Hi, my name is Brandon Presser.
As a travel expert who's written over 40 guidebooks for Lonely Planet
Today I'm here to share with you my favorite secrets and tips about planning the perfect vacation
You're tourists and you're travelers
now if you're a tourist
You're gonna be seeking out your favorite beach, taking time off of work
But if you're a traveler, you're a little bit more interested in authentic experience
and if you decide that you're gonna be both a tourist and a traveler on one trip
be a traveler first
be intrepid
go find those new things
get up early
and then at the end of your trip be the tourist and relax
You know everyone talks about packing for a trip
But there's something that I like to call mental packing which is doing your planning before you go
So you're making your list you're putting everything together
And when you have that long list sorted, cut it in half
Allow some time for spontaneity
hit the top things you want to see and then let the destination take you away.
I encourage you to stay away from being a checklist traveler
Make your to-do list based on things that you wanna do
If you're not a museum person, don't spend your day at the Louvre
My favorite memories from all of my trips are ones that involve human interaction
I like to use social media to empower those experiences
Go to a restaurant that you're interested in and tweet it the chef and maybe they'll bring you out free dessert
Airfare can be one of the trickiest items to plan when you're booking a trip.
I like to use a little rule that's especially helpful when you're doing a last-minute getaway.
I usually like to budget about $100 per day for that getaway flight.
So if I'm traveling for 3 days, it's $300 or $1200 in airfare for 12 days.
My favorite travel gadget at the moment is a pair of good shoes
A great pair of shoes and a versatile pair of shoes will get you through anything
My favorite pair of shoe at the moment is the OTZ
300-gram shoe
They're super light, very durable.
They stuff into your bag and they're a breeze when you want to go through security at the airport
I have one last piece of advice for you
Go out with a bang
Finish up your trip with a splurge whether it's in a big city and a nice hotel with a view
or a beautiful beach where you can enjoy the sand inside.
Thanks, guys. And like I always say
Change your place
Change your life
Safe travels