If you have a Visa card of some kind, you can get some free eSIM data from GigSky on your phone when traveling abroad. I can vouch that the promotion is for real because I just used it myself in Malaysia. My data is about to run out, but I can re-up with a different Visa card or purchase a plan at a hefty discount. Benefits run from 3 days to 15, with different amounts of data depending on how “premium” your credit card is. See the details here.

Getting From A to B

There are a lot of tools and websites out there telling you how to get from one location to another, but the one I’ve had the best results from for years is Rome2Rio. While others seem to have blind spots—mostly what they’re not selling themselves—Rome2Rio shows everything. Then it refers you to parent company Omio or directly to the booking platform if it’s proprietary, like some government-owned train systems. I’ve seldom run into a situation where I can’t see every overland option in one place, plus an idea of flight choices as well.

Nomadico is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Upgrade to paid

American Airlines Offering Cash + Miles

If you don’t have enough frequent flier miles for a ticket, American is now joining the other major legacy carriers in offering a way to pay for a flight—domestic only for now—with a combination of cash and points. This is “rolling out” now so we don’t have the actual formula, but going by this article, it will probably equate to a penny a mile or less. Not a great use of your points if they can get you a full ticket later, but getting a discount is better than just letting them sit there forever, deteriorating in value.

Prices for Travelers in Uzbekistan

As I mentioned a few issues ago, I traveled through Uzbekistan with G Adventures and the price for the tour I took comes out to $140 to $185 per day double occupancy depending on the time of year and demand. I took note of prices everywhere we went, however, for my blog readers who may want to travel around there independently. This country needs to go in my World’s Cheapest Destinations book when I eventually get around to putting out a sixth edition because it’s a terrific value. See the full rundown on lodging, food, transportation, and more here: Uzbekistan Travel Prices and Tips.

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.