In a previous post here at Vagablogging , I wrote about what tools you can use to self-study a language. While your choice of tools will determine the success of your program, your approach to studying can make the learning process easier and more enriching. Here are some things you should keep in mind while...

As if the basic idea of being in a thin, metal tube 35,000 feet above the earth wasn't enough, the airlines seem to have gone out of their way to make flying about as miserable as possible. To add insult to injury, flying these days means your wallet suffers a slow death by paper cuts...

The results of the location independent survey we told you about earlier are in. We've seen the raw (anonymous) data and there's some interesting things to learn from the numbers. Here's a quick breakdown of the survey courtesy of Free Pursuits which hosted it: 268 people completed the survey with about twice as many respondents...

A recent post at Matt Gross's Frugal Traveler blog sparked a heated debate among readers. The post, entitled "Making Vacation Last for Months" , discussed the experiences of two long term travelers - Emerson Breneman and Sean Wallace. To my surprise, the article elicited the following comments: Oh. I usually just called these people bums....

For most travelers, even vagabonds, hitchhiking is not something that normally enters into the list of travel options. But for others, like Aaron Bell, who has been hitchhiking around the world for seven years, hitchhiking is more than an option, it's the main way to get around. To prove that hitchhiking doesn't deserve the reputation...

If forced to choose, I'd easily pick a trip abroad over a lot of things in my life. For some reason, it's hard for me to remember that. That's what the TravelMuse Yaycations Calculator is for. It brings a reality check to the mix, calculating 20 expenses that you might consider giving up in order...

Travel writer extraordinaire Pico Iyer recently published a thoughtful column in the New York Times about The Joy of Less . Iyer's point is one that I think all vagabonds eventually embrace -- the less you need the happier you will be. While there is no formula for happiness, voluntary simplicity certainly seems to be...

Most vagabonds are no strangers to long trips and living frugally on the road to make that carefully hoarded cash last as long as possible. But there's also a new breed of traveler, not exactly vagabonds in the traditional sense, whose existence is almost entirely enabled by the internet. Terms vary, but the one that...

Most of us don't think of travel as a political act. And sadly, those that do -- at least from what I've observed traveling -- seem to think that means taking your politics with you on the road. If ever there was something you should absolutely leave at home ... But travel can be a...

In Tone Deaf in Bangkok , Janet Brown does a remarkable job of capturing daily life in Bangkok and chronicling her transformation from her early days exploring the city as a farang to settling into the rhythms of the city to her eventual journey back to the United States. Nana Chen's photography accompanies Janet Brown's...

A few more contests have popped up for those with a penchant for the camera or camcorder while on the road. Give 'em a shot! (Pun not intended.) Verge's Travel With Purpose Photo Contest Win: Grand prize wins CAD$1000. Travellers' Choice wins $1000 toward a Cross-Cultural Solutions volunteer vacation. To apply: Submit your favorite travel...

When you hit the road these days are you still using a guidebook? Or have you moved on to smartphones, netbooks and mobile guides/applications? I'm still touting a guidebook myself, but I'm wondering how much longer that will last. Conde Nast recently sent three writers off to Moscow in the dead of winter -- one...

What do you do when global economic chaos nixes your travel plans? For some the answer is bartering. It's the original form of economy: you have skills, other people have guesthouses or unused frequent flier miles -- why not swap what you have for what you want? The May issue of Budget Travel has an...

Good news for artists, writers, musicians, and other creative-types! If you need more incentive for extended travel, The Economist confirms what you (and Picasso, and Gauguin) might've suspected—living abroad boosts creativity. I can definitely see the connection. Because the traveler likely finds new inspiration around every corner and often needs to wing it with a...

Ask ten people and you'll get ten different answers. Part of that is understandable -- it depends where you go, how you travel and what you want to do. But what if you just want a solid figure, a rough estimate? That's a question long time traveler Nora Dunn recently set out to answer over...

Last chance to polish up that travel article that's been rattling around on your computer or in your brain to enter the Bradt Travel Guides / The Independent on Sunday contest! This year's theme is "Destination Unknown". Entries must be under 800 words and submitted by noon on May 15. The first place winner will...

I'm always curious about alternatives to mainstream travel, so when I heard about this option for accommodations I was intrigued. AirBnB is a website where locals offer a place in their home (be it an airbed, bed, or entire home) where you can sleep for the night and get a more local experience than at...

You've heard of the Rhodes Scholarship? Well, how about Digital Vagabonding's " Roads Scholarship "? You can win a three-month road trip across North America by applying to this scholarship sponsored by the delectable and useful Digital Vagabonding site. Pat, the Digital Vagabonder himself, gave up the home-bound life for the road in his early...

In an age when many people doubt that it's realistic to travel or find work, it's great to see someone who's combining both to prove them wrong. Check out Daniel Seddiqui's undertaking: traveling to all 50 states and working 50 different careers in 50 weeks. His website, LivingTheMap.com shows that he's more than half-way done—now...

Some snobbish travelers like to say they don't use guidebooks, they don't do research and that you do should plan less, forget the map and let your happy, happy soul lead you to travel bliss. Here's thought: throwing away the guidebook, being willfully ignorant and walking in circles is a recipe for getting ripped off,...