Tag Archives: travel advice
How to rock a layover in Munich, with or without marital aids
On the way to Georgia this May we had a 8 hour layover in Munich. Hot diggety dog—a layover in Munich! A chance to see Munich seemed like a special treat, since, even though we’d transferred at Munich Airport a dozen or more times, we’d never actually visited the city itself. In anticipation of our layover visit, we broke […]
That obligatory post about my travel mistakes
It’s like this; I could stay home, or I could travel a lot and make mistakes. So yeah, I’ve made plenty of mistakes and I’m ready to own all of them. Cringe along with me, why don’t you? This coat. I visited at least four countries in this coat with it’s gigantic fur collar. These days […]
The charm of interstitial cities
Getting around by public transportation as a budget minded, independent traveler can be non-linear and inefficient; this is why I love it. The phrase “you can only get there by car” activates my travel machismo and sends me straight to the internet, since I know there must be a way. An email to a tourist information […]
Paper, plastic, and ATM machines: your plan for spending money while traveling
Shout out to all my fellow cheapskate travelers: you savvy penny-pinchers have taught me so much about budget travel. In all the focus on saving money, though, the logistics of spending money during a trip sometimes get sidelined. Every traveler, even a cheapskate—make that especially a cheapskate—should have a money plan. You’ll need a combination of cash and […]
Language barrier? No problem. How to communicate while traveling when you don’t speak the language
This is me in every country: “Hello, excuse me, I am sorry I don’t speak [name of language] well. Can you please tell me where is the bathroom/supermarket/train station/cool Romanesque church? Thank you. Goodbye.” In spite of being a glamorous international traveler, my foreign language skills suck. Wait, I take that back, I can roll my […]
Hey budget travelers, where do you like to sleep?
Me? I prefer a cheap, centrally located, private room. These days—thank you world wide web—finding a cheap sleep is quite straightforward if you know what you want. Most people assume that since I’m a budget traveler I use hostels. Hostels are cheap and often centrally located, but I don’t usually stay in them due to the lack […]
Walk like Stevie Wonder and other advice for managing jet lag
Every good story needs a villain. The villain of my own life story is insomnia. As someone eager to be the hero of her own story, I battle against insomnia with a combination of protestant work ethic and desperation. During the past two years I’ve consulted four doctors, completed a 12 week sleeping class, taken three prescription medications, tried acupressure, light therapy, a […]
Want to travel cheap? Stay fit.
I think of budget travel as a sort of prolonged marathon. There’s the constant walking of course—hours and hours of walking and the occasional sprint brought on by a train delay. And the climbing. If you love medieval hill towns as much as I do you’re in for a lot of uphill climbs. (Pro tip: […]
Traveling in Romania: some myths, some tips, and something about gypsies
Before I went to Romania several people warned me it might be dangerous, that I should look out. Oh man were they right–why just the other morning a calf escaped and took off down the dirt road with his new wobbly legs splayed all about with dad and granny chasing after him. I mean, who […]
A struggle story concerning your travel blogger and her search for waterproof walking shoes
The only time I wish I were a man is in public bathrooms and shoe stores. While I recognize that I don’t have the anatomy to use a urinal, I am beyond frustrated with shoe stores and their lack of practical options for women. Let’s say you’re a dude, and you need some decent walking […]
Picnic at the Cathedral 