Traveling With Lola

“Travel is one of the only opportunities we have for a fresh start,” said Travel Icon Samantha Brown at the 10th Annual Women’s Travel Fest. I was riding across the Williamsburg Bridge in an Uber that smelled like B.O. and old cigarettes and I couldn’t wipe the smile off of my face. As I peeked through the graffiti-stained columns of the bridge, I couldn’t take my eyes off of the Manhattan city-scape. Since my first visit to the Big Apple as a wee-child, there’s been SOMETHING about New York that makes my chest swell. Maybe it’s the opportunity to be whoever you want or maybe it’s the feeling that no one here can judge because everyone’s chasing their own dreams. Whatever it is, I have a sense that I’m not alone in feeling the ~ambiance~ of the city, considering its 8 ½ million residents. 

I was headed to the Lower East Side of Manhattan and it had been a year since my last trip to New York, a weeklong research trip to conduct interviews for my senior thesis project. This time, I was attending my first Women’s Travel Fest, the 10th anniversary of a travel conference dedicated to empowering and inspiring women to travel the world, bringing together a community of like-minded travelers. Here are some of the keys takeaways and favorite lessons I took along the way: 

On travel accommodations… 

• There are five ways to get free accommodation around the world: Work exchange, hospitality exchange, house sitting, living on boats, and home exchange.
  • I learned some incredible tips from the free-accommodation queen herself, Nora Dunn, also known as The Professional Hobo. To learn more about specific tips and websites to sign up for these programs, I recommend checking out her wonderful blog and social channels, including her book How To Get Free Accommodation Around The World. 
  • Many free-accommodation websites like the popular trustedhousesitters.com have annual fees to be a member to find these stays. Nora Dunn says not to worry about the annual fee for these sites because you’ll pay for it with just one night of free accommodation across the world. 
• When booking hotel stays, it’s worth asking for extra perks, especially when you have “status” with a hotel company. You can leverage your status to gain free room upgrades, gifts, early check in, etc. If you think about it, the worst the front desk can do is say “no,” and if they do, hang up and call back until you hear what you need to hear, according to travel hacker and digital nomad Ashley McCurdy. She also offers several free courses about the subject and plenty of other travel tips. 

On budget travel…

• If you’re traveling on a budget, there’s always a deal somewhere. The key is to stay flexible and be willing to travel where the deals are.
• When searching for travel deals including hotel prices and flights, search within a country, not just a city. This will result in a wider variety of deals. (Ex: When looking for hotel deals, don’t search “Paris,” instead search “France” for a wider scope of prices)
• The American dollar is strong in both Europe and India right now, making it a great time to travel to these destinations. In fact, 1€= $1.05 and $1 = almost 82 Rupees right now. 
• Purchase airfares on Sundays. AI studies revealed that flights are an average of 5% cheaper domestically and 15% cheaper on international flights when purchased on Sundays. This information and other budget tips come from Pauline Frommer, the President of Frommer’s Travel Guides. She was informative and authentic in her budget travel presentation and her site offers destination information, trip inspiration, and other tips. 
• One of my all-time favorite tips: Always search for flight prices in an incognito tab, which keeps websites from monitoring your search history. Websites will automatically increase the flight prices before purchase if you don’t use an incognito tab. 
• The Points Guy and The Daily Drop offer beginner guides to help travelers learn how to “travel hack.” (I’m doing more research on this as I speak and there is a blog in the works!)

On other travel tips…

• Always buy trip insurance before traveling, specifically CFAR (Cancel for any reason) and medical evacuation insurance, which protect you in case of unexpected cancellations or medical emergencies, which can cost a minimum of $65,000+ if you’re hurt in Europe without medical evacuation insurance.
  • P.S. Never buy trip insurance through the company you’re booking travel with. 

• While traveling, immerse yourself in the culture of a place. Ask locals about what things most people do not realize about their city or business. Ask for their recommendations of restaurants and other nuances that only locals will know. 
• When you get to a new city while traveling, one of the best things you can do is simply take a walk. Get lost and explore the city (while still being safe!)
• Four lessons that travel teaches:
  • The world is mostly good 
  • People are mostly nice 
  • It’s safer than you think 
  • YOU’RE STRONGER THAN YOU REALIZE 

Notes on personal growth…

• Where would you be in one year if you truly decided yourself? 
• How do we tap into the power of excitement to introduce extraordinary things in our life? 
• Do not regret taking the time to live for yourself.

On New York….

• Do not buy any food from vendors near Times Square. I went to a vendor with no prices posted right outside of the busy area and unknowingly paid $18 for a plain hotdog and a pretzel. 
• According to my new friend and travel content creator Joanne, any bagel shop in New York is going to be good if the business can afford the rent. My personal favorite was Heaven’s Bagels, just a couple blocks from my hotel. Order the garlic bagel with sundried tomato cream cheese and you won’t be disappointed. 
• If you have time to spare, you can take the subway and buses close to the JFK Airport in New York to avoid expensive Uber and Taxi fees (a one way Uber from our hotel to JFK was pushing $100). Here’s an article with some details. Shout out to the local woman who told us how to save the money and walked us to the right bus stop! Contrary to popular stereotypes, New Yorkers are kind and helpful. 
• Avoid touristy eateries and instead look for local spots to save money on food. We went to the long established Katz’s Delicatessen restaurant, where I had the most delicious (and most expensive) Pastrami on Rye sandwich I’ve ever had for $31. Meanwhile, we found Shu Jiao Fu Zhou Cuisine in ChinaTown with large beef noodle bowls for $5.50 each. Do your research. 

As the fest came to a close, my mom and I were already discussing next year’s conference. By the way, Women’s Travel Fest is open to anyone, not just women. They’re 10th Anniversary Festival also had a surprise announcement about next year’s festival. To find out what it was, check it out here. If you’re feeling inspired or curious about more travel tips and hacks, stay tuned and join me at the next Women’s Travel Fest!