Whether you are planning a trip domestically or internationally, I just wanted to share some helpful travel tips that we have learned over the years. If you’ve known me for any length of time, you know that I absolutely love to travel! But where did that desire come from?

Growing up as a little girl, I watched my parents travel a lot. This was made possible since my dad was a lawn mower salesman with Honda Power Equipment and other brands. These companies gave him many complimentary trips to lovely places including Japan, Fiji, Hawaii, etc. I have good memories of him bringing little souvenirs home for us, each time he traveled. Sometimes, my mom was able to join him. They, also, did some cruises and other trips with friends over the years. Serving as missionaries in Canada with Northern Youth Programs was part of their journey, as well, before I was born. I believe that is where much of my heart for travel and missions began…with my adventurous parents! 

So let’s get to the point…here are some travel tips to consider:

1. If you are willing and able, be your own travel agent! Booking tickets does not need to be daunting, just relax and pull up Skyscanner first. Type in your desired dates. If you have flexibility, that is the best way to find the cheapest flights. I search all of our local airports and decide which is the most inexpensive all things considered. For my local friends, these are the airports I check with their airport codes:

Harrisburg International: MDT

Philadelphia International: PHL

Lehigh Valley: ABE

Baltimore/Washington: BWI

Washington/Dulles: IAD

Newark/Liberty: EWR

John F. Kennedy: JFK

In addition to these are two very small airports that are so easy to fly out of to local places such as Orlando, Florida are:

Lancaster Airport: LNS

Trenton-Mercer: TTN

*At these airports, you can literally park in the parking lot and it feels like you are going to the grocery store. So stress-free!

You may be saying, some of these are NOT local and you’re absolutely right, but sometimes it pays to drive a bit farther if you don’t mind driving. I’ll explain more…

Airlines have hub cities so if you can find where they are located, you will, most likely, find a better price. For example, we often fly Korean Air to Southeast Asia. John F Kennedy(JFK) airport in New York City is a destination city for Korean Air so flights from there are substantially cheaper than the more local airports like Harrisburg or Philadelphia. But clearly, to get to JFK is no small feat and you have to decide if it is worth it or not. But if you choose a more local airport option when you fly this long of a distance, you will probably have an extra layover. When we fly out of an airport that is farther away, we either find parking at a place like The Parking Spot or book a hotel and stay one night either at the start or end of our trip. If you choose the hotel option, check out the Park, Sleep, Fly website and it will include parking. Another option I want to try when flying out of JFK in New York is taking the train out of Lancaster, PA. I know you have to switch trains so this may not be a great option if you have a lot of luggage.

2. Another tip for buying plane tickets is to book domestic flights 1 to 3 months in advance and international flights from 3 to 6 months in advance. You can set fare alerts which will come to your email if the price fluctuates. Generally speaking, it is cheapest to fly in the middle of the week or sometimes on Saturdays. When I search for a flight, I look for the most inexpensive on Skyscanner and then compare on the actual airline website. I don’t mind booking off of a third party website, but sometimes going directly through an airline is easier if you would need to change or cancel for some reason. You, also, can accrue points with the airline that way. 

3. If you are traveling internationally and have a long layover(more than 8 hours), you can check at the airline information desk to see if you can get a complimentary hotel room. This is so nice as those long flights can be exhausting. We did that with our kids and at least once, we had a hotel with a swimming pool that we all enjoyed. Another time, my husband and I just paid to use an airport lounge which included unlimited food, drinks, showers and a quiet room where we could sleep. This was worth the money!  

4. My husband, Chad and I, use a Capital One Venture travel card as our main credit card which accrues points and we have gotten free flights over the years this way. With this Venture card, it paid for one of us to get Global Entry. Global Entry makes returning to the US from international flights much easier. You can skip those long immigration lines. Also, it includes TSA pre-check which is helpful when traveling in-country.

5. Strategically packing your travel bag is, also, essential.  In my personal item(handbag), I keep our passports and travel documents, chapstick, gum, tissues, napkins, snacks, hand sanitizer, a book to read, and anything I might want in the airplane.  It is nice to have a handbag that fits under the seat in front of you so you don’t have to retrieve it from the overhead bin during the flight. If you take an empty water bottle, you can fill it after security so you stay well hydrated during your travels. Please do not try to limit liquids so you don’t have to use the airplane toilet…dehydration is a real thing and not a good way to start or end your trip. We try to choose at least one aisle seat so we don’t have to crawl over others to get to the aisle, especially on those long flights when people’s sleep patterns are different.

6.  What to wear…I like to dress in layers as some planes are cold and others are very warm. If you are limited in luggage space, this is another benefit of layering as you can take more clothes that wouldn’t fit in your bag.  About luggage, make sure that you have checked each leg of your flight to know how much baggage is included.  The budget airlines that you might fly nationally often only include a handbag in their most inexpensive fare, so book baggage when you order your tickets instead of at the counter as it will cost less to do it that way.

7. And the last tip I have for you is if you are going out of country, consider purchasing a travel insurance plan in case of emergency evacuation or illness.  These plans often do not cost much, but can bring peace of mind and be helpful if needed.  I recommend Nomad Insurance through Safety Wing who offer a couple of different plans for a reasonable price. 

I hope I inspired you to take an adventure, whether it is a mission trip, vacation or both!! It’s so great to expand your horizon and step away from the daily pace of life. God has created beauty all over this earth so get out and explore!