One nice thing about Budget Travel magazine is that they post nearly all their content on their companion Web site, www.BudgetTravelOnline.com . Another is that it’s actually a pretty good magazine. BT Online just got a major upgrade (guess it’s the season for travel site upgrades), so if you haven’t checked it out, yet, now’s...

I don't know about you, but I can't believe it's already June. Summer is here, and that means people are graduating from various levels of school and wanting to get the hell away from a classroom for a little bit. And there's no better way to recuperate from classes than to take a long trip!...

Speaking of Rick Steves… Rick is back on the job in Europe, and you can follow along on his blog, Blog Gone Europe , as he researches his consistently excellent series of Europe guidebooks. If you’re a fan of his books, you’ll especially appreciate the behind-the-scenes looks at how he puts them together (see in...

The government of Singapore is an ambitious one, hoping to increase the population to 6.5 million, up from the current 4.5 million. They welcome immigrants, especially professional educated individuals, as well as encouraging the nation's citizenry to breed, baby, breed. They've also just revealed a forward-thinking option to encourage visiting foreigners to get jobs and...

A Kiwi Family is preparing to embark on a round-the-world journey, with eight kids in tow. How does one prepare to bring eight children around the world? How does one even begin to compile a packing list? Vagablogging interviewed Rachael, the matriarch of the Kiwi Family, to find out. The family has eight children (four...

Congratulations to our friends over at worldhum.com , “the best darn travel Web site, period” (--the South Florida Sun-Sentinel). They’ve just teamed up with the Travel Channel ; meaning more opportunities for them, and more of their already outstanding content for us. For those (likely few) of you who haven’t heard of the site, World...

BootsnAll member Joey Tafuro has been "traveling confused and unprepared through Africa and Asia," or so his blog tagline states. As I write this, Joey is in Cambodia and is in the process of wrapping up his trip - he has chosen to listen to the inner voice telling him it is time to go...

“Fear is essential for courage,” according to John F. Murray. Travelers prove their courage daily on the road, dealing with unknown and rapidly changing situations, often encountering an unsavory soul or two along the way. Sebastian Junger knows fear. As a reporter, he has covered many volatile situations and frequently reports from many world hotspots,...

Just about every American I meet who has just returned from Europe asks the same (rhetorical?) question: Why can’t we have a rail system like that? It’s a good question. Rail travel is (arguably) more convenient and comfortable than flying, and more energy efficient. And, for short and medium-haul trips, sometimes it’s even faster. Yet...

Like to blog? You don’t even need your own blog to enter the Travel Rants Blog-a-Thon Challenge . This contest, which closes at midday GMT on May 31, 2007, is open to anyone who can compose a 350 word or less blog entry that appeals to a traveling audience. Prizes include €200 worth of Amazon...

Traveling is a great way to meet the locals. Dominic Gill had this in mind when he decided to embark on a solo bicycle ride from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Ushuaia, Argentina. But he has an unusual way of attracting locals: he is asking them to help him pedal his tandem bicycle. Dominic's website, Take...

Where I'm sitting, it's really starting to feel like Spring - and Spring Fever is setting in. For some people that means cleaning out their garages. For others that means dreaming of where they'll travel this year. Well, since it's the beginning of the month, it's a perfect time to kick those dreams into high...

Cat and Girl is a regular webcomic written and illustrated by Dorothy Gambrell, featuring (naturally) a girl and a talking cat. The cartoons often tackle subjects like religion, philosophy, fashion, politics, and soft drink slogans, but with a witty and intelligent take on things. Like all good cartoonists, Gambrell examines the concepts we take for...

Matt Gross’s travel column for the New York Times, The Frugal Traveler, is usually good for a travel tip or two. But for folks headed for Europe this summer, Gross's latest column -- on the variety of low-cost European airlines -- is a must-read. If you’ve traveled in Europe in the past decade or so,...

If you like travel and you like games, you'll love BootsnAll's latest contest: the BootsnAll Treasure Hunt , and it begins in May. Unlike some contests, where the winner might get something he or she has no need for and immediately tries to sell, the winner of our contest will get to select the prize...

With over 27 million hits since its debut on December 31, 1999, Dave’s ESL Cafe has enlightened, educated, and inspired countless English as a Second Language teachers. Created by Dave Sperling, the site is a virtual clearinghouse of ESL information. There is an “Idea Cookbook” where teachers exchange ideas on everything from how to tame...

If there’s soft porn on the mounted television in your hotel room on a weekday afternoon, it must be Italy. Which is kind of gross, but surprises like that are part of the fun of traveling. So I love watching a little local t.v. wherever I go. And I love wwwiTV , streaming live broadcasts...

Yesterday, Vagablogging interviewed Cycling Silk expedition members (and childhood friends) Kate Harris and Mel Yule, who joined two companions (Ben Rawluk and Alisha Blechman) to bicycle the Silk Road. Here is part two, the final installment of the interviews: What was the most exciting, rewarding, or frightening moment of your journey? Kate Harris : The...

In 2006, childhood friends Kate Harris and Mel Yule joined two companions (Ben Rawluk and Alisha Blechman) to make their dream of following Marco Polo's trail (by bicycle) on the Silk Road come true. The Cycling Silk team bicycled 5000 km, raising funds for the Kham Aid Foundation , devoted to “helping the people of...

With all the travel-related content on YouTube , maybe it was inevitable. Lonely Planet has jumped on the Web 2.0 bandwagon with LonelyPlanet.tv , a collection of LP- produced and user-generated travel videos. LP TV broadcasts six channels, with content ranging from practical travel advice (the Bluelist and Guerilla Guides channels) to travelogues (the Tripcast...