Practical Travel Hacks: Sensible tips for intelligent travel
How to make the most out of your travel goals
Want to see more of the world but feel it’s too difficult? Find out in this course how to do it simply.
Traveling the World Requires Intention, not a Fortune
In the face of a worldwide “shutdown” in which countries shut borders and airplanes cancelled routes, people more than ever realized that “someday” isn’t a day of the week. Travel doesn’t have to be the stuff of Instagram envy or weekend dreaming. It’s there for the taking, as long as you are willing to get out of your comfort zone, shed your preconceptions, and take some time to plan.
While the education you receive in a classroom is invaluable, what travel can teach you is astonishing.
You will learn via architecture, language, food, and custom how other people live and build their lives. These experiences will form and change you, and ultimately lead you to ask important questions, including how to live your best life.
There are a dizzying array of online and offline resources that can help you with that planning. In this course, I’ll tell you which are the best ones out there and more importantly, how to use pacing to make sure you are focused on quality, not quantity, in your travels.
There’s a great temptation to “see all the things” when we finally go on an adventure and I’ll explain why that’s precisely the wrong attitude to have (because I’ve had it before!).
There is also a persistent myth, often repeated by the envious, that travel requires money. Of course, travel requires some money, but the currency it really needs from you is time. Anyone who really wants to can save money, and those who are willing to try things that most are not, can make that money go further. This course will show you how, as well as why, documenting your journey won’t just aid your memories, but inspire others.
Turn your travel dreams into travel reality!
What you get...
Sensible and practical advice, systems, and tips for how to achieve your travel goals. So many people say they are going to travel to their dream destination “some day” but never do. This course is for those people who know you can’t just scroll through Instagram and dream about travel, you actually have to plan for “some day” (and actually do it).
Travel Gear Tips: Feel like you overpack? Don’t know what gear to use or what to bring? I’ve been there - I’ve compiled my lessons living AND working around the world to help you prepare for your journey.
- Alternative Accommodations: Most of us have only ever stayed at hotels, motels, and airbnbs. There’s an entire range of options, all of which are cheaper than those three, and some of which even include compensation.
- Planes, Trains, & Automobiles: There are many different ways to get to your destination, and price may not always be your only (or even primary) consideration. I share the upsides and downsides of various options so you can better plan.
- Food: I talk about the importance of cooking wherever you might go and the value of eating like a local. You don’t have to be a genius in the kitchen to eat well, locally, and inexpensively on your trips.
- Travel Planning: There are so many options available to help you plan your trip. Many are good. But the choices themselves can be paralyzing. I help you sort through to find the best.
- Documentation: There are many ways to document your journey. I’ll explain to you why that matters (not just to you, but to those you love) and why you might regret not doing it.
Who this course targets...
This course is perfect for you if:
- Have never taken “the big trip”
- Have a “bucket list” of destinations but don’t know where to start or how to prioritize
- Have mostly stayed in hotels or airbnbs and don’t know (or trust) other accommodation options
- Don’t know that there are ways to cover costs of your journey outside of using money that you’ve saved
- Don’t have access to corporate travel or large credit card spends that would allow them to “travel hack”
- Don’t pack well or have a tendency to overpack
- Have never documented a journey before (or don’t know why one should)
Testimonials about the course
Testimonials about the course
I would consider myself a seasoned traveler, yet despite that, Stephen had some great tips that I hadn't considered before. I found the content articulated well and it was in nice bite-sized chunks, that you can come back to. This really does cover everything you need to consider for a truly great trip that you'll remember for years to come. I think whether someone is traveling for the first time, or like me, has been to more than a few countries, he/she will be able to get a lot out of this course.
Charlotte Dubenskij
Foreign Correspondent, RT
"I love Stephen's take on traveling smart. I also loved the advice re: applying for a working visa and getting a job rather than worrying about saving up a bunch of money before a long trip. I also loved his advice for cooking at home! What an interesting way to experience local cuisine. His tips on documentation and reflection really hit home for me - as a writer I know how important it can be to journal, and I'm so glad that he has the same ideas as I do! Overall an excellent course to learn more about traveling smart. I can't wait to use what I've learned on my next trip!"
Molli McConnell
Writer and Photographer
"I love the delivery of this course. Stephen was engaging and relatable. I felt like I was listening to a friend sharing their travel tips. I also like how each section is kept short but information wise - packs a punch. Really great insights not just on travel hacks but also how to maximise your travel experience through personal growth and pushing out of your comfort zone."
Daphne Yeo
Project Manager
What you will learn
This course is a basic introduction to what many in the world consider the domain of the rich and famous: long-term worldwide travel. After you complete the course you are going to have a better mindset, better tools, and most importantly, better plans for going to see the places that matter to you the most, and that have the potential to completely remake your perspective and life.
- How to narrow down your travel options and avoid being overwhelmed
- Ways to pay for your travel
- Ways to better experience a local culture
- Clothing, baggage, and packing essentials
- The pros and cons of different types of travel lodging
- Transportation options and recommendations for different parts of the world
- ...and much more!
Course Curriculum
Click on any section below to expand it and see your preview options.
Meet the course creators
Stephen L. M. Heiner
Writer, Entrepreneur, and Coach
Stephen has been teaching, in one form or another, for over 20 years. He had a teaching internship right out of high school, went on to become a teacher at every level from grade school to grad school, and even built a tutoring company over a decade which he then sold before moving to Paris to begin a new stage in his life.
Dan Fox
Project Manager, Entrepreneur, and Content Creator
Dan lives outside Seattle and has spent much of his professional life in roles focused on project management, operations, systems analysis, and change management. He recently transitioned out of a career in which he consulted for the U.S. Federal government and has been focusing his efforts on more creative pursuits, including photography, videography, and entrepreneurship.
Why I Created This Course
I was home in Paris during the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. That meant I was in a severe lockdown, forced to produce a permission slip if I was stopped by the police while outside my home, all for a period of two months. While I was fortunate enough to be able to continue my work, and I considered it a “first world problem” that my upcoming trips for business and pleasure had been cancelled, I think I was able to have such an attitude because I had been fortunate to have traveled so much already. Many of those special images - sunrise over the Grand Canal in Venice, standing atop the Rock of Gibraltar, and having my breath taken away in the Haast Pass of South Island, New Zealand - sustained me during my time indoors.
In fact, it was probably the trip to New Zealand that gave the final proof I needed to build the course. It started a year before the trip when I announced to a group of friends who had always told me they wanted to go to New Zealand and to tell them when I was planning to go. Yet, when it came down to it, only two of those friends took the plunge. I used all of the skills and tactics I had acquired over years of traveling and created a trip of a lifetime, while taking into account the different personalities and desires of those on the trip with me. There is not a month that goes by that I do not reference that trip in some way with those two or with others who I excite with my tales of the far away land of the Kiwis.
To this day, when I share my adventures quite a few people assume that I possess a great deal of independent wealth in order to travel as much as I do. I’m not a trust fund kid. Not even close. But I have learned, through experience and experimentation, how to make my hard-earned funds go far, and those lessons have been distilled into this course for you.
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- 39 mins on-demand video
- Full lifetime access
- Access on computer, mobile, and TV
- Certificate of Completion
- Access to a dedicated student community
$49
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is this course about “travel hacking” using airlines miles and hotel points?
No. Alas, as airlines and credit card companies reached peak points warfare some years ago, travel hacking, so-called, is becoming more and more challenging and requires a certain set of skills and a lot of time (and patience) to pull off. This is a course about hacks for the travel itself - better, cheaper, and more sensible ways to go to places that just might change your life.
Does this course explain how to get visas for specific countries?
No, but I do cover the fact that part of your planning to go anywhere includes obtaining a visa, something that many who have never traveled outside of their home countries don’t realize. Many top passports offer visa-free travel to over a hundred countries, but some countries resist visa-free travel from almost anywhere.
Does this course recommend any specific products/bags when it comes to travel?
As tempting as it might have been to get some great sponsorships from companies, my focus in this course was to help you focus on general characteristics of your travel gear. It seems there are always new and better products coming out anyway, so it didn’t make sense to focus on one particular product.
Does the course cover any specific itineraries of trips you have taken?
No, because every itinerary is going to be necessarily tied to the individuals on that trip. Some like art, some like nature, some want to do daredevil adrenaline-junkie stunts. What I have done is taken successful (and well-planned) trips, including months-long trips all over New Zealand, Australia, the United States (and other countries) which have driven home the necessity and reward of planning your dream trips. Not because planning is everything (you’re going to deviate from your plans at times) but because not having a plan doesn’t make you cool, it just opens you up to disaster.
"As I’ve grown in my travel journey, I’ve realized it’s about the journey AND the destination, and I feel so fortunate to have seen so much of this world, tasted its hundreds of cuisines, and heard the fascinating noises of its thousands of languages. I hope this course can help you do the same. I look forward to meeting you out there!"
Stephen L. M. Heiner
Writer, Entrepreneur, and Coach
Writer, Entrepreneur, and Coach
Reviews
5
Top Rated
Marjolein W
Highly recommend
I'm not much of a traveller, I mostly travel for work, and all in the more traditional sense (hotels, AirBNBs, flights). I had not considered the option of combining work and travel, with work funding your travel as you go, and Stephen's clearly very experienced. Truly appreciate all the tips learning from a pro.
Katherine Quiel
Comprehensive tips from a travel pro
The course is well sectioned into categories keeping you engaged by topic. It allows you to revisit and pause while watching just in case you need to take more notes, if that's the type of student you are; it also focuses on general ideas and concepts rather than giving you detailed specifics because each journey you take is customizable using the principles learned here. Even seasoned travelers like myself can learn from this course and apply the 'challenges given' into our future travels! Thank you, Stephen for an amazing course.
Kristine Taylor
Insightful and Informative
I am an avid traveler and would highly recommend this course. The exercises were informative and most of all, really fun, especially narrowing down your top travel destinations! The course presentation into mini sections made the information comprehensive and engaging. Thank you Stephen for sharing your knowledge. Cant wait to travel again!
Charlotte DUBENSKIJ
Top tips for travelling!
I would consider myself a seasoned traveller, yet despite that, Stephen had some great tips that I hadn't considered before. I found the content articulated well and it was in nice bite-sized chunks, that you can come back to. This really does cover everything you need to consider for a truly great trip that you'll remember for years to come. I think someone who is travelling for the first time, or like me, has been to more than a few countries, will be able to get a lot out of this course. Thanks for sharing your tips Stephen!
Daphne Yeo
Engaging Presenter & Concise Content
I love the delivery of this course. Stephen was engaging and relatable. I felt like I was listening to a friend sharing their travel tips. I also like how each section is kept short but information wise - packs a punch. Really great insights not just on travel hacks but also how to maximise your travel experience through personal growth and pushing out of your comfort zone.
Rate this course