If Travel Doesn't Give You Happiness You're Doing it Wrong 

✅ You might enjoy watching my Complete Guide to TRAVELING SOLO Your First Time: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-p7S7WExOW3s.html

Just wanted to say I love the title of this video. 100% right

Excellent video as usual. I found going to the US from the UK, a Revolut card worked really well. No transaction fees. Just transfer from your main account to the card via the app. I'm sure there is quite a few alternatives to that but i found that worked for me, even withdrawing from an ATM, no fees. Just another tip. Hope this is helpful to fellow travellers.

Before you ever got into the list I had a suspicion Airbnb was involved in the horrible trip. I've heard so many horror stories lately.

When I was younger we’d always try to travel on the cheap for budget reasons and sometimes you get what you pay for!!

We never count the first and last days of our vacation as vacation, we say it is travel time and hotel time.

I’m a SKYTEAM MEMBER & love Delta Airlines. After flying with them for 3decades, never once lost my luggage & they are mostly on time. Just came back from Palawan & Bohol & my family had the best trip ever😍💜🌸

You're absolutely correct. I had traveled within India with my parents and, after coming to the US 40 years ago, I have traveled to 50 countries (including multiple times to many due to the nature of my work). My first trip to Hawaii was in 1982/83, as a graduate student in UCLA and crashing with friends at the East-West Center, when one could get a car with unlimited mileage and a motel room for under 30 bucks (for both combined!) in the Big Island. Rule number 1 (learnt from my parents with modest means): don't be cheap when travelling. Rule number 2 (based on my experience): Time is hugely important once you see your per day cost (including airfare etc.) and, consequently, get knowledgeable about the place (particularly these days with RU-vid videos). I'm getting all I can from you and my trip is in 2024 August but I'm an old man who has to think about steps to climb these days. That tip about lining up for Shinkansen at the precise location, among many other tips, was very helpful. Thank you.

we leave chicago to Honolulu in January and we decided to stop in anaheim for two nights to visit Disneyland. I hate layovers because it never fails, planes run late

Hi Chris. Thanks for the live stream. People also make the mistake of not heading to the airport early enough before their departure. I'm also on Team Aisle Seat. Take care.

Great tips, we know most of them but good to have a reminder! I’m watching with my yellow productions shirt my son bought for me since he sees me watching your videos all the time.

Just found you a couple of days ago. Love your content.

Great livestream, lots of helpful info. Thanks Chris

This must be one of your best videos ever! I've been following you for about five years, and this video is awesome. I've seen many friends make these mistakes, as have I. PS: I'll be in Japan when you are, I'll keep an eye out for you. Thank you for your awesome content!

Brightline Florida did build their own tracks from Cocoa to Orlando International, but the rest is actually on freight right of way on the Florida East Coast Railway. However, they did do infrastructure upgrades such as double tracking and modifying designs to allow faster speeds to minimize delays by freight, which is something not present on most Amtrak routes.

I loved this video. I’m going to Oahu on May4 for 17 days and this was really an eye opener. Thanks Chris

Hi Chris, thanks for the tips! I was watching this cause I've been so skeptical about traveling for pleasure that I've never done it out of my own will. There are places I want to go but I'm so scared of things like feeling out of place, crimes, losing items or just any other irrational (possibly rational) fears that I couldn't bring myself to do it. I'm hoping to conquer it one day though😢

I'm "team window," and I always, always choose my seat when I book -- even if I have to pay for it. I like to minimize my surprises wherever possible.

Our arrival day thing is to go to a local grocery and/or pharmacy and get stuff we need for the hotel room. Then I have one to two major things planned per day, and we're willing to jettison either one or both if we get a better idea, the weather changes, or we're just tired. I have usually picked many more restaurants than we can possibly visit, just so we have a list in case we don't find something interesting as we're out and about. But I don't expect to do all or even most of what is on my itinerary. But I like to know what is available, so we're not wasting time doing research when we're on the road.

Your tips/mistakes were spot on. Overpacking is one of the common mistakes - in my opinion.

Sorry that your friend's vacation to Hawaii was bad. With any trip, there are so many logistics. I think that's why there's value in channels like this that offer general tips and tips for specific places. Pro tip for Kauai - Visit the taro chip place in Hanapepe. My favorite Hawaii snack. So good. 😁

Loved this video. Sorry I didn’t catch it live. I’m planning my first abroad trip ever right now. Going to Italy in sept for 2 wks. I’ll keep all the suggestions in mind. I’m def worried about thieves, not speaking the language, trying to shove too much into every stop. This is a bucket list trip for me so I have such high expectations. My #1 priority was booking a plane with a bed!! I was not flying that far and not being able to relax. Im going to look to see if you have any old vlogs on Italy. Love your Chanel!!

NOT signing up for loyalty/rewards programs... Guilty (until lately - now I'm kicking myself in the butt about it): But sometimes a form of travel will accept your points or loyalty levels from a different company. Example... a gentleman I know had never traveled on MSC cruise lines...BUT he had top status with Hilton. They matched his loyalty level, and he became top level on MSC for his first cruise; with all of the benefits that included.

Print everything! I lost my phone in Switzerland, but I was still able to do everything because I printed out all my tickets and reservations on paper. I only had to buy a couple of additional train tickets (my rail pass was digital). If I didn't print everything out the rest of the trip would have been completely ruined.

Not sure if mentioned by someone else but getting a Wise account and card is really useful internationally too. You move money into the local currency and a lot of local places treat it like a local debit card so a lot less issues.

I hit BINGO before half the video was over! Wow I've really made some travel goofs but glad to learn from others (and share in the misery)

I have just found your site, and I'm enjoying the tips. One thing I ask that you include: For those of us who live on the east coast, please include more references on flights from the east coast to Europe, instead of always referencing examples of the west coast to Singapore or Japan. Many of us who live on the east coast won't ever have the opportunity to fly to those places. Thank you.

If traveling is stressful then it’s not fun for me. Figuring out logistics is always stressful for me, so I just go on escorted tours and I have so much fun. I love traveling with other people as well and tours always go to places I would want to go anyways. It works for me :)

Here's a couple mistakes I've made.. Nice and thrifty hotels million miles from anything..In Italy, sleeper train from Venice to Rome, March 13 00:00 is not midnight Mar13, It's just past midnight March 12 so confirm your train ticket . Missed my train by exactly 24 hours. If it wasn't for a very cool conductor I'd have had to buy 2 extra tickets( he snuck us in to an available cabin) ... Don't believe airline personnel if the answer to your question is "It should be OK" ... if you travel on Daylight Savings day , confirm that the plane clock is correct on arrival..I used to have trouble telling time I guess.

Oh my goodness. The story about the cheap Airbnb infested with those large Hawaiian cockroaches is killing me. I did reserve a relatively cheap Hawaiian Airbnb; fingers crossed bc cockroaches are my biggest fear. 😅

If going to San Diego in late December, what should I expect the beach experience to be like? windy and chilly? gray skies all day? thanks for all the quality videos

Hi, what is the best brand name for Pocket wifi to buy? I am travelling to Bali, Indonesia next.

Thank you so much for all this excellent information, I am about to fly to the USA for the first time, and after watching your videos, I have come to the conclusion that you should give lectures in schools!😎

hi i’ve already watched many of your videos so a lot of this info is not new but you have been helpful in planning my trip to tokyo. question: do you think i should just pack carry on bag and bring packable duffels for purchases or should i bring a larger suitcase and check it in??

GREAT tips! Did ya get my supersticker?

22:04 Chris boxing

[29]Big thing for me, but everybody is different. When I plan itineraries for things I tend to overplan them, for an a quick example the itinerary I made for the arrival to Japan has us getting off a 3:00 arrival time, three hours later I have it "planned" to head to the hotel in Ueno to check in and get our luggage sorted, the trip calculator has us able to get to the hotel in about an hour, with an hour to check in and drop off luggage. So at about 7 o'clock I schedule dinner in Asakusa and to see sensoji at night and then visit the skytree. In no way do I expect us to manage half of that, but it does give us a rough "quest log" in case sensoji was thoroughly visited while heading to the dinner location, or maybe we ate at the airport for a late lunch and would rather hit the skytree first. Heck we might get there and just want to spend a lot more time hanging out at the hotel, maybe get a bath before dinner. I like to overplan itineraries by hitting the important things early and leaving the "maybe laters" at times where I'd expect we'd miss out. I honestly recommend setting up itineraries more like a quest log, or mission objectives, saturating it with stuff you want to do, that way if you're ever "what should we go do next" you can head to the next place on the list. But I DON'T recommend ever sticking to it like the main quest, the main quest is to have a good time and do what you want. If you want to book a hotel and sleep in a different country for a week, go ahead, but don't lay in bed struggling because you don't know what to do. One of the biggest problems I deal with is when people come to houston they just expect me to be a tour guide and they always say "what is there to do in Houston" and all I can ever think of off the top of my head is "well we could go eat something, and then get something to eat." cause I live here, the houston aquarium is just my aquarium, walking around the galleria or katy mills is just how I go get some walking in. I don't think about where to go, and neither did they... and trying to think of stuff on the spot can be difficult and it will lead to bad experiences. You want a list of places to go and things to do BEFORE you get there, and you want to be able to whip that list out whenever you have that "what should we do next" question, sure wanna suddenly go somewhere because you just saw it or just thought about it, go for it, but don't stand around trying to look up the next place you want to go.

We don't even eat at the hard rock cafe in the US...............

Is there a value hotel in waikiki you recommend? There are soooo many and mixed reviews on all of them.

I have a question. Do you book your flights with a third party like Expedia or is it better to book directly with the airline?

Tip #31. It may seem like fun to get completely riped while at a party destination, trying to reenact The Hangover. But drink responsibly! It just increases the chances of being careless with your money, belongings, and you might even have a little surprise waiting for you in 9 months. Or so I've heard. 😎

Travel gives me great happiness, but I LOATHE Hawaii. It is a place for tourists, not travelers. I like art, history, good food and having authentic cultural experiences, so Hawaii is not the place for me. Knowing yourself is a key to happiness! I agree that Kaua'i is a place where a rental car is a must.

What did your friend do on Kauai without a car? The local bus takes forever and taxi's are $$$$. Uber is very scarce. Was the Airbnb on the beach? I'm from Kauai, family still there so I go a few times a year. When going to SE Asia we go from SFO to Tokyo. Tokyo ( Same for Osaka) is a jetlag city. Flight leaves at 11am and lands next day at 3pm. Reasonable outbound time, landing time is great to check into a hotel (no waiting till 3pm). Grab dinner and sleep the night away! Jetlag gone in 2 days. Then fly to SIN, KL, etc. Tokyo or Osaka is not a bad city to spend a few days! If you are transiting via LHR you better stay the night or give yourself 4 hours. We both like aisle seats so we sit across the aisle or front/back of each other. My friends did the same mistake to Australia.😁 Airport ATM is a first stop right after landing. Not airport foreign exchange...rates suck. Fidelity/Schwab has great rates and no fees. Check with tourist information as some cities have a set rate between airport and the city center. Taxi's will try to cheat you...😡 Set your Google calendar entry to the right time zone. For where you will be. I belong to a dozen hotel rewards, only redeem one or two. Most points drop off after a certain time. Sorry I don't do magazines any more...too much junk mail. I think they sell your mailing info to other mags and businesses. I stick with Star Allaince carriers. Note that they don't work for lifetime miles. I used to love Singapore Air and took it a lot to my favorite city, Singapore. Then I found out I get Star Alliance miles, but they didn't count on my United lifetime miles. I would have made 1 million lifetime miles a long time ago! T-Mobile for frequent travelers. Unlimited txt/data in 140+ countries and 0.25/min for calls to the US. I use my t-mobile phone like I do at home (but keep calls short). Never accept help from someone who comes to you. You seek someone out, look for a nice local. Also goes for restaurants and bars. If they are calling you in...keep going. Go away from the tourist spots, especially in Europe. Or you'll over pay for crappy food. When are you going? We are planning a trip in April planning to meet friends in KL in early May. Wife wants to go to Japan, not just for jetlag, but for several weeks (been many times) it's her favorite country. I love Singapore/Malaysia. One thought is Japan, Taipei, KL? I want to go back to Penang or Kuching...

Don’t do a layover in Atlanta! May be sleeping on your suitcase.

But if you’re in a pinch, McD ALWAYS has clean bathrooms, toilet papers and a good value for a meal 😁

is it better to get a pocket wifi or pay for international coverage during my time in japan?

Hello 👋

Mistake #1 Apparently, not having as much money as you do.

I'll disagree with one thing: I find it very entertaining to try the various bizarre items at international McDonald's and Taco Bell. I will take the memory of the spam McGriddle I had in Maui to my grave

Kauai

I wish people would listen to the locals and stop going to Hawaii.

Mistake No. 1: Traveling with other people when you’re short on money. If you don’t have money for hotels and restaurants stay home. You’re going to ruin everyone’s time with your complaining.

I'd like to travel again, but being unjabbed means crossing borders gets me imprisoned. Maybe that'll change in 2024.

None of these sound any good to me definitely sound like way more work and hassle than needs to be and expensive too and just bc people cannot afford all the extras you keep calling them cheap about is not true we dont have money!!! And to be able to go somewhere is stressful enough and we shouldnt be called cheap and we surely dont need to jump thru hoops for these pos airlines hotels etc. they are supposed to be taking care of us not making us cater to them.!!!