We all get our inspiration to travel from different sources – books, newspapers, food shows, etc. For years I used to tear pages out of magazines and “file” them away in a corner of the den, only to toss them out later in a cleansing. Then I started bookmarking websites on my work computer ( I think we have all been there.) Finally I settled on emailing myself links and saving them in folders by country or city, which meant they were always accessible for future reference. It took five years before we got to stay in a stone cottage on the shores of Lake Atilan in Guatemala. Then another three before we watched hundreds of hot air balloons launch at sunrise from the terrace of our hotel in Cappadocia. These hotels, which inspired and enhanced our experiences of these destinations were drawn from our files. Other times it might have been the photo of a beautiful vista that we could see ourselves wanting to share. Or shots of a weekly farmers’ market, in a small village in France that we wanted to experience that was the catalyst for a trip. Many times destinations were chosen spontaneously with “that’s a really good price on airfare to that place, let’s go!”
Hopefully this resources page is useful towards planning your future adventures.
Safe travels, Craig & Donna
For Flights:
Cheap Flights Europe -City to City Regional Carriers – Excellent list of Low Cost European Carriers http://www.low-cost-airline-guide.com/en/low-cost-airline-routes.htm#Spain
www.justfly.comjustfly.com – For easy price comparisons and price drop notifications.
https://www.google.com/flights – Has a useful pricing graph to determine when to fly to a particular destination for the lowest cost
www.secretflying.com/usa-deals/ For some nice deals. Recently New York to Bali, Indonesia for only $486 roundtrip and Chicago, USA to Melbourne, Australia for only $771 roundtrip
www.theflightdeal.com Recent finds Brussels Air – $484: New York – Bilbao, Spain. Roundtrip, including all Taxes and United – $504: Dallas / Miami / Philadelphia / Charlotte – Beijing, China. Roundtrip, including all Taxes
https://adioso.com A flexible search engine for flights
For Hotels:
https://www.hotels.com/ Earn credits for a future free hotel room – activate Ebates.com for additional savings. Please use my referral code when you sign up for Ebates: https://www.ebates.com/r/HAMPHO4?eeid=29041&utm_source=extension&utm_medium=raf_link
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ For research and reviews – – activate Ebates.com for additional savings. Please use my referral code when you sign up for Ebates: https://www.ebates.com/r/HAMPHO4?eeid=29041&utm_source=extension&utm_medium=raf_link
For Travel Insurance:
Travel Insurance is not full-time health insurance
https://www.worldnomads.com/travel-insurance/ – good for 365 days of continuous RTW travel
www.world-first.co.uk Breaks down travel insurance into eight different categories
https://www.allianztravelinsurance.com/travel/planning/renamed-travel-insurance-plans.htm great for trips for 45 days or less. Must return to US base between segments of trip.
https://expertvagabond.com/travel-insurance-tips/
http://www.statravel.com/ For student airfare, tours and travel insurance
For Transportation Cost Comparisons:
www.rome2rio.com Research how to get anywhere by plane, train, bus, ferry and automobile
www.busbud.com For researching international bus travel. Though flying appears less expensive many times, by the time you factor in the additional cost of getting to and from the airport and the time it takes to get through security, not to mention potential weather delays, busing from and to the city centers might be the less costly option.
For Weather:
http://www.myweather2.com Is especially useful for marine weather if you are planning any day trips on the ocean. It shows wave and swell heights over a several day period.
https://www.yr.no/ Has a useful animated weather forecast for the area you are interested in.
https://www.worldweatheronline.com/ Has wonderful temperature and rainfall charts to help you plan your trip to a specific area.
For Experiences:
www.viator.com For destination experiences and tours
Field Trip is a city guide app by Google that enables you to explore your chosen destination on your own.
www.airbnb.com/s/experiences Whether it is a local history tour, art or cooking class, even late night bar hopping a local resident (proud of their city)will show you the way.
http://culturevulturesfez.org/artisanal-affairs/ Culture Vulture invites you to explore the workshops and meet the traditional craftspeople of Fez to discover the rich heritage that Morocco and its people continue to convey through artisan-ship.
https://www.wheresidewalksend.com/ “Where Sidewalks End (WSE Travel) is a travel company with a focus on responsible and sustainable practices in off-the beaten-path destinations”
For Alternative Stays:
www.airbnb.com – Live like a local – stay in a private room, apartment or house that is locally owned. Many international locations. Big savings on monthly rentals.
www.hostelworld.com Hostels have really evolved and are now on the cutting edge as travel destinations. Dorm rooms are still around, but you can also book a private room with bath in many of them now. Many older travelers are now taking advantage of the lower cost hostels offer. Just read the reviews of each establishment to see if it is for you.
https://www.couchsurfing.com Free stays with a local host.
WWOOF – World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms
http://wwoof.net/ Free room and board in exchange for working on an organic farm
www.talktalkbnb.com TalkTalkBnb – Provide language practice for your host in exchange for a room.
http://campaglam.com Search for an unusual camping or glamping site around the world
House Sitting – Worldwide:
https://housesittingmagazine.com/ is a lifestyle magazine that can help get you in the right mind-set
www.trustedhousesitters.com A house or pet sitting service that connects owners with trusted and verified sitters worldwide
www.mindmyhouse.com A global house sitting matching service
www.housecarers.com Find an international or domestic house sitting opportunity
House Sitting – Mexico:
House Sitting – Australia:
www.housesittingtasmania.com.au/
www.housesittersaustralia.com.au
www.australianhousesitter.com.au
House Sitting – New Zealand:
Inspiration and Tips for Planning an Around the World Trip:
A great resource to inspire that RTW trip. They offer a free 30-day email series that covers relevant topics for planning your RTW.
https://www.bootsnall.com/articles/round-the-world-tips-planning-resources.html
https://www.wanderlust.co.uk/content/how-to-plaworld trip | Wanderlustn-a-round-the-world-trip/
Round The World Travel Inspiration – Planning For RTW Trips
https://www.ticketsroundtheworld.com › Inspire › RTW Inspiration – Even the idea of travelling the world is an inspiration to a lot of people. A RTW trip is all about taking that inspiration to travel to the next level.
How to Travel the World » Extensive (First-Hand) Tips + Resources
https://alittleadrift.com/rtw-travel/
Use these trip budgets as research and inspiration for determining your own … Plan a route around the world that best optimizes your travel goals with a realistic …
https://www.earthtrekkers.com/our-around-the-world-itinerary/
Expat News Letters:
Ecuador – https://cuencahighlife.com
Guatemala – https://www.okantigua.com/guatemala-expat/ – very helpful information
Portugal – https://joandso.com/ – very good website for unique boutique hotels. Great local maps if you sign-up for their email.
Tour Companies – Just a Few to Whet Your Imagination:
https://www.intrepidtravel.com
Food Sanitizing While Traveling:
https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/foodsafety/produce/gaps/docs/chlorineguidelines.pdf
How to clean and disinfect fruits and vegetables in Mexico
https://kathleeniscookinginmexico.wordpress.com/tag/microdyn/
http://mexkitchen.blogspot.com/2015/05/rites-of-purification.html
Downsizing/Storage:
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning(dostadning) by Margareta Magnusson
The Art of Decluttering, Japanese Style according to Marie Kondo –https://www.houzz.com.au/ideabooks/44974548/list/does-it-spark-joy-the-art-of-decluttering-japanese-style
2 Suitcases for 2 years 