Whether your feet are just starting to itch, you’re mid-way into travel plans, or already on the road, it’s great to be able to reference useful travel information. During my planning phases I was completely overwhelmed with the amount of information available online. Research is fun, but sifting through travel blogs and sites can get tedious. I hope this list can help you quickly find valuable knowledge — Less time planning means more time experiencing!
General Travel
Vagabonding – When it comes to long-term travel, nobody does it better than Rolf Potts. Check out his book Vagabonding and you’ll fly out of your cubicle faster than Peter Gibbons.
Matador Travel – Great travel site/community with useful tips. Lots of info on travel writing as well.
Lonely Planet Thorn Tree – If you want to talk travel with like-minded peers, then this is your community.
BootsnAll – A wealth of information for independent travelers.
Road Junky – Another unique travel community that can help with everything from pre-trip planning and motivation to on-the-road regional advice.
Vagabondish – Just as they say “The Travelzine for Today’s Vagabond.”
World Hum – It’s like a newspaper for travelers…but cooler.
Vagabond Journey – User-friendly, practical guide for budget travel.
Art of Travel – Straight-forward and informative.
What to Bring
This is a super tough question for most people. Many travel bloggers show what they’ve packed, but I often found myself thinking “well my trip isn’t going to be like their trip.” However, there are some basic guidelines.
Gary Arndt of Everything Everywhere gives a photo and clear layout of the essentials.
The Longest Way Home features what he brought and why its necessary.
For an customized list with general to-do’s, try the Universal Packing List
Check out a list and visual of what I’m carrying on my adventures.
How to fund your travels
- Work and volunteer along the way. Check out all of my opportunities for seasonal work.
- Have an amazing idea? Get people excited about it and let them foot the bill with Kickstarter.
- Give up your stuff.
- Couchsurf your way around the world.
- Why pay for a bus when you could Hitch!
