Where have you tried to sneak in somewhere you weren’t supposed to be?
The Vatican Museum was high on our radar before going to Rome. We always heard about places like the Sistine Chapel, but never knew what they were like in person. We finally got our chance. After waiting in some significant lines, we got to see this beautiful place with so much significant history. It is so grand and holds such beautiful treasures.
World travel exposes individuals to new countries, new cultures, and new languages. It’s all very exciting, but it can also be mildly terrifying – especially if you’re facing a language barrier. So we’re analyzing whether it’s actually necessary to learn the language of the country you’re about to visit.
We have been traveling now for more than five months, and we have been exposed to over 10 different languages on this trip, alone… across multiple situations and with various levels of fluency.
So is another language required for your trip? Let’s take a look.
A big happy Thanksgiving to all our American readers (and even if you aren’t :))! We are very fortunate to be sharing this day of gratitude with a local Couchsurfer, and it has us reflecting on our other generous hosts.
Throughout our travels, we have employed many ways to find low-cost lodging. Some of these are less interactive like house-sitting, where we watch someone’s pets while they are traveling. Other lodging types are more of a cultural exchange like Couchsurfing, and Servas is another option. It is much more focused on the fostering of world peace and values more sustainable travel practices and humanity. When we have the opportunity, this program is a perfect way to gain a better understanding of cultures around the world by living with hosts for a couple of days.
Have you ever heard of Servas? Most people have not as it is relatively small as compared with other similar sites. In this post, we’ll talk about what Servas is and how it started. We’ll also share some of our experiences over the past five months of travel that have made us well-versed in the program. Read on to learn everything you need to know to get started! Continue reading “Traveling with Servas International”
We want to share with you our favorite types of lodging for long-term travel – particularly the free and nearly-free types that let us keep traveling longer (because that’s the end goal, right?). When you’re on the road for as long as we’ve been (and will be), you’ll quickly find that accommodation is one of the most expensive buckets of your budget.
Finding a place to sleep shouldn’t cost your entire life’s savings. Fortunately, in only four months, our food expense has surpassed our lodging. And this isn’t because we absolutely love food (though we do). Rather, it’s because we aren’t spending the money on hotels. Hey, we can’t always afford to stay at a resort!
Read on to discover our favorite programs, what they’re all about, what to watch out for, and how much you can save compared to hotels.
Continue reading “How to Get Free (or Mostly Free) Lodging Around the World”
Norway is one of the most expensive countries in the world. Food, lodging and transportation costs can really add up. Despite these high costs, we were able to do this trip on a budget without sacrificing experiences. We even got by without handling any Norwegian cash until we found some while cleaning out the rental car. Here are our actual expenses from our trip to Norway.
So you’ve got your bags all packed and you’ve set your sights on Portland. You can’t wait to visit – and why not? It’s a great city! You have some awesome activities picked out, you know the best restaurants to hit, and you might have even timed your trip for one of Portland’s summertime festivals.
But there are still a few things you should know before you arrive in the Rose City – things others are unlikely to mention when trying to entice you to visit. To ensure you have the best time possible, here are five things you should not do.
Continue reading “5 Things to Not Do in Portland”
Last week, we shared with you some of our favorite local restaurants. They couldn’t all fit into one post, so I hope you’re still hungry! Here is Part II of our culinary highlights from Portland.
Continue reading “Portland: More of Our Favorite Restaurants”
You’ve gotten the preliminary tour.
You’ve seen the local highlights.
Now, let’s talk about food.
Portland is known as a big foodie town. We love our food. And living here as long as we have, we have found our favorite spots. So when we have guests, here’s where we take them.
Continue reading “Portland: Our Favorite Restaurants”
We get visitors all the time to our humble city – and who can blame them? It’s a popular destination. There are certain spots to which all the guides will point tourists, and those are nice… but there’s so much more to offer. After we’ve given our guests the preliminary tour, we hit up a few of our favorite spots. Here are some things we like to do – as locals – when visitors come to town.
One thing that can take your trip from epic awesomeness to complete misery is getting scammed. It can happen to anyone, but it is good to know what the common scams are in the country you plan to visit. This can help you take precautions to avoid these potential traps and better enjoy your stay. Here are some examples from the simple search of “Scams in [country of your choice].”
Continue reading “Know the Common Scams in Each Country”
