Years ago, I used to be the major planner on my trips. I’d do extensive research of the area I planned to visit, complete with restaurant reviews, entertainment schedules and seasonal activities. When my feet touched the ground in my destination, I intended to know exactly what I was going to do. Skip forward to...

When I’m choosing what book to take along on a trip, the destination always dictates what I’m inspired to read. The Moviegoer went with me on my first trip to New Orleans. Eduardo Galeano’s Memory of Fire trilogy has accompanied me throughout a handful of trips in Latin America. The Popul Vuh was in my...

Until I visited Colombia, I thought that my favorite hot chocolate was from Mexico. The dose of cinnamon (and sometimes, chile) has caused me to squirrel away a box of Ibarra or Abuelita for those moments when I crave it. But then, in Bogotá, I found something that was even better. Chocolate Santafereño is, at...

The best way to get an in-depth look at a culture is to travel to where it is. No guidebook, TV show or movie can replace the experience of being immersed in the daily life of a place. But when it’s not possible to go everywhere you’d like, books, films and festivals certainly help. If...

Vagabonders can be masters of packing methods, as well as knowing which items are absolutely necessary and which can be left behind. Recently, a Lifehacker article ( Unusual Items Worth Packing on your Next Vacation ) suggests some additional things to consider stashing in your bag before your next big trip. Some of the items...

Often while traveling, it seems that there’s no place immune from a wireless connection. Hotels, cafés—even buses allow you to connect with the world using your cell phone, laptop, or notebook. It’s been many years since I’ve heard someone make a call from an airplane using those seat-back phones: “Hey, you’ll never guess where I’m...

Perhaps the perma-vagabonding life isn’t quite within reach and you need a job that will not only value your love for travel, but also will pay you enough so you can squirrel away cash for that travel. How do you know which companies support a healthy work-life balance? Outside magazine’s May issue helps you weed...

When you're planning a one- or two-week trip somewhere, figuring out your route is essentially the same as figuring out your itinerary. You'll fly into Rome, take a train to Florence , rent a car and drive around Tuscany for a week, and then spend a couple days in Venice before flying home again. People...

Seeing a place for the first time—whether Paris or Machu Picchu—has magical moments that stay in our memories long after the trip is over. And for travelers who want those new experiences, it’s tempting to discourage or eliminate return travel. While I’m drawn to places I haven’t yet visited, there are destinations that I return...

I often find myself staring at Travel Channel programming, even when the show isn’t very compelling to me. Sure, I’ll tune in for Tony Bourdain’s “No Reservations” any time, but sometimes I’ll hang in for the clip shows of best beaches, just to get a look at turquoise water. It doesn’t have to be the...

Over-organizing travel plans—where you’re in a different place each day due to a long checklist of things to see—can actually result in seeing less. Sure, you may get to all the monuments or museums you want, but while the checklist blinders are on, you could be missing out on a lot of local culture. Recently,...

Can seeing new places, meeting new people, and living new lifestyles spark your imagination? SpyreStudios, an online magazine for web designers, thinks so: 5 reasons travel can improve your design work . Here's an excerpt: " Traveling rocks. Practically everyone likes to travel, whether by land, sea or air. And why not? You get excited...

Getting out of your comfort zone on your travels not only opens you up to new experiences, but also teaches you a lot about yourself. It’s advocated by a wide variety of travelers—from Rick Steves to Nicholas Kristof . And when you’ve done it once, it can change the way you travel for the rest...

Three years ago, I changed my travel plans in order to visit friends living in Croatia. The country was definitely on my list, however it didn’t happen to be in the top five “must go now” destinations at the time. What changed my mind? My friends were nearing retirement age, and would soon leave Croatia...

The amount of knowledge you have about a place before you visit can range from nothing to extensive. Hopping off a train or bus randomly, walking across an unfamiliar landscape, or hitchiking. Word of mouth, word of blog, web research or travel books. You can learn about a place through movies or novels -- Mumbai...

It’s easy to get caught up in current events and how they impact us, especially when those events have something to do with the money we have, or more likely, don’t have. But what happens when those events take a toll on your travel dreams? We’ve all had to put off traveling, cancel an already-planned...

It’s sometimes hard to believe there are relatively quiet places in Mexico’s Riviera Maya —the long stretch south of Cancun toward Tulum. I was there only nine years ago, and on a recent trip, I noticed many more hotels dotting the road. But more development doesn’t mean you can’t find a sweet spot in the...

You have a good start. Anyone who's even considered taking a long-term travel break, or even several shorter ones, has to have an adventurous spirit. But how do you stack up against other folks looking for adventure? A post on Gadling this week discussed a recent survey commissioned by Intrepid Travel , which found that...

Claire Litton wrote earlier this week about traveling low-res as a genuine option to lugging all those i-products around. The timing was right on the heels of my recent digital breakdown. I probably should have known better than to plan to do a few social media updates and minor editing tasks while I was spending...

It’s not often that you run into an industry that encourages sabbaticals. In my past employment with Internet portals, only one company’s HR department considered it, but only after you’d worked there 10 years or more. Does that mean you’re out of luck if you’re yearning for a travel break from work? Not according to...