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  • American school bus builders | 2022 Research

    American school bus builders | 2022 Research

    There are ten American school bus builders that are active school bus manufacturers in the United States of America. Some American school bus builders have been around for many years like Blue Bird, GM, Ford and Thomas Built Buses, and others are new to the scene such as The Lion Electric Co. and Pegasus Bus Company.

    These companies are founded in the USA and have school bus manufacturing facilities in operation in America.

    Below is a list of the US school bus manufacturers in operation today.



    American school bus manufacturers in the USA | 2022

    Blue Bird

    Collins Bus Corporation (part of REV group)

    Chevrolet and GMC (GM family)

    El Dorado

    Ford

    IC Bus (subsidiary of Navistar)

    Pegasus Bus Company

    The Lion Electric Co.

    Thomas Built Buses 

    Van-Con, Inc.


    Retired school bus built by Thomas Built Buses. Some windows have been replaced with sheet metal and the bus is in process of turning into a skoolie or converted motorhome.
    Retired school bus that is turning into motorhome.

    Are you looking to buy a school bus to convert into a motorhome?

    Check out this blog on the “Ultimate Guide to Buy a Used School Bus to Convert” for questions to ask before you buy and other helpful tips.

    If you’re unsure what style of buses there are available, read about the differences in the blog on “Flat-Nose vs. Dog-Nose Bus.”

  • What Is Skoolie Life? Is It Actually Worth It?

    What Is Skoolie Life? Is It Actually Worth It?

    To put it simply, skoolie life is affordable living and the freedom to roam and adventure on your own terms. The freedom to pack up and go while taking your tiny home on wheels and your most-loved belongings is unconventional but it often answers a calling or need to live outside the box and experience the world from a different perspective.

    Living in a school bus conversion appeals to people from all walks of life who have a desire to travel and explore: families, pet parents, single persons, couples, retirees, digital nomads, and more. You can also choose to experience your skoolie life as a weekend warrior, part-time like a snowbird or be a full-time nomad.

    Our family of five spent seven months converting a retired school bus into our dream tiny home on wheels that we lived and traveled in full-time for six months from Florida to Maine and back. Now, we have our school bus conversion parked in long-term storage with plans to turn her into a short-term rental.

    In those six months of living on our skoolie, we reconnected with family and friends we hadn’t seen in years, visited so many new places, made new acquaintances, and sparked something we had been missing since the pandemic lockdown forced us into our homes in 2020. For our young children (1, 3 and 4 years old at the time), they still had a place they could call home and still talk about our adventures in the Hildebus to this day.


    History of skoolie life

    Converting a school bus into a dwelling has been around for as long as school buses have been around, and has really burst into the mainstream spotlight with a positive “glow-up” in the past 10 years as the tiny home movement has exploded.

    Building a school bus conversion used to be a simple way of living and traveling, made memorable in the 1960s and 1970s as part of the American hippie movement. These days, you can find really basic and affordable school bus conversions all the way up to high-end custom tiny homes.


    Are skoolies worth it?

    Yes. Skoolies are worth it if you are looking for an alternative and affordable home that is customizable though assigning an actual dollar value can be difficult since each school bus conversion is unique. Some people spend months or years building out their tiny home on wheels before moving in at completion, like we did – 7 months! Others choose to demo the interior and build as they can afford to while living aboard. In both cases, a housing need is solved and adventure begins. 

    As far as assigning a value like you would for the purchase and sale of a traditional class A RV, that is a rather difficult assessment to make since every skoolie conversion is unique. In most states, there is no standard building code that applies to how a skoolie is built and it is up to the owner to decide what finishes they wish to install and the quality of work they will perform. 

    Hildebus skoolie tour

    In our case, we built a mid- to high-range skoolie. We purchased our retired school bus for ~$4,500 in 2021 and put in $45,000-$50,000 between the demo, repairs, framing, electrical, solar, plumbing, paint, and custom finishes like quartzite countertops, tiled backsplash, vinyl flooring throughout, propane range, mini stove, 12V fridge and freezer, and more.

    You can read the full upgrades to our HildeBus skoolie in this blog post.

    See our skoolie video walkthrough tour here.

  • Are Skoolies Allowed in National Parks? Myths Answered!

    Are Skoolies Allowed in National Parks? Myths Answered!

    It depends if you’re visiting for the day or wanting to camp overnight. If visiting for the day, national parks will allow skoolies to park just like they would any tour bus or another RV. The park staff will direct you on where to park in the designated tour bus and RV parking area, if any. If you are trying to camp overnight in your school bus conversion at the national park, then you should review their booking requirements since national park campsites often have rig length restrictions. In our experience, the parks don’t mind the school bus conversion quality and age of the rig, but the length restriction is clearly stated as a restriction.

    Hildebus Skoolie parking in a national park during the day

    National Parks and skoolie length restriction

    Many national parks restrict rig length to under 35 feet, some sites only go up to 25 feet. Our HildeBus skoolie is 40 foot long and we could not camp overnight at any national parks but we were invited to park during the day and visit the national park without issue. 


    Skoolie Camping in RV Parks

    Fortunately, there are many RV parks surrounding most national parks that do accommodate school bus conversions. If you’re curious about RV park camping in your skoolie and what questions to ask before booking, then read our helpful article here.

  • Ultimate Family Travel Guide to Ao Nang, Thailand

    Ultimate Family Travel Guide to Ao Nang, Thailand

    Discover one week of kid-friendly activities in our ultimate family travel guide to Ao Nang, Thailand, a beach town in the province of Krabi. Ao Nang is located on the Andaman Sea with striking views of the karst limestone cliffs with many fun activities like island hopping by long boat, walking by the ocean-front shops, going on a jungle hike to the Tiger cave and seeing the giant sitting buddha, finding delicious authentic Thai food, and chatting with the friendly locals. We spent 7 nights exploring Ao Nang with our family of five in September 2022, and enjoyed our time there immensely. 

    In this blog, I will share with you how we spent our week here, what activities we did or wanted to do, and why you should bring your family to visit this wonderful beach town.



    Is Ao Nang, Krabi, Thailand good for families?

    Yes! Ao Nang, Krabi is good for families! The locals of Ao Nang are so kind and friendly towards families, especially children. To further explain how friendly the locals are, here is one of many magical experiences we had. We went for dinner and the fireshow at Reeve restaurant, and a waitress organized snacks for our 2-year-old and personally attended to her (and squeezed her in) during the fireshow in the front row! Another helped get our daughter and son a fluffy bean bag chair to relax on during the show, then asked a firedancer to come give them a cool close-up of the act. Next, after the show, we heard “happy birthday” over the speakers and a really sweet couple we met earlier bought a birthday cake for our little girl – it wasn’t her birthday! They just did it to be sweet and Maddie loved the attention. The couple snagged a photo with her before heading home

    How many days do you need in Ao Nang, Krabi?

    You should spend a minimum of 4 days in Ao Nang, Krabi. Each day, you can plan to do a fun activity like hiking the Tiger Cave and climbing the stairs to see the sitting buddha, hiring a longboat to take you island hopping for 5 hours, shopping and eating along the waterfront, swimming in the sea and playing on the beach, and maybe even some time to explore an animal sanctuary. Our family spent 8 days in Ao Nang, and some days we did absolutely nothing except sit by the pool!

    How to travel to Ao Nang, Krabi, Thailand with a family

    You can travel into Krabi city by ferry, plane or car, and then you can travel by car, local bus or tuktuk to Ao Nang. If you’re traveling as a big group or family, then I would opt for the car since it offers seat belts. Also, since you pay a flat fee usually, you can have your private car pull over to a 7-11 or a street stall so you can pick up food if you’re hungry from your travels.

    Plane

    Krabi airport is a major airport for this part of the country, and offers many flights to the capital city of Bangkok and other airports in the country and other surrounding countries.

    Ferry

    We arrived in Krabi on the ferry from Koh Phi Phi. 

    Private car

    From the ferry terminal, we hired an air-conditioned SUV to drive us 25 minutes to Ao Nang. 

    The private car ride from the Krabi ferry terminal to our hotel in Ao Nang cost us 400 bhat per person, or 2,000 bhat for a family of five. 

    Book private transport from Krabi airport (KBV) to Ao Nang

    If you want peace of mind so that you have private, socially-distanced transport to your hotel in Ao Nang when traveling from the Krabi airport, then you book a private, air-conditioned van here through Viator

    You can rather easily find transport upon landing by many of the taxi drivers waiting. A word of caution is to make sure that they have a taxi sign posted and you negotiate your rates up front and/or that they use the meter if it isn’t a flat fee transport fee to your hotel.

    Krabi airport website

    How to travel around Ao Nang, Krabi, Thailand with a family?

    Tuk tuk or converted pickup truck

    When staying in Ao Nang, we affordably traveled around by tuktuk or converted pickup truck (like a non-air-conditioned minibus). We paid 200 bhat ($5.70) one-way from our hotel to Ao Nang beach or city for a family of five with these forms of transport. 

    We preferred the truck for our family of five more than the tuk tuk since it was higher off the ground. The tuk tuks basically slowed to a stop at times to get over some bumps due to our weight. 

    Private car or van

    You can also hire a private car and driver for transport between cities like we did when we traveled from Ao Nang to Koh Lanta (400 bhat per person or 2,000 bhat [roughly $50 USD] for a family of five). Our hotel was kind enough to help us book this trip.


    13 family-friendly things to do in Ao Nang, Krabi, Thailand | Guide to Ao Nang

    Check out our favorite activities to do in Ao Nang, Krabi, Thailand with a family. If you’re looking for a more extensive list of activities or want to schedule a tour ahead of your arrival, then check out these affordable family tours hosted by Viator.

    Beach

    The beach is completely free and a kid-friendly way to spend an afternoon for all ages and groups. Additionally, food is close by across the street when everyone gets hungry. We found the beaches to be clean and uncrowded when we visited in September. 

    Family travel photo shoot

    What a special way to commemorate a trip of a lifetime and to make relatives envious on your next Christmas card! In all seriousness, it is a lovely way to spend family time together, get dressed up and then see your family from a different lens.

    Longboat tour and island hopping

    We charted a private longboat tour for 5 hours to take us to 4 popular islands off of Ao Nang: Koh Gai, Koh Mor, Koh Tub and Koh Poda. As part of the tour, the captain provided a delicious pineapple that he carved as a refreshing snack, water bottles, masks and snorkels. Prior to departure, make sure the captain has life vests that fit small bodies. We had to make our captain grab vests that would fit our 2, 4 and 5 year olds in case the boat capsized (unlikely but a real risk). 

    As a young family, we enjoyed this casual atmosphere of this private boat tour because it was relatively fast to hop between the islands, swim, snorkel and plan for bathroom and food breaks at Koh Poda. 

    When the tour is complete, the captain will pull up to shallow waters on the beach and drop you off. This means you should be prepared to get at least your feet wet.

    Koh Poda

    Koh Poda was the first island we visited on our tour, and the waters are crystal clear. The island is a national park that charges an entrance fee of 400 bhat per adult and 200 bhat per child you pay to the boat captain as you pull up to the island – it’s not included in your boat tour price. 

    Koh Mor and Koh Tub 

    The two tiny islands of Koh Mor and Koh Tub will be connected by a cool sand bar during low tide, which makes it a really special way to island hop and check out the bar on one. 

    Koh Gai

    Koh Gai is also known as “Chicken Island” because a cliff rock formation on it looks like a chicken head. We planned to snorkel here but actually got rained out. Before the sky turned dark, you could see all the way to the bottom and loads of fish.

    Koh Phi Phi

    We spent one week in Koh Phi Phi prior to arriving in Krabi, and it was an absolute dream with clear water, secret coves, fire shows in the mountains, cute downtown, and wonderful people. You can easily reach Koh Phi Phi by ferry or by speedboat. My acquaintance, Becca, offers a lot of guidance here on trips, day tours, and top attractions to Koh Phi Phi.

    Private long boat tour

    Muay thai gym

    Muay thai is Thailand’s national sport and popular among locals and foreigners. If you’re into this sport or boxing, then finding a gym nearby like Bull Muay Thai would be a fun activity. It appears that some gyms even offer children’s after school programs as well. 

    Tiger Cave and Sitting Buddha

    Our resort sat at the foothills of this statue so when we walked around the neighborhood, we could usually spot the sitting Buddha on the mountain. Though we didn’t make the trip to Tiger cave and the hike to the sitting Buddha, we really wanted to. Our youngest is 2 and oldest is 5 at the time of the trip and hiking up 1,200+ stairs just wouldn’t work for our tiny legs unfortunately. If you make the trip, leave a comment down below about how the experience was for you.

    You’ll see the Tiger cave, sitting Buddha, Emerald pool and Krabi hot springs.

    Massage parlors and spas in Ao Nang 

    There are a number of massage parlors and spas in Ao Nang that can be found. In Ao Nang, the starting one hour Thai massage price is going to be 300 bhat, though nicer establishments or add-on services will make that price go up. At roughly $10/hour for a Thai massage, this is one activity you can afford to do many times and should. Though this activity is not necessary kid-friendly, it is parent-friendly, and that is really important too!

    We’ve never booked ahead for a massage and have not had an issue with not scheduling ahead in any Thai massage parlor.

    The Blue Spa and Massage in Ao Nang 

    I visited The Blue Spa and Massage in Ao Nang and splurged on a luxurious 1.5 hour service: an aromatheraphy relax massage with herbal compression for ~1,125 bhat (~$35 USD). They do offer a number of affordable alternatives, and the spa has over 77 5-star reviews on Google at the time of this post. Included in the service was a customary foot wash prior to the massage, a change of clothes (including little undies), and tea with little cookies after. 

    As a note, I am a woman and my masseuse massaged me top to bottom, front to back, very thoroughly. All nipples and chests are created equal… but it was a little surprising when she took my towel down on my front half and went to work. It was the best massage though.

    Tipping isn’t compulsory in Thailand, but I did tip my masseuse 40 bhat after the service. My husband and kids showed up immediately after my massage and the owner brought out extra cookies for our little ones.

    The Blue Spa and Massage Facebook

    Ao Nang Night market

    This night market runs every day of the week, except Sunday, so you don’t have a reason to miss it! You’ll find loads of street vendors selling many types of foods like authentic Thai food, ice cold drinks and western foods like pizza. This is a big hit with families since even the pickiest of eaters can find something to eat. 

    Address: Ao Nang, Mueang Krabi District, Krabi 81000, Thailand

    Hours: Monday-Saturday from 4pm to 10pm

    Ao Nang Wednesday Evening Market

    Pop by the Ao Nang Wednesday Evening Market to experience loads of street vendors offering everything from authentic Thai cuisine to more western food. There is a little bit of something for all ages here, which makes it a great trip for families and picky eaters.

    Address: 2RX6+RRV, Ao Nang, Mueang Krabi District, Krabi 81000, Thailand

    Hours: Wednesday from 4pm to 8pm

    Fireshow

    You’ve got to experience a fireshow when in Thailand! Reeve Beach Club Krabi on the beach of Ao Nang has one every night at 8pm. We recommend showing up early for dinner and to grab a good seat before the fireshow. Our kids (and mom and dad) were so impressed by the fire dancers and the variety within the show!

    Luminescent Plankton Swim at Khea Reux Bin

    In order to get the full glowing experience from the luminescent plankton at Khea Reux Bin, you’ll need to experience this adventure at night. It isn’t widely spoken about from my internet searches and no tour guide advertised it to us, which is shocking. As I wrote this blog post, I only discovered that there was a luminescent plankton swim available in Ao Nang and I am so sad that we missed it since it is a bucket list item of mine. 

    I stumbled upon this 7 island hopping tour by long boat that includes a beach BBQ and visiting the luminescent plankton. The tour is about 8 hours long and you get off the boat probably after 9pm, which could be too late for little ones; however, you can customize a tour directly with your boat captain if you’re booking a private tour. 

    Emerald Pool & Krabi Hot Springs

    The mineral hot spring is a popular tourist activity and for good reason. The mineral springs offer many healing benefits and the waters are crystal clear. You’ll frequently see tours to the Emerald pool offered as a full day Jungle tour where you’ll also visit the Tiger cave, sitting Buddha and warm Krabi hot springs.

    This jungle tour may be too physically intense for little children, which is why we opted for a longboat tour instead on this trip.

    Krabi Fun Park

    This high-adventure ropes course and zip line through the jungle looks like a blast! Our kids are still too young to experience this event but I know they cannot wait until they meet the height requirements!

    Address: ตำบล ไสไทย อำเภอเมืองกระบี่ กระบี่ 81000

    Facebook

    Website


    Authentic Thai Restaurants in Ao Nang, Krabi, Thailand

    There are a number of good authentic Thai restaurants in Ao Nang, Krabi, Thailand. I don’t think it’s possible to find “bad Thai food” in Ao Nang, because every place we’ve eaten at has been delicious. We just stumbled upon them through exploration. The restaurants we list here are a sampling of what the beach town has to offer, and this is our personal experience with them.

    บ้านขนมจีนจ๊ะเหลี๊ย Rice noodles

    This cozy restaurant was colorful and offered plenty of safe places for our kids to explore while dining in a traditional Thai setting and authentic Thai food. The owner and her family were so kind, and grandma even taught our kids Thai words like elephant, cat, drink, and eggplant. You’ve got to get grandma’s spicy rice and the fried chicken! We walked here almost every day from our hotel at the Ao Nang Bamboo Pool Resort. 

    Meal cost per person: 50-100 bhat

    Address: ตำบล อ่าวนาง เมือง กระบี่ 81180

    Phone: 0843192993

    Hours: 8am-2:30pm Saturday to Wednesday

    Ton-Soi Kitchen • ต้นซอย

    This family-owned restaurant offers authentic Thai food and a large menu of options available. There is plenty of seating available outside, and plenty of places for kids to safely play as well. Our kids enjoyed playing with the kids from the nearby homes and the owner’s daughter. I can’t pronounce what I ordered in Thai but it was a fried egg on rice with chicken and veggies with the chrysanthemum herbal sweet tea. 

    Meal cost per person: 50-100 bhat

    Address: 2RVR+8VP ตำบล อ่าวนาง อำเภอเมืองกระบี่ กระบี่ 81180

    Hours: 12pm to 9pm most days

    REEVE Beach Club Krabi

    Reeve is a nice dining establishment situated on the waterfront of Ao Nang. The drink and food selection is varied, from authentic Thai food to European options. Every evening they offer a fireshow on the beach that lasts for about 20 minutes. The staff are incredibly friendly, especially towards children. 

    Meal cost per person: 600 bhat

    Address: 31, ตำบล อ่าวนาง อำเภอเมืองกระบี่ กระบี่ 81180

    Phone: 0936317599

    THE COFFEE CLUB – Ao Nang

    This cafe offers a fantastic selection of fun drinks like the butterfly pea peach tea and avocado espresso as well as a full menu of more western style foods like eggs benedict on croissants. It’s going to be a bit more expensive than dining at a traditional Thai restaurant, but the dining experience is worth experiencing in my opinion, especially if you’re looking for a cool blend of old and new Thai, with a little mix of the west.

    The shop is located on the waterfront and offers AC with fast WiFi. I believe its a small franchise as well and can be found on several islands.

    Meal cost per person: 350 bhat

    Address: 273 Moo 2, ตำบล อ่าวนาง อำเภอเมืองกระบี่ กระบี่ 81000

    Website: http://www.thecoffeeclub.co.th/


    Which month is best to visit Ao Nang, Krabi?

    In post-pandemic Ao Nang, we found the area to not have many tourists in the low to mid-season. Therefore, we were not fighting big crowds, feeling pressure from some shop keepers to buy or tuk tuk drivers calling out “taxi” too much. We felt very relaxed during our entire family trip. We spent 7 nights exploring Ao Nang with our family of five in September 2022. 

    What’s the weather like in Ao Nang, Krabi, Thailand in September?

    We traveled to Ao Nang in September. The weather was warm (average of 26 degrees celsius) with moderately high humidity, and one to two rain showers a day lasting between 10 minutes to one hour. No thunderstorms. After the rain, the sky was clear again and the sun would shine.


    Budget family accommodation in Ao Nang, Krabi, Thailand

    We enjoy staying at budget family accommodations with a minimum of wifi (internet), air conditioning and a pool on most of our travels since it makes our travel happier and our budget stretch further. For days that we don’t leave the resort, the pool is a wonderful amenity to have on hand in sunny and warm south Thailand. We stayed at the Ao Nang Bamboo Pool Resort with our family of five for 7 nights at about $24/night. 

    Read about the Ao Nang Bamboo Pool Resort in this blog.


    Conclusion to the ultimate family travel guide to Ao Nang, Thailand

    This ultimate family travel guide to Ao Nang, Thailand is our family’s labor of love dedicated to a wonderful town. We experienced its beautiful beaches, islands and limestone cliffs up close, dined at some great restaurants, and met some kind locals.

    Have you been to Ao Nang with your family? Tell us what your favorite things to do were in the comments.

    If you liked this trip then check out these:


    Disclosure: Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which can provide compensation to me at no cost to you if you decide to purchase a paid plan. Thank you, if you do. This site is not intended to provide financial advice and is for entertainment only. Read our affiliate disclosure in our privacy policy.

  • Best travel affiliate programs for families | 2022

    Best travel affiliate programs for families | 2022

    We’ve found that there are great travel affiliate programs that make our lives easier when on the road and have helped us adventure more as a family. It’s these programs that I recommend below.

    My goal with this blog is if you are looking to finding a way to monetize your audience traffic to your blog, social media or YouTube channel, then the travel affiliate marketing programs below can be a guide to find an affiliate program that aligns with your audience.

    There are no minimum requirements to join the affiliate travel programs I’ve listed below. That’s great news if you’re just starting out building a blog, YouTube or social media platform to drive affiliate traffic to travel programs.

    I’ll also discuss the usability of their partner program website like ability to access assets and generate links.

    These programs will fall into four categories:

    1. Administrative
    2. Adventure
    3. Accommodation
    4. Rewards Credit Cards

    We are affiliates of these free travel affiliate programs and may earn a commission if you click on these links and pay for their services. We appreciate it if you do.


    Administrative

    Though certainly not the “sexy” side of travel, the day-to-day operations of a household and business still continue even if made smaller or remote when traveling. These are the administrative services we use that make our lives much easier whether living abroad in Sweden, backpacking in Southeast Asia or traveling in our skoolie across North America.

    US Global Mail

    Having a real physical street address in the United States is important to us since we run an American business, but we also need a service that would work with us when traveling outside of the USA. We liked that US Global Mail offers easy registration, provides a real mailing address (not a PO Box), can scan postal mail and checks (as needed for a fee), and even forward checks to be deposited at our bank on our behalf. All this just moves along in the background of our lives while we’re on the road or out of the USA.

    Get a free month of service if you sign up with US Global Mail using our code: INGRID-KPHDX9GG.6ML

    Read more about US Global Mail in this blog here about “How do you get mail when you live in a skoolie or van?”

    We signed on for this virtual mailbox service in May 2021 when we moved into our skoolie. Since October 2021, we’ve been living in Sweden (Europe) and continue to use the service since we don’t have plans to come back to an American mailbox any time soon.

    US Global Mail Affiliate partner website

    There are two programs, depending on what you’re looking for:

    1. Referral program
    2. Affiliate program

    The referral program is more of a word-of-mouth program for users who pay for the service. Think of it like telling a friend that you can get them a discount or free months of service if they use your code when they register.

    The affiliate program is more robust. You’ll have a dedicated affiliate partner portal that you log in to. Once there, you’ll have access to assets like banner images and be able to generate custom links.

    We started in the referral program and are now in the affiliate program.

    EZLandlordForms

    I’ve been using EZLandlordForms to write leases for personally-owned and self-managed rentals since 2012! Years ago, I found this software and I quite literally wouldn’t be writing leases without it. I pay for the service since you get access to additional features like state-specific leases; however, there is a free lease agreement template you can get on the unpaid account.

    I continue to use the EZLandlordForms software because it offers features like:

    • Tenant screening including credit, criminal and eviction checks
    • State-specific lease agreements and addendum (paid service)
    • Easy-to-use template builder

    EZLandlordForms affiliate partner website

    They offer their affiliate partners a dedicated EZLandlordForms partner website where you can register your payment information and access all assets. The assets are rather limited though – some links to videos advertising their services but not much else as far as creativity.

    https://www.ezlandlordforms.com/tenant-screening-services/?ref=ingridpoole1&tap_a=114959-86584a


    Wise

    When we moved to Sweden, we quickly realized that the American banking system was just not going to cut it internationally. The banking system is completely different outside of the USA, like the use of IBAN and SWIFT numbers instead of the American account and routing numbers.

    I remember complaining to other American expatriates at a park in Uppsala in October 2021 about how difficult to access our American funds in Sweden. They recommended Wise since it was an American-European company, with branches on both sides of the pond. They also offer transparency around fees like currency conversion.

    We signed up that night for Wise banking, and haven’t looked back! We have since closed down our Wells Fargo and Bank of America accounts because they just aren’t made for the long-term international living.

    Wise affiliate partner website

    Wise banking offers a dedicated affiliate partner website where you can register your payout and preferred currency, as well as generate links and find assets. Since Wise is international, this is a good program for those based in a foreign country. They offer multiple currency payment options.


    Adventure

    With three little kids, we’re quickly learning that we need affordable adventures to keep them happy and help mom and dad retain their sanity. Planning independent adventures is tiresome though, especially after a busy day of parenting and work. That’s why we love these programs, which take care of much of the planning for you.

    • Viator

    Viator

    Becoming a Viator Partner offers some great benefits within the travel niche. Primarily, there are so many adventures that I want to do myself, so I get really pumped to use the service when planning our travels. For example, we are in Thailand at the time I’m writing this post and Viator is offering scuba diving tours and authentic Thai cooking classes.

    Viator travel affiliate partner website

    The Viator partner program website is very user-friendly. You can easily locate assets like the banner below and links to drive traffic to their tours. The drawback to the program is that if you only travel to remote areas, then there may be less or no programs to chose from to direct your audience to try.

    Here is a list of Viator travel affiliate partner tools.

    • Viator Selector
    • Widgets
    • Banners
    • Affiliate Links
    Viator partner affiliate tools

    There are no minimum requirements to join the Viator Partner program, which is great if you don’t yet have much web traffic.


    Accommodation

    You’ve got to find a place to stay when traveling. Whether that be in a hotel or short-term accommodation, here are the places that we use and stand by.

    • AirBnB

    AirBnB

    AirBnB can be a fantastic way to earn additional income or even a full income, depending on your market. AirBnB has caught some heat recently, mostly with some hosts charging exorbitant fees (cleaning) and little other rewards for travelers, but the core concept still exists for hosts that want to earn a little more income or if you want to travel affordably.

    We have hosted rooms and complete homes on AirBnB platform over the years. Most recently, we decided to park our skoolie at one of our rentals and turn our rig into a unique AirBnB, paired with the house. Since both are furnished spaces, you can get the experience of living in a school bus conversion while also having the creature comforts of home like a TV and real toilet.

    If you want to become an AirBnB host, use our AirBnB host link to get $40 towards hosting.

    AirBnB affiliate partner website

    From what I can see, there is no AirBnB partner program that exists! Instead, AirBnB offers an AirBnB host referral program where you can earn over $500 if a host registers with your code. The host earns like $40. This referral program is rather easy to share since AirBnB is a “household name.”


    Rewards Credit Cards

    A vast majority of our personal shopping, business purchases and travel spending is done on rewards credit cards that we pay off monthly. The benefit to this system is that we also generate points that can be used towards trips, flights and accommodations. Here are the programs we use.

    If you’ve ever heard of travel hacking, where you open up these travel credit cards to get the initial bonus points, then you know how lucrative these cards can be when used wisely.

    Chase Sapphire

    My husband and I both have Chase Sapphire cards, primarily for generating points that are easily transferrable to the partner programs. We use this card for our day-to-day purchases, and those add up. It really comes in handy when the bus needs to go into the shop and we literally cannot be in our tiny home. We use our points to book hotels at a discount.

    Chase Sapphire Refer-A-Friend

    This card is known to over fantastic points rewards and the referrer gets a bonus too. There is no dedicated affiliate partner website, instead a referral code to get 60,000 bonus points when opening a new Chase Sapphire credit card after meeting the minimum spend and time period thresholds. The referral code is only for current members that wise to refer friends and family.

    Earn up to 75,000 bonus points per year by referring friends for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.

    That’s 15,000 bonus points for each friend who gets the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.

    Your friend will get 60,000 bonus points after they spend $4,000 in the first three months their account is open.

    Chase Sapphire Refer-A-Friend Program

    Amazon.com Business Prime American Express

    We use the Amazon.com Business Prime American Express for our business expenses and services purchase we pay on credit card. This card was helpful when we spent close to $10,000 worth of Amazon purchases for the build and another $10,000 in runs to Home Depot. Having a dedicated credit card for business expenses was really great to have and the points generated were significant in our case. 

    Amazon.com Business Prime American Express Refer-A-Friend

    Get a $125 Amazon.com Gift Card upon approval with an eligible Prime membership.*

    What travel affiliate marketing programs would you like to see?

    These free affiliate programs are great to get started joining if you want to drive your audience to programs you support and use within a travel niche. We have been members of some of these programs for years before becoming an affiliate and truly enjoy the services they provide.

    Can you recommend any other affiliate travel partnerships? Leave a comment below!