You’ve earned the points, you’ve booked the trip … but how do you make your travels more enjoyable? On this (perhaps not final?) episode of Starter Kit, the guys walk through the little things you can do to improve your entire trip, from the planning process to booking lodging, rental cars, and trains to making your airport experience easier – and even how to beat jet lag and find activities to do abroad.
And in the name of keeping things thrifty, they spill the beans on the best way to cover these extra expenses with points and miles.
Tune in now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts! And be sure to subscribe now to get the next Starter Kit episode on Tuesday mornings!
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In This Episode
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- 00:00 – Has Kyle achieved travel nirvana?
- 02:50 – Tools & apps to organize your travel plans
- 07:50 – Make the airport easier: TSA, lounges & Flighty
- 20:00 – Lodging tips: Finding the best hotels & vacation rentals
- 26:05 – Saving on rental cars with Autoslash or Turo
- 31:00 – How to find other forms of transportation
- 32:45 – Tips for traveling better on the ground
- 45:30 – Your final flight plan!
- 47:00 – Kyle’s final advice to travelers: Get out there!
Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas
Video editing by Kyle Thomas
Show music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot
Vol. 5 Flight Plan
- Organize your travel plans with TripIt, Google My Maps, and more, and understand your phone plan or eSim
- Streamline your airport experience with TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, Flighty, and other apps and services
- Cast a wide net when looking for lodging: Don’t just search Airbnb and Google Hotels – go deeper
- Stop overpaying for rental cars: Use tools like Autoslash or Turo for better rates
- Use our tips to improve your travels on the ground (and earn Capital One miles to cover them!)
Related Episodes:
Related Episodes & Links Mentioned:
Ep. 31: Beating Rental Car Companies & Hotel Chains with Autoslash CEO Jonathan Weinberg
Bonus: Why Flighty is Our Favorite Travel App
We were in Japan for over a month this spring and when we tallied up our 10 favorite experiences none were in Tokyo and only one was in Kyoto. We loved Takayama, Nagano, wild areas in Shikoku and the Japanese Alps, and the rural areas in Western Honshu. For onsens that aren’t crazy crowded try the area around the Shin-Hotaka Ropeway in the mountains near Kamikochi.
BTW, before you go to Japan go online and listen to Japanese pronunciation of place names. Narita, Haneda, and even Kyoto and Tokyo aren’t pronounced the way you probably think and Japanese speakers might not understand you if you use English pronunciation. (For example, Tokyo and Kyoto are both two-syllables.)
Can I have more info about the vpn to use for getting more points?
Hi Mary, search Rakuten for “Express VPN” or “Nord VPN.” Both regularly offer close to 100% back – 100x points when you have your Rakuten account set up that way – for these purchases. At 100% cash back (100x points), you’re essentially buying points for 1 cent apiece if you don’t plan to use the service. Just don’t forget to cancel before the promo rate expires!