42 Travel Planning Tips & Hacks from Travel Pro Leigh Rowan

42 Travel Planning Tips & Hacks from Travel Pro Leigh Rowan

Author: Chris Hutchins August 7, 2024 Duration: 1:09:15
#187: Learn the art of travel planning to enjoy incredible vacations. Travel pro Leigh and I share over 40 practical tips to create the perfect itinerary, save on flights and hotels, find travel inspiration, experience destinations like a local, and much more. Leigh Rowan is the founder and CEO of Savanti Travel, a full-service travel management company. Prior to that he was the COO of The Points Guy. Link to Full Show Notes: https://chrishutchins.com/travel-planning-leigh-rowan Partner Deals LMNT: Free sample pack of my favorite electrolyte drink mix Facet: Personalized Financial Planning + $250 enrollment fee waived Mint Mobile: $15/mo for unlimited wireless on the nation's largest 5G network Vuori: 20% off the most comfortable performance apparel I've ever worn DeleteMe: 20% off removing your personal info from the web For all the deals, discounts and promo codes from our partners, go to: chrishutchins.com/deals Resources Mentioned Leigh Rowan: Savanti Travel | Twitter Travel Publications for Inspiration Robb Report Travel + Leisure The New York Times: 52 Places to Go This Year Lonely Planet Flight Monitoring Tool: TripIt Article: Award Ticket Change and Cancellation Fees Activities, Experiences, Tours Airbnb Experiences Viator Context Travel International Data: Airalo | Mint Mobile Love and London: Get 10% off digital travel guides and itineraries with code "ALLTHEHACKS" Episodes: #1: Pro Travel Tips for Every Aspect of Your Next Trip with Leigh Rowan #51: Unlocking Travel Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous with Leigh Rowan #84: The Vagabond's Way: Time Wealth, Slow Travel, and Immersing Yourself in a New Place with Rolf Potts #86: The Best Deals for a Vacation Rentals, Exchanges, Fractionals, Timeshares and More! #89: Booking Flights with Points and All Things Award Travel with Tiffany Funk #94: How to Experience London Like a Local and Get There on Points with Jessica Dante (+ Chris' Trip Report) #107: Italy Unlocked: Insider Tips, Must-See Destinations and Booking Flights/Hotels on Points with Leigh Rowan #115: Iceland: Planning an Epic Adventure with Brandon Presser #156: Finding the Best Deals on Flights with Zach Resnick #166: Best Tools for Booking Flights with Points & Miles with Greg the Frequent Miler #167: Best Tools for Booking Hotels with Points & Miles with Greg the Frequent Miler Find other travel, points & miles related episodes here. Full Show Notes (00:00) Introduction (00:41) The Secret to an Incredible Vacation (02:33) Why Travel Planning Starts with Organization (06:15) Ways to Feel Inspired (09:21) Considering Seasonality and Timing (12:46) How Chris Uses Notion for Travel Planning (15:22) Leveraging ChatGPT (22:03) Tips to Monitor Booked Flights (+ Save Money!) (23:59) 3 Ways to Make Your Layover Count (29:05) Double Booking Hack for Flights (31:16) Rules of Thumb for Creating an Itinerary (40:04) Finding Accommodation and Getting Deals (44:23) Why Leigh Emails Hotels After Every Booking (46:54) Finding Local Experiences (53:37) Free Walking Tours (55:07) Finding Travel Inspiration Through Online Videos (58:26) Should You Use Credit Card Concierges for a Local Experience? (1:05:48) The Importance of Local Embassies (1:06:50) Best Ways to Access Money Abroad (1:06:58) Travel Insurance (1:10:02) Important Trip Elements to Review for Upcoming Travel Connect with Chris Newsletter | Membership | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn Editor’s Note: The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of our partner offers may have expired. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever feel like there's a smarter, more efficient way to navigate your finances, your travels, and your daily routines? That's the core question driving All the Hacks: Money, Points & Life. Hosted by Chris Hutchins, this podcast is built on a simple, powerful idea: maximizing value doesn't mean sacrificing enjoyment. Instead, it's about the strategic choices that free up resources-both money and time-for what truly matters. Chris approaches life as a series of systems to be optimized, drawing from his own experience saving millions through meticulous analysis. The conversations here are practical and wide-ranging, moving seamlessly from credit card points strategies and investment philosophies to the less tangible hacks for personal fulfillment. You'll hear from a diverse roster of experts and icons, including Tim Ferriss, Tony Hawk, Codie Sanchez, and Gary Vaynerchuk, who all bring their unique perspectives on building wealth and designing a compelling life. Each episode feels like a focused workshop, offering actionable advice you can use immediately, whether it's planning a luxury vacation for a fraction of the cost or rethinking your approach to career and leisure. This isn't just about frugality; it's about unlocking freedom and excitement through smarter decisions. Tune in for a consistently insightful blend of tactical moves and deeper conversations that challenge the conventional trade-offs between spending, saving, and living well.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

All the Hacks: Money, Points & Life
Podcast Episodes
I Built an AI Assistant That Works While I Sleep [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:24
#265: Chris explores how modern AI tools have eliminated the barriers to building software, why planning matters more than coding skill, how anyone can turn a simple problem into a working app faster and cheaper than eve…
Deep Dive on Bilt Rewards and New Bilt 2.0 Cards [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:43
#264: Learn how the Bilt ecosystem works, from earning Bilt Rewards to the new cards, transfer partners, perks, and where the real value is. Whether you’re new or already earning, this is a practical guide to using Bilt…
How to Earn Millions of Points and More Listener Q&A [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:43
#263: Chris breaks down exactly how he’s earned millions of points and miles, and why simplicity matters more than optimization. He covers signup bonuses, spending strategies, credit score impacts, business cards, cash-b…
Goals, Tools, and Mindset Shifts for a Better 2026 with Kevin Rose [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:45
#261: Chris and Kevin reflect on 2025’s biggest wins and lessons, then dive into how they're planning 2026. They share their goals, the tools they're using, and why they're designing a year that’s easier, not just more o…
Top 10 Takeaways from 2025 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:24
#260: Chris distills the most powerful lessons from over 50 episodes in 2025 into 10 actionable takeaways that changed how he thinks about money, time, health, relationships, purpose, and more. Link to Full Show Notes: h…
Choosing the Problems Worth Struggling For with Mark Manson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:44
#259: Learn how to pick the challenges in life that actually matter. We break down how to stop optimizing for the wrong things, why values trump goals in decision-making, practical strategies for building real friendship…
My Top 5 Mistakes with Points & Miles [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:54
#258: The 5 biggest mistakes Chris has made in his points & miles journey. He dives into the hidden cost of status, the math behind point values, the power of opportunity cost, and why hoarding points quietly destroys va…
End of Year Checklist for Your Taxes, Points and Miles [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:17
#257: We break down essential tax and financial decisions to make before year-end. Learn how to maximize deductions, optimize charitable giving, manage investment gains and losses, and take advantage of retirement and ho…