BIY - Book it yourself.

peoniesandprosecco
Jul 23, 2017
5 min read

We've all heard of DIY - do it yourself - a terrifying prospect for most, a joy and money saver for others. But its time to talk about BIY - book it yourself. Again, a terrifying prospect for lots of you but a must for bargain hunters and control freaks like me.

We're off to Bali in a week for our honeymoon and I couldn't be more excited. A few people have asked who I booked through and which company organised the trip for us - Little old me! So I thought I'd share my hints and tips for those of you out there who hide behind travel agents and package holidays - Lets save you some money!

- Find your spot -

First things first, where do you want to go? Choose a country and get yourself online. Use pinterest for brilliant blogs from first hand experiences in countries across the globe. Ask Google obvious questions like -

'Where to stay in Thailand for a couple on a budget'

'Where to visit in Italy with a baby'

'2 weeks in America - where to go?'

People out there have been there, done that & got the t-shirt. Listen to them!

- Travel or stay put? -

Now you know where you're heading its time to have a chat about what you fancy getting from your trip. How long are you going for? What do you want to see? Do you want to stay put and chill for a week or do you want to be an explorer? Get your answers and choose your final destination(s).

- RESEARCH -

Research the HELL out of the places you're visiting. For example -

Ubud (Bali) has shed loads of cultural stuff to see and do, so we're spending 5 nights there. Seminyak is pricey and there's less to see and do so we're stopping for 3 nights.

Trip Advisor will be your best friend through all of this. You can type in a destination and it will tell you what there is to do, where to stay, where to eat - all from first hand experiences. You can't get much fairer than that.

- Set your budget -

How much do you have to spend? What will you prioritise? Are you a food snob who would rather stay in simple accommodation and go out for wonderful meals? Or do you not mind simple street food and enjoy your swanky hotel instead? Home comforts not your thing? Get a cheap hostel and spend your money on trips and excursions instead!

- Plan your itinerary -

Write a rough itinerary - 3 days here, 4 days here, 5 days here etc. And get yourself on Google maps to see how far away the places are from each other so you travel in the correct order, no doubling back on yourself.

- Skyscanner -

The best flight website in the world. Ever.

Skyscanner gives you a full range of flights at different prices. It also shows you which days would be cheaper to fly, if your dates are flexible! Book your flights and you're half way there! I booked our long haul flights to Bali in 15 minutes. Done and dusted.

Be careful to check stay over times at the other airports if you're going long haul, it might be worth spending an extra £50 and not having a 10 hour wait in Frankfurt airport.

- Home from home -

Get yourself on booking.com or airbnb.

Booking.com is really easy to use and you can personalise your search as well as having great deals to keep an eye out for!

Air bnb is perfect for something a bit different - fancy your own villa and pool? A beach hut on the pink sand of Lombok? Its yours.

Always type the hotel/apartment/house you're looking at into Tripadvisor. It takes you two minutes to read the reviews but it will tell you everything you need to know about where you'll be spending your time.

- Internal travels -

If you've decided to explore a country and you're travelling from place to place you have two options - book when you're there or book ahead of time. Both are down to personal preference, but as you may have gathered I'm a bit of a worrier and so I book everything before I go. Again, Tripadvisor saved my arse and my sanity with this. There was a forum of people who suggested the best ways of getting around! I've booked my boats to the different islands through 'direct ferries' and I booked a flight from Lombok to Bali to save money and time, again, through skyscanner.

Have a look at different options - is it cheaper/quicker/easier to do it one way? Will you be able to stop off and see things you might miss if you went a different way?

The sleeper train in Thailand is an experience in itself which can't be missed - only if you're brave enough to wee onto the tracks through a hole on the floor & to sleep with your bag strapped to your leg .. But that's a story for another time.

- Get yourself a folder -

Jack laughs at my travel file and my obsessive number of copies of documents. I print off all our flight details, hotel confirmations and ferry crossings in triplicate. I have a copy in my hand luggage and a copy in each of our suitcases - Just in case! And no, you don't need to be as OCD as me but if having a few extra copies in your travel folder makes you re-pack the suitcases one less time then sod it.

- Jet set and enjoy -

You're all done! No its not as quick as popping to your nearest travel agents but its a hell of a lot cheaper and if you're anything like me you'll enjoy looking into it all!

My top websites for BIY

- Booking.com

- SkyScanner

- Direct Ferries

- Trip Advisor

- Lonely planet guide

- Pinterest

If you fancy booking your own trip & need a question answering or some advice please whizz me a message! The link to my instagram is on my home page & I'll do my best to help you!

Happy Travels!

Jess x

Places I've travelled (certainly no expert but may be able to give you a heads up) -

We've all heard of DIY - do it yourself - a terrifying prospect for most, a joy and money saver for others. But its time to talk about BIY - book it yourself. Again, a terrifying prospect for lots of you but a must for bargain hunters and control freaks like me.

- Find your spot -

First things first, where do you want to go? Choose a country and get yourself online. Use pinterest for brilliant blogs from first hand experiences in countries across the globe. Ask Google obvious questions like -

'Where to stay in Thailand for a couple on a budget'

'Where to visit in Italy with a baby'

'2 weeks in America - where to go?'

People out there have been there, done that & got the t-shirt. Listen to them!

- Travel or stay put? -

Now you know where you're heading its time to have a chat about what you fancy getting from your trip. How long are you going for? What do you want to see? Do you want to stay put and chill for a week or do you want to be an explorer? Get your answers and choose your final destination(s).

- RESEARCH -

Research the HELL out of the places you're visiting. For example -

Ubud (Bali) has shed loads of cultural stuff to see and do, so we're spending 5 nights there. Seminyak is pricey and there's less to see and do so we're stopping for 3 nights.

Trip Advisor will be your best friend through all of this. You can type in a destination and it will tell you what there is to do, where to stay, where to eat - all from first hand experiences. You can't get much fairer than that.

- Set your budget -

- Plan your itinerary -

Write a rough itinerary - 3 days here, 4 days here, 5 days here etc. And get yourself on Google maps to see how far away the places are from each other so you travel in the correct order, no doubling back on yourself.

- Skyscanner -

The best flight website in the world. Ever.

Skyscanner gives you a full range of flights at different prices. It also shows you which days would be cheaper to fly, if your dates are flexible! Book your flights and you're half way there! I booked our long haul flights to Bali in 15 minutes. Done and dusted.

Be careful to check stay over times at the other airports if you're going long haul, it might be worth spending an extra £50 and not having a 10 hour wait in Frankfurt airport.

- Home from home -

Get yourself on booking.com or airbnb.

Booking.com is really easy to use and you can personalise your search as well as having great deals to keep an eye out for!

Air bnb is perfect for something a bit different - fancy your own villa and pool? A beach hut on the pink sand of Lombok? Its yours.

Always type the hotel/apartment/house you're looking at into Tripadvisor. It takes you two minutes to read the reviews but it will tell you everything you need to know about where you'll be spending your time.

- Internal travels -

Have a look at different options - is it cheaper/quicker/easier to do it one way? Will you be able to stop off and see things you might miss if you went a different way?

The sleeper train in Thailand is an experience in itself which can't be missed - only if you're brave enough to wee onto the tracks through a hole on the floor & to sleep with your bag strapped to your leg .. But that's a story for another time.

- Get yourself a folder -

- Jet set and enjoy -

You're all done! No its not as quick as popping to your nearest travel agents but its a hell of a lot cheaper and if you're anything like me you'll enjoy looking into it all!

My top websites for BIY

- Booking.com

- SkyScanner

- Direct Ferries

- Trip Advisor

- Lonely planet guide

- Pinterest

If you fancy booking your own trip & need a question answering or some advice please whizz me a message! The link to my instagram is on my home page & I'll do my best to help you!

Happy Travels!

Jess x

Places I've travelled (certainly no expert but may be able to give you a heads up) -

- Australia - Sydney, Brisbane & Fraser Island

- Africa - Uganda

- Belgium

- USA - San Fransisco, New York, LA, Malibu

- Majorca

- Thailand - Bangkok, Phuket, ayutthaya, Koh Tao, Koh Phangan, Koh Phi Phi

- Switzerland

- France - Paris, Nice, Brittany, Dordogne

- Italy - Venice, Florence, Tuscany, Pisa

- Singapore

- Spain - Barcelona, Gran Canaria

- Croatia

- Portugal

- Greece - koroni, Athens, Kavos

- Greek Islands - Kefeaonia, Crete, Skiathos

* Bali in a week!

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