"Sometimes the way forward, is the way back."
                                                     --Anonymous



"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."
                                                     -- Lao Tzu

Pre-Adventure: Transportation

When your summers are either driving around U.S.A. or flying to Asia, you learn a great deal of tricks to save as much as you can...especially for transportation. Here are some tips I have to make your planning easier and hopefully cost effective. 

1. Embrace your age. That misconception of growing old is hard or being young means being wild, scratch that off your notebook and your thoughts. Embrace the age you are at the moment. Sites like Kayak.com, Booking.com, and studentuniverse.com can be cheap for flights if you are a student or senior citizen. You can get student discounts, deals for under 25 years old, or discounts for over 50 years old. Young travellers are leading the way for lesser known cities to gain tourism, so deals are common. Places like Bali, Yogya, Hong Kong, Thailand and some Eastern European cities cater to young travellers by offering discounts on activities or tours of the city. 
2. Search Locally. Sometimes you can find deals by searching locally, through local travel agencies and newspapers. Or flying locally can save money...a lot of money. Airlines like Citilink, Air Asia, Tiger Air, Ryanair, and Easyjet will offer cheaper flights to cities than major airlines. If you are already in the country, save money by locally finding transportation instead of sticking to more prominent airlines. Be aware these cheaper prices come with a hitch, nonrefundable and non changeable. But, despite that if you plan accordingly, you can save a few bucks or more. 
3. Timing is key. When you go is important for any travel plans. In the case of transportation, that is also true. To find good deals, search and book for flights/train during low seasons (February -May in European and Asian Countries, October - December in New Zealand and Australia). Go when school is in session. Book at least 6 months in advance, some sites like booking.com and own airline sites allow one to book a flight at least 6 months in advance. (And, it is cheaper to change the date because you bought the ticket early). 

These are just some tips I use when I made this trip abroad to Indonesia, it might work for some and it might not for others. Travelling requires you to go out and explore, try something new...and if does not work out, then try again. You learn by making mistakes.