May 31, 2024

I shared that my mother-in-law used to say that “Tom Walsh has sand in his shoes”. She was right. From my first plane ride in high school to visit a perspective college to backpacking in Europe to driving an old Dodge van across the country I have always liked to travel. Still do. There is just something magical to me in partaking in God’s beautiful creation. So here are some travel tips that may be beneficial to your travel experiences.

1. What Kind of Travel? If you have ever taken a road trip with your young children, in short order you will be asked “Are we there yet? Living in Florida, with three of the busiest ports in the world (Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Port Canaveral) cruising became a positive alternative to checking in and out of hotels and our family has never looked back. Determine what kind of travel you like. My good friend, Dr. Terry Mooney likes to go moose hunting in Newfoundland. I would hate that!
2. Shoulder Season. Travel in the Spring and the Autumn. Most locations in the world are overcrowded in Summer, it is hot, and you will be charged gringo prices. Avoid the college backpackers and family crowds and get the better off season pricing.
3. Points, points and more points. Having run multiple businesses, I have accumulated significant travel point bonuses over the years resulting in free travel and accommodations. Choose your credit cards wisely. Don’t just get a singular airline credit card but choose a multi-level card that can be used across multiple carriers. Chase Sapphire Preferred is my go-to card.
4. Brand Loyalty. If you find a travel partner you enjoy, stick with them. I prefer Holland America and we now receive such significant perks (free flights, luggage transfer, dry cleaning on board, and deep discounts) it is hard to stay home.
5. Travel Currency. As I shared in my financial currency strategies, some countries are beautiful and terrific travel bargains because of their monetary exchange rates. Viet Nam, Colombia, South Africa and Thailand are prime examples of beautiful locations where you can real stretch a buck. Norway is beautiful, but you may be asked to spend $300.00 for a sweater.
6. Just Do It! Like the Nike Motto-Just Do It! Travel is what endears us to each other. Don’t allow your world to become small where you develop predetermined opinions about others without ever venturing out to see how others live. You may discover that we are not as different from each other as one may think.

That alone would be good for humanity.

Thanks for traveling with us.