Frugal Travel: Ten Tips for Living Out of a Truck
In 2015 my boyfriend Tyler and I traded our stable jobs in South Lake Tahoe for a couple years of hot spring soaked adventures. We hitchhiked through Cuba and Central America, and cycled 1800 miles along the Pacific Coast.
When we loaded up Baby Beluga, a tiny Mazda pickup truck, we figured we’d be exploring North American national parks in luxury compared to the previous months of stuffing our belongings in a backpack or panniers. Au contraire.
For anyone considering the option of traveling and living out of a truck, I hope these tips will allow you to maximize the good, dwindle the bad, and prepare you for the smelly!
read moreHow to Make Your Way Across the USA Without Flying
Flights are one of the most obvious ways to travel between cities in the United States, but that doesn’t mean that they’re the most affordable, comfortable, or even the most memorable. In fact, there are many other methods of transportation for making your way across the USA which you may find more appealing.
Whether you’re not a fan of flights, or want to take in some of America’s world class scenery along your way, the following are alternative ways to get around when exploring the States.
read moreOdessy to Dakar: Join the Drive From the Arctic Circle to Africa for Charity
“We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment”. Hilarire Belloc said that. Though there is one other reason Matt Sully travels. His adventurous rallies that see him drive across the globe are designed to raise much needed funds and awareness for charities close to his heart. And on his next trip, he’s inviting you to come too.
After having lost members of his family and friends to terminal illness, Matt now travels for his cause. Supporting the Marie Curie Foundation and Cancer Research UK, his next trip will be a 40 day rally in June 2017 called the Odessy to Dakar. Starting in the UK, drivers will travel from the Arctic Circle to Africa (Dakar is the capital of Senegal), and back again. 1 vehicle, 6 ferries, 25 countries, 15000 miles.
He’s done all the planning, he’s mapped the route, costs and logistics of what is needed to complete the trip. And he’s extending an open invite for anyone who wants to find a team of mates and join him.
read moreHow Much to Tip Valet Parking in the United States
Whether it’s helping you with luggage or setting a dinner in front of you, it seems these days almost everyone is eligible for the acceptance of a tip. This seems to become even more evident when it comes to traveling, especially within the U.S.
Though it’s incredibly difficult for even the most avid of travelers to know when it is appropriate to tip, and how much, and foreigners traveling throughout the United States are looked upon as incredibly cheap for not opening their wallets to almost every-one they encounter.
So how does the culture of tipping apply to a valet? If staying in luxury accommodation in America and driving, it’s likely that at some stage, you’ll come into contact with a valet. And regardless of whether or not the hotel gives you the option to self park, if you hand over your keys, you’re expected to give them tip.
Utilize the following tips for a stress free experience, and to know how much is an appropriate tip.
read moreGreat Spanish Drives: Discovering Andalucía by Car
Andalucía, in Spain’s south, is the country’s largest autonomous community and is well known as the land of bullfighting, siestas and passionate flamenco dancing.
For those travellers keen to see more of Andalucía, a rented or borrowed car allows you to reach those authentic, small town destinations without the hassle of trains and regional buses. There are so many little towns to visit, but if you do hire a car, you should definitely visit these five Andalucían gems.
read moreYour Complete Guide to an Unplugged Vacation in Olympic National Park
In an age where there are a stealth of technology powering our daily lives, it’s essential for our sanity to find the ability and the time to unplug. And unplugging the laptop to retire to a chair with your iPad in hand doesn’t count. Nor does switching off the phone to then reach for the TV.
Unplugging completely means convenient access to hot mineral-spring pools and massage therapists instead of WiFi. Or waking up to the sound of waterfalls splashing through moss-softened gorges instead of the stressful vibrations of your phone. It means spending time hiking, fishing, or kayaking as a replacement for your televisions, radios and cells – all modern distractions which would otherwise take away from the deep, clear, glacier-carved lake right outside your door. With limited internet, television and telephones, the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State is the ideal place to ditch the electronics and connect with the natural environment instead.
After having returned from the Olympic Peninsular completely rejuvenated and refreshed, we have put together this complete guide to an unplugged vacation in Olympic National Park; where to stay, where to go, and what to do.
read moreRoad Trip Rules: How To Get The Best From Your Tyres While Travelling
Tyres wear down over time and there is no getting away from the fact. Unfortunately, there is no method which will mean that a set of tyres will go on, mile after mile, forever. However, there are a number of things that travelers can do which will mean that their tyres are not worn down unnecessarily.
Since the cost of replacing tyres is never something that car owners welcome, preserving them for as long as possible makes a lot of financial sense and there are other benefits that are associated with keeping your tyres in good condition which ought to be factored in, as well.
read moreRoad Trip Rules: Why We Travel With a Microwave
We’re pretty much the poster children for packing everything bar the kitchen sink, and despite fervent vows that the next trip will be different, that we’ll learn to travel light, this never ends up being the case. In fact, we travel so light that we even travel with a microwave!! For cross country road-trips at least.
It was a during recent road-trip throughout the US that we realized a portable microwave could come in incredibly handy. With the amount of time we were spending in the country to explore, we figured the time and money having a microwave would save would prove to far outweigh it’s initial cost.
We hit up Walmart to invest $40 and haven’t looked back since. The following explains exactly why our microwave now rides shotgun on each of our epic trips.
read moreSharing Our Itinerary: 3 Month Roadtrip from Phoenix to Alaska
Think Joshua Trees in the Mojave Desert. Think kayaking through the world’s largest sea caves. Think overnight in a Napa Valley Vineyard, and watching the sunrise from the beach over San Fransisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.
Think wilderness camping in Alaska, with tours to see Grizzly bears, orcas and more. Think walking among Californian Redwoods, and putting your neck out because there is no way you can see that high. Think one kick-ass itinerary which combines all of the above experiences into one epic roadtrip, and you’re thinking of our next big adventure!
read more5 Road Trips for the Solo Traveller to Australia
No Australia Trip is complete without a road trip. Yes, there is nothing really like exploring the Land Down Under by driving yourself. From coastal landscapes and lush forests of Northern Australia, to the soft hills of the Southern regions, to the red rugged Outback plains of the inland, Australia’s varied and vast landscapes offers so many options for road trips.
But what about road tripping on your own? It may sound daunting, but a solo road trip is an exhilarating and rewarding experience that consolidates your solo adventures.
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