Merino Polo/Best Rental Cars/Cheapest Domestic Flights
Nomadico issue #229
Inexpensive Merino Wool Polo Shirt
I left home with a carry-on suitcase full of clothing two months ago, which means heavy rotation for what I’m wearing. I’ve been especially happy with the Merino.Tech polo shirt I got as a birthday present earlier this year: it doesn’t get stinky, or wrinkled, or itchy and it still looks new. I’m a fan of more expensive brands like Ibex and Icebreaker, but at $60 on Amazon, this one is punching above its price tag.
Easier Hotel Point Redemptions Abroad
If you’ve been sitting on some hotel points that don’t seem to get you much in the USA, Canada, or Europe, you might want to plan your next vacation to some destination where you can do better. Since point requirements roughly track room rates for most programs now, you can find great deals in bargain destinations. I recently scored two nights at a Small Luxury Hotel of the World in Malaysia for 50K points total via Hilton. (Their Surpass card from Amex is a great deal.) The 50K cap on the free nights credits from a Marriott Bonvoy card was no problem: a Westin on a tropical island, with a terrific view, was only 35K points per night. Same with IHG in Saigon for my annual free night through their card. I’ve found similar points bargains from Mexico down to Santiago in the Americas.
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Highest-rated Rental Car Companies
If you’re renting a car frequently in the USA, you might want to lean toward Enterprise and their associated brands. The latest JD Power & Associates survey scored Enterprise at the top, with sister brand National scoring second and its leisure brand Alamo coming in at #4. The others to score above the industry average were Advantage, Sixt, and Hertz.
Countries With Cheap Domestic Flights
International flight prices are all over the map, but distance does play a big part in it: you’ll pay more to fly across an ocean usually than to go two hours away. For flights within a country though, it’s more about competition. Some countries have lots of cheap flights criss-crossing their nation, while others have one choice only. I just posted this article on countries with the cheapest domestic flights and found that distances and wealth have very little correlation. You will find great flight deals in India, Thailand, and Mexico, but also in Japan, Norway, Australia, and the USA.
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A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your like-minded friends can subscribe and join you.
10/29/26



