Carry On (Archives)

Author

Greg
August 29, 2023

Travel Documentary Highlight—The Last Tourist

If there’s one thing we do not approve of here at Travel Onist, it’s acting like a touron (tourist + moron, get with the program). The Last Tourist outlines all the reasons the travel industry has lost its way. While disturbing at times, it’s a must-watch for anyone who values the experience of travel and wants to ensure that they do not negatively impact the people and places they interact with on their journey.

You can find The Last Tourist on Hulu.

If you’d be so kind, allow me to learn you a thing or two. This credit card pays you to travel. Literally. Here’s how it works: For $395 per year, this card gives you $300 in travel credit plus 10,000 points (equal to $100 in redemption value) every year you renew. There’s also a healthy sign-on bonus and the card includes lounge access and global entry credit. Pretty great deal if you ask me. Capital One cards aren’t typically best for points hacking, due to the way they pull credit, but for those looking for a single high-value travel card, this is a great option.

Now as you know, here at Travel Onist, we take traveling sustainably and responsibly very seriously. This Canadian-based company can help you on that journey as well. Planeterra helps promote travel experiences “owned, led, and run by communities” in tourist markets around the world—ultimately ensuring that money from tourism coming into these communities stays in these communities. Keep an eye out for some of the organizations in their network on your next trip.

Points Hack 💯

Here’s one I’m just learning myself. If you rack up a bunch of credit card points, don’t just redeem them dollar for dollar through your respective credit card portal. Instead, look to transfer those points to an eligible airline partner. In many cases, this is the best way to get the most value for your points.

For example, when you redeem through your credit card portal, it is typically at a value of 1 point = 1 cent, whereas if you were to transfer those points to an airline partner, those points could be worth as much as 5 cents per point or even more! Your bougie business class flying self can thank me later 😘.

Tim Ferris shared this article from Travel & Leisure in his newsletter and it calls out some really cool destinations from around the world—a lot of which I have never even heard of. At the very least, I’d encourage a skim.

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This one comes in from one of our own. Everyone, please thank Ben for all of the money/points he just saved you. This site piggybacks off a prior recommendation (linked here) where I discussed the value of transferring credit card points rather than redeeming them dollar for dollar through your credit card portal.

To that, you may have said something like, “Yeah sure T.O., but I don’t have time for that.” Enter Smart with Points… now you have no excuse! This handy dandy little tool helps you see your best transfer partners. For those of you sitting on a ton of Amex points, it might be time for a trip to Mexico.

For most Americans, myself included, it can be pretty easy to get caught up in the treasures of countries abroad while forgetting that your spoiled little petunia resides in a country with some of the best and most diverse National Parks in the world. For $80/year, you can get access to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites across the country. This pass often covers a vehicle and everyone in it rather than just one person, but it does depend on the park. That’s a 25-cent wing kinda deal if you ask me.

Today’s carry-on section features… a literal carry-on. For those of you in the market for some new travel gear, check out Solgaard. A company that aspires to give more than it takes, Solgaard has developed premium travel gear for global citizens, like smart backpacks and the carry-on closet. AND for every item sold, the company saves 6 lbs of ocean-bound plastic from coastal communities. You win, the ocean wins, and we all win 🏆 .

Any lovers of outsourcing out there—check out Trevor’s company. Always wanted to win the credit card game but far too lazy to do the work? Aren’t we all? Just have Mile Method do it for you! Promising 1 million miles/points for almost free (not counting the program fee), Mile Method will do the credit card hacking for you. It does cost a significant chunk of change to have them set you up, but the value still far exceeds the cost.

Here’s a great website to help you get a lay of the land the second you step off the plane in a new place. Hoodmaps is the vibe check of neighborhood maps, helping you get a sense of where to go and where not to go.

This right here is my go-to travel bag. I decided to convert to this travel pack after a European vacation that featured me attempting to roll my suitcase through the cobblestone streets of Berlin. As you can imagine, the thought crossed my mind that there may be a better way to lug my belongings across a city.

Since then I’ve used this bag for nearly every trip. I love the functionality of it—tons of different pockets and compartments, multiple carrying straps, and a water bottle sleeve. My only complaint is that I do sometimes miss my roller bag whenever I find myself overpacked and walking on anything that might offer a roller bag a smooth ride. And yes, this bag is carry-on friendly. We don’t check bags here at T.O. unless we ABSOLUTELY have to. This is a great choice if you’re only going to bring one bag.

In the world of AI, it can be very hard to sift through the B.S. and figure out what’s what, let alone what is actually useful… but that’s why you have me! For those of you who like having a plan, but don’t love the act of planning, check out this tool. Copilot 2 trip helps you find under-the-radar activities at the destination of your choosing. It’s fun to play around with and can definitely uncover some hidden gems in a time-efficient manner.

Personally, I’ve also used Chat GPT for travel research and trip planning and have had some success. Reply “more” if you’d like to hear more about my AI travel research methods!

What to do for cellular data when traveling overseas? Well, I’ve recently learned of a nifty alternative. To avoid expensive roaming bills when traveling abroad and using data, just download the Airalo app and buy a local eSIM. In minutes, you will have data at an affordable price. I am planning to utilize Airalo throughout my trip to Switzerland and Italy!

Fat Bear Week 🐻 

Photo of Grazer. This year’s Fat Bear Week Champion. Taken September 14, 2023 Credit: NPS Photo/F. Jimenez

My favorite week of the year has just wrapped up. That’s right, another Fat Bear Week in Alaska’s Katmai National Park has come to a close. The storied tradition going back to 2014 celebrates these hefty animals that make the park their home. For bears, fat = survival, so beefing up is an incredibly important task to accomplish before winter arrives.

This year, a new champion has arrived on the scene. Meet Grazer, pictured above.

Unfortunately, gone are the days when U.S. based travelers and others can freely jaunt over to Europe without announcing your arrival ahead of time. Starting in 2024, travelers will need to apply through the European Travel Information and Authorization System before they go. The good news is, accepted applications will be good for 3 years, or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner. Check out the link to read all the details.

Think of this tool as Google Maps on steroids. Trying to figure out the best way to get from Milan Malpensa Airport to Zermatt, Switzerland? Rome2Rio will spit out all the options, their respective costs, and its humble recommendation of your best choice.

It’s a handy resource, especially when your journey isn’t quite A to B.

Dabble is a peer-to-peer outdoor gear rental service based in Southern California. From coolers to surfboards, you can find some great gear rental options through this site. This is a much more affordable option than buying gear for an upcoming trip!

This cool company is run by a friend and reader of the newsletter, Manny! If you are located in the SoCal area and are into the outdoors, you’ll definitely want to check out Dabble.

Looking for the best way to utilize those points you’ve been sitting on? Roame is here to help as the “Google flights for using credit card points and miles.” With Roame, you can search for the best redemption offers across any flight your little heart desires. You will need to create a free account in order to use the search engine.

This is another great resource for those who are into the points game, especially those looking to make that game easier and less time-consuming.

I always enjoy checking out what the large publications deem to be the “best in travel.” Travel is entirely subjective, so everyone’s list is typically very different. But it’s cool to see what is trending for the year to come.

For those of you looking to plan your next trip to Italy, or even if you’re just fascinated with Italian culture, I’d highly recommend you check out Italy Segreta. This Italian culture magazine has some incredible resources and recommendations for exploring The Boot.