Resist the Temptation and Leave These Details of Your Trip Open-Ended
Excursions
Whatever your destination, you will probably find yourself wanting to go on an excursion at some point in your trip. Wherever there is a popular tourist attraction, tour companies tend to spring up around it.
A lot of the time, the excursions you will see online before arriving are offering the same standard experience as other companies but for a higher price, without necessarily providing better service. In Marrakech, for example, there are dozens of tour operators offering tour excursions to the Sahara Desert.
They all follow the same formula, and the transport, accommodation, food and activities have little variation. Instead of trying to find a tour provider online, the best way to go about it is to simply turn up a day or two before you plan on going and ask at the reception desk of your hotel or hostel.
They will probably be able to book the whole trip for you at about half the price of anything you could have found on the internet. If you prefer to book directly with the tour company, by asking around locally, and visiting the offices of the tour operator in person, you can also get a better feel for whether a company is reputable.
When you book online you only have the reviews of prior clients to go off, and they may not always be accurate (or real). Generally speaking, you needn’t be concerned about missing out on an excursion.
Most popular tours run every day so you can usually just book you spot the day before, once you are already there.
Flights (Well, Too Far in Advance)
While it’s not really a good idea to just turn up to the airport and hope for the best, studies have suggested that booking flights too far in advance might not save you much more than if you book them at the last minute. CheapAir suggests 47 days as a time frame for flights in the United States, and approximately 90 days for international flights.
So while you may be super excited to finally take that trip to Greece at the end of the year, try and restrain yourself until you get a little closer to your departure date. By waiting until closer to the time you travel, you will also be less likely to need to change your flight — something that can be an expensive exercise in change fees, service fees and fare difference.
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Spontaneous Adventure
It goes without saying that you can’t book spontaneity. If you’re always booking things in advance you will never have that extra element of adventure.
If you hunger for a thrill, set off to somewhere new and see where you end up. While it is a good idea to always note down the addresses of a few places to stay, and maybe have a map of the town saved in your smartphone, turning up unprepared might lead to serendipitous connections, unplanned adventures and stories to be told for years to come.
