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✈️🏖️👀 Flight Hacks & Calpe Vibes: Read NOW!
Published 10 days ago • 23 min read
Olá From The Costa Blanca
Hey there Reader,
We’ve just rolled into Calpe on Spain’s Costa Brava, and wow, this place is a gem!
Our villa’s stunning—think gorgeous pool, killer outdoor space, and three super chill cats.
Calpe’s old town is charming, the white sandy beaches are dreamy, and there’s this massive rock, Peñón de Ifach, stealing the show.
We’re loving it already!
In this week’s newsletter, we’re packing in practical tips and updates to fuel your wanderlust.
First, we debunk Flight Deal Myths vs. Reality, sharing what airfare hacks actually save you money.
Next, check out Time-Sensitive Deals from our travel partners—grab them quick - One finishes in less than 48 hours!
We also dive into the Travel Apps We’ve Relied on Most in 2025,showing our top 5 that keep our trips organized and budget-friendly.
After our recent focus on online security, we’re back with some long-term travel basics in the Travel Tips section
Travel Tools That Saved Us This Week highlights a convenient and economical way to hire bikes of all desriptions.
There's a small tweek to our upcoming travel plans and we’re excited to introduce our new blog, “Is the Lisboa Card Worth It?”
So dive on in...
One of the many beaches on the Costa Blanca - This one is in Calpe where we're housesitting
*Note: Some of the links in this email are from our partners, including AMAZON. If you purchase a product or service using those links, we get a SMALL commission to help pay for the website and this newsletter. But we promise - you won't pay any more than you would if purchasing directly. You can read our full disclosure here.
Flight Deal Myths vs Reality: What Actually Works
I spend quite a bit of time tracking down the best flight deals on our travels and have tried MOST of the "hacks" bandied about with variable success.
So when I saw this latest article in Forbes with feedback from "experts" I was interested to see how closely their advice aligned with my reality
What Actually Saves Money
Book on the right days: The experts say that Sunday bookings can save up to 17% compared to Fridays, while Tuesday and Wednesday purchases average 6-15% cheaper than weekends. Airlines often drop prices early in the week to match competitors, but these deals disappear fast—sometimes within 48 hours.
My experience - The experts say that booking midweek can see better prices BUT that depends on a lot of other variables like the route, time before the flight, and whether there's a lot of competition from budget airlines.
Fly on off-peak days: The experts say that Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday flights run 10-20% cheaper than Friday and Sunday departures. Business travelers and weekend warriors drive up demand on those peak days.
My experience - We often fly mid-week or on (not just before or after) major holidays (Xmas/New Years/Easter Sunday as less people want to fly then and prices are generally cheaper.
Use airline credit cards strategically: Expert say that you won't get cheaper base fares, but the perks add up. Free checked bags, priority boarding, and companion tickets can save $50-100 per trip. Delta Amex cardholders get 15% off mileage redemptions, and Chase United cardholders access exclusive "super saver" award fares.
Our experience - We don't use airline credit cards, we just find the cheapest flights.
Book in weaker currencies (sometimes): The experts say this can work for business class international flights, saving $150-200 after conversion. But watch out for foreign transaction fees that could wipe out your savings.
Our experience - I will often play with the purchase currency to see if it changes the price and it can. I'm happy to pay in the best value foreign currency as our credit card has no foreign exchange fees and good reates.
For example - When searching for our most recent booking on Wizz Air from Budapest to Baku - the flight was 138 688 Hungarian Forints which is about 344 Euro/613 AUD. If I swtiched it over to Euro, the price was 385 Euro/685 AUD!!!! (I still got a better price by aroound 100 AUD on Trip.com and booked through them!)
What's Complete Fiction
Incognito mode and clearing cookies: The experts say this has been tested hundreds of times with zero impact. Price fluctuations you see are normal inventory changes, not tracking-based pricing.
Our experience - same. I've tested it a number of times.
Multiple searches raising prices: The experts say this persistent myth is false. Airlines use dynamic pricing based on seat availability, not your search history.
Our experience - Fluctuations are typically caused by the Aussie Dollar fluctuating all over the place rather than cookies detecting me searching many times.
VPNs for massive savings: The experts say this occasionally works for international carriers (maybe 5-10% savings), but it's inconsistent and you might need local payment methods to complete bookings.
Our experience - Yes it sometimes works to change your location with a VPN.
Timing That Matters
The experts say the "book far in advance" rule isn't universal. Sweet spots are 1-3 months for domestic flights and 2-8 months for international travel. Last-minute deals are mostly dead—airlines now use AI to maximize profits instead of dumping unsold seats.
Our experience - I typically book all our flights around 6 weeks before OR once we've made a commitment (eg. agreed to a housesit somewhere.) Airfares usually get dearer the closer it gets to the departure date. For example, that Budapest - Baku flight is now 472 Euro!
Bottom line: The experts say stop obsessing over every price fluctuation. When you see a fare that fits your budget, book it. The best deals last less than 48 hours, so analysis paralysis will cost you more than any hack will save you.
Our Advice:
If you're flexible when booking play with dates to see if it varies . In our experience a day or two can make a significant difference.
Go for early morning or late night departures if arrival times are crazy inconvenient and you can get to the airport without blowing all the flight savings on predeparture accommodation.
Set flight alerts on your favorite booking platform eg. Trip.com, WayAway, or Hopper so you can act fast if deals pop up or flights start going up fast.
Play with the purchase currency/your location (using a VPN) to see if it makes a difference to the price. It can be significant.
I put this one first as it's the MOST time-sensitive
Use code PROMO CODE: SUMMER to get an extra 10% off 3+ day or 3+ choice passes for select destinations all around the world. That's on top of our site-wide savings of up to 10%.
🚨 Amazon Prime Day(s) 2025 is almost here, with exclusive deals only Prime members can snag!
This year, Amazon has four days of amazing deals including many travel essentials—think luggage, cameras, headphones, guidebooks, and portable chargers at prices that’ll spark wanderlust!
😚 So let’s get you set to save big:
🔥 Why PRIME for Prime Day?
Well, if you're not already a Prime Member you can sign up for a FREE 30-day trial to get:
🛍️ Exclusive access to Prime Day deals—non-members miss out! and
🚚 Free, fast shipping (same-day, one-day, or two-day) to get your gear before you go!
And, there’s NO commitment!
You can cancel your subscription at any time before the trial ends if you don’t want to stick around post-Prime Day and not pay a cent.
It’s totally risk-free! 🙌
🎁 Bonus Prime Perks?
Your Prime trial isn’t just for Prime Day!
🔔 Early Deals Are Already On! Prime members can now take advantage of discounts on travel essentials, including water bottles, travel adapters, travel clothes, and tech items such as power banks and laptops. There are new deals every day, right up to and including PRIME DAYS.
➕PLUS
Your 30-day FREE trial lets you enjoy bonus benefits for a month to make your travels even better:
Spend a month trying:
📺Prime Video for movies during layovers
🎧 Amazon Music: 100 million songs + ad-free podcasts
📚 Prime Reading for free travel guides and magazines
🎮 Prime Gaming: Free games to pass the time and in-game perks
Cover-More, our current travel insurer has an excellent deal for Australian travelers this month that could save you hundreds.
When should you take our travel Insurance?
In our experience, the same time as you make your first booking - whether that be flights, accommodation or a tour. That way you're fully covered if something goes wrong to prevent you taking the trip.
So even if your next adventure isn't until later in the year, it's worth getting a quote and grabbing this deal if you're already locked into the trip.
Get a Quote HERE and the promo code: SAVE15 will get automatically applied.
The tours are worth checking out, if only for inspiration for your next trip.
With prices starting at just $389, there's something for every taste and budget.
Bonus
With both deals you get TourRadar's "Best Price" guarantee, plus all the other TourRadar benefits such as generous payment plans, 24/7 customer support, and more. (Read about those extras here.)
But here's an EXTRA BONUS - use our Exclusive partner code: travelbug25, at the checkout and get an extra 25$ OFF!
To understand all of the beneifts of booking with TourRadar rather than direct with each tour company, read our comprehensive review.
If you've ever dreamed of visiting the Arctic, GAdventures have just released their newArctic collection.
Remote, raw, and rich with life, the Arctic is where nature and culture meet on the edge of the map. Their small-ship expeditions give you a front-row seat to dramatic landscapes, rich histories, and iconic wildlife like polar bears, whales, and puffins.
EuroStar Winter Tickets Now Available through RailEurope
Eurostar’s winter tickets are now available for booking – with travel dates open through 8 February 2026.
London ⇄ Lille (with easy connections to the Ski slopes)
London ⇄ Cologne
Travel Apps We've Relied on Most (so far) This Year!
Recently, while reviewing the apps on my new phone, it struck me how much we’ve leaned on a few key ones this year.
Besides the usual Google Suite (Maps, Translate, Lens) and Social Media apps (Facebook, Instagram, X), the following five apps have been absolute workhorses for our travels, helping us book flights and accommodations, save on expenses, track costs, and manage finances across borders.
Managing expenses while hopping between countries can be a nightmare, but Trabee Pocket makes it a lot simpler. I baought to Pro Version for a couple of bucks to get the pretty reports and a few other features.
The app enables us to track our spending across multiple currencies, categorize expenses (e.g., food, transportation, sightseeing), and even add notes or photos to each entry, if we want.
It’s been crucial for us to see at a glance how much we’ve spent and what’s left, ensuring we don’t blow our budget, especiallyin more expensive destinations.
2 - Trip.com: Now Our Go-To for Flights and (Sometimes) Accommodation
I always compare different sites when booking flights, but this year I’ve found Trip.com stood out from the others.
Unless I've spotted a better deal straight from an airline’s site, this is where I've gone. (Note: I check Skyscanner and WayAway too before I book.)
We've booked 10 flights in 2025 to date. Six of those were through Trip.com. The other four through the individual airlines (Xiamen, Turkmenistan Airlines, Easyjet, & RyanAir.) .
Along with great prices, Trip.com is extremely user-friendly and has excellent push notifcations and process for flight changes, gate notifications and reminders.
I've recently started checking prices on it for accommodation too, after landing a great deal on a hotel.
There are a bunch of other functions like car rentals, & train tickets, that I've perused but have yet to make a booking.
The rewards program called Trip Coins is a bonus and we've rapidly risen through the ranks to receive some cool perks, like free lounge passes and eSIMS.
3 - Booking.com: Nearly All Our Paid Stays, With One Exception
For paid accommodation, Booking.com has been our default this year. It’s handled almost all of our nights, except for one time when Trip.com actually had a better offer (which is why we now check both).
It has the most properties by a long shot and with our Genius III benefits, its rarely we find a better deal elsewhere (includign booking direct with the property.)
Genius III also grants access to priority customer support which we've used to great effect a couple of times.
I'm always linked to this app and monitoring alerts in case fantastic housesits pop up in interesting places we want to visit, and it’s become a staple in our travel planning.
Without a doubt THS is the reason we are still on the road and still on budget after 15 years.
So far this year, we've locked in 12 sits in 8 countries on 3 continents, totalling 150 nights. That's saved us between 12 and 33K USD and we've stayed in some amazing properties we'd never have booked ourselves if we had to pay!!!! You can check out the details here.
5 - Wise: Low-Fee Transactions for International Travel
For handling money across borders, Wise has been our preferred choice for over 8 years as it offers a multi-currency account and free debit card.
We use it extensively for cash transactions and ATM withdrawals, as it has low fees and excellent exchange rates.
The app lets us:
Hold dozens of currencies,
Send international transfers within minutes for low fees
Receive payment in multiple currencies
Track transactions with instant notifications
Those features, plus excellent security, make it perfect for international travel.
It’s been a lifesaver for avoiding hidden charges and managing finances on the go, ensuring we don't lose money to bank fees abroad.
So there you go...
These five apps have collectively made our travels this year more organized, cost-effective, and enjoyable.
Trabee Pocket keeps our finances in check
Trip.com and Booking.com handle our bookings with ease, ensuring we get the best deals on flights and stays
Trusted Housesitters saves us thousands on accommodation, and
Wise ensures we’re not losing money on currency conversions or ATM fees.
What are your most used travel apps?
Travel Tips for Long-Term Trips
This series was started with long-term travelers in mind. But as it's evolved, many of the tips have proved useful for every traveler and, in fact, life in general when it comes to online security. You can find all the previous tips in each newsletter on the archives page.
Tips include:
Defining your travel goals and bucket lists,
Setting your baseline,
Creating and refining your budget
Finding extra income streams while traveling
Identifying your support crew, and
Performing an annual banking review
Finding accommodation for extended periods
Implementing long-term Health Management Strategies
Keeping Money and funds safe
Staying prepared in case of disaster
Ways to Cut Your Accommodation Costs
Securing Your Online Security with 2FA
VPN Tips for Globetrotters
Cloud Storage for Safe & Accessible Data Anywhere
Using Password Managers.
The last month or two, I went off on a bit of a security tangent as it was relevant and expedient for us at the time.
But this week I want to get back to the basics of making long-term travel sustainable and then in subsequent weeks, I'll expand on each of the topics we've not yet address in previous editions.
Travel Tip N15 - Back to Basics: Essential Tips for Sustainable Long-Term Travel
After several decades on the road, we've learned that successful long-term travel isn't just about having enough money to start—it's about creating systems that keep you moving forward financially, physically, and emotionally, whether you're a digital nomad, retiree finally exploring the world, or somewhere in between.
Before You Leave
1. Build Diverse Income or Funding Streams - Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Remote workers need multiple clients, retirees should understand how pensions and investments work internationally, and everyone benefits from having backup income sources.
Set yourself up to earn in strong (and preferably multiple) currencies, and spend in weaker ones when possible.
Diversification cushions market dips or emergencies, ensuring financial stability for long-term travel, especially when unexpected costs arise.
2. Research and Invest in Comprehensive Travel Insurance - One medical emergency without proper coverage can end your travels permanently. For older travelers, make sure pre-existing conditions are covered—it's worth the extra cost. Good insurance offers peace of mind, preventing financial ruin or mental stress from unexpected health issues on the road.
On the Road
2. Master Slow Travel Economics Stay longer in each place to access accommodation discounts, reduce transport costs, and actually experience places rather than just whizz through.
Slow travel saves money, reduces physical exhaustion, and allows you to understand and connect more deeply with a destination and its people.
4. Learn the Art of Travel Hacking - Where it makes sense, use airline miles, hotel points, and error fares. Follow travel deal newsletters and learn to be flexible with dates and routes to slash transport costs.
5. Pick Your Seasons - Visit during shoulder seasons for cheaper flights, hotels, and tours. Fewer crowds mean less stress and opportunities to see more. Research weather and seasonal closures to balance savings with enjoyable experiences.
6. Master Accommodation Strategies Mix house-sitting, home exchanges, longer-term discounts, local apartment rentals, and strategic hostel stays. Each has its place depending on your destination and goals.
7. Get Savvy with Activities and Tours - Many amazing experiences cost nothing if you know where to look. Research free walking tours, local festivals, and community events. Reduce costs with city passes and discount cards.
8. Self-Cater Where It Makes Sense Cook when you have good kitchen facilities and local markets, but don't miss authentic food experiences. Street food and local restaurants can often cost less than groceries.
Staying Safe and Secure
9. Develop Personal Security Habits Trust your instincts, research common scams for each destination, keep emergency cash hidden in multiple places, and always tell someone your plans. Street smarts matter as much, or even more than any safety gear.
10. Maintain Online Security Use VPNs, enable two-factor authentication, avoid public Wi-Fi for banking, and keep important accounts secure. Your digital life travels with you.
11. Prioritize Health and Safety - Carry a basic first aid kit, water purification (where necessary), and any personal medications with prescriptions. Know where the nearest medical care is, especially in remote areas.
Physical and Mental Wellbeing
12. Schedule Regular Health Check-ups - Plan medical visits during longer stays in countries with quality healthcare. Many destinations offer excellent private healthcare at a fraction of home-country costs.
13. Create Dynamic Daily Routines But Embrace 'Risk'- Build flexible structures that ground you without getting boring. Routine should provide stability while adapting to each new place, not recreate your old life on the road. Don't be afraid to dive into fresh adventures and try unique experiences
14. Build Your Travel Tribe - Understand that friends and family from your old life won't understand and might not be interested in your travels. Connect with other long-term travelers through Facebook groups, co-working spaces, and local meetups. Community combats loneliness and provides practical support when things go wrong.
Staying Engaged and Learning
15. Set Meaningful Travel Goals Maintain purpose with specific objectives—wishlist destinations, learning languages, photography projects, volunteer work, or cultural deep-dives. Wandering aimlessly gets old fast.
16. Learn from Mistakes (Yours and Others') Join traveler forums, read travel blogs, and don't be too proud to ask for advice. Others' expensive mistakes can become your free education.
17. Combat Travel Fatigue Before It Hits Recognize when you're going through the motions. Take breaks, slow down, or dive deeper into one location instead of constantly moving. It's okay to get "stuck" somewhere amazing.
Resting or slowing down prevents mental and physical exhaustion, letting you recharge without derailing your budget or plans.
Systems and Reviews
18. Curate Your Essential Planning Toolkit - Develop a reliable collection of apps, websites, and resources that actually work. Quality tools save time, money, and stress when you need them most.
19. Schedule Regular Life and System Reviews - Regularly assess your goals, budget, health, banking products, and online security. Regular reviews catch issues early. Your needs change on the road—make sure your systems keep up.
20. Build Backup Plans That Aren't "Game Over" - Keep emergency funds accessible, maintain home base connections, and have contingency plans that let you regroup rather than go home. Setbacks don't have to end your adventure.
Looking Ahead
These strategies work whether you're 25 or 75, traveling on a shoestring or comfortable budget, solo or with a partner.
Over the next few newlsetters we'll take a closer look at some of the areas we've yet to tackle in previous editions.
Because the goal isn't just surviving your travels—it's thriving while exploring the world, learning from every experience, and building a lifestyle that can adapt to whatever comes next.
Travel Partners That Saved Us Money This Week
This week, we’re giving a shoutout to 🏆Bikes Booking, one of our partners we'd yet to give a proper work out. And we are stoked with them.
BikesBooking is an online booking service for motorcycles, scooters, quads, and bicycles worldwide, comparing prices from 950 rental companies across over 40 countries.
With 50,000 vehicles available in more than 2,000 locations, it’s a fantastic alternative to car rentals, offering flexibility and freedom to explore.
So what happened?
Firstly, we messed up!
Arriving in Calpe without a car rental booked was a rookie error. We should’ve organized it in Alicante for better choices, lower prices, and the chance to stop along the way up to our housesit in Calpe.
But we thought we'd do some itinerary planning and then grab one locally.
We quickly realized, we faced a minimum of €40 per day for a small manual car—over €400 for 10 days.
Calpe has extremely steep hills and tight turns up where we're staying. Those 45-degree inclines made manual car rentals a hard pass and it's more to rent an automatic.
Way too much, especially since we didn’t need it daily. We're in a fabulous villa with an amazing pool an recreation area. Some days we just don't want to wander too far.
E-bikes were an option, but renting two would’ve cost as much as a car.
Then it clicked: a scooter.
I (Shazz) have a valid motorbike license and don’t mind staying sober for dinner outings.
But local rentals were challenging.
I messaged one via WhatsApp on Sunday (they were closed), and getting answers about delivery was like pulling teeth.
The quote on their website?
€260 or €314 for 10 days, depending on the bike.
That’s when we turned to our partner BikesBooking, which turned out to be our saving grace.
Their platform made finding the perfect scooter in Calpe effortless.
It took me minutes to find a better scooter for just €203 for 10 days.
The booking was a breeze—quick, simple, with only a €25 deposit required and the rest due on pickup.
Additionally, there is a 48-hour cancellation window had we changed our mind.
As per normal due diligence, I checked the rental company’s website to see if we could save money by booking directly, and their price was €278.50 for the same bike.
That’s a saving of €75.50—about AUD $133—and we scored a better ride to that on the first company's website (Which had gone up significantly by Monday morning!)
I contacted the company directly and asked for an extra day and the price I got was the discounted daily price from Bikes Booking, not that on their website.
Bonus!
I wandered into their office in the center of town, picked up the bike with no issues and was on my way in minutes.
There was absolutely no problems with the reservation or haggling about the discounted price!
Bikes Booking definitely proved that booking directly isn’t always best.
We’re thrilled with the savings, the seamless process, AND our cool new scooter for exploring Calpe.
How Our Travel Plans Are Shaping Up
One small change this week.
After this housesit, we're going to head north to Valencia for a couple of days, drop off our big bags at our next housesit and then head north to Barcelona/Badalona to see a friend for a couple of days before heading back down again.
So here's the updated plan:
We're in Calpe on the Costa Blanca until the end of June.
We'll then head north to Valencia - Barcelona for 5 days.
Then back for 8 days in central Valencia with a kitty called Meatball.
We then fly to Budapest for 5 days to catch up with friends and then...
Fly to Baku. We still haven;t nailed our itinerary but we'll probably spend a week or so in Azerbijan and then head to Georgia to explore a few places before starting an 18 day sit in Tbilisi.
We then have 10 days to explore other parts of Georgia and Armenia before heading back to the UK.
We then have a 2 week sit in a house in the center of Cambridge.
We'll then spend a few weeks catching up with friends before heading south to Asia Pac, the long way round. Visas and insurance are barriers to entry for a couple of our bucket list countries, so we're looking at Plan B for what that route might be.
Watch this space!
Travel Bloggers, Websites, Info and Newsletters You Might Like
This week, I want to share my latest blog post, answering the question “Is the Lisboa Card Worth It? fresh from our recent adventures in Lisbon (April 2025).
If you’re planning a trip to Portugal’s vibrant capital, this guide breaks down whether the Lisboa Card is a smart buy for saving money and time while exploring the city’s top sights.
I’ve crafted a flexible, self-paced 72-hour itinerary that spans four days, helping you maximize the card’s value with complimentary transportation, entry, and discounts. From iconic landmarks like Belém Tower to hidden gems and craft beer pubs, this post is packed with practical tips to make your Lisbon trip unforgettable. Check it out and let me know your thoughts!
Summary of Blog Contents
Overview of the Lisboa Card: Explains the card’s benefits, including free access to over 50 attractions, unlimited public transport, and discounts at restaurants and shops.
Cost and Savings: Details the 2025 prices and how I saved over €120 with the 72-hour card.
72-Hour Itinerary: A four-day, self-paced walking tour covering Belém Tower, Jerónimos Monastery, St. George’s Castle, Alfama, central markets, and more, with time for rest and local food. (I will flesh each of these out with more details as self-guided walks SOON!)
Practical Tips: Advice on purchasing online, picking up the card at Lisbon Airport or Ask Me Lisboa offices, and activating it at your first attraction for flexibility.
Maximizing Value: Strategies to avoid less-interesting sites, use free transport to get around, and leverage discounts for tours and dining.
Personal Experience: Reflections from my April 2025 trip, including mistakes to avoid and recommendations for craft beer pubs and authentic Portuguese experiences.
By using our links when you book, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you - This allows us to produce free content that helps you travel better and longer for less. Affiliate Disclosure
We're long-term travelers sharing our passion for independent, budget travel. Every newsletter gives you travel tips from experts, lessons from the road, great deals, and carefully curated travel products & services.
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