Update: October 24, 2025 Bad news for ferry passengers heading to and from Malta: Both Grimaldi Lines and Ponte ferries have ceased operating passenger service to/from Malta. That leaves only Virtu Ferries to get around that part of the Mediterranean. Rather than relying on internet searches and jumping from one ferry company to another, though, […]
UPDATED OCTOBER 10, 2025 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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Although most people planning to go out to dinner wouldn’t select an Irish pub as a destination, there are some mouthwatering Irish dishes that you mightn’t be aware of. And there are also some that you should probably avoid, even though they’re surprisingly popular. The following are 9 delicious dishes and 3 gross ones that […]
In the spring of 2010 I set off alone on an 8 ½ month trek through Central and South America with no plans, no timetable, and no obligations. From the beginning of March until the middle of November I traveled almost entirely on a whim. I based my itinerary on the conversations I had with […]
The following tips should help you travel safely and travel mindfully when traveling alone. They include issues that you’ll likely have to deal with. Some of them are fairly obvious, like watching out for pickpockets in crowded areas. Others are more subtle, like avoiding putting your bags in the trunk of a taxi if possible. […]
Before leaving on any major trip, I always run through a pre-departure checklist that I’ve put together over the nearly 25 years I’ve been traveling. Some of the items on the list are fairly obvious, but I include them anyway on the assumption that nothing is too obvious to be overlooked. I learned this the […]
Figuring out how to meet people when you travel is one of the hardest but most enjoyable aspects of being a solo traveler. Going beyond checklist tourism to actually experiencing the local customs and culture firsthand. As a solo traveler, you’re in a good position to gain entry into the local community. It’s much easier […]
According to a study conducted by Booking.com, 72% of American women have embarked on solo travel trips. And they usually take three trips or more in a given year. When traveling alone, women need to take unique precautions to keep themselves and their personal information safe. The following link takes you to a post written by […]
One of the constant and largely unavoidable challenges facing solo travelers is how to enjoy dining alone. Restaurants filled with laughter and conversation are great places to go to get to know the pulse of a city. But when you’re all by yourself, that sort of lively atmosphere can leave you feeling overwhelmed and isolated. […]