Solo Traveler Book Recommendation - Giant Steps

My latest book recommendation for solo travelers is Giant Steps: The Remarkable Story of the Goliath Expedition From Punta Arenas to Russia. The back story is that in November 1998, Karl Bushby, a 29-year-old British ex-paratrooper, set out to walk from Punta Arenas in far southern Chile to his home in Hull, England. That’s a […]

“In Paris they just simply opened their eyes and stared when we spoke to them in French! We never did succeed in making those idiots understand their own language.” ― Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad

Tales from the Road: Villareal rodeo

During the third week of March each year, the small town of Villareal, Costa Rica holds its annual Fiestas Patronales (Patron Saint Festival). Designed to celebrate and showcase the bravery and skills of the local cattlemen, it’s the biggest event in this little corner of Guanacaste Province. The Villareal rodeo is the highlight of the […]

Survival tips for long bus trips

You might be asking yourself, “Why would anyone need survival tips for long bus trips?” Aren’t long distance bus trips inherently exciting for the solo traveler? Getting all the way from Point A to Point B at a fraction of the cost of flying. Being at eye level with the landscape. Kicking back and soaking […]

top travel apps - Google Translate

When traveling in non-English speaking countries and Australia the Google Translate app is my lifeline. In fact, it’s probably the most valuable travel app I’ve got on my smartphone. And the great thing about this free translation tool is that it’s being continually updated by some of the best developers in the business. Which means […]

Atocha Station, Madrid

So I recently spent the weekend in Madrid meeting up with an old friend from Japan. We had a great time hitting the regular haunts. Hemingway’s bar in Plaza Santa Ana, where we took turns throwing tapas at passing tourists. Museo del Prado, where I earned bonus points for staying awake while viewing all 500 […]

Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain. ― Jack Kerouac

The Great Railway Bazaar

Ten-second book summary First published in 1975, Paul Theroux’s The Great Railway Bazaar chronicles the author’s four-month rail journey from England to Japan via the Middle East and Asia and back again via Russia. Despite its age or perhaps because of it, it’s a very entertaining and surprisingly honest and refreshing read. Realistic details, not […]

Irish town

AirBnB is very popular, widespread, and fairly reasonably priced in Ireland. As a result, you’ll find that most towns currently offer a wide variety of rental options to tourists. The first part of this post lets you know what to expect in a typical Irish AirBnB and gives you some advice on what to bring […]

I abide by a few hard and fast rules. I will not advance the expedition using any form of transport other than my feet, and, if I must detour — for example, to renew a visa — I resume the walk from the exact spot where I left off. ― Karl Bushby, Giant Steps Click here to read […]

top travel apps - Meetup.com

One of the newest travel apps I’ve added to my smartphone is Meetup.com and it’s rapidly becoming a staple of my social life. This despite having the worst corporate logo I’ve ever seen. I’d love to pick the brains of the Meetup Marketing team that decided that “bloodsplatter” was the imagery they wanted to associate […]

By Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz) - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=86067624

So here I am in San Jose, Costa Rica, the only city I’ve ever been in that’s uglier than San Jose, California. And for those of you who have never been to San Jose, California, let me tell you, that’s saying a lot. The two towns actually have a lot in common: they’re wholly uninspiring, […]

“When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money.”  – Susan Heller

Wicklow countryside

Welcome to the first entry in OnTheGoSolo.com’s blog series “Griz’s Ultimate Guide to Ireland“ Each month our resident traveler errant, Griz Mitchell, will publish a collection of informative, and we hope entertaining, posts on a particular country he has lived in. If he sticks with it—and he’s kind of temperamental, so we’re not making any […]

solo traveler book recommendation: Into the Wild

When trying to come up with a solo traveler book recommendation, a number of excellent works immediately spring to mind. Jon Krakauer’s 1997 non-fiction work Into the Wild tops the list, though, because of its ability to simultaneously inspire and haunt readers. I consider it a must-read for all of those who wander in search of something […]

“The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence, there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.” ― Chris McCandless’ letter to Ron Franz (Chapter 6 of Into the Wild) Click here to read our review of […]

Nice links

The following information about Nice should prove useful as you explore France’s fifth largest city. If there is any additional information you think we should add, please let us know via the COMMENT form at the bottom of the page. Weather Click for weather forecast Emergency Services Dial 112 if you are in urgent need […]

Best places to sunbathe and swim in Nice

With summer 2024 rapidly approaching (in the northern hemisphere, at least), it seems like a good time to put together this insider’s guide to the 4 best places to sunbathe and swim in Nice. It contains current and detailed information about my favorite places to cool off and mellow out during the warmer months. As […]

Review of The Good Girl's Guide to Getting Lost

My latest book recommendation for solo travelers is The Good Girl’s Guide to Getting Lost. It’s the true story of author Rachel Friedman’s personal evolution through travel. In the beginning, she’s your stereotypical “good girl.” She tries to please everyone and focuses so much on that, she can’t see anything beyond her immediate surrounds. And […]

Malta to Sicily Ferry

Update: May 15, 2022 From the look of it, Grimaldi Lines is no longer operating a passenger service between Malta and Sicily. That said, you still have two ferry lines to choose from. Ponte ferries announced four days ago that they will be resuming their fast ferry service between Valletta and Augusta, Sicily this coming […]

Maybe this is what travel gives you—or gives you back, in most cases—that childlike sense of wonder, and with it a kid-style openness where you want to finger-paint with anyone and everyone who shows up. Maybe it’s because people are in such an open state, on the road ready to absorb all the experiences and […]

When one walks one can also talk, one can stop and have time for others, one can eat and touch people and interact with them. Walking allows us a particular life-pace. It makes possible a way of understanding and looking with open eyes. — Tony Doherty, The Attachment: Letters from a Most Unlikely Friendship

Ancona Split ferry

What this post covers If you’re arriving by train to Ancona station and need to pick up your Ancona to Split ferry tickets, this blog post should make the process a lot less confusing. Because let me tell you, there’s nothing intuitive about any of it. I took the ferry on March 26, 2019 and […]

best food in Nice

If you’re looking for the best food in Nice France, you have an abundance of great places to choose from. On both sides of Castle Hill, you’ll find a wide variety of excellent restaurants, cafes, boulangeries, and patisseries providing delicious meals and drinks at all price points. The following list aims to narrow down the […]

Photo by Victor Garcia

Overview If you’re looking for cool places to visit in Madrid, you’re in luck. The city is teeming with world-class museums, beautiful architecture, great restaurants, and vibrant public places. This short guide is intended to highlight some of the better known, lesser known, and over-rated attractions in town. Off the Tourist Track Plaza de Oriente […]