Senior Editor Sarah Schlichter's idea of a perfect trip includes spotting exotic animals, hiking through pristine landscapes, exploring new neighborhoods on foot, and soaking up as much art as she can. She often attempts to recreate recipes from her international travels after she gets home (which has twice resulted in accidental kitchen fires -- no humans or animals were harmed). Boxford cad cam design tools serial.

Sarah joined the SmarterTravel team in 2017 after more than a decade at the helm of IndependentTraveler.com. Sarah's practical travel advice has been featured in dozens of news outlets including the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, USA Today, Budget Travel, and Peter Greenberg Worldwide Radio. Follow her on Twitter. The Handy Item I Always Pack: 'A journal. Even years later, reading my notes from a trip can bring back incredibly vivid memories.'

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: 'Road tripping and hiking through the rugged mountains of Patagonia.' Travel Motto: 'To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.'

-- Freya Stark' Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: 'Aisle.' Email Sarah at. New Zealand’s sweeping mountain vistas, pristine beaches, unique wildlife and fascinating Maori culture make it a dream destination for many travelers. But exploring the Land of the Long White Cloud doesn’t come cheap. An expensive long-haul flight will take the first chomp out of your budget — and once you arrive, you’ll find high prices for gas, food and excursions. To help make your dream trip a reality, we’ve gathered 25 secrets for saving money on every aspect of your vacation. Read on to learn how to trim tour costs, find a cheaper flight and eat well for less.

Trip Planning 1. Travel at the right time. New Zealand’s seasons are the reverse of those in the Northern Hemisphere, so the busy summer travel season runs from December through February. Both international travelers and Kiwis swarm the country’s most popular sights this time of year, and prices rise accordingly for everything from airfare to accommodations. Atari balance game free download full version.

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Consider visiting during the quieter spring or fall shoulder seasons, or during the winter (where tourism is down everywhere except ski areas like Queenstown). Focus your trip. New Zealand may not look like a big country, but if you want to take in the major sights on both islands, a week or two just won’t cut it. If your time or budget is limited, concentrate on either the North Island or the South Island, not both. Staying focused will save you a mound of money on internal transportation; domestic flights or gas for long car trips can eat away at your vacation budget.

Look for airfare sales. Because of New Zealand’s remote location, airfare is a pricey proposition for most international visitors. To help trim costs, keep an eagle eye out for fare sales on major carriers like Air New Zealand and Qantas. Both airlines offer sales and discounts by email; you can also sign up for fare alerts from your favorite booking site or airfare aggregator (such as,, or Kayak.com). Money Management 6. Put it on plastic. Forget the old “cash is king” rule.

The vast majority of hotels, restaurants, tour operators and shops in New Zealand accept credit cards. If you’ve got a card through a bank that doesn’t charge you for foreign transactions, you can pay for nearly your entire trip without shelling out for ATM withdrawal charges or currency exchange fees. To learn more about no-fee credit cards, see. Skip the exchange counter. To get cash, use your ATM card to make withdrawals rather than changing your own currency at an exchange counter; by doing so, you’ll get the interbank exchange rate, which is usually 2 – 5 percent better than the rates you’ll find at the counter.

Note that you’ll probably have to pay a fee to make a withdrawal (charged by your own bank, the local bank or both), so we recommend taking out a sizable amount of cash each time to minimize extra fees. Just be sure to stow the cash in a safe place under your clothes.

For more information, see. Attractions and Activities 9. Pick your poison.

You could easily blow hundreds of dollars a day on tours, excursions and entrance fees, particularly if your New Zealand bucket list includes pricey once-in-a-lifetime activities like bungy jumping or helicopter flightseeing. If your budget hurts just thinking about it, we advise you to research, research, research. Read reviews from other travelers to decide which activities are absolutely worth the price and which ones you can live without. Find some freebies. In between all of New Zealand’s $150 dolphin encounters and $300 flightseeing excursions are plenty of free attractions to enjoy. It costs nothing to hike in most national parks, lie on a North Island beach, wander along the Rotorua Lakefront or stroll through botanical gardens in Queenstown. The Auckland Art Gallery is free to enter, as is ‘s magnificent Te Papa museum.