Plan Your Summer Vacay With Paul Jebara’s Ultimate Travel Tips
You can tell I’m a serious sun-chaser with a single coup d’oeil. On the beach, I eschew the shade of umbrellas. My sleeves are reliably rolled up to my shoulder when I eat on a restaurant’s terrace. And I’m still trying to come to terms with my Macbook’s flippant “temperature warnings” as I work from a sun-exposed park bench.
Blame it on my Mediterranean genetics, or a perpetual itch to escape my cramped West Village apartment, but broiling under the sun just feels like home. And for that reason, summer is my favorite season to travel.
As a travel writer, I’m on the road nearly half of every month. (In fact, I’m writing this as I determine which shoes won’t make me look like a schlub at the 5-star Kulm Hotel in St. Moritz.) But come summer, I always plan for two weeks of personal holiday in the sun.
Here, my tips on planning summer travel.
Plan ahead and become intimate with Google Flights.
You’ve heard this one before, but booking summer travel as far in advance is key to securing the best flights and hotels, especially over holiday weekends. That being said, I always set alerts on Google Flights for specific dates and destinations to track flights. For last-minute getaways, using the Explore tool always makes me feel giddy.
Fly South on Summer Fridays.
With little to no time difference heading to South America, there’s no jet lag to waste precious time on, especially since most flights are red-eyes. While it’s technically winter south of the equator, you’ll find a ton of variety at a relatively affordable time of year: Rio is still sunga-friendly, it’s dry season in Machu Picchu, Buenos Aires has sweater-weather, and Chile’s ski season is at its peak. And don’t sleep on low season in the Caribbean—St. Barths is as close to the Med as you can get, especially if you snag a room at Le Barthelemy, one of my favorite resorts.
Follow the Mediterranean crowds, but not all the way.
Mykonos has always been a hard-partying playground, but I actually grew up going there on family vacations. Prices have ballooned since Greece’s economic crisis, and with that, the island’s “Greekness” has faded dramatically. I just can’t justify spending 30 Euros for a margarita on the beach (and that’s not an exaggeration). Similar sitch in party islands like Ibiza and Hvar, so I prefer alternatives like Formentera, Paros, and even Montenegro for a bohemian party scene.
Look into Airbnbs first.
I always prefer experiencing a destination like a local, and getting an Airbnb instead of a hotel lets me do that. You can do a morning market run to cook breakfast with the summer’s freshest produce, wash your clothes to wear more than once (which supports my previous tip), and pay a lot less than you would at peak-season hotel rates. Plus, you can filter for apartments that have terraces/patios for lounging outdoors in private.
Don’t overpack. I mean it.
Summer travel is more often a sweaty affair than not, so it’s worth avoiding mishaps with checked luggage or lugging around multiple bags. I’ve packed for a two-and-a-half-week trip in just a carry-on by rolling underwear and socks into my shoes, wearing my heaviest clothes on the plane, and not needing to do much shopping while abroad.
Road trips are the way to go.
Unless you’re committed to a city vacation, there’s so much value in renting a car after landing at the airport. Your experience shifts from a “Point A to Point B” mentality to taking impromptu exits off the highway. I’ve made so many roadside discoveries by deviating from the GPS route, from hidden UNESCO World Heritage Sites to small town butchers making specialty sausages.
Download your locale offline on Google Maps.
Even when your phone is on Airplane mode, GPS still works to navigate around town without activating data roaming. The functionality is limited (there won’t be live traffic data), but you still get the positioning and general directions to orient yourself. Here’s how to do it.
Buy souvenirs that are edible.
Souvenirs are just dust-collectors when you bring them home, so I tend to buy digestible goodies like chocolates, coffee, or olive oil. They make the best gifts, too—but don’t return with anything perishable. It won’t be allowed through customs.
You can check out more from Paul Jebara on Instagram and his website.
And, if you liked this story, check out more in our Urban Transplants issue.
