Going Places is a new series from TripIt that highlights frequent travelers to showcase their unique travel styles and insider tips.
For Lauren Richardson, travel blogger at Lauren’s Suitcase, travel is all about getting creative. That is, getting creative with how she travels, where she travels, and how she manages her travel budget.
“As a graduate student, I have to juggle my limited budget with my passion for travel,” Lauren told me. “I’m always on the lookout for ways to save when I travel—from just taking my carry-on bag and not picking a seat ahead of check-in (no extra fees!) to relying on airfare deals and mistake fares to being as flexible as possible.”
Enter: COVID-19, and Lauren once again had to get creative with travel planning.
“I planned A LOT of road trips,” she said. “About six months into the pandemic, my fiancé and I converted a Subaru into a car-camper and spent two weeks traveling through some of the (U.S.) Rocky Mountain states.”
Without these myriad obstacles, Lauren might not have visited her favorite under-the-radar destination to date: New Mexico.
“New Mexico has something for everyone! Food, culture, camping, national parks, a hot air balloon festival… to me, it’s one of the most overlooked destinations in the U.S. If it weren’t for the pandemic changing many of my travel plans, I might not have done that trip. I’m so glad I had the chance to visit.”
Travel planning? Music to her ears
Whether on the road or in the sky, Lauren likes to keep her travel plans organized with TripIt.
“I wasn’t at all organized until I discovered TripIt,” she shared. “It’s so helpful to have everything in one place. When I backpacked through Europe a few years ago, I booked so many modes of transportation: bus, train, plane—you name it. Having TripIt helped me keep track of it all.”
“I use TripIt even when I don’t travel,” she said. “I’m a huge live music fan, so I forward all my tickets for upcoming concerts to the app—that way I know what shows I’ve booked, what venues they’re playing at, and more.”
On staying safe while traveling solo—and learning from the locals
Another TripIt feature Lauren relies on is the ability to share her travel plans—a habit she’s gotten into especially when taking a solo trip.
“I’m so grateful for the solo trips I’ve taken. I used to put off trips until I found a…
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