16 Travel Tips for 2016

by Brianne Miers
building in Paris, France

Pauline Frommer and her famous father, Arthur, host a nationally syndicated radio show together, Travel Show, each Sunday. At The New York Times Travel Show earlier this month, they took the stage together to share their views on where the travel industry is headed in 2016. Pauline provided 16 very helpful and insightful tips to keep in mind this year.

Frommer’s Top Travel Tips

1. Book your flight at the right time.

For the best prices, book your domestic flight 57 days in advance and your international flight 171 days in advance.

2. Book your flight on the right day.

You’ll have the greatest chance of getting the lowest fare if you book your flight on a Sunday.

3. Know when to fly.

The cheapest days to fly are Saturday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

4. Use search engines to find the best flight deals.

Skyscanner and Momondo are the two sites that consistently produce the lowest fares.

5. Be careful of basic fares.

Make sure you know what they include and what the add-ons are.

6. Research airline alliances.

Some budget airlines have alliances, so check to see where you can earn points before you book.

7. Be careful with budget airlines.

As a general rule, don’t fly budget airlines in Africa or Russia.

8. You might save money by being flexible.

Non-direct flights or two one-way flights can sometimes be cheaper.

9. Travel advisors and agents are making a comeback.

Use a destination-specific travel agency for their local relationships and connections.

10. Watch for sales.

Monitor an airline’s social media channels and website for sale announcements.

11. Comparison shop to find the best hotel deals.

The best hotel search websites are hotelscombined.com and Trivago. The best “blind” sites are Priceline, Hotwire and The Bidding Traveler.

12. Book hotels through a third-party site.

The best websites for booking hotels are Booking.com and Agoda.com.

13. Read the fine print before booking a vacation rental.

There are more “gotchas” these days with AirBnB, Homeaway, FlipKey, VRBO. For example, Homeaway now charges fees.

14. Always buy travel insurance.

But never buy through the travel provider – check comparison sites like SquareMouth and InsureMyTrip (I always book through InsureMyTrip).

15. Consider a volunteer vacation.

Check out Earthwatch, Give the Kids the World Village (Florida), Vaughn Systems (Spain), The British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, American Hiking Society, and Global Volunteers.

16. Use your ATM card to withdraw local currency.

You’ll get the best exchange rate; however, every card has different rules, so be sure you know what the fees are.

Given Pauline’s family’s prominence in the travel industry, I was particularly impressed during the Q&A session when she gave a shout-out to low/no-budget travel options like Couchsurfing, WWOFing and the free walking tours that have become so popular in cities worldwide.

And when asked whether it’s safe to travel to Paris, she declared, “We all should go to France! We cannot let the terrorists rule our lives. We beseech you to travel.” I could not agree more!

Pauline Frommer’s father Arthur presented Six Travel Trends to Watch during the same session.

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22 comments

Jenna January 29, 2016 - 9:19 pm

Totally agree about travelling to France! We were there in September and I can’t wait to go back 🙂
Thanks for the tips, girl! xoxo, Jenna

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Lillie January 30, 2016 - 1:40 pm

Fascinating tips! I am particularly interested to hear the exact number of days suggested to book a ticket in advance. I’ve always been curious about that!

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Yasha Langford January 30, 2016 - 2:53 pm

Some great tips – but beware the ATM card to get the cheapest money. I’ve discovered that due to the fees attached it is a lot cheaper to use a credit card in the ATM – make sure it is debt free and has the amount you wish to withdraw in credit. So, you are right – check the bank fees first.

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Brianna January 30, 2016 - 11:34 pm

Lucky you that you got to see Pauline Frommer! I was hoping to make it to the NYT Travel Show this year but couldn’t make it work.

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Alex January 31, 2016 - 10:01 am

Lots of great tips here! I love Hotwire for car rentals. I’ve never used Priceline to bid on hotels but have thought about it.

Definitely agree about momondo and skyscanner. I just saved $200 using momondo for a jetblue flight from Boston to DC!

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Fiona January 31, 2016 - 10:19 am

Great tips! Flexible travel does seem to be the way forward

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Brianne Miers January 31, 2016 - 3:37 pm

I hope so! That’s definitely how I prefer to travel.

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carolcolborn January 31, 2016 - 11:11 am

Great tips! Just shared with others!

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Brianne Miers January 31, 2016 - 3:32 pm

Thanks for sharing!

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Brianne Miers February 4, 2016 - 8:18 pm

Thanks so much!

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Megan January 31, 2016 - 12:29 pm

Some great trips, especially on how to save money. Going to need to purchase travel insurance for the first time this year, will have to give those sites a try.

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Brianne Miers January 31, 2016 - 3:33 pm

I just started buying travel insurance last year for all my trips (only emergency medical & evacuation). It makes me feel like a responsible adult 🙂

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Natalie January 31, 2016 - 3:54 pm

These are really great tips! I heard before that Wednesday was the best day to buy airline tickets, but I guess now it has changed. Also, that’s a great tip about withdrawing from the ATM to avoid the highest exchange rates. I’ve heard that before as well. But, it’s good to get the confirmation.

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Brianne Miers January 31, 2016 - 4:04 pm

I think I had heard Tuesday at some point, so I’m definitely going to give Sunday a try! And, yes, I always use an ATM card when I travel (I have a Charles Schwab checking account that reimburses all ATM fees.)

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WanderingCarol January 31, 2016 - 8:21 pm

Homeaway is charging fees? I’m crushed!

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Brianne Miers February 4, 2016 - 8:10 pm

Yes, starting in the 2nd quarter of this year. I know many people who will not be happy to hear that!

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Laura February 1, 2016 - 1:46 am

Great tips. I’ve started to use Momondo more now because it does seem to pull up the cheapest flight options. It’s good to stay on top of these things since there are so many options now.

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Brianne Miers February 4, 2016 - 8:05 pm

I’ve haven’t used it yet, but I’m going to start!

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Jennifer February 1, 2016 - 8:12 pm

Great travel advice. Check out google flights for cheap flights. It’s my favorite.

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Brianne Miers February 4, 2016 - 8:01 pm

Thanks! I love Google Flights! I spend way too much time on that site.

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Serendipity Tess February 13, 2016 - 11:09 pm

I’ve just literally copy / pasted this and will print it out tomorrow – these are some amazing tips!!! Thank you very much – there is a whole load I didn’t know…i had no idea about the 57 / 171 days prior for flight bookings….awesome 🙂

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Brianne Miers February 14, 2016 - 11:41 am

Thanks so much! Glad you found it helpful. I actually waited until today to book a flight because it’s a Sunday (AND I went straight to Momondo!).

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