Experience the World with detourists

 Google maps is my go-to resource for inspiration when I am looking at booking a holiday. Whenever I see something that interests me on TV, social media or hear about it from friends, family or strangers I will pin it onto Google maps. It could be a recommendation of a restaurant in Timbuktu, an activity in Madagascar, or a waterfall in Wales, I will pin it. So when booking holidays I will always check my maps to see what I have pinned and then can plan a trip around what I have already decided I want to do.

This is also my tactic when I have decided on a location. I research the location and then pin everything I want to do including attractions and restaurants. I can then use this to decide on the best place to stay. Initially you may think staying central makes sense however if the majority of the attractions youve pinned are outside of the city then this doesnt actually make sense at all.

You could even consider breaking up your stay and spending 3 nights in one place and 2 nights in another. Making smart accommodation choices now could potentially save you alot of money and logistical stress whilst you ate away.

 99% of the time we tailor our holidays. Meaning we book the flights, accommodation and transport separately. However, this isn't to say that its always the best way or necessarily the cheapest. 

I find with our style of travel we can be more flexible when we tailor it to our needs. Sometimes on longer holidays we book accommodation whilst we are away meaning we can spend more time in areas we want to explore more, or sometimes leave quicker!

The main exception to this is when we go on winter sport activities. On one trip to Andorra the weather was so bad the return flight got cancelled and the coach journey planned was unpassable. Being on a package meant the company dealt with all of the paperwork and planning and re-routed us to fly back from a different airport whilst we just sat in the bar and waited for instructions.

This was fantastic for us in this instance as we had a lot of luggage and our choices to get out of the resort were very limited.

When tailor making your packages you will often spend less money, can pick flights that work better with your schedule, and be more flexible with the style and price of your accommodation. This proved beneficial when we went to Hawaii via a stop in New York. Before we left we booked the flights to Hawaii and the accommodation in New York and the first couple of nights in Hawaii. This meant we were able to explore Oahu and decide where we want to spend more time. We ended up staying a couple for days in Waikiki and then booked an Air Bnb on the North of the island.

See what suits you and compare the costs for each, but what I will say is don't compromise on what you want to get out of the holiday.

Our time off is valuable, make it work for you and don't feel restricted by pre made packages.

 Once your location is decided we need to get there. This is where the fun starts!

I use several strategies and Web sites when I am searching for flights. I'll list them below.

• Kayak.co.uk and skyscanner.com

If I don't have a destination in mind 'Kayak Explore' feature is a no nonsense way to find flights. You are able to filter it by starting airport, budget, amount of nights etc and it will show you very easily where you can go on your budget.

• Googleflights.com

If you have a destination Google flights is a great way to find cheap flights. It's easy to navigate and will direct you to the sites website.

• Cheapflights.co.uk

This is another site I will use to compare flight prices if I have a destination in mind. 

• The airlines direct

Once you've found a flight that you want double check that it isn't cheaper with the airline direct. Depending on the flight it might also be beneficial to you to be loyal to one company and collect miles or enjoy privileges.

Generally I will grab a piece of paper and write all the flights that interest me. This will Include the times of the flights, the prices and the airline, and don't forget to write where you found the flight!

If like us you want to make it a bit more inclusive we will search one way flights as it might be cheaper to come back from a different airport or have a stop over and to add another destination to your holiday.

 Once your location is decided we need to get there. This is where the fun starts!

I use several strategies and Web sites when I am searching for flights. I'll list them below.

• Kayak.co.uk and skyscanner.com

If I don't have a destination in mind 'Kayak Explore' feature is a no nonsense way to find flights. You are able to filter it by starting airport, budget, amount of nights etc and it will show you very easily where you can go on your budget.

• Googleflights.com

If you have a destination Google flights is a great way to find cheap flights. It's easy to navigate and will direct you to the sites website.

• Cheapflights.co.uk

This is another site I will use to compare flight prices if I have a destination in mind. 

• The airlines direct

Once you've found a flight that you want double check that it isn't cheaper with the airline direct. Depending on the flight it might also be beneficial to you to be loyal to one company and collect miles or enjoy privileges.

Generally I will grab a piece of paper and write all the flights that interest me. This will Include the times of the flights, the prices and the airline, and don't forget to write where you found the flight!

If like us you want to make it a bit more inclusive we will search one way flights as it might be cheaper to come back from a different airport or have a stop over and to add another destination to your holiday.