Practical Traveler

articles with practical travel advice and ideas

Couch Surfing Over 50

February 21, 2010
Couch Surfing Over 50

I want to address the fact that, although GoMad Nomad readership is primarily budget, independent travelers, they are NOT all broke twenty-somethings. So I want to talk about the Couch Surfing Project, and how it’s for all ages. It is, however, only applicable for people who are interested in meeting other people. Aren’t I too...
Read more »

Tags: , ,
Posted in Practical Traveler | 2 Comments »

Crossing the Darien Gap

February 13, 2010
Crossing the Darien Gap

When planning your trip between Central and South America, whether you're a backpacker or a luggage puller, Darien National Park must be discussed and crossed. The Darien is an infamous stronghold of the Colombian revolutionary group, FARC, who have inhabited this national park region for more than three decades. Their presence is still a...
Read more »

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Practical Traveler | 1 Comment »

Learning French in France

January 17, 2010
Learning French in France

I was never really interested in France or French, preferring to study a less bourgeois language like Spanish in school. Not that my language prejudice mattered, because like most Americans I never mastered a second language at all. Sure, I later got by hitchhiking in Cuba with my rudimentary Spanish, but I didn't speak...
Read more »

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Practical Traveler | 5 Comments »

Volunteer in the West Bank

December 30, 2009
Volunteer in the West Bank

There is no better way to experience Palestinian culture and get an inside look at life under the Israeli occupation then to go to the West Bank as a volunteer. I was in the midst of a six-month Istanbul to Cairo overland trip when I got an invitation to stay for a month. I...
Read more »

Tags: , ,
Posted in Practical Traveler | 1 Comment »

Volunteer in a Himalayan Village in Nepal

November 15, 2009
Volunteer in a Himalayan Village in Nepal

In this world there are mountain people and there are beach people. This one is for the mountain people and for the mountain people who don’t know they’re mountain people. There aren’t a lot of chances to live in an honest-to-God Himalayan village these days. Here’s one: Village Environment Community Gangkharka (VEC), a small...
Read more »

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Practical Traveler | 2 Comments »

A Guide to Travel Guidebooks

October 19, 2009
A Guide to Travel Guidebooks

Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, Foder’s, Frommer’s, Rick Steves’, Let’s Go, Blue Guides, Bradt...With a multitude of guidebook publishers, choosing the best guidebook for your next trip can be challenging. Which guidebook should you take? Well, it all depends on your personality, how you travel, your budget, and where you’re traveling.
Read more »

Tags: , ,
Posted in Practical Traveler | 7 Comments »

Teaching English in Madrid

October 2, 2009
Teaching English in Madrid

For ESL teachers in Europe, Madrid is an appealing city to base yourself for a year or more and there’s no denying it’s an exciting place to live. Add to this: fantastic weather, friendly locals (known as Madridleños), abundant cultural events, world-class art, and unparalleled nightlife.
Read more »

Tags: , ,
Posted in Practical Traveler | No Comments »

Getting Beyond the Backpacker’s Scene

September 1, 2009
Getting Beyond the Backpacker’s Scene

We’ve all been there. The crowded hostels of Europe. The well-beaten path along the Turkish coast. Khao San Road or Jalan Jaksa’s traveler’s ghettos. You’re getting tired of spending so much money to be so far away from home only to fritter away much of your time drinking and talking your next travel move...
Read more »

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Destinations, Practical Traveler | 7 Comments »

Carefree Travel on the Cheap

June 22, 2009
Carefree Travel on the Cheap

Super “careless” traveler Gilbert Carlson takes us on his overland journey from Palestine to Paris showing us how to free ourselves from the oppressive worries that keep us stressed while traveling.
Read more »

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Practical Traveler | 7 Comments »

Email Newsletter icon, E-mail Newsletter icon, Email List icon, E-mail List icon Sign up for our Email Newsletter

Recent Comments