great deals hiding there!
STEP 5: FLIGHT SELECTION
Select Departing FlightPro Tip: Try to pick flights that land close to your check in time (usually 3PM)Select Returning FlightPro Tip: Pick a flight that takes off at least 2 hours after checkout
STEP 6: TRIP SUMMARY
Add Ground Transportation (Shuttle, Van or Private Vehicle)Add Dream Excursions – Reference your Excursions on Page 2Hit Next: Final Details |
STEP 7: FINAL DETAILS
Scroll Down and Add Protection Plan: Yes Add, Change for Any Reason |Write Down the Total Price Under “Best Price” on Page 6This should have taken you about 7 minutes.You’re halfway there with 8 Minutes to spare!
STEP 8: QUOTE 2 – HIGHEST RATED HOTEL
From the “Final Details Screen” Hit Back on your BrowserScroll Down to “Hotel”Hit Change Hotel |On Hotel Selection Screen – Sort By “Guest Rating”Select Filters – Match with Filters from Step 3Select the Top Choice
STEP 9: ROOM SELECTION (AGAIN)
Glance Through PhotosSelect The Appropriate Room TypeMatch with Room comparable to Room Selected in Step 4Bed Size(s), Ocean / Sea Views, Luxury Options, etcPro Tip: Click “Show All Rooms and Rates” – Many times they’re great deals hiding there!
STEP 10: TRIP SUMMARY
Add Ground Transportation (Shuttle, Van or Private Vehicle)Add Dream Excursions – Match Excursions with those in Step 6Hit Next: Final Details |
STEP 11: FINAL DETAILS
Scroll Down and Add Protection Plan (“Yes Add, Change for Any Reason”)Write Down the Total Price Under “Best Rating” on Page 6
STEP 12: ALL DONE! (15 MINUTES OR LESS)

NOW YOU KNOW!

Now you have an idea of what it will cost to travel to your Dream Travel Destination. This includes both the low and high price. This will give you more insight when making travel plans with family, friends and your travel rep.

MORE IMPORTANT STUFF TO KNOW

Expedia booking challenges (and plenty solutions to get around them):

1. Issue: You generally have to pay up front. It may take 12 – 24 months to save the money needed to pay up front. This means it may take at least 2 years before you can experience your dream trip – 😧😧😧. Expedia has recently rolled out a payment plan option, but it requires an “application” and a 30% increase in price – no bueno (no good).
   1. Solution #1: Save your money based on the figures you’ve gathered above.
   2. Solution #2: Search for hotels that all you to reserve your room(s) with your credit card. No money will be pulled from your card until you arrive. You will experience a small rate increase (usually no more than $5 / night) for this option.
2. Issue: Waiting to pay closer to the time of travel is tempting with countless stories of travelers finding amazing last minute deals. Besides Expedia’s monthly specials (and the occasional lucky $60 round trip plane tickets), prices are often much higher closer to the time of departure.
   1. Solution: Expedia religiously gives last minute specials for trips 30 – 60 days away. Expedia takes full advantage of last minute travelers. They have little choice but to pay more. Don’t bank on booking last minute and getting a miracle.
3. Issue: Expedia’s “Fine Print” methods have left countless travelers stuck out:

Key details listed on Expedia may not be honored by the Hotels, Airlines, etc.

Backed against the wall, travelers end up paying up to 2X more at the last minute than what was originally advertised. No bueno.

1. Solution – This is actually an issue with dishonest vendors submitting inaccurate information to Expedia. Always check the ratings on a vendor. Angry travelers are more likely to rate vendors, so this is where you’ll find out if something screwy is going on. A high star rating AND hundreds (or preferably thousands) of reviews is a good sign that a vendor isn’t using “Fine Print” tricks to mislead travelers.
2. Issue: You may have friends and family who are getting better deals than you on Expedia for the exact same trip. This can be down right aggravating.
   1. Solution #1: Our Expedia links provide our followers with up to 40% discounts on travel. Use them rather than going directly to Expedia to receive benefits. Plus we receive a tiny commission — win-win!
   2. Solution #2: Become an Expedia Member (It’s FREE). Expedia gives additional deals to its members.
   3. Solution #3: Clear your cache & cookies.
      Clear my what?! In short, your cache and cookies is what your computer or device uses to save information about you in relation to a site. Expedia uses this information to see how often you’ve searched for a destination. It’ll actually give you a higher price than someone who’s searched for the same destination for the first time. Go here to learn how to clear your cache. It could save hundreds of dollars!

What to do if a trip cost is too expensive for you.

1. Find ways to save money faster. What are you willing to sacrifice for your dream?
2. Consider adjusting your criteria: A different time of the year (Off Season).
3. Shorten the number of nights of your stay – 3 nights is the sweet spot.
4. Consider traveling to another destination that is comparable to your desired destination.
5. Push your travel date to a later date. This allows more time to save more money.

JaQuay