OUR TRAVEL PHILOSOPHY
How We Book Our Travel
A simple, flexible system we've refined through full-time travel. No hacks. No pressure. Just what works for us on the road.
Visas
Flights
Experiences
Hotels
🛂 Visas (As Canadian Passport Holders)
Before booking anything, we check the visa requirements for our destination and confirm what documents we need.
Our visa decision flow
- Check visa-free, visa-on-arrival and eVisa access.
- Check whether a visa is required.
- Apply for an eVisa when necessary.
- Check visa-on-arrival requirements before travelling.
We avoid booking non-refundable flights before confirming visa rules whenever possible.
✈️ Flights
How we decide where to go
- We start with Google Flights.
- We check fare destinations and date flexibility.
- We compare prices on airline websites.
- We consider positioning flights when useful.
Our flying style
- Mostly budget airlines.
- We add checked baggage when needed.
- We don't pay for seats unless necessary.
- We use online check-in whenever possible.
This helps us keep costs down without sacrificing the experiences we travel for.
🔐 Surfshark VPN (For Airports & Border-Hopping)
When travelling across countries, public Wi-Fi becomes unavoidable — at airports, hotels, cafés and co-working spaces.
That's why Surfshark is part of our VPN setup.
Why we use a VPN
- Protect our data on public Wi-Fi.
- Use access services that may be restricted in some countries.
- Keep banking, email and work tools secure while travelling.
- Use one account across multiple devices (plan-dependent).
A VPN is one layer of protection, not a guarantee of security. We still use trusted networks and secure websites.
✨ Business Class (Using Points)
Yes — sometimes we fly business class without paying the full cash price.
How we do it
- We maximise our Aeroplan points.
- We also hold airline and travel rewards points.
- We compare award flights with cash fares.
- We check taxes, fees and availability before transferring points.
What we actually pay
- Only taxes and fees where applicable.
- Usually around 8,000 points for some short-haul redemptions, when available.
Award prices and availability vary by airline, route and date. Always check the final redemption cost before booking.
🏠 Airbnb
- Best for longer stays.
- More space and a kitchen.
- But not every country has safe or reliable options.
🏨 Hotels
We book hotels when:
- Safety or quality is a concern.
- Our stay is short.
- Location matters more than space.
Platforms we use
- Booking.com
- Agoda
- Trip.com (China, Hong Kong and Taiwan)
⭐ Hotel Points & Free Nights
Sometimes we stay at:
- Marriott
- IHG
How to get the points or free nights
We don't chase luxury — we simply use the right cards and normal spending to earn rewards over time.
Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card
This is one way of earning hotel points and free nights, depending on card eligibility and terms.
What we get
- A welcome or joining bonus, when offered.
- Marriott Bonvoy Silver status, where applicable.
- An annual free-night certificate, subject to card terms.
- Ongoing Marriott Bonvoy points on eligible spending.
☎️ Need Help Booking Your Travel? Talk to Us — Free
Travel planning can get confusing — flights, visas, insurance, routes and timing, especially if it's your first long trip.
That's why we offer a free 15-minute call.
During this call, you can:
- Ask questions about flights, stays, visas or insurance.
- Get clarity on how to book and when to book.
- Understand our real booking process step by step.
- Avoid common and expensive mistakes we've learned the hard way.
There's no cost, no pressure, and no obligation — just practical advice from travellers who book trips like this all the time.
Book your free 15-minute callSome links on this page may be affiliate links. You pay nothing extra — it helps support FollowTheImprints ❤️