Nomadic Matt recently posted a list called My favorite hostels in the world . Goes to show that low prices don't always mean low quality. You can save money and have a great time. Matt's list spurred me to remember which hostels I've enjoyed over the years. Here are some of my picks: Circus (Berlin,...

Travel is as much an internal journey as an external one. As we move through countries and accumulate stamps in our passports, we're logging miles. However, a more subtle odometer is ticking away in our minds. Our attitudes and personalities evolve as we see more places, meet more people. Dave, a vagabonder who writes "The...

Pop quiz, hotshot: what are the best travel tips you can share? I'm more comfortable writing stories about other travelers. This time, I was on the other side. Jessica Spiegel, a fellow vagablogger, put me in the hot seat in Budget Traveler Interview: Marcus Sortijas . The piece was displayed on the website CheapTicketLinks ,...

There's always trouble going on somewhere in the world, but 2011 has been a particularly wrenching period. Revolution has swept the Middle East; Japan has endured disaster after disaster; America is carrying out military operations in three countries. One has to ask, "Is it safe to travel now?" The answer is "Yes," according to travel...

China is a huge country, and an even bigger topic to tackle in a movie. Filmmaker Brook Silva-Braga took on that daunting challenge in his new documentary, "The China Question." This is the divisive issue that causes American workers to worry, politicians to vacillate, and businesspeople to make deals: "What does China's rise mean for...

The New York Times travel section is recently dedicated to covering the Far East: 37 Asian Odysseys . Although the media is dominated by coverage of Japan's natural and nuclear disaster, the rest of the continent is humming along as usual. With booming economies and traditional cultures, Asia has long had a special place in...

A urinal in Yangon, Myanmar (Burma). Photo: Marcus Sortijas Travel writers have it easy. They get to see the world, express their creativity through storytelling, have adventures--and their company pays for it all! How sweet is that? Seth Kugel, the current writer of The New York Times "Frugal Traveler" column, bursts that bubble in his...

"I have found out there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them." - Tom Sawyer Abroad , by Mark Twain Naturally, we put up a front when we're dating someone. We hide our flaws and try to present our best selves. But what...

Latourex, short for Laboratoire de Tourisme Experimental, is a couple of French charmers who developed their experimental travel techniques to make their trips more interesting. Instead of just doing the same old same old -- go to a place, look at its museums, drink coffee at coffeeshops, attempt to blend in while suavely writing in...

Is the day and age when anyone with the means can set out into the world and explore to their heart's content coming to end? Perhaps the more better question is: does cheap long term travel have a future? Wade Shepard, the author of Vagabond Journey , who has been perpetually traveling for over 11...

Over at Shetravels , an image-intensive, witty travel blog chronicles the account of a woman and her husband who are spending a year traveling around the world. The pictures are basically travel porn: if you can sit at your desk drooling over them and NOT want to give everything up and move to Cambodia, you're...

"Travel is an education" is something many vagabonders would agree with. Who hasn't come back from a trip filled with new knowledge, new friends, and great stories to tell? The personal finance website Mint.com dedicated a blog post to the venerable gap year: The Gap Year: why taking time off to travel is good The...

Having been on the road a fair bit lately, I naturally find myself in the company of other travelers. Conversation invariably turns toward where we’ve been, where we are going, and a highlights list of some of our most dazzling and death defying experiences on the road. Hoping to bump an earlier flight out of...

Traveling alone can be a rush. You don't have that cocoon of familiarity if you travel with friends, which can insulate you from the experience. You're free to come and go as you please. Want to spend the whole day sightseeing? Want to spend the whole day at a coffee shop reading a book? You...

Cheap guesthouses are de rigueur for budget-conscious vagabonds. Unfortunately cheap often means suffering lumpy, rock-hard mattresses, grungy sheets and suspect bedding. While there's not much you can do about mattresses that feel like plywood, when it comes to sheets and bedding, many vagabonds opt for some sort of travel sheet -- a layer between you...

Before we get into the review, let's be honest, no, you don't need the GoLite TraveLite bag. In fact, the old backpack gathering dust in your closet will do just fine. Buy less stuff, travel more. Now that that's out of way, GoLite's TraveLite convertible bag is actually a pretty nice pack for those that...

We like to think that as we travel the world, we leave it as we left it or better. However, an upcoming documentary by Pegi Vail , an anthropologist from Columbia University, looks at the impact that decades of backpackers have had on cultures, economy, and the environment in parts of Thailand, Mali, and Bolivia....

The Finger Lakes Trail is deceptively simple. Looking at the map above, you might think, "What's there to see?" It doesn't trace a rugged coast, doesn't piggyback on the spine of a mountain range, and barely even interlaces with the Finger Lakes. Neither elevation nor landscape varies much -- it's mostly rolling hills. Consequently, the...

Part of the fun of being on the road is the experiences to be found with the great new people you meet while traveling. The road can bring us some hilarious, wise, and challenging characters. However, like many vagabonders, I relish my solitary travels. There’s nothing quite like striking out on your own, literally all...

Most travelers are familiar with the slew of European rail passes offered through Eurail or through your local STA agent. Travelers can purchase country specific passes, lump a few countries together on one pass, or even purchase a “global pass”. Country specific passes are available for 17 European countries, allowing travelers to really get around...