Author Topic: Travel Hacking Help Wanted -- Help Me Plan an Awesome Trip  (Read 1491 times)

JackieTreehorn

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Travel Hacking Help Wanted -- Help Me Plan an Awesome Trip
« on: July 24, 2016, 02:23:04 PM »
Have about a week of vacation time left and looking to go somewhere fun.  I'm located in NYC and would be up for something cool either domestically or internationally, but more likely international since I've been almost everywhere in the US I want to go outside of Alaska and a few National Parks that I still haven't seen.  Just got back from a gap year where we spent a lot of time in SE asia and New Zealand so those areas are out.  Planning a trip to south america (buenos aires and patagonia) for next year so that's out too.  Spent a bunch of time in Europe over the years but there's still more I'd like to see (specifically the Balkan and Baltic countries in eastern europe, but I can't see being able to do everything I want in a week or so). 

I'm more nature-y kinda guy, my wife likes cities more.  Prob not super interested in an all beach vacation although a few days at the beach is ok.  Doesn't need to be super luxurious or anything but not super interested in doing hostels and stuff at our ages (mid-30's).

My August is booked up but could go somewhere in mid-september.

The trip would be for two people, my wife and I.

Here are my points balances.
Chase UR -- 90k for me plus 75k wife
AA miles -- 50k plus another 50k to post within the next month or so hopefully (new credit card bonus)
United miles -- 60k
Club Carlson -- 80k
Alaska miles -- 50k
Hilton -- 20k with another 100k to post within the next few weeks (credit card bonus)
British Airways Avios -- 25k
Starwood -- 30k
IHG -- 60k to post hopefully within a month or so, my wife has 20k or so
Hyatt - One category 1-4 free night
Hotels.com -- $70 credit

Some places I was thinking about:
Costa Rica -- not a ton of points hotel options besides in San Jose which I'm not interested in seeing much of
Romania (I'm super interested in all the balkan countries but think I could do Romania in a week and the rest on a long trip someday once we're FI)
Seattle + Olympic National Park (we are both big grunge music fans)
Road Trip to Halifax/Nova Scotia/Prince Edward Island
Colombia
Ecuador
Banff/Jasper/Calgary

Any ideas or opinions? 

Thank you!!

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!