Travel

Great Alternative Budget Vacation Ideas

Published

5 months ago

October 29, 2022

While many of us dream of traveling the world it’s not always feasible, even for those with the best of intentions. But while you might not have a lot of time or money, luckily there’s more than one way to see the world. Travel is simply the art of going somewhere new and different and exploring everything the place has to offer. It doesn’t matter if you have two days, two weeks, or two months. There are many ways to get on the road and see the world, so here are some budget ways to travel and explore even if you are cash-strapped or time-poor:

Be a local tourist – How often do you visit the tourist sites in your own city? Hardly ever, right? We always put it off until tomorrow, because when we live in a city, there is always a tomorrow. If you’re short on time and money, there’s no better way to spend some free time than to wander your own city. No matter what its size, it has a number of wonders just waiting to be explored. When you become a local tourist, check out of your house and into a hotel, hostel, or guesthouse. It’s important to get out of your familiar environment, because if you stay home, you’ll find something to do around the house and create excuses for why you can’t sightsee. Moving to a different location can help give you that feeling of adventure, excitement, and unfamiliarity. Moreover, be sure to go to your local tourism office and get a city tourism pass. These cards allow you to see a wide range of local attractions for free or reduced prices and can be your way to see your local sites on a budget. They aren’t just for outsiders!

Travel regionally – Travel brings to mind faraway and exotic destinations. Because of that, few people look in their own backyard for adventure, but it offers just as many places to travel. Exploring your own region is an underrated and often overlooked aspect of travel. So you don’t have to fly across an ocean to explore the world. Head to the bookstore, buy a regional guidebook, and see what there is to see in your area. Your backyard holds as many possible travel destinations as does a country half a world away.

Go to National Parks – There’s almost always a park nearby and spending a few days with nature is not only good for your wallet but also good for your soul. Camping, after all, costs very little money. Camping fees in national parks are as little as $15 USD per night in the United States, $15-40 CAD in Canada, $30-60 AUD in Australia, and $17-22 NZD in New Zealand. And in many places in Japan and Europe (especially Scandinavia), you can camp on public lands for free. Additionally, you go camping stocked with all your own supplies and accommodation so you don’t have to worry about spending lots of extra money. Your food bill can be whatever you spend on groceries and nothing more. You don’t need to love camping to spend time in the national parks, either. Luckily, many parks provide cabins.

Book a last minute cruise – Cruise lines always offer incredible last-minute deals. No ship’s captain wants to leave with half the cabins empty. If you wait until the last minute, you can find some really amazing deals as cruise lines scramble to find passengers. Plus, cruise operators always throw in some on-board amenities, free upgrades, and cash vouchers to sweeten the deal. After you book, keep an eye out on prices, because if they drop, you can often call your travel agent or the cruise company itself to get a partial refund or vouchers to use for dining and alcohol on the boat.

Think outside the box – Travel counter to the prevailing trend. If people are going in the summer, you go in the spring or winter. Skip the popular destinations and head off the beaten path a bit. It might not be the most ideal time to go or your favorite destination, but thinking of unusual places to go and visiting in the off-season are going to save you a lot of money.

Book a last-minute tour – Just like cruises, tours are best booked last-minute. Tour companies need to fill the seats because once that trip departs, they still have the same costs. Why are tours so cheap last-minute? Well, think about how people plan vacations. You get the time off work, you book your vacation, you buy your flight, and you go. Since people pre-book, prices are higher in advance because these companies understand booking patterns and then price accordingly. As departure time nears, companies know people aren’t likely to turn up and book on departure day, so they sweeten the price to increase bookings. So take the time off work, wait until the week before, see what’s cheap, and then go.

Become a house sitter – Accommodation can eat into the cost of a trip big-time. A way around that is to stay somewhere for free. A unique way to overcome this is to house-sit for someone while they are on vacation. You get free accommodation, a kitchen to cook in, and the chance to explore a destination in depth. It’s a pretty unique way to travel and one that a lot of world travelers take advantage of. You can even do this in your own region too, to cut down on transportation costs.

Grab a cheap flight – Nowadays, you don’t have to guess where the cheapest flight from your home would be. You can look up a whole list of flights using a site like Momondo or Google Flights. With those sites you can type in “(the closest airport to you)” for your departure city and “everywhere” for your destination. Then a list of the cheapest flights appears in front of your very eyes, so you can choose where to go within your budget.

Travel

Road Trip! European Edition

Road trips and European vacations are pretty much the two best kinds of vacations out there. So why not combine the two?!

Published

24 mins ago

March 29, 2023

Loren Thorn

Everyone loves a good road trip. There’s just something about getting the hell out of town and hitting the open road that makes you feel alive. But it can also be a fun and entertaining element of a European vacation! Here are some of the best road trip options in all of Europe.

GERMAN ALPINE ROAD, GERMANY

If you’ve ever been a fan of The Sound of Music, then this is the European road trip for you! The incredible combination of snow-peaked mountains and lush greenery will have you shaking your head in amazement every mile along the way. Some of the highlights include King Ludwig’s castle, Lake Constance, and Benediktbeuern Abbey.

RING ROAD, ICELAND

Thanks to its breathtaking views and delightfully cold weather, Iceland is quickly becoming one of the hottest vacation destinations in all of Europe. And if you want to get a road trip in while you’re there, Ring Road is the place to go. This whole trip can be done in just about 12-14 hours but has plenty of amazing volcanoes, icebergs, and hot springs along the way.

ITALIAN LAKES AND THE DOLOMITES, ITALY

What else can you say about Italy at this point? It’s just an incredible country that everyone needs to experience at least once. And what better way to do it that with a countryside road trip! This one is best enjoyed when given ample time, even as much as a full week. There are countless perfect lakes and quaint as they come villages along the drive. Just be sure to do it in the summer, and the area starts to see snow in the fall.

RING OF KERRY, IRELAND

Similar to Iceland, Ireland is a very popular vacation destination these days thanks to its incredible views and bundle-up-worthy weather. Sure, there are great Irish cities like Dublin, but if you really want to experience Ireland you should hit the Ring of Kerry in the southern part of the country. It’s only about 180 miles long, but you’ll see enough waterfalls, mountains, and castles to make you feel like you really did Ireland right.

AIX-EN-PROVENCE TO CASTELLANE, FRANCE

It’s no surprise that France is a beautiful and vacation-worthy country. But the drive from Aix-en-Provence to Castellane is rarely talked about as a must-see… and it should be. The incredible fields of lavender alone make it beyond worth it, but then once you’ve made it to the unbelievable beauty of Verdon Gorge you’ll be happy with your choice. Just be prepared, some of the mountain passes include some very narrow and winding roads!

NORTH COAST 500, SCOTLAND

This route is named as such because it covers a whopping 516 miles. But nearly every one of them is worth it if you want to have a great road trip experience during your trip to Scotland. You’ll catch plenty of lochs, mountains, rolling glens, and, of course, a few castles. There are even some amazing whiskey distilleries along the way. But you stop in one of those be sure you’re just grabbing some whiskey for later when you’re not driving.

Travel

Spend a Day With Nature: The Camping Trip Essentials You Should Always Pack

Published

1 day ago

March 28, 2023

Adam T

Getting out into the great outdoors is one of the best ways to become in tune with nature.

Going off the beaten path and finding your own campsite is a great way to unplug and unwind after a stressful week of work.

Although camping is fun, never go unprepared. Keep reading to discover our ultimate list of camping trip essentials you should always pack on your campaign trips.

Bathroom Essentials

No matter where you end up camping you’re going to need to use the bathroom and wash up. Be sure to pack the following:

Toothbrush & toothpaste
Shampoo, conditioner & body wash
Towel & washcloth
Toilet paper
Hand soap

Depending on where you end up camping they may have restrooms, but if not it’s always good to be prepared with extras of everything. This camping towel is great because it dries quickly so you don’t have to worry as much about whether your towel is going to be ready for you when you’re ready for it.

Sleeping and Resting Equipment

If this is your first camping trip you may not be considering where you’re sleeping, but you definitely need to. Do you need a tent or sleeping bag? Are you sleeping in an RV or another camper?

Make sure you pack at least a sleeping bag, a pillow, and maybe even an extra blanket if you expect it to be cold while you’re camping.

Types of Food and Drinks to Bring

Unless you’re truly roughing it and hunting to eat, you should also pack camping trip food essentials. Bring items that don’t have to be heated to eat, and are also non-perishable. Check out these easy camping meals and expect to do some meal prepping before you head out.

Don’t forget your water either. Bringing a case of water bottles would be heavy, and isn’t environmentally friendly. Instead, get a filtered water bottle that you can easily fill up and use over and over again while you’re camping.

Electronic Essentials

While you may be camping to get off the grid it’s important to have safety electronics on hand in case of emergencies. Bring your cell phone with you and grab a solar-powered charger so you can keep it ready to go.

Don’t forget that it’s going to get dark at night too. Get yourself a reliable battery powered lantern with extra batteries. You’ll be happy you did this when you’re walking to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

Depending on where you are you may not have any cell service so it’s also a good idea to bring a set of walkie-talkies. This way you’ll always have a sure way to reach either the people you’re with or emergency services.

Get Your Camping Trip Essentials Today

Now that you know our ultimate list of camping trip essentials plan a trip today! This camping trip essentials list will ensure you have the best camping trip possible.

Did you like this content? Then check out the rest of our blog for more great articles.

Travel

Moving To A Job For A 6 Or 12-Month Contract: Tips To Succeed

Published

3 days ago

March 25, 2023

Adam T

Working full-time at a company for years simply is not for everyone. There are those people with great skills that prefer to work on a contract basis. This could be for a year or for 6 months depending on the need of the client. The best aspect of contract work is that hours over 40 per week can be charged at a high rate. This will help reduce the chances of being asked to work a long weekend as it will be very expensive for the company. The truth is that you are not obligated outside of your 40 hours per week to do anything else. Below are tips to help you succeed when you are constantly taking on new contracts in various parts of the country.

Remote Roles Are Superior

The truth is that as a contractor you likely will want to find a remote role. Relocation can come with a number of issues and a multitude of stress. The one variable to consider is that some contractors take jobs in new locations so they can explore the country. The number of remote roles is exploding as so many people are refusing to head back to the office. The pandemic showed companies and professionals that they could maintain productivity while working at home. The convenience led some professionals to vow to never return to a traditional work environment.

Moving To A New City

Moving to a new city for a contract can be a blast as you have a certain amount of time that you will be there. You will likely try to find a rental but purchasing furniture is not something that would be considered a good investment. Furniture rental is likely the best option if you do not want to have to deal with moving furniture across the country when you get another contract. You want to get the most out of living in your new city which likely does not include going shopping for furniture. Take the time to look into all of your options for lodging as well as what part of a city that you would like to live in.

Be Realistic About Your Workload

Contractors can be taken advantage of by some companies as there is very little recourse for them. With this being said, there are contracts that will pay contractors through the entire contract even if they are terminated. You want to be paid on the same level as people that are just as productive as you. Being supremely productive might just lead to more work. You want to thrive in a new contract role without setting expectations far too high to sustain for the entire duration of the contract.

The ability to get new contracts regularly that pay well provides ultimate convenience. The ability to take a few months off after a contract allows you to rejuvenate mentally. Use the tips above so you will never have an issue finding a new contract due to the great reputation you have built.