My husband and I love to travel overseas on our own, forming our own itinerary based on what we want to see and visit. We also operate on a tight budget, so five-star hotels, and flying first-class are not options for us. We don’t typically look for packages or tours, since we like the independence of going off on our own, and having the freedom of changing our plans if we choose to. Lots of friends and family ask me, “How do you figure out where you want to go, or how do you find cheap flights, or how do you book lodging?” The answer involves research, bargain-shopping, reading on-line reviews, talking with the natives, common sense and most of all, having A sense of adventure. This blog provides some advice and tips for traveling overseas on, what I like to call, “the working person’s budget.”

1. Where to?

First things first. Where do you want to go? Do you want to trek through the Andes to Machu Picchu, go snorkeling in the Caribbean, visit Vatican City, the Louvre in Paris, the markets of Hong Kong, or ride an Icelandic horse in Rekyavik, Iceland? Determining wher our want to visit May be determined by the price of the airline ticket. For example, my husband and I really would like to have taken a trip to New Zealand this past year, but the airfare was out of our budget. We opted on going to Ireland jnstead since we found a really good deal in airfare.

2. Shopping for and booking flights.

There are many online sites where you can shop for affordable airfares. I personally use justfly.com, kayak.com, and expedia.com. For US airlines that fly to various locations in Mexico, and Central and South America, I also like to peruse Frontier and Southwest Airlines (these two airlines are not listed on the major airfare websites like justfly or kayak. Depending on where you want to go, you might want to do some online perusing and price-shopping. Also, flying during tourist off-season to various locales will be cheaper than flying during busy tourist seasons (usually during the summer months for Europe, and the winter holidays for the Caribbean and Central America.

3. Lodging, hotels, AirBnBs and hostels.

While shopping for lodging overseas, I like to to shop booking.com, and Airbnb.com. Booking.com lists not only hotels, but hostels and bed-and-breakfasts. Trivago and Expedia’s are also great sites for shopping for hotels and lodging. I like to plan my lodging around places that I would like to see. For example, my husband and I recently traveled to Ireland. Before the trip, we sat down together and discussed various sites, museums, cities and landmarks that we wished to see, and then researched lodging near these places that fit our budget. Since we rented a car, we had quite a bit of flexibility in picking places to stay. However, if you are travelling by train to various cities overseas, it’s helpful to find lodging that is close to railway stations. All internet lodging sites have online maps that make it easy to find a particular hotel or B&B, as well as sites and restaurants that are close by. Finally, if you are renting a car, pay attention to whether or not the hotel, or bed and breakfast provides on-site parking.

4. Transportation.

Depending on whether or not you rent a car, take a train or hire taxis, there are plenty of online resources to help you do research. If you wish to rent a car while visiting the south of France, or other parts of Europe, be sure to book before you land. It is always cheaper to book you car online before you fly. Also, be sure to peruse driving laws and car insurance rules as well. For example, Ireland requires additional car insurance (even if your credit card provides basic auto insurance), however, this additional insurance is minimal (it cost my husband and I about $5 a day extra). Train travel is always fun, and it can be a low-stress way to see a country, however, you are at the mercy of train times and routes. I personally love train travel, and had an absolutely wonderful time when my husband and I traveled from Rome, to Florence, to Venice and down to Naples. We took the high-speed train, the Frecciarosa, which always departed on time, provided comfortable seating and had a well-stocked snack bar. If you want to travel by train in Europe, buy your tickets before you fly. Visit Eurail or Rail Europe to peruse routes and prices. Also, be aware that in some countries, they will charge extra fares (for example, in Italy, my husband and I had to pay an extra $20 per ticket when travelling from Rome to other parts of Italy). Also, take advantage of public transportation whenever you can, this is the best way to experience another culture and meet the natives. Finally, I can’t offer any advice about taking taxis or Uber in Europe, since I’ve never used them while travelling.

5. Sights, museums, activities.

When my husband and I travel, we make a list of things that we want to see. For example, when we visited the Yucatan in Mexico, our top priorities were to see Chichen Itza, Tulum, Uxmal, and to swim in a cenote. We based our travel itinerary around these sights, and had a fantastic time. While in Italy, we based out itinerary around the major museums we wanted to see, such as the Forum in Rome, and the Uffizi Museum in Florence. There are hundreds of travel blogs and websites that provide information on just about anything you would want to see or do in another country. One of my favorite resources is Rick Steves, his site provides tons of information, and also provides audio tour guides that you can download to your phone or iPad. For those who are more adventurous, lonelyplanet is also a great resource. My husband and I did a lot of research on lonelyplanet while planning our trip to Macchu Picchu in Peru, and it provided a lot of useful advice for my trip to India for my niece’s wedding.

6. Being careful.

Before I flew to Delhi and northern India to attend my niece’s wedding, my friends and family were a bit concerned for my safety. This was to be my first visit to the land of the Taj Mahal, and I also planned to visit Nepal, Kathmandu and get a taste of the Himalayas. For a middle-class white woman from New Mexico traveling alone, this trip was going to take me out of my comfort zone, and offer an opportunity to explore a totally different culture. I must admit, I was a bit apprehensive, but I followed some good advice, I did my research of the local customs and practices, and did not wander quiet streets at night. While staying at my hotel in Kathmandu, I ate my dinners in restaurants that were close to my hotel, and I took taxis run by companies that were recommended by hotel and airport employees. I had an absolute wonderful time, and met people who were both gracious and friendly, but at the same time, witnessed extreme poverty and hunger. Whether you are travelling to Central America, the Middle East, or Asia, it is always a good idea to pay attention to travel advisories, and visit the travel.state.gov website if you are travelling from the U.S. This site will give you useful information as to safety tips, and areas to avoid if traveling to countries experiencing unrest. So my advice is, have fun, but use common sense while traveling: Travel with street-smarts. Keep your passport and valuables with you at all times (or use your hotel safe), be on the lookout for pick-pockets and con-men, avoid sharing taxis with strangers at shady night-spots, and avoid dark alleys and “shady” parts of town. Do your research before-hand, be smart, and most of all, have fun!