There really is no “best time” to travel overall, it depends on many factors for not only yourself but the location you’re visiting. There is always a destination worth visiting when you’re free to travel, you just have to be flexible about that location. Shoulder season (just before or after high season) is a great opportunity to see more, enjoy the climate better and get some of the best prices of the season without sacrificing the experience.

Again, there is no ideal length overall as a general rule of thumb. Each trip is different in the amount of sights you want to visit, the weather, the costs and so much more. My general thought process is to figure out your budget first, then break it down to a day-by-day basis to see how many days you can manage comfortably. Factor in the daily costs of accommodations, food, entertainment and transportation, then multiply that by 1.2. This would be your budget for each day of vacation time. Factor in your airline costs at the end.

Example: Hotel per night ($220) + Food ($150) + Entertainment ($80) + Transportation ($60) = $510 × 1.2 = $612 daily budget. If you have $4,000 to spend on your vacation (after flights) you can manage a 6 to 7-night vacation.

This is a good question at this time in our lives. With the uncertainty over travel and the economy there are fears that rewards points are going to be harder to earn and harder to spend as airlines and hotels look to keep their profitability. Over the years you have seen hotels require a little as 5,000 points per night to now asking over 40,000 points for the same hotel today. Same with airlines. Back in the early 2000’s you could fly for 10,000 miles one way. Now the minimum seems to be around double that. If you have a small amount of points, I would say use them now, you might not have enough to use them later if the minimums rise again, which they will.

To be honest, we don’t have a favorite type. We enjoy exploring next destinations whether it be in the cold mountains, the history of an ancient town, the sunny beaches and warm waters of a tropical island, and a weekend away just miles down the road.

We have just begun to try cruising (can you believe it took over 50 years for us to take a cruise?). There are definitely some positives and negatives to cruising that we get into in our videos, so check those out and see what they are.

There are may ways to find the best deals, but the easiest answer is SHOP, SHOP, SHOP! It’s time consuming to plan a vacation but can be twice as long when you are trying to find the best places to stay, the best sights to see and the best modes of transportation. So have patience, do your homework, set aside the time to research… or hire a travel agent.

We have a great video on this and explain the many questions you need to ask yourself first, then how to begin the planning and booking process.

The chances of a serious incident while traveling is extremely low, of course, that varies by the location you wish to visit. For the most part, incidents involving tourists are usually limited to pick-pockets and theft. We never travel with jewelry, we carry little cash (just enough for those moments when a store only accepts cash or when you need to tip) and ever leave luggage or any other valuables in a rental car. For other tips on traveling safely, please check out or safety video.

Also, verify your destination is governmentally advisable to travel to, visit https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/

Yes, yes and yes. You should always have a passport for those opportunities or instances where traveling out of the country is a must or a deal too good to pass on. What if you win a trip to Paris? It can take several weeks to months to get your passport, so you might not be able to go. What if your work needs you in Tokyo for a big meeting? Even if you don’t need it right now, it’s always advisable to have one. The price, as of this writing, is $165. It lasts for 10 years. Also, remember to always renew your passport within 8 months of expiration. Most countries and cruise lines require at least 6 months remaining in order to enter or sail.