This step-by-step travel planning guide and checklist will help you start booking your own trips without the help of a travel agent. It follows the exact steps I’ve taken to plan my vacations in 20 different countries, as well as tips to save money and stress less.

You don’t need a travel agent or huge budget to see the world. These websites and apps will alert you to airline sales, give you insights on the cheapest flight dates and destinations, and help you sort through accommodations for your holiday. Check out these 8 travel tools I use to plan my trips.

It costs good money to pay for plane tickets and bucket list experiences like glacier boat rides in Iceland and helicopter tours in Kauai. So how do we travel to places like Switzerland, Italy and Hawaii without going totally broke? We prioritize travel in our budget! Get some ideas on where to cut back from these 21 things I don’t spend money on to afford my travel habits instead.

What obstacles keep you from traveling more? Chances are, the answer is time or money. With work, family obligations, bills and more, it just never seems to be the right time to book that plane ticket. These 10 tips will help you brainstorm ways to find more time and money and travel more.

When you think of a Hawaii vacation, do you immediately see dollar signs? Since it's the northernmost of the major islands (and therefore more remote), Kauai, in particular, can empty wallets pretty quickly. Just like anywhere else, though, exercising control over what you spend makes a huge difference.