Coupon Vs. Ready Cash: Which Is Better Among The Two Before Going On A Long Trip?

Going on a long trip? Well, it seems you got your hands full in preparation for that exciting adventure. Preparation might sound like extra work that can just cause you anxiety before you even start. But taking a few preparatory measures will save you a lot of headaches on your trip. A writer for the New York Times sets out a few tips to avoid having your getaway into a trap. He called a dissatisfied week-long vacation “the seven-day trap”. This can apply to events that occur as a result of insufficient preparations. Missed reservations, bad accommodation, and among other things can happen, many of them entirely preventable.

Coupons for the trip

Although there is no substitute for cash in any situation, you can save a lot with coupons. This is why sometimes it is best to include coupons when you’re planning for a long trip. A wise travel tip is to use any means to reduce the cost of your travel so you can have some extra to spend while you’re there. Here are some ways how coupons can help you with your trip:

Rental car and flights

With rental cars, there are coupons that will give you a discount for a bigger and more comfortable car you can use. This is especially important when you’ll be spending a lot of time driving. Your flight cost is one of the most significant expenses you’ll incur during your trip. Thus, it’s really helpful if you can use a coupon to reduce the total airfare. But if you’re traveling with a group you can incorporate additional tactics like traveling during the off-peak days and leaving early to get a more affordable flight.

Accommodations

Our accommodation is also a significant part of your trip that you’d want to plan ahead and prepare for. There are a number of ways to save on your expenses with your place to stay. Airbnb Coupons Reddit allows first-time users to enjoy sizable discounts on their stay using the coupons posted. The added bonus is that after you’ve availed for the coupon, you can post your own coupon’s link for additional benefits. AirBnb is a platform that allows homeowners to offer their place for travelers looking for accommodations. This is one of the best ways to get a good deal and reserve a place, especially for those who want to prepare things well ahead of time.

Food and other activities

You’ll be surprised how you can use coupons to save money on a lot of things you’d want to do during your trip. You can search online for coupons for different restaurants and other social establishments.

Cash for the Trip

You can do a lot with cash. It’s not even a contest, but you would want to save yourself from spending it unnecessarily. When traveling cash can help you cover a lot of necessities and other spontaneous expenses. Here are ways how having cash with you affects your trip:

• Emergency - You’ll never know what will happen on the road. No matter how you prepare there is always a possibility for a dire situation. Cash can help you get yourself out of a tight situation.

• It allows you to be flexible - If you want to go on a shopping splurge in a local market, where they seldom have access to cashless transactions, it will really be a relief if you have cash in their currency. 

• Split the bill - If you’re traveling with somebody, it is easy to split the bill if you have cash rather than asking for a separate check.

• Tolls -. A long trip where you’ll have to pass through a lot of toll roads, it is important to take cash with you to avoid inconvenience.

• Accommodation changes - If you are not satisfied with your pre-booked accommodation, you can just go to an alternative place without reservations and pay in cash.

The Importance of Accommodation

Your accommodation can determine how you’d feel after the trip. If you have decent accommodation you’d feel refreshed and if you have a terrible one, then you guessed it, it’ll be a nightmare. It may seem obvious to everyone but the importance of good accommodations is pretty high on the list when you’re planning a trip, especially a long one.

It’s like your home on your trip. 

If you had a less favorable experience during the day you will want a place where you can find reprieve. The hotel’s amenities might be a big factor in choosing your accommodation. You may want a place where there are nearby restaurants or bars, internet connection is also a factor, as well as convenience stores. This is along with the internal facilities they offer like bed size or room amenities like hot water and air conditioning. You should also consider the security situation of the place, this is especially important if you brought a lot of your belongings.

Save on travel time

I admit that I was guilty of not considering travel time to other places from my accommodation. I failed to take into account the location of my itinerary and I booked a hotel that takes an hour from the places I should be visiting. You can select a place where there are a lot of available shopping centers, food, and transportation terminals. Also, you have to know where you’re planning to go and if the majority of those places are localized in one area, then it would be best to find accommodations near there. Sometimes you would want to find a relaxing place to stay so you’d avoid busy urban areas, it’s okay if that’s what you want. This is good if you’re not planning to move around the place during your stay. Don’t be too quick to select the cheapest place, take into account the travel cost as well.

It reflects the local culture

It is also important to experience the local culture from where you’re staying. There are many hotels that follow a global standard as part of a chain. But there are accommodations that have their own character that reflect the culture of the place. Small hostels know how to combine the convention with their own style of hospitality. This makes you feel like you’re really away from home, and still experience the comfort you’d want. In smaller establishments, you’ll get to meet more locals and different travelers who are there to discover the locality.

It’s not really a question of either-or but how can you use one to maximize the other. Cash is definitely king, but coupons will significantly boost your experience by saving you money on major aspects of your trip. So when planning for the next trip, use coupons to reduce your cost without compromising the experience of the trip, especially on your accommodations.

How to Spend a Perfect Day: Sailing on the Cyclades Islands of Greece

There are several ways to spend a perfect day, and the manner in which an individual opts to do so depends on his or her own preferences. Some would catch up on much-needed sleep, others would indulge in the ultimate relaxation in a spa. For those who have ample time in their hands, the perfect day could be spent sailing in the Cyclades Islands of Greece.

Naxos

Naxos is the largest of the Cyclades Islands and based on Greek mythology, it is where Zeus spent his childhood. You may be amazed to find that some of the locals still wear their traditional clothing on this island that is made up of both valleys and mountains. Spend your day in Naxos city, the capital of the island, which is also known as Chora. You will be able to find several Naxos sailing tours near the city because it is close to several beaches. You can also visit the remains of the Greek temple to Apollo while you are on the island.

Santorini

Santorini is the most popular Cyclades Island perhaps because of its picturesque view. The island is formed through a volcanic activity that happened thousands of years ago. Visit Fira and Oia, which are some of the most famous villages, where you can get a perfect view of the turquoise sea. While most people look for white-sand beaches, there are several black sand beaches on this island that draw the attention of many tourists.

Mykonos

If Naxos is the largest Cyclades Island, Mykonos is considered to be one of the smallest. Spend a day in Ano Mera, one of the primary towns of Mykonos and be dazzled with several unique shopping finds. There are also several restaurants and cafes, as well as stylish bars and art galleries in this town. There are also several landmarks and tourist destinations in this town that a day would prove to be insufficient in order to be able to explore it fully.

Paros

Paros is known for its charming old towns of cobblestone streets. This island has several and convenient ferry connections to other islands, which makes it a great starting point if you want to spend a day hopping from one island to another. Paros is also known for an attractive nightlife scene, with a wide range of restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. Apart from this, Paros also has several serene beaches, much to the delight of tourists who want a glimpse of both worlds.

There are still several islands that make up the Cyclades such as Tinos, Ios, Milos, Delos, and Antiparos to name a few. All of which boast of a certain scene that is unique in its vicinity, excellent for spending a perfect day.

Sailing in the Cyclades Islands of Greece is just one of the ways on how one can spend a perfect day. This is especially true for people who love to lounge around, hopping from one island to another, relaxing in the cool breeze while basking under the sun. The Cyclades Islands of Greece definitely deserve a spot on your bucket list.

The Adventure Continues

We are tied up in southern Spain at a marina while we wait for the winter season to pass. This means no sailing but that doesn’t have to mean no traveling!

We rented a van for two months and are getting ready to set out on a fun road trip through Europe.

WiFi might not be as consistent which means that the posts might miss a day here or there but we are still exploring and will have exciting adventures to bring you!

Arriving in Algarve

While most people sail close to the coast of Portugal stopping in all the little harbors and rivers along the way, we chose a different course.
we drove the coast between Lisbon and Porto, making all the stops in our rental car. Then we sailed far offshore all the way along until we arrived on the other end of Portugal. The southern coast known as Algarve.

Going up!

A little real-time update:

We made it back to the boat, I measured our inner forestay, I manufactured our new inner forestay out of DM-20, and I installed our new inner forestay.
The entire process was incredibly rushed. I usually work for a few hours and then take a break because my hands get tired, but we only had 2 days available to get it done, so the first day was spent making it and the second day was spent installing and stretching it!

This was my first time working with DM-20 so there was a small learning curve involved but I will go into all those features in much deeper depth in the future!