When you travel with someone, there are two of you reading the fare rules, and one of you usually spots the thing the other missed. When you’re on your own it’s just you, which is fine, because none of this is complicated once you know where the traps are. This guide walks through the whole thing in the order you’ll actually do it, from the moment you start looking to the moment you’re sitting at the gate with nothing left to worry about.

The order that protects you

Book the flight first, then the bed for the first night, and then everything else. It sounds obvious, but it’s easy to fall in love with a room and book it before the flight is settled, and then the flight you wanted is gone and the room is non-refundable.

The flight is the thing that moves the most, in price and in times, so it goes first. The first night’s bed comes second because it’s the one you can’t do without when you land tired. Tours, trains, restaurants and everything else can wait until both of those are confirmed, and most of them are easier to change anyway.

If you really want a particular hotel, book a refundable rate first and switch to the cheaper non-refundable one once your flight is confirmed. You usually pay a little more for the refundable rate for a day or two, and that’s a small price for not being stuck with a room in a city you can’t get to.