How many of us were inspired to go somewhere after seeing a movie? For example, I was lucky to catch a screening of the comedy L’Auburge Espagnole before visiting Barcelona on a trip through Europe.  Part of the fun was retracing the steps of my favorite characters.

Museyon Guides is ready to help out movie buffs with its new series of “Film + Travel” books. They’re full of fascinating background trivia, often straight … Read more »

I just returned from a month long trip around California and I’ll admit that, for now anyway, I’m grad to be home and the last thing I want to think about is traveling.

But even if you’re not in the travel mood, travel guru Rick Steves and comedian David Sedaris joining forces to talk about travel is not an opportunity to be missed. The … Read more »

A few more contests in the travel world have popped up, with prizes ranging from cash to a RTW ticket to a writer-in-residence contract. Maybe you’ll apply?

Trazzler’s #NYCGO Writing Contest Win: $10,000 contract to be a two-week writer-in-residence in New York City, writing 30 Trazzler trips covering NYC; hotel accommodations; round-trip airfare on JetBlue (Grand Prize). Also runner-up and Editor’s Choice awards. To apply: Sign up for Trazzler and submit your trip … Read more »

Looking for a roommate (or, as they say in France, a coloc)?  If you’re in France, specifically Paris, and can, you know, speak French, consider using Appartager, a wonderful website designed to help roommates find other roommates in some of the most desirale locations in Europe.  Ever wanted to live in the 19th arondissement, or get … Read more »

A reader named Jon recently wrote with some questions about traveling in winter. “What advice would you give for vagabonding during the winter in the Middle East and Europe?” he wrote. “Is it even advisable to travel during the winter months? Are there advantages to vagabonding during the “off-peak” tourist/travel season compared to the more frequented spring and summer months?

Here’s what I told him:

Winter months are great for travel in Europe, since it’s … Read more »

They’re some of the savviest travelers around: the foreign correspondents who cover wars, natural disasters and political upheavals. Here’s a slideshow of their travel tips. They’re particularly relevant in the wake of the recent bombings in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Most of us commonly avoid danger zones, but reporters are paid to go straight into them.  They’ve developed these tips after lots of hard experience.  What really comes through is how they’ve developed a wicked sense … Read more »

Vagablogging followed Dominic Gill on his Take a Seat journey via tandem bicycle along the length of the Americas. Riding his tandem bicycle, Dominic sought to find riding companions to keep him company along the way.

The documentary about this journey is now complete and it will be airing in the UK for the first … Read more »

If you want to use a travelator or moving walkway while going around the airport, make sure you’re doing so to conserve energy rather than improve your walking speed. A recent study from Princeton University showed that people move slower on a travelator, but it doesn’t save you any time.

This may save energy, but even under ideal conditions of no congestion and no baggage a walkway only makes a small difference in travel time … Read more »

Apart from time, some money, and an open mind, the act of traveling doesn’t really require much from the traveler. Still, there’s always an incident where I find myself saying “I wish I knew how to do that”. Here are some skills I wish I learned before I started traveling:

Tying knots. I used to think that knots were mostly for … Read more »

It’s only because a postcard arrived for me in the mail recently that I realized—I hardly ever get postcards!

They’ve gone the way of Tweets and Facebook updates, haven’t they? Sure, the social media versions may be more immediate and link to 30 photos instead of just one. But there’s something nice about a tangible card—knowing that it was chosen and was sent the distance just for you.

That’s also why I liked hearing … Read more »