Hi There,

Cammi here. I wanted to let everyone know that we have a contest running on Facebook. All you have to do is upload a photo of yourself. Prizes up for grab include a round-trip airline ticket, and two $100 gift cards. You can get more details here. Or go directly to our Facebook Group. Good luck!

Monday, August 25, 2008 | general | No Comments

Do you have any travel tips for a cycling holiday in Denmark? - Mex

No, I don’t; I’ve never done something that cool! After a quick Google search, though, this is what I’ve come up with:

Bike Denmark - 7 Great Bike Tours. The tour includes a good 7 speed bicycle, accommodation at hotels or inns and luggage transport.

A comprehensive list of available bike tours - this looked pretty helpful.

Ooh! And this one!

And as always, I’m going to let the commenters chime in - they always know more than I do about this kind of stuff.

Thursday, July 10, 2008 | general | 1 Comment

Dear Heather,

My boyfriend and I have decided on Hawaii’s Big Island for our September vacation. While I enjoy doing nothing, he likes activities, so we’re doing a bit of both. Other than the major (and expensive!) stuff (Mauna Kea observatory, Kilauea volcano), what local activities would be cool to check out?

XOXOXOXO!! Ahem, I mean, sincerely,
Rachel

You lucky dogs! I went to Hawaii once, but I was 11 and remember splitting my time between being painfully sunburned and being irritated at my siblings. Let’s see if we can’t send you off to a better time.

Readers, feel free to chime in while I get going on a little research. Check back tomorrow, Rach!

Tuesday, July 1, 2008 | general | 9 Comments

1. Eat where the locals eat. And shop where the locals shop. Skips the glitzy tourist traps and head to outdoor markets. You’ll save cash and get a great taste for the local flavor. Buy snacks from the grocery store to take along in your day pack.

2. Stay at hostels that include breakfast. Hostel Archi Rossi in Florence was a big winner for this reason - I loaded up every morning and coasted until late afternoon.

3. If your travels take you to urban areas, take advantage of the subway or bus system. Personally, I like to hoof it. Which costs free dollars.

4. Take photos instead of buying crap. Er, I mean, souvenirs. I sent photos to friends that I took specifically for them - which cost me a lot less than the tourist crud I’d otherwise have picked up. And it was more personal.

5. Know the exchange rate. This might sound like a no-brainer, but understanding what you’re really spending will help you keep costs low.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008 | advice | 1 Comment

Gah! Sheenu! I wrote this days ago, thought I hit “publish” but I’d hit “save.” I know, I know, the dog ate my homework, but it’s true!

Hi Heather,

I am thinking of traveling to Italy in sept. I haven’t done too many holidays my own and this would be the first biggie solo one. I’m also not keen on staying in hostels unless I could get a private room. The b&b’s i looked at are proving quite expensive! I’m thinking of visiting Rome, Florence, Venice and Cinque Terra over 15 days or so. could you offer any tips/advice on where to stay and what to do etc.?

Thanks a lot.

sheenu

Well, that sure is a loaded question! My first piece of advice would be to pick up a travel book on Italy. I liked my Let’s Go Italy. The comments on the above-linked post will also be helpful.

How strong are your objections to sharing a room at a hostel? I don’t know if you have budget limitations, but shared rooms at hostels are so much more economical (especially over B&Bs!), and you meet the coolest people that way. I actually resented the private room I had in Florence, because I was missing out on all the fun. For recommendations beyond my own, please check out the comments on this post.

My experiences:
Florence.
Venice where I stayed at the Residenza Santa Croce.
Rome… well, I’ve put together a WHOLE other post for you on Rome because it’s such a complex, wonderful city. Look for it tomorrow! I stayed at the Beehive, which was so wonderful. But again, you’d have to share a room, or pay for a double.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008 | general | 3 Comments

Just saw this article on CNN.

“Volunteer vacations are one of the biggest trends in travel. If you’ve never really considered going on one, these volunteers’ stories might just change your mind.”

Thursday, June 5, 2008 | general | 1 Comment

When I was staying at the Beehive in Rome, I met Toby, a Canadian gal living in London. Over incredible homemade pasta, she told me about her travels in New Zealand where she roamed from place to place, staying for free and working for her keep. I emailed her yesterday for the details on the program she was with because, while I may be cooped up in an office, many more of you are still free to roam. And she loved it.

The program is called Willing Workers on Organic Farms, and while in Rome, Toby wasn’t the only Wwoofer I met. Our chef at the hostel had just spent some time working in an olive orchard and then an organic dairy (she brought us fresh cheese and oil, and won my heart). Briefly, in return for volunteering, you get food, lodging and “opportunities to learn about organic lifestyles.” Plus, if I learned anything, you’ll meet the most amazing, interesting folks.

(Anna: I just saw your comment. Great minds!)

Thursday, June 5, 2008 | general | 1 Comment

I feel like I’m just waking up from a week-long nap, after down the rabbit hole of stress. But I’m back and ready to get crackin’ on some fun travel chit chat. I’ve got some kick-ass plans in the works that I can’t wait to tell you about, but until they’re ironed out, I’m staying mum.

I’ll be honest and admit that over the last week or so, I’ve been so incredible overwhelmed that as long as a comment didn’t look like spam, I’ve pressed “publish” without so much as reading it. But my friend Jamie brought to my attention that there’s been some talk in the comments about VaughanTown and I wanted to put it out here on the main page because, seriously, what an amazing idea. If I were a college student, or, unemployed like I was last summer, I would be all over this. The general idea is, you fly to Madrid (that part you pay for) and then you go stay (free o’ charge, 3 squares included) in a 4-star country hotel and chit-chat with Spanish-speaking business people.

Tell me what part about that sounds like work?

If you’ve participated in this program, I would LOVE to hear about your personal experience.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008 | general | 3 Comments

So, random question as part of my research - do you (or anyone) know of any great international travel volunteer opportunities? I’d only have 2, possibly 3, weeks. Total costs for the trip would need to be under $2500. And I’m hoping that it would also include meeting a diverse, interesting group of people and experiencing some of the culture and geography of wherever I am.

- Sarah

Wednesday, May 28, 2008 | general | 8 Comments

I meant to post this last week when it was still fresh and newsy, but I plum forgot. Anyway, I know the article was written for a Salt Lake City media outlet, but the premise is interesting.

Is it cheaper to fly to your summer vacay destination, or drive?

Used to be that the answer was automatic - especially if you were talking about transporting a family to say, Disneyworld or Yellowstone. DRIVE. All those hateful, long hours in the car, testing just how long it would take your dad to yell an expletive and your mom’s voice to reach pitches that only dogs hear.

Now, with gas prices hovering way too close to the $4 a gallon mark, that might be a thing of the past. It might actually be cheaper to fly.

And if your summer destination isn’t within the contiguous 48, all of this is totally moot anyway. Where are you going this summer? Go on, make me jealous.

Monday, May 19, 2008 | general | 10 Comments