How to Travel Online When Abroad

Virtual travel experiences provide the opportunity to learn and explore new places without leaving home, giving you a taste of local culture with tours and activities offered by virtual travel providers.

Respect local customs and make an effort to speak the local language if possible; people appreciate when tourists make this effort and try speaking their native tongue.

Choosing Your Destination

Now that the Covid 20 outbreak has subsided and travel restrictions have been lifted, travelers have an abundance of possibilities before them. While it can be easy to become overwhelmed by all of your options when selecting your destination online, it’s essential to ask yourself why traveling. Establishing objective and realistic reasons will help narrow your options, such as needing a break from work or wanting to experience another culture. Virtual travel experiences and tours have become increasingly popular as an easy way of exploring the world from your own home – you could watch live streams of the northern lights from Churchill, Canada or take an online virtual tour of Australia’s Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park to help inspire your trip plans!

Planning Your Trip

Planning a trip can be time consuming. Between hotel rentals, flight routing options and loyalty programs to keep track of, you may feel like an amateur travel agent by the time your planning is finished. Luckily, several online travel apps have recently implemented or announced fixes designed to make the process simpler – from refining searches to adding a car rental booking program.

Make a master itinerary document outlining all reservations, bookings, and details, with confirmation numbers for everything booked. Save it to Google Drive or Dropbox so that it’s accessible without Wi-Fi; additionally register with the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program and consider using a device other than your primary computer or phone while travelling if possible and create a separate, prepaid “throw away” email account specifically dedicated for travel purposes during your journey.

Booking Your Flights

Once you have an idea for your travel plans, the next step should be booking flights. You have several options when it comes to this step; from calling traditional travel agencies or airline representatives directly, to using websites offering flight deals and packages. Before booking any airline’s cancellation policies and fee structures carefully before completing this step.

Booking flights two months ahead, or five if traveling during peak season, is recommended to get the best deals. Some tips have been recommended such as browsing in an Incognito window and using credit card tools that track flight prices such as Capital One Travel Portal (requires credit card access to use). Also booking in your native currency could save money when it comes to fees and charges.

Booking Your Accommodations

When travelling on a budget, booking accommodation online in advance will help you secure the best deals and avoid overspending. Booking close to what you plan to see and do is ideal; read reviews from other travelers to make sure it suits you well and read any relevant reviews as well as considering check-in and checkout times, cancellation policies and any other important details before making your reservations.

Travel benefits with your credit card can be another effective way to reduce travel costs and save money on trips. NerdWallet maintains a list of cards offering travel rewards while SmarterTravel’s Miles & Points columnist Tim Winship regularly shares updates on current credit card promotions.

Getting Around

As a backpacker or someone travelling in an RV or boat, purchasing a local SIM card may be the most cost-effective way to stay connected when overseas. Many websites compare costs associated with activation fees, tariffs and prepaid plans from different mobile operators around the globe.

Tourism information centers also maintain online portals where they offer free activities, special events and discounts on attractions and transportation – for instance you could virtually experience Uluru-Kata Tjuta national park from your own home through virtual tours!