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Digital “Roads Scholarship”: Win a trip across North America

Here’s a competition to the liking of all you wannabe vagabonds out there…The “Roads Scholarship“ from Digital Vagabonding.com.  Enter and win, and you could be travelling the byways of North America this summer, on someone else’s dime.

In the hopes of “sav(ing) a few talented souls from our culture of consumerism and set(ting) them free on the open road”, Digital Vagabonding will be offering one lucky (worthy) entrant the chance to go on a 3-month long “crash course in vagabonding America”.

Here’s what the winner will scoop:

The winner will be paid a stipend of $1,200 a month to travel North America this summer (June through September of 2009) and share their travel articles and photo essays on Digital Vagabonding.com and on two of the world’s most robust and soulful travel communities – Matador Travel and Travellerspoint Travel Community.

The winner will also get a ticket to the Burning Man Festival, which is held during the first week of September in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada. Two runner up winners will also get free tickets to this ultimate vagabonding event.

So, if you have the “wanderlust to drive into the unknown and the talent to write and photograph it” get your act in gear and apply for the Roads Scholarship before the closing date of May 15th of 2009.

Applicants must be 18 years or older and have a valid drivers license.  To find out more, visit www.digitalvagabonding.com.

Posted in Destinations, General Travel, Travel News, Travel Writing | 2 Comments »

Ryan Air £10 sale - on until midnight Thursday

Well, the Easyjet and Virgin Blue airfare sales might be done and dusted, but if  you missed out (and are still looking for a cheap way to hop around on your travels), Ryan Air is having yet another sale.

The Irish budget airline is offering backpackers one-way airfares on selected European routes, for as little as £10. The offer includes taxes and fees, but look out for any baggage and credit card surcharges they might add on.

Offer is valid for travel in September (blackout periods may apply), and expires at midnight (GMT) on Thursday.

Travel resources backpackers might find useful:
Book hostels – book a hostel at thousands of locations around the world.
RTW flights – book your round-the-world flights at backpacking prices!
Travel Insurance – instant, cheap travel insurance for backpackers

Posted in Destinations, General Travel, Transport, Travel Deals | No Comments »

Is It Getting Too Expensive To Backpack Around Europe?

You’ve been scrimping, you’ve been saving. No more impulse buys or frivolous luxuries – you spend only on what you absolutely positively can not do without… and always from the cheapest supplier possible.

It’s because you’re about to go travelling, you see, so it’s all worth it in the end. The call of the open road, the path less wandered, the whiff of forthcoming adventures-to-be-had keeps your resolve strong and unwavering, your wallet hostile and scrooge-like.

You’re focused.

But what if your master plan was to go to Europe? Are you starting to wonder how far those carefully squirreled away funds would get you now that oil prices are going through the roof, taking airfares into the stratosphere and pushing every other kind of travel expense to new and terrifying heights?

You probably are, and they probably wouldn’t take you as far as you’d like. But, the world is a pretty big place, and though Europe might have been your first choice, there are many many other, much cheaper, options around.

So, don’t give up, and definitely don’t ditch your travel plans. Instead, read this article and get yourself some new ideas, and a new port of call. Then, dare we say it again, get your ass on a plane and go find your adventure!

(Photo: Koh Pha Ngan Sunset, taken from our Backpackers Travel Photo Pool on Flickr)

Posted in Destinations, General Travel, Travel Tips & Planning | 3 Comments »

Virgin Blue’s 72-Hour Flight Sale

Australian budget airline Virgin Blue is having a 72-hour sale on its domestic and selected international flights. Pick up flights from as low as $49 AUD!

The domestic flights offer is valid for travel between the 3rd and 26th of June 2008, and will be available until midnight 22 May 2008 (or when sold out).

Posted in Destinations, General Travel, Transport, Travel Deals | No Comments »

Backpacking in Europe? You’ll Wanna Hear About These Specials…

Summer’s coming to the northern reaches, at long last, and if you’re one of the many backpackers who’ve chosen to explore Europe this year, you might like to take advantage of some of the latest travel specials on the go.

First up, there’s the 2-for-1 Eurostar deal. According to Travelzoo, for a limited period Eurostar you can snap up two return tickets from Ebbsfleet/Asford to Paris, Brussels or Lille for only £58! Seeing as that’s half of the usual lowest rate, it’s a pretty sweet deal indeed. Book before 31 May (but the sooner the better as this one’s bound to sell out danged fast). Visit Travelzoo for more info.

Then, also at Travelzoo, find out the massive hotel sale at Sol Meliá Hotels & Resorts. On offer: 50,000 rooms at a huge selection of its 3- and 4-star European properties at the “ridiculous rate of just £34 (43€) or £43 (54€) a night, including tax”. Sometimes one just needs a break from communal living – and considering these rooms normally cost in the region of 120€ and up, it’s a steal. Sale ends 18 May. Visit Travelzoo to find out more.

And last, but not least, there’s the BmiBaby summer sun sale. Get flights to sunny destinations like Faro, Jersey or Lisbon, starting from only £24.99 one way incl. taxes and charges.

Sale ends midnight Wednesday 21st May 2008.

Travel resources backpackers might find useful:
Hostels in Europe – book a hostel online.
Travel Insurance – instant, cheap travel insurance for backpackers

Posted in Destinations, General Travel, Transport, Travel Deals | No Comments »

Get Your Ass On A Plane: Why Getting Laid Off From Your Job Could Be The Best Thing That Ever Happened

Ever needed an excuse to travel? Probably not, but have you gone beyond dreaming about saddling up your trusty backpack, and actually managed to hit the open road?

Ah, there’s the rub. For there be dragons (aka bills to pay, things to buy, future to secure, blah blah blah…).

In the words of Jason Kester, author of Code on the Road:

“When you get right down to it, you’ll probably find a way to talk yourself out of taking that dream trip. You’ll come up with some pretty believable excuses, but really it will come down to the fact that you’re scared.

That’s cool. Travel is pretty scary when you look at it from the outside. But here’s the thing. It stops being scary the moment your feet hit the pavement on Ko San Road in Bangkok. You’re going to get blasted by 100 degree heat, power-wafted by smells of the most amazing street food one minute and an open sewer the next, assaulted with music from a thousand bars, and crammed into a tiny room overlooking it all with a fan that doesn’t work. And you won’t be able to wipe the silly grin off your face.

Book the flight today, because every day you delay it is one more day wasted on the couch, and one more day to come up with lame excuses for why you shouldn’t go.”

Rock on! If you’re laid off from work, all the better – use the opportunity to book a flight, and head for South East Asia (unless it’s May). It’s cheap, it’s cheerful, and you’ll be so happy ‘you won’t be able to wipe the silly grin off your face’.

Doubts? We all have ‘em, but sometimes you have to just grab the bull by the horns and get out there. The rest will take care of itself. Seriously, read Jason’s post, cover to cover, and then “Get your ass on a plane.”

Posted in Destinations, General Travel, Travel Tips & Planning | No Comments »

You Love Your Travel Blog (But Does Anyone Else Read It?)

So, are you one of those travellers who lovingly and enthusiastically updates your travel blog with all the latest tidbits from your adventures… where you are, what you’re doing, your contemplations and general (totally profound, dude) thoughts on a place.

You think it’s the bee’s knees, metaphorically speaking, but would anyone else agree (ie is anyone else actually reading the thing…other than dutiful family members, that is)?

If you’re not getting the thousands of avid readers you were hoping for (and counting on to help keep you on the road indefinitely), you might have to consider that, actually, your travel blog sucks and you need to make some changes (or give up entirely).

So, take a deep breath and then dive into Chris Mohney’s take on ‘10 Reasons Why Your Travel Blog Sucks‘. And then, try, try again.

(Photo: retro traveler/flickr)

Travel resources backpackers might find useful:
Cheap hostels – find and book your hostel online at special discounted rates
Airtreks Travel Planner – plan your round the world trip with Airtreks
Backpackers Travel Gear – backpacks and other travel gear
Travel Insurance – instant, cheap travel insurance for backpackers
Travel newsletter – sign up for our free monthly travel newsletter ‘From The Road’

Posted in Cool Travel Blogs, General Travel, Travel Writing | 2 Comments »

Doer, Watcher, or Wanderer: What’s Your Backpacking Style?

Are you the kind of traveller who arrives at a new place, guidebook in hand, ready to see everything worth seeing, do everything worth doing, and then move on? Or do you prefer a more laid-back approach, chatting to the locals, absorbing the atmosphere, wallowing in a city’s culture?

Or perhaps you’re just a drifter, not too concerned about where you end up or why, just as long as there’s fun to be had, and booze to be consumed?

Ben Groundwater, of the Sydney Morning Herald Travel Blog today pondered those questions, dividing backpackers into three main types: Doers, Watchers and Wanderers.

Doers arrive with expectations: they ‘line up at the museums to see the important pieces, take the open-topped bus tour around the city to get their bearings, climb all the things that are there to be climbed, see all the things that are supposed to be seen, and, if they do all that, walk away thinking “mission accomplished” ‘.

Watchers, on the other hand, prefer a less mapped out experience. They’re the kind of traveller who could ‘spend a whole afternoon in one cafe, sipping coffee after coffee (or beer after beer), chatting to people, and watching the city’s life go by’.

And then there’s the Wanderers, those with no fixed ideas on what to do, or where to go. Wanderers, Groundwater surmises, ‘don’t have any real purpose for travelling, it’s just another place in which to do what they want to do at home – ie, hang out, get drunk, lie in the sun’ (not that there’s anything wrong with that, he adds).

In my case, I’d say I was somewhere in between a Doer and a Wanderer – there are many things I love to see in a new place, but I don’t like racing from one place to another in a mad rush to ‘see it all’. In between, I like to balance it with some watchful down-time, giving me a chance to absorb the experience instead of it becoming just another stop on a long list of must-sees.

What kind of traveller are you?

(Photo: Werner Schnell/Flickr)

Useful (related) links for backpackers:
Book Hostels – find and book your hostel online
Backpackers Travel Insurance – cover your trip with comprehensive travel insurance from WorldNomads.

Posted in General Travel | 1 Comment »

Tough On A Backpacker’s Budget: The World’s Most Expensive Cities

Travelling around the UK and Europe can be expensive, but there are some cities that will be especially hard on a backpacker’s penny-counting budget. A recent survey by Swiss bank UBS should give travellers an idea of where to be most careful.

According to the survey, Oslo, London and Copenhagen rank as the three most budget-busting cities in the world (Dublin came in fourth), so keep a hawk-eye on your spending if you’re planning on visiting some time soon.

The good news, though, is that American cities are becoming cheaper – weaker dollar et al – with New York slipping down the ranks to a relatively lowly 18th place.

And, what you really want to hear: the world’s cheapest cities for backpackers – Kuala Lumpur, Buenos Aires and Mumbai.

(Source: IOLTravel)

Photo: j.caluk/Flickr

Posted in Destinations, General Travel, Travel News | 1 Comment »

Sterling Easter Sale: Fly Around Europe For Under 40 Euros

Easter time means… even more flight specials for backpackers, of course. Down south there’s the Virgin Blue Easter Holiday Sale, and now for those in the currently colder climes of Europe, looking to explore the continent cheaply there’s the Sterling Easter Sale.

The Copenhagen-based budget airline is offering 200,000 seats on its European routes, for as little as 40 Euros one-way. The offer runs from now until to 27 March 2008, for travel between 13 March to 31 August 2008 (blackout period during high season, from 20 June to 12 August).

Cheapest seats will be mid-week, and off-peak times.

Related entries:
‘Virgin Blue Easter Holiday Sale: Cheap Flights For Backpackers‘
‘Virtual Backpacking: 100 Things to do with Google Maps Mashups‘
‘British Airways Sale On At STA Travel: Great Deals On Travel Between The US And Europe‘

Useful (related) links for backpackers:
Hostels in Europe – find and book your hostel online
Backpackers Travel Insurance – cover your trip with comprehensive travel insurance from WorldNomads.

Posted in Destinations, General Travel, Transport, Travel Deals | 1 Comment »