🌍 The TravelledTwins Beginner’s Guide to Traveling More (and Smarter)

Brought to you by Kate & Kara: Real Twins. Real Tips. No Gatekeeping.

So you want to travel more—but you’re overwhelmed by the planning, confused by points, and short on time or money?

We’ve been there. This guide is your no-fluff, beginner-friendly crash course to traveling smarter, better, and more affordably—without needing a trust fund or a travel agent.

🗓️ 1. When to Travel: Stop Going When Everyone Else Does

✨ Try Shoulder Seasons

What’s a shoulder season? It’s the magical time just before or after peak travel periods. You still get great weather—but flights and hotels are way cheaper, and crowds are thinner.

Examples from our trips:

Paris in late Spring: Chillier weather means fewer tourists & lines, better airfare prices
Italy in May or September: Warm days, cool nights, and no summer chaos
Alps in September: Gorgeous hikes, fewer tour buses, and fall colors
New Orleans in later January = pre-Jazz fest and Mardi Gras
New York City post Xmas and before the New Year to see Christmas lights but avoid the bulk of the crowds

👯‍♀️ TT Tip:
Use tools like Google Flights Explore or the Hopper App to see fare drops by month or destination.

💳 How to Start Using Credit Cards to Travel Smarter

If you’re new to using credit cards for travel, the goal is simple: earn points or miles you can redeem for flights, hotels, and more—often for free or at a big discount.

But not all cards are equal. Two of the best premium cards for beginners who want to travel better (and more luxuriously) are:

✨ American Express Platinum Card

Annual Fee: $695
Why We Love It: This one is packed with luxury perks for frequent flyers and hotel lovers.
Top Benefits:
- Access to Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass, and Delta Sky Clubs
- $200 airline credit + $200 hotel credit
- $240 digital entertainment credit (think Hulu, Disney+, NYT)
- $200 Uber Cash
- Points transfer to airlines like ANA, Singapore Airlines, Air France
- TSA PreCheck/Global Entry credit
Best For: Luxury travelers and airport lounge fans
Pro Tip: Always check for referral offers—some people get 100K+ points as a welcome bonus!

🌍 Chase Sapphire Reserve

Annual Fee: $550
Why We Love It: Ultra flexible points and top-tier travel protections.
Top Benefits:
- $300 annual travel credit (automatically applied)
- Priority Pass lounge access
- 3x points on travel and dining
- Points are worth 50% more when booking through Chase Travel
- Strong travel insurance and rental car coverage
- Transfer partners like United, Hyatt, and British Airways
Best For: Travelers who want flexibility and top value
Heads Up: Chase has a 5/24 rule—don’t open more than 5 cards in 24 months before applying.

Beginner Tip: Pick one card that fits your lifestyle and aim to hit the welcome bonus spend. That alone can be worth a free round-trip flight (or even a business class seat if you learn how to transfer points).

We’re always happy to share what worked for us—and if you want our favorite referral links, just ask!

Let’s be real—points and miles can sound confusing AF. But once you get the basics, it’s like unlocking a secret travel savings account.

Real Example:
We booked Delta One lie-flat seats to Italy using 50K Amex points by transferring them to Virgin Atlantic. Those seats retail for over $2,500. Yes, really.

🧠 Don’t Hoard Points

Points lose value over time. If you find a great flight or hotel deal, book it!

TT Tip:
Use Point.me or AwardHacker to see the best ways to use your points with airline partners.

📆 3. How to Plan a Trip Without Losing Your Mind

You don’t need to be a Type-A spreadsheet queen to plan a great trip—but a little structure helps.

🗺️ Our 3-Step Planning Formula:

Pick your vibe: City break? Nature escape? Wine weekend?
Be flexible with dates if possible. Even flying a day earlier can save hundreds.
Map your trip around:
- Hotel deals or redemptions
- Flights with points
- Walkability and public transport
- Food + must-dos

Example:
For our Paris trip with kids, we picked a centrally located hotel near the Jardin du Luxembourg. We did:

Splurged on a skip-the-line tour for the Louvre but saved on other kid activities like free playgrounds, picnics, and walking around the city.
Planned our own cheese & chocolate walking tour instead of a fancy dinner one night.

👟 4. How to Travel Better (Not Just Cheaper)

Travel is personal. You don’t have to backpack or fly private to have a great trip.

Here’s how to get that luxury-feel-for-less vibe:

👑 Splurge + Save Mix

Fly business with points, but stay in a boutique hotel or more luxurious option that gives you extra perks
Eat pastries and street food for breakfast and lunch, then do one fancy dinner
Skip private drivers (where possible)—use a mix of trains, Uber, and walking

TT Tip:
Use Hyatt/Marriott/Hilton free nights for max value. We use Hilton points for high value hotels like Waldorf Astorias. Our favs are Waldorf NYC and Waldorf Park City! Also, some Park Hyatts and even all inclusive Hyatts in the Caribbean.

📸 Travel Musts:

Take food pics (always).
Wear the comfy shoes. (No one cares if they’re ugly. Blisters are worse.)
Don’t let strangers plan your whole itinerary unless their name is Kate or Kara. 😉

🚩 5. Rookie Mistakes to Avoid

We’ve made them so you don’t have to.

❌ Booking flights on a Sunday (usually more expensive)
❌ Forgetting to check passport expiration (you need 6 months left!)
❌ Not getting travel insurance—especially for international trips
❌ Booking every minute of the day. Leave room for magic.
❌Overpacking! It just makes travel more difficult. Pack your staples with a set color scheme and a pop or two of color. Add statement pieces like your favorite gold necklace. Stick to bottoms that work with multiple outfits.

🧠 6. Tools We Actually Use

Here’s what’s in our digital toolbox:

Google Flights – for flexible flight searches
Point.me – for finding award flight redemptions
Hopper – to track flight prices
AwardWallet – to track points balances
Rome2Rio – to figure out how to get from A to B.

Happy Travels!

Xoxo

Kate & Kara