<![CDATA[FI TRAVELGUY - Best of Travel]]>

<![CDATA[FI TRAVELGUY - Best of Travel]]>Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:02:59 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[Navigating New Cities Without Using Data | Travel Tips]]>Mon, 06 Jan 2020 15:15:07 GMThttp://fiwiththetravelguy.com/best-of-travel/navigating-new-cities-without-using-data-travel-tipsWhat would you do if you traveled back in time, like waaay back, to the early 2000s and had to get around a new city without a smartphone?

Some times that's how it feels when I travel because I don't pay for data and have my phone in airplane mode the whole time. My service provider charges like $10 a day which adds up quickly with how long I travel. I don't get a sim card for each new country because I usually change countries every week or less. I just use the wi-fi at the place I'm staying or restaurants if I need to look something up or stay in touch with people using iMessage, What'sApp, e-mail, or Facebook Messenger.

With no international service Google Maps allows me to travel efficiently while discovering new cities. Here's how I use it!

Step 1 - Get Google Maps
You'll need to download Google Maps from the app store on your smartphone if you aren't already using it. You could try using your current map app but I haven't found others to be as good as Google's.

Step 2 - Find Locations That You Are Interested In
This is the easy part, you just go onto Google Maps and search for the place you want to visit.

Step 3 - Save The Location
Once you've found the place you'll want you click on 'save'. After you've done that the icon will change it's color to yellow and will say 'saved'. You can see this in the example below! Manny' Beach Club is a restaurant/hotel in Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico.

*While doing these steps you can also make a destination list if you want to share that with a travel partner or even label a location like an airbnb if you only have an address.

Step 4 - Check To Make Sure It Saved
I'll then exit out of your search just make sure it is saved. It'll look like this!

Step 5- Fill Your Map
Add the rest of your destinations! I have been to Rocky Point a lot so I don't do this when I visit but I have an example of what my map from Kyoto, Japan looked like.

This is when my research of each city comes in handy as I try to have restaurants around the city or near landmarks since I don't know where I'll be or when I'll be hungry.

Step 6 - Download The Map
You can download the map for offline use to make life a lot easier. If you forget, it really isn't that big of a deal and will work fine. Worse case you'll need to connect to wi-fi for it to recognize your location if you changed cities. The only issue I've had was in Beijing, China. Google is blocked there so I used a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to pretend I was in America and got my map downloaded and it all worked fine.

Step 7- Navigate Freely
As you move around you can easily know which direction you are heading by whatever way the light is facing. Your saved locations come up as a star and you just need to head that way. On a rare occasion your map will get out of sync and the stars will go away. If this happens it's okay because the name of the place is still in yellow and you can find it easily. Here are some examples!

My phone is still airplane mode

and it's working fine!

Summary
The whole process is extremely easy to do and is a game changer for me. It allows me to save hundreds of dollars and still navigate easily around new cities.

If you pay for international service or already have it this may not be necessary but I still like the idea of knowing what restaurants you might want to check out ahead of time and saving those.

*There is another service called map.me that you can download and use their map but I don't like it as much. They only have certain cities and is harder to get saved locations.

]]><![CDATA[How To Get Buy One Get One Free On Southwest Flights! | Travel Hacking]]>Mon, 08 Jul 2019 07:00:00 GMThttp://fiwiththetravelguy.com/best-of-travel/how-to-get-buy-one-get-one-free-on-southwest-flightsIf you read my initial post about travel hacking you know that I had the Southwest card at some point but wasn't in an area where they flew so it was inconvenient. Well, I've moved to Phoenix and it is a hub for Southwest so I'm about to be back!

In 2019 I'm going through Chase cards building up their Ultimate Rewards points which aren't a bad option but that was to kill time as I built to what I really wanted. Beginning of 2020 I'm going for the the holy grail of travel rewards. THE SOUTHWEST COMPANION PASS!

In 2019 Southwest would give you a companion pass (buy one get one free) when you reach 110,000 points in a calendar year. Wait, it gets better. The companion pass lasts for the remainder of the year you got it and the one after as well. My hope is to get it early in 2020 so I can essentially have it for two years, 2020 and 2021.

The trick is to get the personal Southwest card and get the sign on bonus for 40,000 by doing you minimum spend. Next, you'll get the business card and the 80,000 sign up bonus by doing your minimum spend. There is also a business card with 60,000 sign up that is less expensive but you'll need to earn the rest of the point. At that point you have all the points you need and boom, you and your travel buddy are flying for the price of one!

In 2020, they caught on and are now requiring you to get 125,000 points. They also reduced the sign up bonuses to 70,000 if you spend $5,000 in 3 months for both business cards and 40,000 points for spending $1,000 in 3 months for a personal card. This makes it more complicated because even if you reach your minimum spends you'll have $116,000 points (bonuses plus money spent) and need to spend another $9,000. You can use tricks like buying gift cards and all that be just be more careful when pursuing this now!

This is a great time to get the pass as Southwest just started flying to Hawaii, Costa Rica, Belize, and plan to expand even more.

Just to clarify, you can get buy one get one free Southwest tickets to places like Hawaii and start with 130,000 points. It really doesn't get better than that!

Let’s answer some concerns you may have?

The first thing I will say on this is if you are NOT able to pay your card off at the end of the month, DO NOT GET A CREDIT CARD! The rewards aren’t worth it. You need to be getting out of credit card debt and avoiding it at all costs, not getting deeper into it!
Won’t churning cards affect my credit score? It may ding you a couple points but your credit score fluctuates anyways in the course of the month and it won’t hurt you.
I don’t have a business so how can I get a business credit card. You’re card could be for anything you have, real estate, selling on Etsy, dog walking, art selling, song singing, really whatever. You should also be able to get an EIN number off the tax website If needed.
With the Southwest companion pass the points have to be earned in the year you get them. So, you can't get jump ahead and get the card in December and do all you Christmas shopping.
You are not able to get the sign up bonus if you have received one in the last 2 years.
These cards fall under the chase 5/24 rule. Meaning you can't get this card, because it is with Chase, if you have opened more than 5 cards in the past 24 months.

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out! Happy Free Traveling!

]]><![CDATA[Everything You'll Need On Your Backpacking Trip! | Travel Tips]]>Mon, 24 Jun 2019 07:00:00 GMThttp://fiwiththetravelguy.com/best-of-travel/everything-youll-need-on-your-backpacking-trip

If you search online you’ll find other lists but they have things I’ve never needed, like a sewing kit. It helps to get your mind thinking but, yeah, I’m not bringing that..

Here is everything I bring!

The Obvious Things

Suitcase
I personally use this Osprey Travel Backpack. The ease of carrying all my things on my back is nice. Plus, it comes with a zip off day pack which is great!

Most of the time I get away with it being a carry on which is a huge plus as I’m changing cities pretty frequently and can save of checked bag fees.

Clothes
The hardest part is knowing how much to bring. It comes down to how much you think you’ll need and I always go over.

For my 30 day trip to Asia I packed over 10+ shirts, socks, underwear and 2 pairs of shorts and pants. Then two swim suit, 2 pairs of basketball shorts, and a long sleeve shirt. Admittedly, that may be a little excessive but I also don’t want to have to be doing my laundry every couple of days when time can be so limited. Plus, I prefer options, what if some fancy socialite invites me to a classy establishment!

Shoes
Two pairs seems to work for me, a pair for walking and then a pair that can look a little more classy. When I went to Asia it was rainy season so I also brought a pair of water proof shoes, so that made three. I do enjoy options for shoes but I still only found myself wear two pairs and sent one home early.

Stylish water proof shoes can be hard to find, but I got the crocs listed below but here are more options.

Toiletries
You’ll obvious want a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, etc. You know all the things you need to bring to smell and look fresh.

Cash
I like to get cash ahead of time. I try to use card as much as I can but some stores, cities, or countries make it difficult. They also have ATMs but it’s nice to have that straight cash homie. Is that Randy Moss reference to old?

Passport
Especially if it’s international.. this is the obvious section.

Kind Of Obvious Stuff

Outlet Adapter
I have a universal one that can handle any country I go to and would recommend this one. This isn't the one I have but is the one I bought my dad before his international trip. It works in every country and I like the 4 usb ports. This comes in handy when you have phones, wireless headphones, a gopro, an Ipad, an external battery, or anything else to charge.

Charging cables
I prefer to bring two just incase something happens to one.

External Battery
Because I use my phone for everything (maps, pictures, videos, podcasts, etc) through out the day if I’m out and about and the battery is running low it’s nice to not have to head back to charge up. Same goes for using the gopro.

Watch
I like to wear a watch because with all the changing time zones it’s nice to know what time it is. Harper, my dog, chewed the band on my last watch so this time around I got a cheap Casio one that worked fine.

Cheap Sunglasses
I’m not going to tell you how to live your life but I left a decently priced pair of sunglasses on an overnight train heading to Krakow, Poland. I just bring cheap ones now..

Headphones
I bring my wireless and normal plug in headphones just in case the battery dies.

Swimsuit
I usually travel in the summer so this feels more necessary. Probably wouldn’t bring it to Norway in the winter. But, maybe there is a hot tub to hit up.

Quick dry towel
I interchange Air bnbs and hostels during my stays and hostels don’t usually have towels, or you have to rent them. I just bring a microfiber quick dry towel. They are small and easy to pack and do a decent enough job drying you.

Also, if you wanted to bring shower sandals that isn't an awful idea either.

Lock
I bring two locks. One for my day pack and one for the locker or my bag at the hostel. No one has ever tried to pick pocket me, I’m still waiting, but when they try they’ll be in for a surprise. Safety first!

Light rain jacket
I have one of those jacket that like folds into its own pocket. It’s easy to pack, comes in handy for light rain, and helps if I need an extra layer. It’s pretty useless in a big down pour though.

Hat
Most of the time I’m walking around like 10 miles a day so I get a lot of sun exposure. A hat can just be a good idea or a conversational starter. On my last trip I had a couple people come up and talk to me simply because I was wearing a hat with the name of my former college on it. But if you care more about sun coverage you can always get something like this..

Not As Obvious Things

Travel Visa
Certain countries require a tourism Visa (I needed them in China, Vietnam, and Cambodia). Super pro tip - Even if you fly back to an original country, like Vietnam, for only a few hours to catch a returning trip home you'll need another visa!

Travel Insurance
If you are interested in getting travel insurance I recommend TravelInsurance.com. They are considered one of best in the industry, you can easily compare coverages and get the right one for you.

Tide Packets
Tide sells single load packets for laundry and I bring these for laundry. They also have kits for doing laundry in the sink. One thing to keep in mind is that in some more humid place it may take a bit for it to air dry.

I made this mistake in Thailand and was blow drying clothes before catching my plane.

Download These Apps

Google translate
This can be used more so as a resource to communicate when you need. They have an option for writing, speaking, or conversation. I've never used it for conversation as I don't know if you'd need wifi but I have used the writing portion to pass back and forth when I'm in a bind. This comes in handy when looking at a menu. You just have to make sure to download the dictionary for offline use.
Google Maps
This is in italicized because if I had the option for only one app it would be this one. Without this I'd effectively be useless. It helps me to be able to navigate easily without using wifi. There are other apps, like Maps.me, but they don't cover every city I go. Plus google is already spying on me. Here is how I use it.
Air Bnb
I'll stay in Air bnbs while I'm out so this is handy and you can get check in instructions for offline use also.
Hostel world
I'm mostly in hostels when I travel and this is the app I use to see reviews and book places. I find it extremely easy to use! There are other cheap options for places to stay like couchsurfing.com but that seems extremely for me.
Currency exchange
It's important for me to know the exchange rate when I'm paying for things or exchanging money. I use the xe currency one and it refreshes frequently to give me the most update to date information.
Ticket services
Whether you have booked through Get Your Guide, Viator, Booking, Klook, etc. I prefer to have the voucher on my phone and it makes life easier.
WhatsApp
With an iPhone I'm able to send iMessages to anyone with an iPhone so that part is easy. But for people with androids I communicate with them using WhatsApp. Tour companies sometimes have WhatsApp so I can call or text with them also which has come in handy more than once.
Facebook Messenger
This is another way to communicate with people wherever I am or even back home.
Subway/metro map
I mostly use public transportation and most cities will have an app dedicated to their subway. If they don't I will take a picture when I'm at a station to reference back to it later. Once you have that part figured out you just have to know what station you are at and what direction you need to get on and go and you can get anywhere you want.
Weather app
Most phones already have them but I like to know what they day will look like weatherwise for things like rain jackets, pants, etc.
Video Streaming
Most services have the option of downloading content for offline use so that comes in handy with all the planes, trains, and buses I'm on. You'll also find that in other countries services like Netflix have access to more content than in the US.
Podcasts/Audio books
I like to be able to listen to different things as I'm walking around or traveling so I have a mix of music, audio books, and podcasts.
VPN (Virtual Private Network)
A VPN basically tricks your phone into thinking it's in whatever country you want it be. On my last trip I was in China and they don't have Google. If I wanted to check my gmail or get my maps up and running I had to use a VPN to say I was in the US. Later that trip I used it again because I put my 3rd property, Harper's House, under contract before I left for Asia and wasn't able to to access some of the mortgage documents because I was in Thailand. Again, super unique situations.
Grab
Grab was the uber/lyft of Thailand and came in handy but this is a general post to look into some of the more local apps of where you are going.

Copy of your passport
I make a copy of my passport and keep it in a different place than my actual passport. Just in case anything happens.

Copies or screenshots of all reservations
I started taking pictures or putting them on my google drive account to have quick access. But if I lost my phone that’d be kind of useless so paper copies aren’t always bad. I'll shred them once I've used it.

More than one form of payment
I bring a couple credit cards or debit cards but only carry one with me at a time. If I lost my wallet or something happens I still have back up options.

SIM card
A sim card is a cheap option to be able to get phone services in other countries. You'll get a local number and everything! I've never done this because then no one can get a hold of me using my normal number and I'm using not in a country long enough to have it make sense.

Ear plugs
Whether you are in a hostel with roommates, in San Miguel, Mexico with fireworks shooting off at all points in the night, or Hanoi, Vietnam with roosters crowing at 4:30am ear plugs are never a bad idea.

Water bottle
I bring a stainless steel water bottle with me so that I don't have to stop to get one. It's easy to fill up before you leave or at restaurants. This is also a habit from living in Phoenix.

Know When Flight Check In Ends
This is good to know because in Asia they close the check in counter 45 minutes before a flight for domestic or an hour before international. Just be aware of things like this.

Multi vitamin
When I was in Europe I was sick, you know sore throat and runny nose stuff, every week or two. When I went to Australia I brought vitamins and in Asia I added a non refrigerated probiotic and that helped. I’m not saying it’s a simple cause and effect just an observation. I think it helps because on these trips I'm drinking more alcohol, eating more weird stuff, and sleeping differently and being sick overseas is not ideal.

Memory cards
If you have a camera or gopro you’ll want extra in case you need the space.

This sounds like a lot of stuff but it all fits I promise!

**This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of my links, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you and allows me to keep the lights on around here. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

]]><![CDATA[Want to Fly Around The World For Free? | Travel Hacking]]>Mon, 10 Jun 2019 07:00:00 GMThttp://fiwiththetravelguy.com/best-of-travel/want-to-fly-around-the-world-for-freeIf you trust the opinion of scientists, which what do they know, traveling is more rewarding than material possessions. Clearly, what they are getting at is traveling is pretty great! I wonder what they would say if I told them I've flown to places like Puerto Vallarta or Asia for free?!

My first year out of graduate school I was living in Grand Junction, Colorado and while booking a Southwest flight to visit my friends in NYC they had an offer to get their credit card and get 50,000 miles (woah!) and the first year annual fee waived. I had heard of people using the card and liking it and figured I’d give it a shot, it was free after all. With the money I would spend throughout the year, and the annual bonus, I averaged 1.5-2 flights a year and figured that was worth the annual $99 fee. It was saving me money on trips I would take normally. Not to shabby.

But, Grand Junction is a town of about 100k people and Southwest didn’t fly there so having their card was super inconvenient. I typically had to drive 4 hours to Denver, leave my car at a friends place, and bum a ride to the airport just to use my miles. Was it really worth it? I eventually got an American Airlines card, just in case, but only used the card until I got the bonus. This came in handy because when I went to Europe I used my Southwest miles to get to NYC, stayed there for a few days, then paid $180 to get to London, and used my American Airlines miles to get me home at the end of the trip. Going to Europe and back for $180 isn’t awful but I could do better!

When I started an LLC for my real estate properties I got a chase preferred business card with it. I chose to do the business card because it offered more miles (80,000) but came with an annual expense of $95. Over the course of the next year I just put all my business expenses on it and come the spring of 2019 I was able to book a round trip flight to shanghai for free! Nothing, zero, zilch, the ole bagel. Now this is something I could get into!

Around this time I was listening to the podcast which took my travel hacking to a whole new level. I learned Chase has a lot of good travel rewards cards but they put a limit on how fast you can churn through them. They limited it to 5 cards every 24 months (10 in 24 if you are married). I started making my own list of cards, with the best points, and going through them.

The first card I got was the Chase Sapphire personal card. With this card I was able to get 60,000 in points and then the Chase Preferred business card and got an additional 80,000. As of June 24th I was sitting at around 180,000 points which isn't awful, especially if getting to Shanghai and back was 93,000. I have roughly two free international trips whenever I need them.

The glorious thing about Chase ultimate rewards points is you can use them on flights, hotels or even transfer them to other rewards programs if I wanted.

The next step will be at the beginning of 2020 to get the holy grail of travel rewards. THE SOUTHWEST COMPANION PASS! With Southwest you get a companion pass (buy one get one free) when you reach 110,000 points in a calendar year and that lasts for the remainder of the year you got it and the one after as well. The trick is to get the personal Southwest card and get the sign on bonus for 50,000 and then get the business card and the 60,000 sign up bonus and at that point you have all the points you need and boom, you and your travel buddy are flying for the price of one.

Let’s answer some concerns you may have?

The first thing I will say on this is if you are NOT able to pay your card off at the end of the month, DO NOT GET A CREDIT CARD! The rewards aren’t worth it. You need to be getting out of credit card debt and avoiding it at all costs, not getting deeper into it!
Won’t churning cards affect my credit score? It may ding you a couple points but your credit score fluctuates anyways in the course of the month and it won’t hurt you.
I don’t have a business so how can I get a business credit card. You’re card could be for anything you have, real estate, selling on Etsy, dog walking, art selling, song singing, really whatever. You should also be able to get an EIN number off the tax website If needed.

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out! Happy Free Traveling!

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