Switzerland, Y'all

https://www.airbnb.com/wishlists/202637412

Making Kickass Travel Videos

Most of us aren't professional photographers or video-ographers or scrapbook-ographers. I'm barely a decent-cellphone-photo-for-facebook-ographer, but the desire to capture some of the wonder and majesty of our adventures pushes most travelers to try to figure it out. After all, we're going to be old and flabby and slow some day, and we need to be able to show our grand kids how cool we are. (And I know that the word "cool" was over a while ago. And I don't care, I'm still using it. And I'll probably still use it when I'm a grandma. "Hey kid, get over here. Grandma knitted you this super cool iphone cover.")

Anyway.

I'm self taught at pretty much everything I know how to do, and I spent a month in 2016 deep in video editing world. So here's a very short and to-the-point tutorial on how to burn your travels into internet history. This tutorial is for you if you aren't super tech savvy, you'd rather just dive in than do a lot of preliminary research, and you don't want to spend more than 20 minutes getting this act on the stage, or this show on the road, or this video-making started. Here's the video of I made to a weekend road trip through Michigan in early fall.



#1. Pick a great song that means something to you and kind of represents the kind of trip you had, and the way you want to remember it. If you can't think of anything, Don't Stop Believing will do just fine. I downloaded my music from Amazon. Be aware that as you create your video you'll probably be previewing it several times so pick a song that you don't hate after hearing twenty times in a row.

#2. Download Wondershare Filmora. I investigated many a different video editors and this is the best for the lowest price. They have a free trial version that you can check out, but your video will have a watermark across it. It is absolutely worth paying for the full version. It's $39 for a year, or $59 for life. My first attempt was with the built in YouTube editing tools and it was bullshit. Don't go there.

#3. Watch a couple of YouTube tutorials on how to use Filmora. It's extremely simple to use and your effect choices are basically endless. You can piece together video clips and photos, add graphics and text, transitions, fade music together, slow or speed up your video, use filters, etc. It's great. Keep it simple for your first video and learn as you go. That's how life works, guys. Here's a great overview that helped me a lot.



#4. Import your song and all of your photos/videos. You can use any copyrighted music on Filmora but be aware that if you try to upload it to YouTube, YouTube will recognize the copyright and might shut you down. I used a popular song and it allowed me to upload the video.

#5. Tweak the hell out of your video. Make the music fade in and out at the right time. Add subtitles to remind you of the random funny things that happened and how you almost peed your pants when you stepped on that snake. Get your boyfriends smile to match up perfectly with the lyrics of the song. You know what I mean. Make this video pull your heart strings and evoke the same emotions you were feeling while you were out traveling.

#6. Upload and share. You can connect to upload to any of your social media and to YouTube. I chose to upload to YouTube and then share the YouTube video on social media. This gives you an idea of how many total views there are on your video.

Even Cheaper Airfare, Explained in 5 Simple Steps

1. Do a "from everywhere" month wide search to your destination on Skyscanner.com. This will tell you which airlines and routes are the cheapest into this airport.

2. Do a "to everywhere" month wide search from your home airport on Skyscanner.com. This will show you which airlines and routes are the cheapest out of your home airport.

3. Determine the cheapest common airline and airport between your home airport and your destination. This will be your layover airport.

4. Book two one way tickets, one to your layover airport, and one from there to your destination.

5. Make sure you create a long enough layover to accommodate possible delays, to retrieve checked bags, and to pass back through security.

For a more in depth explanation and an example, see this post - How I buy tickets to Iceland for Less

Iceland in June- Save 42% with this hack, flight from Indianapolis only $461

How would you like to find yourself at the top of the world, soaking in the steamy bliss of the Blue Lagoon? Stop pinning other people's travel photos and grab your passport. I'm going to get you there for less with a travel hack that will turn your world upside down. A little bit of research can go a very long way to save on airfare. Say you wanted to jet off to Iceland to wander the depths of an ice cave, climb a glacier, hike to an obscure natural hot spring, or see puffins dive from their summer homes along a black sand beach. You might head to Priceline to see how cheap you could get a flight. You'd find that for June 1 - 7 this year, the cheapest flight they can find would be $785. Ouch! That's a price that keeps a lot of people home.

I will show you how to cut that price nearly in half with a little bit of planning and a little bit of calculated risk. The first thing to know is that there are airlines that do not participate on the big search engines like Priceline and Hotwire. If you depend on those websites to plan your travel, you are missing out on great fares from less expensive airlines. Also, each airline operates out of a set of airports, and for the best deals, you want to book directly with airlines that operate out of your destinations. When you book a flight with a connection that requires the coordination of two different airlines, you are paying for their cooperation in your fare. You can save a significant amount of money by booking two separate tickets when there isn't a direct flight from where you are and where you want to go. The first ticket will get you to a hub that services the airline that will get you to your second hub. Still with me? Ok. I'm going to walk you through this trip to Iceland.

1. I know that Reykjavik is the most useful destination in Iceland. If you're exploring Iceland, this is where you start. There is an up and coming airline that operates out of Reykavik, WOW Air. They have super cheap promotional flights from some major international airports in the United States. Indianapolis is not one of them. Their cheapest flights come out of Boston, Baltimore, New York and Miami. A quick search of their website tells me that the best flights in early June will be coming out of Boston. There are a ton of dates you can get round trip for $250.

2. So now we just have to get from Indy to Boston on the right dates. So I open a new browser window and go to Skyscanner. This is an invaluable resource when it comes to travel planning. This isn't the end-all be-all of cheap fares. Just as with Priceline and Hotwire, this website doesn't include all airlines. Their fares also aren't completely up to date. Their data updates as people complete searches, not as fare prices change. While it isn't perfect, I find it is the best place to start when investigating for low fares between two airports. They have a month fare calendar option and you can also easily adjust the scheduled flight times which is very important when booking two separate tickets instead of a flight with a connection on one ticket. The mobile version of Skyscanner is lacking some good tools, so check it out on desktop for the best experience.

3. By searching the dates, I see that Delta offers a nonstop flight from Indianapolis to Boston for just over $100. Checking the fare calendar confirms that I can't save any money by leaving or returning a few days differently. I also check Cincinnati to Boston just to be sure I'm not missing a deal. I can book both flights, to Boston and back to Indy, through Delta for $221.

4. At this point it is very important to check your flight times. You are creating your own layover by booking two separate tickets. The rule I go by is at least a three hour layover for domestic travel and four to five hours for any international flight. You might even book a longer layover for the peace of mind. Sometimes it even makes sense to book your second ticket for the next day and take the night to explore your layover city. If you're traveling internationally or you've checked any bags, you'll have to leave the terminal and go back through security at the second airport. Delays happen, and if for some reason a problem with your first flight causes you to miss your second flight, the airlines are not obligated to help you out as they would be when you book the single ticket. Another way to minimize this risk is book all four legs of your journey, the there and the back, as four separate one way tickets. When you've booked a round trip flight and for some reason you miss the first flight on the ticket, they will automatically cancel the return portion of your ticket. This is no bueno. By booking four one way tickets, you are ensuring that if something does go amiss with one of your flights, your remaining flights will still remain intact.

5. Leave your luggage at home. I'm a firm believer in traveling with carry on luggage only. I usually only pack a backpack. This is considered a personal item and it's free to travel with, though some airlines do have size and weight restrictions. I find it very easy to live out of a backpack for a week. It really is do-able, I promise. I will sometimes pack a carry on IF it's free. By not checking any bags, you save the cost of paying for the bag, which can be up to $50. You also eliminate the risk that your bag will be lost and the need to wait for it at baggage claim and possibly save the hassle of going through security a second time.

And that's how to get to Iceland from Indy for a week in June for only $461. It's true there's a little risk involved, but you're saving $324 per passenger. That means if you're traveling as a couple you're saving $684 which would cover your accommodations for the week, and to me that's worth the risk. Yolo, ya know.

Wild Manatee Snorkel- From Indy with Flight, 2 nights and Tour from $259 pp

Take a break from the treadmill to hang out with some characters who are guaranteed to look worse in a bathing suit than you do.




This adventure plan includes airfare, car rental, two nights accommodations and manatee snorkel tour.

Fly from Indy to Orlando for only $130 round trip on Frontier Airlines during February and March when the inland waterways are chock full of sea cows keeping cozy during winter.

Rent a car at the Orlando airport for less than $30/day and drive the 1 hour and 45 minutes to reach Crystal River, Florida where up to 350 manatees ride out the winter in a seven mile stretch of river. Read about Crystal River here.

Stay at the beautiful waterfront Plantation on Crystal River for $127/night which is only a few minutes walk from the wildlife refuge where you'll meet your new friends.

Guided manatee snorkeling tours are plentiful in the area, but save some money with this one from Groupon that costs only $91 for two people and includes a wet suit to keep you comfortable in the 72 degree spring water. If possible, opt for a morning tour when the animals are known to be more active and friendly. Whatever you do, don't wing it when you get there. Most companies keep their tours very small to provide the best experience.

Get the best value when you travel with your three best friends for an individual price of only $259 per person. With two travelers, price per person is $343.

Find links to book your trip below-

Manatee Snorkel Groupon - $90.99 for Two People

Plantation on Crystal River for $127/night.

2 Nights w/Air: Valentines Day Disney Magic from Indianapolis, only $227

Get ready to pump some Disney magic into the heart of your beloved with a surprise two night getaway to the happiest place on earth. Pick her up for dinner but instead whisk her off to the airport for a surprise she'll never forget.

Take advantage of the Frontier fare sale and snatch up two round trip tickets for Feb 14 - Feb 16 for only $128 round trip.

Grab an Uber at the airport and kick back on the way to your digs at Quality Suites Royale where you'll enjoy free breakfast and a free shuttle to the park for only $99 a night. Spend the next day at your choice of parks (See ticket prices here) before relaxing at the the resort's palm tree studded pool.


Find your cheap airfare with Frontier - Frontier's Indy to Orlando Sale, February from $128

Book this suite at Airbnb-  Quality Suites Royale with free breakfast and shuttle  and save an extra $35 off your booking when you Sign Up for a free Airbnb Account with this Link

Four Nights in Fort Myers w/Air for $286 per person

Don't let this last minute getaway... get away. Grab your toothbrush and your speedo, kids. I'm sending you to the beach for cheap. With roundtrip airfare and cool digs. How could anyone say no? Break up the winter sad-gray-yucky-yucks with some fun in the sun.

Fly from Indianapolis to Fort Myers round trip for only $126 when you book with Frontier Airlines with the dates of February 5th through February 9th.




Once you're in the sunshine state, stay at this sweet Airbnb with a salt water pool. Spend your days at the beach and your nights lounging safely away from the bugs at the screened in pool for an incredible deal of $60 a night.

Book this Coral Cape Cottage for $60 / night and browse other places to stay ****here****.


Save another $35 off your booking when you create an Airbnb account with ****this link****.


Find your $168 round trip airfare ****here****.