“Travel Hacking, for me, has always been about incorporating the ‘Street Smarts’ of travel. With reduced incomes, less vacation time, and heighten security alerts, it is the world class skills, every traveler needs. I have listened, learned, and now I am teaching. If you have always wanted to go off the beaten path, or just get a couple of good links and tips, this page is for you.”-Aaron
‘This page is dedicated to everyone who took the time to give me free advice or directions. I just want you all to know I found it and more!’
Travel Hacks Are In Alphabetical Order By Country. Some of these may be practical, some may be just funny. Either way they will be periodically updated as I continue to ‘Hack Life, One Country At A Time’.
Argentina
Buenos Aries-The airport may have long lines at security, you can always go to the front an tell them the time of your flight, they will assist you to the front of the line.
Austria
I took the train system from Zurich to Austria to Budapest which was cheaper then flying into Budapest from the states. Flights into Zurich, peak season, were cheaper and the train system to Budapest was cheaper than taking a flight into Budapest or going directly to Budapest. You can always check Wizz Air when in Europe as I did find $29 dollar one way airfare from Budapest to Istanbul. If you take the train and cannot afford the sleeping car, take the seat closest to the window. People frequently get on and off the train in your section. This will prevent them from stepping over you. If you need an outlet over the course of 9 hours, most of them are located by the bathrooms.
Bahamas
Nassau- Instead of staying at the amazing Atlantis Resort, http://www.atlantis.com/, you can access the hotel and stay for cheaper next door at the Comfort Suites, http://www.comfortsuites.com/hotel-paradise_island-bahamas-BS003?promo=gcsbs003. The room is usually 50 percent of the price and they will give you a bracelet for the pool and beach area at Atlantis. If you decide to gamble or want to access the cove area (adult or high roller area) use theses techniques I illustrated to befriend the casino host. The Traveling Gambler, http://www.adventureaaron.com/the-traveling-gambler-oceans-14/
Brazil
Rio de Janeiro- Hang Gliding is cheaper by negotiating on the beach of Pepino than at the offices, just off the beach. Each instructor is only allowed a certain amount of leaps per day. Find a few guys that havent hit their daily quota and use them to negotiate against each other. Here is the video of my actual leap, http://adventureaaron.com/the-leap-of-faith/
You can access the pricey Copacabana hotel by simply walking in and buying a drink. This will allow you to sit in the pool area, your better off just showing up in trendy beach wear, you may even be offered a towel. If you stay at the hotel you will not have to wait in line for the trending club. Trust me, there will be a line, you can simply show your hotel card to get in. There is usually a cover and you can kill two birds with one stone by staying at the hotel and getting in for free. I have had breakfast around the world and made the mistake of eating here. Don’t eat the breakfast buffet unless you bring your money, its 50 dollars each.
Visiting Christ the Redeemer, if driving, do not park all the way up the hill, the walk is quicker than driving up and dealing with traffic on the way down. You may see a monkey or two in the trees as you come back down as seen here
Baja beach seemed to be where I met the local people and my first unsolicited actual date. If your single and looking to mingle, this is less tourist and more of a ‘resident’ beach. Buy a drink from a local on the beach and you can usually use the chairs on the beach for free. I actually sat in a hotel chair on the beach because I got my favorite drink, the Caperini on the beach, which was cheaper than the bar at the hotel. At night, near the Baja mall, my friend, a local, didn’t stop at the red lights, he was worried about safety. Brazil was great, but don’t take the normal things for granted.
Budapest
Downtown-If exchanging money, use locals, I did here and saved about 10 dollars per 100 dollars. http://adventureaaron.com/hidden-camera-currency-leverage-in-hungary/
If taking the trolley in the city, you don’t have to pay for a ticket! Locals just jump on, its one of the strangest systems I have encountered. When I arrived in Budapest off the train, there is a “tourism office”. Every country usually has these tourism offices, but they are all different. By rule, I usually go there first if traveling on the fly. While in Budapest, I asked for the cheapest hostel. It turns out the ‘cheapest hostel’ is only one that they sponsor or get a commission on. Your better finding a local person, panning the tourist with pictures of the place. It is usually in a short walking distance from the train station, you can take a look before agreeing. If your really on your travel ninja game, you can negotiate internet and breakfast. If your buying your ticket in the airport or exchanging money, it will be more expensive by at least 5 percent in the airport and if they close at 5pm, they close at 4.59.99 pm. Make sure your on time, most employees are paid per hour and minimum so they could careless if you are buying a ticket at 5:00 pm. Its always cheaper to exchange and purchase in the city as the airport is away from public transportation. From the city, we took the subway, then bus. If your getting on a bus to go to the city, make sure if your at Terminal 1 it went to Terminal 2 already. The buses go from Terminal 1 to 2 then back to 1 before heading to the city. Terminal 1 and 2 is about 5 minutes apart.
Costa Rica
Montezuma-The first place stamp in my passport. This is how I would do the trip as a tour guide. Fly into San Jose, you can taxi to the Los Suenos Marriot, http://www.marriott.com/search/findHotels.mi/ One of the nicest Marriott’s I have ever stayed at and I did it for $99 dollars. I would suggest staying here for a day or two then roughing your way to the village of Montezuma, my favorite. I have a contact by the name of Armando and if you want to learn the 101 basics of exploring a new area with the price of a beer, here you go.
http://adventureaaron.com/private-tours-for-a-total-cost-of-one-cervas/
Armando runs a boat that will pick you up on the beach, a 3 minute beach walk from the Marriot, to the left. Here you can grab the local beer, Imperial, for the local price of 1 pesos, and wait for the boat. The 15 foot single outboard engine boat, will pick you up and take you to Montezuma for 30 dollars. It’s a 45 minute ride, bags go in trash bags, and your lucky if there are more than 10 people with you. You may get to see a few dolphins, or even a whale or two. This is where I learned to travel hack, as it was something a million dollar boat, could match. You can literally walk to the beach at your hotel, disappear for the night and come back a changed person. While in Montezuma, stay a day or two there and take a day trip to contemplate jumping off a 65 foot the waterfall. I say contemplate because a good friend of mine, Anthony, contemplated it long enough to jump after the battering on the video camera I was holding, died. Needless to say, I didn’t tell him until we returned!
You can also work with Armando on traveling 30 minutes to a few other areas, I will let you discover on your own. Other options if the water or boat isn’t your thing, go to Tambor and take the ferry or short plane to San Jose. You can also fly into Tamarindo and take rent a car to take down. Get one with good tires, the roads to Montezuma are not paved, as most places on my list.
Dominican Republic- Nothing yet
Egypt
Cairo-Be prepared to negotiate. Find your hostel or hotel online before you go because if you stay 2 nights or more in Cairo the hotel representative will pick you up, for free. Play your cab right. There are two main cabs, black and whites, or just whites. One has a meter and the others do not. If you know your route, like the airport, get the cab that has no meter and negotiate your rate. If you don’t know the cost, as a local and then negotiate with the meter cab, to see if he will get it less than what you were told without the meter, if not, get in and use the meter. Taking the bus anywhere over 4 hours, the time you are told it will take, is probably less than the real time.
The Pyramids-Use your accommodations to get a free ride to the Pyramids. Even hostels will give you a guide to the Pyramids as part of the hotel package. You will be presented a few opportunities rent a camel or horse. If you feel like being a Ninja, roll the dice and negotiate the horse or camel after you go inside. Most people don’t realize you can rent them inside and its about ½ to ¾ the price cheaper. If you really want to roll the dice, you can climb a few steps up and have the guide take a picture of you on one of the Pyramids. The local “authorities” will come buy and provide a look out for you for a small hand shake. They usually take the picture.
Dahab-Highly recommend this place, here is the latest post http://adventureaaron.com/another-culture-shock-in-egypt-30-days-in-still-no-bag/
Bring your bartering skills because cameras, memory cards, and a few I will leave a secret will “trade well”. While walking in the town, you will be approached my host, usually Egyptian males, trying to rope you in. Friend on restaurant, the more you visit, the better your prices will go. If you pic a place that doesn’t serve alcohol, the food will be a bit cheaper. These places are also BYOB. When you become comfortable with your surrounding you can go up the beach from the town and stay at one of my favorite places called Moonlight Apartments, http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=100000989644992 The walk at night is on the beach, so you will need a small flash light. Although is may seem sketchy, its safe. The chain of hotels like this one, http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-1718-coralia-club-dahab/room.shtml is considered one of the nicest. It can be accessed by walking the beach and if your hacking it, you can use the water in front of their chair for a great snorkeling location. There is a fee to use the chairs and it’s a bit tough to access the beach without staying at the hotel. I paid a daily fee, was given a towel and chair and snorkeled for the first time, here. If you are looking to do the European bathing suit thing, this is your spot.
Sharm el Sheik- Kite boarding in the Red Sea is very popular and truly spectacular. If you alone or with another, you can both have fun in Sharm el Sheik for a bit more civilization and less backpacking. Talk to my friend and owner, Ahmed at Profi-Sailors to get a cheap room at one of the spots. Here is my post on it, http://adventureaaron.com/learning-to-kite-board-in-the-red-sea/
Even if you want to just rent something for an hour from him, he will be happy to give you a “family and friends” rate. Getting from Dahab to Sharm and back is a cheap bus or a convenient cab. Make sure you negotiate this on a flat round-trip fee.
Fiji
Take the Fiji Experience bus if your on a budget and jump off whenever you want. If you want luxury for stay at Volivoli Beach Resort. Use getting certified to dive or diving in general, to get reduced rates at the hotel. Fiji offers the nicest accommodation regardless of the room type you select. Dorms for 7 dollars a night get the same amenities as the suite at 100 a nights. Buy Kava at the local market, it’s a stronger root. If you want to smoke a cigar, as the same guy you buy the kava from for a few tobacco leaves. One of the best cigars I have ever had was made by a 60 year old women in the Fiji Market. Stay with a local tribe by bringing them Kava and wearing a skirt. You can see it all here, http://www.adventureaaron.com/fiji-swim-with-sharks-and-travel-hack-paradise/
France
Not much to say here, things are pricey and you will pay a lot even on a layover at the airport. I used the computer store in the Airport to access my internet for free. That about the best it gets. J
Italy
Rome-If visiting the Roman Colosseum Do not buy anything from the people outside, you will pay a agent fee, this includes your admittance into the Colosseum.
London- Nothing Yet
Malaysia
If you are getting coming from the west, its often cheaper to get to Phuket, Thailand by flying into Malaysia and working your way up. The train ride is often sold out from Kumla Lumpor north, your best bet is to book it in advance. Grab some sushi on a stick, it’s a signature and don’t be afraid to take the bus ride up instead of the train. Its one of the best buses I have ever seen and was a few minutes earlier arrival than the train. Here are the sites and sounds.
Mexico-
Cancun- Chitza Itza is simple to get to and they pick you up by the bus at your hotel. I would suggest going with a tour, you will get a bit of an agave tour on the way out.
Morocco-
Oh boy, get ready for a culture shock. If your flying in at night get your hotel already set up. It’s a Muslim Country and things close early. If your buying water from a local store, behind the water in the refrigerator is a different companies bottled water. Its about ¼ cheaper than the bottled water tourist drink and taste the same. Eat from the street vendor if in a hurry, most of them use the same food as the restaurant they stand in front of. If you buy the fresh orange juice from the guys on the street, grab a straw, they don’t have water to wash the glass. Barter and negotiate everywhere. Train is easiest way to get to Marrakesh and I used my cab driver as a tour guide. Its an easy way to see extra things, just make sure you set the trip itinerary up in stone before you get in the car. Take the bus to get to Essaouira if you want to get to the beach. There is a small bar on the beach by the fish market that will serve beer to locals. The beer count is on the honor system and cheaper than any other restaurant. I will leave the adventure up to you to find it and the name, if there is one. J Flashpack your way around to get negotiated hotel rates and use the paper trick to test the security, here is a sample video; http://adventureaaron.com/gaining-world-class-skills-morocco/
Netherlands-
Amsterdam-If you want to drink after the bars close, the flying pigs hotel serve all night and you can visit my friend Sirste. “Whopping” is the term used to work 2 or 3 hours a day and get free accommodations, including breakfast and a drink or two! If you want to film the red light district, be careful, I have seen people get in a lot of trouble of this. The cafes are completely normal to smoke in. The coffee houses offer coffee, the cafes offer more. While coming back to the airport on the train, you can hold off on buying the ticket on the train, you may get a free ride. Rent a bike to go everywhere, no need for cars.
New Zealand-
Auckland- At the airport, use the Isight to arrange your travel. Its honest and free. Nomads is one of the hostels I have stayed at, email us if your going and we will see what extras we can throw in.
Rotorua-Use the bus or a car rental to get here. My best international friends live here and it’s the “Chucky Cheese for Adults”. The Novotel is a great mid range hotel, Accor points are often promoted at this location. For a list of the activities, see here… http://adventureaaron.com/meeting-my-match-adventure-capital-of-the-world-new-zealand/
Peru-
Cusco-Travel by train is easy to Machu Picchu and if you can stay an extra night in the local town, its well worth it. Don’t use your US electric bathroom items in the sockets, they will fit, but will be burned out. Here is Machu Picchu, before I had a production crew-
Portugal-
Lisbon was the cheapest place I have visited in Europe. Vilamoura Marina is home to the closest access point from the states. The beaches are nice and its hard to get around without a car. Skip on the charter fishing and head just south of the marina to the local fish market. If you really want to hack it, you can fish with the locals by offering them a small handshake. Here is a brief clip of the popular marina-
Santo Domingo-Nothing Yet
South Africa
Cape town-Negotiate your hotel rate after 10pm for other nights as well. Don’t take the group taxi unless your going in a straight line. Rent a car and drive to Fish Hooke. Home to the most recent shark attack, it has a great bar on the beach. Whale watching is popular here as well, you can also take the train. I recommend doing it before or after school is out, the kids can get a bit restless and put you in an weird situation. Visit this link for the 411 and my time with Tim Ferriss. http://adventureaaron.com/tim-ferriss-my-exclusive-interview/
Sanbona is the closest Safari and is 3 hours from cape town. Bring your money, its pricey. Face Adrenalin has the tallest commercial bungee jump in the world. If you driving you own car, the gas places closes at dark. I made the mistake of going from the Safari to Gansbaai, the shark capital of the world, and nearly ran out of gas. The Great White Shark Project, http://www.whitesharkprojects.co.za/ has a great staff for cage diving with the sharks. This is a great place to volunteer for a summer and get free accommodations. Go on a chopping day, but bring a lolly pop if your sea sick, it helps for sea sickness and your chances of seeing sharks will increase, when others get sick off the side.
Spain-
Gibraltar is a great way to shoot down to Morocco. I took the ferry from Morocco to Spain, then bus up to Portugal.
Switzerland-
Zurich is a great access point to other locations in Europe. When then you can use this website to book cheap airfare to other places in Europe, sometimes its cheaper than the train.
http://adventureaaron.com/my-journey-around-the-world-without-a-bag-10-days/
Thailand-
Phi Phi Island-take a long boat with another couple or group. it’s the same price and it’s a big enough boat for two. Here is a clip
Phuket-Use the tourism places to negotiate against each other for your boat fare to Phi Phi.
Bangkok-If buying airfare, use the travel agents that have an Iata number or similar. You wont pay a booking fee and you wont have to go to the airport, it’s usually the same price as it is online. Massages are always normal unless you imply you want more. Buy your items 2 streets off of the popular road for the lowest price. If you get extensions, they are glue and will fall out in 2 weeks.
Turks and Caicos- Nothing Yet
