All you need to know about using smart phones, when you travel

All you need to know about using smart phones, when you travel -

On the first Tuesday of each month, Dave Dean of too many AC adapter gives us tips and advice about tech and gear. He is our resident expert to try new products and to see what so you do not work with the gear at the end, the breaks and a laptop with viruses filled! This month's article is about how to get the best cell phone for when you are traveling.

As a travel tech writer, I get asked smartphones when we travel. The minute we overseas with our phones head, we are met with an overwhelming and confusing jargon, expensive roaming agreements, conflicting advice and work-free transition. Trying to discuss the nuances of GSM frequency bands or iPhone unlock codes with a mobile provider in a dusty Cambodian city is not my idea of ​​fun, and I doubt that it is up to you either.

Because we all want our smartphone to work, when we are on the road, I have put together this guide cover everything you need to know to get your phone up and running, one way or another, if you the road is. It is detailed, but not too complicated, and you money, time and a lot of frustration (and has at the end of additional resources).

Will My Phone work abroad?

The first thing to consider is whether your phone work physically abroad. Different countries and cell companies use different technologies and frequencies, and the phone with them must be compatible to work. The most common cellular technology is GSM, and it is widely used in many parts of the world. CDMA is less common, but it is used by Verizon and Sprint in the United States, and a few support elsewhere -., If your phone CDMA only supported, it is highly unlikely to work internationally

self if you have a GSM phone to do, you still need, however, to ensure that it supports the frequencies used in your goals. For the way to make calls, send texts and receive, and 3G data in many parts of the world, look for the words "Quad Band" or the specific bands 850/00/1800/100 MHz in the technical data. If your phone supports all four, you will not have many problems during the trip. On this page are the exact details GSM frequency for almost every country.

But do not fret, as mobile phones are built these days to work in several countries, so there is a 99% chance your phone work abroad. have found

Once you that, it's the next hurdle:.? Unlocking

What is an unlocked phone and why should I care

when it comes to travel, you will be a lot of talk hear about unlocked phones, which is not much if you do not know what they are and if you have one.

if you got a free or discounted phone signed by a service contract, there is a chance, it is network locked (this is especially true for Americans). This means that your phone company prevented from your phone that other than a private network can be used for anything. In a particularly shady move, some companies in the US even lock mobile phone that you the full price for if you paid specifically bought the unlocked version.

With a locked phone, you are late in paying your cell company roaming tariffs stuck from the minute you land in your destination until you get back home.

Locked phones are common when you. From the United States, Australia and New Zealand, and less in Europe and Asia, where the payment of the are full price for unlocked devices is typical If you are not sure if your phone is locked, ask your cell company.

An unlocked phone is a phone that can be used anywhere in the world. You can replace the SIM card, as you travel around the world and set in local SIM cards as you go.

If roaming really that bad?

Yes, almost always. Your existing cellular plan usually does not apply abroad, and you will usually send much higher rates every time you are invited to make a call, use a text or phone data. Not every company is to its customers to gouge, but stories of people, home to a bill of several thousand dollars for a short trip abroad are by no means uncommon

There are a few with a few exceptions -. T-Mobile in the US includes free SMS (slow) data in more than 0 countries within the dialing plan, and three in the UK expanded your calls, text and data packet to other countries 16 years. If you are not with carriers such as this, then roaming option is best for the left side with corporate expense accounts, as well as the "special" international packages expensive and poor value.

How do I turn my phone?

The good news is that it is often possible, your phone is unlocked to receive; The bad news is that it is not always easy or cheap.

The first step is always to your Cell ask businesses. Policies vary widely, but cell companies in the US, at least to unlock legally after one year prepaid phones and contract phones require, after they have been paid. This page has a good breakdown of the policy in different countries, but even if you are not officially authorized, it is always worth asking.

If you refuse to unlock your phone carrier, you can always try to find the appropriate release code itself. Companies like unlocking based sell such codes for a few dollars. You are not working for any device, guaranteed, but the company says it is your money going back if there is a problem.

The best way to store a separate telephone and specialized unlocking places to go and someone to unlock your phone for you. You can find shops unlock all over the world (mainly in Southeast Asia).

My phone is unlocked. What now?

Once you have unlocked a phone, you can simply buy a local SIM card in your destination. The price, approach and difficulty varies, but you will usually pay between $ 10 and $ 50 / month for a reasonable amount of calls, texts and data at the end. Daily and weekly plans are sometimes available when you are in a country for a shorter period.

This is an inexpensive way to keep telephone and data service connected while on the go. The disadvantage is that every time, need to change SIM cards, you are changing countries, so that you can carry with you a batch of SIM cards around the world at the end (if I remembered to all the places it may I have been!).

What if my phone does not work, or I can not unlock?

if your phone does not go abroad to work, or you can 't get it unlocked, you have a few options:

• Only Wi-Fi use - the smartphone is still a connection via Wi-Fi only in order, so replace with call Skype or Google Voice, SMS with WhatsApp, and to use download a number of offline travel apps when They are a signal off. You will be surprised how well this approach can work, and no notifications all the time is always very refreshing
• buy a budget smartphone -. While many there is waste at the bottom of the smartphone market, there are a few decent phones for travelers under 0 $. My current favorite is the Motorola Moto G - you want to buy a microSD card for some additional memory, but other than that, it's a pretty fast smartphone with a battery that lasts all day and a 5 "screen you actually use want to do: overseas to access the "Global" version for maximum compatibility you still need to buy local SIM cards to put into it
• a telephone rent - you can telephones to... rent the airports and to buy just by different companies before you leave the house, but I would just keep it for a short trip to a particular country, where my usual phone did not work. for something different than that, it is cheaper, a new
• rent a mobile hotspot buy -. Portable Hotspots are small devices that create a wireless network and share a mobile data connection on them - you can usually connect 5 or 10 devices to the network that you are creating. You can rent at an inflated daily for short trips or weekly rate, or you can purchase an unlocked Hotspot and keep a local SIM card in this, as if it were a telephone. The smartphone will treat this like any other Wi-Fi network
• , a tablet with cellular functions Use -. If you already have a 3G / 4G tablet, there is a chance, it was unlocked when you bought. If so, you can use them when you travel instead of a phone - just buy a data only SIM locally, and use Skype and WhatsApp on your phone and SMS requirements. You can also place the tablet as a hotspot, use the connection between the other devices to share
• Buy a disposable cell phone -. If you are a long time in a country and everything you need are calls, texts and perhaps some light web browsing, just buy the cheapest prepaid cell phone, which you can find on the local mobile storage. Sure, there is likely to be complete nonsense, but you can often get these phones with a little credit for much of anything, and they will do the job for a while. The advantage? They are really not when you drop it in the hostel toilet. When it does to the length of your trip survive it happen only to someone else when you leave.

How can you say, your smartphone work abroad without coming home to a huge bill, is not always an easy task. You need to do some footwork - to a minimum, you need to know where you plan to go to it have the exact specifications of the phone, and the details of your contract. Expect to spend some time talking with your cell company, no matter how painful it is likely. I'm sorry.

With a little time, money and effort to the front, but you know exactly what your options are if you are on the road and can for most eventualities prepare. Do your research, avoid the rip-offs, have the right equipment with you, and you will still be able to have a cost associated with travel to the smartphone in hand.

MORE -> a complete guide to travel tech

MORE -> Which is better: a smartphone, laptop or tablet

Dave runs too many adapters, a website dedicated to travelers technology. An outsider, as long as he can remember, he was in IT for 15 years. Now based out of a backpack long Dave writes about traveling and Tech from anywhere with halfway decent internet and great views. You can also use it on the life of a find in long-term travelers conversation What to do Dave?

Saturday Location: Natchez, Mississippi

Saturday Location: Natchez, Mississippi -

Since the Southern cotton economy expands on the back of slave labor in the early 1800s, developed cities to transport the cotton emerged on the Mississippi River :. New Orleans, Memphis, Vicksburg and Natchez

high on the cliffs of the Mississippi, Natchez, Mississippi, was backed by French colonists in 1716 defensible strategic position, would be a turning point for the trade that it is established.

In the mid-19th century, the city attracted southern planters, built the villas, to show their great wealth from the cotton and sugar cane trade. Natchez was where planters came to escape the heat and isolation of plantations. It was the Hamptons of the South - the place where the rich relaxed and socialized

I never Natchez until a few weeks heard before I visited .. While visiting Nashville, I met some local Southern Boys in a bar. Intrigued by my street travel plans, they gave me all the information she could on her home state of Mississippi. I mentioned my wish old Southern Antebellum homes to see.

"That's Natchez. If you want Antebellum homes, Natchez is the place to be," the three guys who. In accordance

You were right.

Natchez was the highlight of my time in the American South. As a former history teacher who specializes in pre-Civil War America, I take a great interest in this part of the country. I am fascinated by the hypocrisy and duality of the pre-Civil War southern society.

On the one hand it was posh, polite and formal. On the other hand, it was brutal racist. South egalitarian views of chivalry, honor and equality extended only to a small part of society, and they found no hypocrisy slaves in possession. ( Note . Reams of theses and books were engrossed in Southern culture If you are looking to find out more, check out Ken Burns' The Civil War and The Fall of the House of Dixie :. of civil war and social revolution that the South Transformed )

Natchez is a beautiful city. Secession feeling never ran up here, and the city passed quickly in the Union Army in 1862. None of the destruction that took place in other cities has occurred here, intact to leave the city.

Today, Natchez tourism trade instead of cotton. Visitors to the historic homes and the surrounding National Park (Natchez Trace) and playing to get on riverboats this small town upright.

But the old houses are the biggest attraction.

By today's standards they are tiny suburban homes. They would not stop and think, "Wow, that a villa!" But for the time, these houses were a decorated evidence of the great wealth "planters, with high ceilings, intricate wallpaper designs and several stories, and they were filled with fine china carpets and furniture.

10 of the larger not to visit occupied houses (one for $ 12 or three for $ 30). of the five I saw, I was a big fan of Longwood (the best grounds and unique home), Rosalie (the most beautiful interiors) and Stanton Hall (the best reasons) During the Natchez Pilgrimage in spring, 24 open additional private historic homes to the public on the costumed guides -.. some descendants of the original owners - tell the story of the house, her family and the region, it is the biggest annual event. the city.

There are also a number of self-guided walks that meander through the town. on the way past markers give you the history of the building, in the neighborhood, and the people who at home called.

There is Kings Tavern, built in 1769, (and haunted, according to legend, the most) to the oldest bar in the city. Walk towards Riverboat Casino, you will come across what is left of Natchez Under the Hill. This unique vibrant port area of ​​the city was where longshoremen, prostitutes and drunkards socialized. It was the dark side of the city during the boom times. Now a sanitized street of restaurants and bars, it still contains the oldest bar on the Mississippi, under the hill Saloon.

Natchez is beautiful and elegant. I loved strolling around the streets, marveling at the beautiful houses, the Kings stop Tavern for wine while avoiding ghosts and in the park as the sun sets over the Mississippi.

[1945001gesetztsitzend] The disadvantage of Natchez is that it is expensive. There are no hostels, and I could not find any Couchsurfing host, only hotels. Even if you stay in one of the antebellum homes, they are not cheap, about $ 0-0 per night costs (including breakfast).

The head? While accommodation is expensive, food and drinks are relatively cheap, with a range of sandwich and BBQ joints in town offers meals for under $ 10.

Natchez can be seen on a weekend. It can no budget his destination, but if you are looking to learn about American history, you will find beautiful houses, and a destination off the beaten path to visit for most travelers (visitors here are to be generally from the region), visit Natchez.

17 Tech-Related Travel questions (and answers!)

17 Tech-Related Travel questions (and answers!) -

On the first Tuesday of each month, Dave Dean of too many adapters gives us good tips and advice on travel Tech and gear. In this month, he answers all your tech questions.

I have asked a lot about travel technology every day, especially since I started writing on this website. So this month, rather than to devote an article on a topic, I decided to answer many of your travel tech questions. We cover a wide range of issues - Transmission, security, applications to stay connected, and many more. Without further ado, here are your questions and the best answers!

If a laptop or a tablet preferred if blogging / working from the road?
For working / blogging Travellers I do not recommend a tablet - and you will need for a laptop or a hybrid device. While it is possible, only one tablet and a few accessories to work with, it is frustrating: Apps are more limited, such as processor speed and storage. Typing is slower than on a real keyboard and even files and print documents copying is frustrating.

Assuming you can get a good laptop or hybrid, which weighs 2-3 pounds. for under $ 1,000 will save the time and trouble you have, is worth the extra few hundred dollars. I am not suggesting a Chromebook for the road work, but - even better suffer similar tablets app restrictions, need a decent Internet connection to be really useful, and have little built-in memory. My current recommendations for laptops and hybrids are here.

If you could only buy a few pieces of gear, what would you buy?
You can do anything with a decent smartphone do. New iPhone and high-end Android phones are quite good for video and still images, as long as you have enough memory. Internet access is not a problem, especially when the phone is locked. As phone screens getting bigger, to read to them e-books is fine if you are in direct sunlight. Journaling will be a little painful if you enter a lot of text, but if you find that is a big problem when you're on the road, you can always pick up a little Bluetooth keyboard.

Since you'll use your phone for anything, I would suggest, as well as a portable battery addition - something like the Mazzo PowerDrive, if you want to allow additional space, nothing else or with a capacity of about 8000mAh more is fine

What suggestions do you have to protect your information while Wi-Fi with in hostels, cafes, etc.?
be sure to use a VPN and antivirus software. I have AVG Free on my laptop, phone and tablet. As far as VPN's, I Witopia for a few years and was happy with him used. Tunnel Bear is another good option, which includes a basic free plan. If you travel with multiple devices, make sure that everything you use VPN on all of them work (ideally at the same time). Here is more on data security for travelers.

What are your top 5 travel applications are, actually help save time and money?
top five ... hmm, that is hard! Let's go with Tripit (accommodation and transportation reservations all in one place), here maps (the best offline maps software that I have found), Triposo (possibility detailed guide), Google Translate (translated text, voice and images) and XE Currency (know the exchange rate, when to negotiate prices). Even better, they all work partially or completely in offline mode.

What is a gadget that you do not leave home without it?
As boring as it sounds, it has my smartphone to be (a Nexus 5). I'll at least the camera and a navigation app on the street use every day, and it has become an indispensable travel help for me. Of course, that does not mean that I never turn it off.

What the two-factor authentication methods you on your accounts (email, banks, others) while you are traveling?
I use Google Authenticator on my phone whenever I can - it does not have to be connected to the Internet to work and gives me the two-factor authentication for things like Facebook, Dropbox, Gmail and more

. My bank situation was a problem until recently - my main bank in Australia and would only accept an Australian mobile number to send SMS codes. I needed a small loan to keep it for this purpose only a prepaid SIM Australian and replace it every time I transfer money online are needed. I switched to another Australian bank recently and it lets me use an international number - so I use now a (US-based) Google Voice number and SMS code through the Hangouts app on my phone or laptop rather receive. Much better!

I plan to try (trying) to use Amazon Prime image memory when I am traveling internationally. Is there a better service for? Is there a way to get a better, more reliable connection?
If you are already a Prime member, his unlimited photo storage system is as good as any other cloud service. Since Internet connections are often not available or only very slowly, I always recommend a local backup option with (portable hard disk, high-capacity USB flash drive, or the like). Unlike Wi-Fi optimization tips that I mentioned above, there is not much more you can do to really improve upload speeds when you first reduce photo sizes, what you should not do.

I currently have an iPhone. Should I look for another brand? What would you recommend?
If you are satisfied with the iPhone have, there is no need to change it. If not, take a look at my smartphone recommendations page - there are ways for it different budgets. The Motorola Moto G, for example, is open as a good choice and the costs under 0 $.

Is there a universal / cheap Mi-Fi that wherever I work to go?
If you are looking for a with an inexpensive international data plan, not really. You might be able to put something together with a Mi-Fi access and a SIM card and plan from T-Mobile in the US and three in the UK, but to be honest I would probably only in each country and local data buy sIM cards and use them in an unlocked hotspot as follows. You will get higher speeds and larger data caps for less money

There are certain brands that better than other Wi-Fi
Not really.? - It is quite variable, are also in the same chain.

If upload pictures to the cloud, there is something I should do (VPN, encryption) are?
It depends on the software and services you use to do it, and how much you trust him. I use CrashPlan for both local and cloud backups and how the data is encrypted before leaving my laptop, I do not bother a VPN or additional encryption.

Travel with a laptop locking cable? Is there a smart way to lock my laptop when traveling, such as a better, secure locking software
I do not use locking cable - I just connect my laptop in the bag, if I leave it behind and sitting on a wall with his back and as far from the door as possible, when I am working in cafes. A strong password and full disk encryption is the best way to protect the data on your laptop if it will not be stolen along with automatic backups and a good travel insurance.

Is there software out there that duplicates your computer 100%? I will be traveling with a Macbook.
I do not use a Mac, but it looks like Super Duper doing what you're after. I would suggest using it in addition to a standard Time Machine backup.

What do you use to recharge your laptop when flying?
I do not. If there is no power available on board, I turn the brightness down, hold it in airplane mode, and work until the battery is empty. There are portable batteries, which can charge a laptop, but they are heavy and expensive, so I do not bother with them.

Is there a way, an Ethernet connection (network cable) to divide the space into two Ethernet connections in case there is no Wi-Fi?
There is, but I would probably approach the problem differently. Both Windows and MacOS you can share an Ethernet connection via Wi-Fi -. They create their own wireless network that you connect your other devices and all Internet traffic passes through the network cable

Do you have a Skype phone number? Or use Google Voice or only use your own phone?
I do not have Skype phone number, even though I saw it in a few times. I use a Google Voice number for banks (see above) and receive occasional calls from the United States. I buy local SIM cards usually, I also give out to my local number, those who need it at the time. Most of the time, although I only make calls via the Skype desktop or mobile app and receive.

Have you change the SIM card of the phone or simply buy a local phone?
I always buy unlocked phones and swap SIM cards when I will be in a new country more than a week.

******* If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them in the comments.

Dave runs too many adapters, a website dedicated to technology for travelers. An outsider, as long as he can remember, he was for 15 years in the IT. Now based out of a backpack long Dave writes about traveling and Tech from anywhere with halfway decent internet and great views. You can also use it on the life of a find in long-term travelers conversation What to do Dave?

How to $ 50 per day

How to $ 50 per day -

The Great American Road Trip is a rite of passage to travel to the States in the United States. We Americans have a unique fascination with the open road. It is built into our cultural DNA. In Jazz Age America, the car was a symbol of freedom - a chance to escape their small town and the watchful eyes of parents. Since the highway system was developed in the 1950s, set off a wave of children on the streets of the country to explore, new life in America's car and road trip culture. Today, many still dream in a car to get in and drive wide open spaces for months on end

And I have to do just that -. For four and a half months and 13,000 miles I traveled to all corners of this country.

in diversity and scope, the United States is great.

But this is not a post is (this post) over the United States over fawning. This article is about how you can travel around the United States on a budget, because, as it turns out, this country is incredibly easy to travel on the cheap.

In this post I will explain how much I spent and show you how you can save money on your trip.

Traveling to 116 days around the United States, I spent $ 6,262.67 or $ 53.98 per day. While slightly higher than $ 50 per day, there were many parts of my budget, I splurged (see analysis below) the number wrong upwards. I guess you could visit the country even cheaper if you do not have on my addiction to Starbucks or sushi. Here's how the numbers of my US road trip break:

Accommodation: $ 1,036.36
Food: $ 3,258.23
Beverages: $ 438.94
gas: $ 696.98
Parking: $ 253.00
Bucks: 75, $ 26
Other (movies, toothpaste, shampoo, conferences, etc.) .: $ 170.00
interest $ 269.40
taxis : $ 41.00
bus: $ 17.50
Metro: $ 6.00

injured a few things my budget. My Starbucks Addiction * was unnecessary and to my cost. Moreover, as a lover of sushi, various restaurants while traveling around trying drastically increased my food costs. Sushi, after all, is not cheap. Generally I ate as if I was not on a budget and rarely cooked, why were my food costs so high compared to everything else. I would have gone definitely under $ 50, if I bothered to cook more often

But while I indulged in some places, three other things is to keep me really helped costs low. First, the gas prices were low, around $ 2.35 per gallon for the duration of my trip ( Update 2016 : They are even lower now!) On average. Second, if you drop the big cities, leaving prices for everything by almost half. Thirdly, I and used hotel points often down to keep Couchsurfed accommodation costs.

Overall, while I could have done better, and I did not do badly and I am happy about how much I spent. So as you can see, it does not need to be expensive to travel around the United States, but as you do to reduce these costs? What are the tips and tricks?

How to save money on your trip

There are numerous ways to the United States to travel on a budget. Whether you want to make it cheaper, as I have done, or splurge a bit more, there are ways to reduce your costs and your expenses are focused on what matters most to you. Here's how to reduce your costs, without cutting into your experience!

Accommodations

This will be your biggest fixed costs, and reduce it to do the most to reduce your overall costs. Fortunately, you have many options:

Couchsurfing - CouchSurfing is a service that allows you free to stay with the locals. Using this site, or similar is the best way to reduce accommodation costs, since you do not get cheaper than free. More than that, it is a wonderful way to meet locals and off-the-beaten-track stuff around you visit do. The page is a win-win situation: you cool people and save money at the same time meet! I Couchsurfed in Richmond, Napa, Reno, Phoenix, and several other cities. There are so many hosts in the United States, you will rarely trouble finding someone you can find to put up

With Airbnb -. A convenient alternative to the cheap hotels above Airbnb is a service that allows you to stay in people's homes and apartments. It is much more comfortable than any hotel! You can get a lot of singles and common spaces for $ 30-40 per night, see. I have this option much on my trip. Prices are affordable, you live in a beautiful house, you have access to a kitchen, and you get to cool to meet people

Staying in cheap hotels -. If you can not find a couchsurfing or Airbnb to use at the last minute, there is an abundance of cheap roadside rand ~~ POS = HEADCOMP hotels like Motel 6 and Super 8 to the rescue. Rooms start around $ 40 per night, including taxes but they are working to be an average of $ 60. The rooms are simple and always look well worn. You will get a bed, bathroom, TV, small closet, and maybe a desk. You are to write nothing else to sleep at home, but for a quiet place for the night, they do the trick. . Tip: Even if you are traveling with someone, say always room for one person is because these hotels you charge more for two people

Hotel Points - Make on it, register for Hotel credit cards before you go these points and use when you are traveling. You can get a signup bonus, translating into a week's worth of lodging upwards of 70,000 points. The points were very useful in places where I could not find any Airbnb, hostel or couchsurfing host. This saved my butt in major cities throughout the country. I was glad that I had arisen before my trip so many hotel points. Be aware that most hotels charge in the big cities parking fees if you have a car, and adjust your budget accordingly. (To find out how much you get, how to get many hotel points, read this post.)

Lodging - There are not many hostels in the United States, and most of them are overpriced. A sleeping room typically costs about $ 30 per night, which means that you get a similar private room on Airbnb for the same price. If you are traveling with others, a budget hotel, it is often cheaper to obtain than a few dorm beds. but if you are traveling solo and want to meet others who benefits can the lack of a value exceeding. There were only a few times I did not want to be alone - I wanted to be other people. Some hostels I loved: Sweat Pea (Asheville, NC), South Beach Hostel (Miami), India House (New Orleans), Jazz Hostels (NYC), International House (San Diego ), and the green turtle (San Francisco and Seattle)

Camping -. to all national parks are inexpensive campsites, so if you have an RV or transmission, my recommendation to the warehouse if the parks to visit. Campsites are between $ 10-30 per night. In addition, you can download a TON of RV parks and campgrounds around the country on the national company KOA for $ 20-30 per night, see. In addition, check out the Sharing Economy website

to hold camp in my garden, where you can camp in the backyard people for a small fee

My recommendations for the prices low. CouchSurfing Try as often as possible, use Airbnb or hotel points in major cities, staying in hostels, if you want a good social scene and camp in the National Parks.

Food

cook your own meals and avoid expensive meals and restaurants, as much as possible. If you are looking to find cheap food, use Yelp People CouchSurfing on websites!, Ask or inquire on the desks in hostels. Avoid Whole Foods. Avoid trying to eat sushi as I everywhere! Do not feed cook your Starbucks addiction and often. The food in the United States is very affordable and there is no travel Ninja Hacking techniques to help. Easy cooking, save and be happy

Sightseeing

There are three ways to lower your tour costs .:

A national parks pass - For $ 80, you can get an annual National parks pass, which provides access to all 59 national parks (managed by the National Park service and other recreational areas). At $ 15-20 a visit, five during your trip to see what makes pass a money saver. When you visit your first Park, just buy the pass and you're good to go. There is no need to order them in advance. The US National Park system is amazing and really highlights the diversity of the scenery in the country. You can not travel around the country without stopping many of the national parks, especially as you get out to the west. While there are many ways I recommend Yosemite, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Glacier, Redwood National Park, Zion and the Grand Tetons

City tourist maps -. City overview map you can send a large number of attractions for one low price, usually $ 30-40 (and often included free public transport). They offer free access to museums, reduced access to attractions and restaurant discounts. Be sure to look at them if you plan on doing a lot of sightseeing because they usually save you money. They can be purchased at the Tourist Information Centres or online before you go

Free museums and events -. Request In tourist centers, use Google or ask hotel or hostel staff for information about free events and museums. Many museums offer occasional free or reduced entry during the week. There are always tons of free activities in every city in the United States.

transport

Getting from point A to B in the US is not always easy, because our infrastructure is not as robust. (I wish we had a national railway system!) Unfortunately, to really see the country, a car is a must. We have some non-car options outside the major cities, and also organized tours, it's hard to get the landscape and to the National Parks

hitchhike -. That's not something I did on my trip, as I had a car, but it is very doable (and relatively safe). Here is a post from my friend Matt, who was hitchhiking in the United States to explain how to do this and come alive

Carpool -. Acquisition driver may be a way to reduce costs. On my first trip to the US, I offered rides to people who I met in hostels. On this trip I had friends and readers with me on the way. You can post ads on Craigslist and Gumtree and find in hostels tab. This not only makes the journey more enjoyable, but also lowers your gas costs. Or if you are a rider, you can use the same services to find rides you get places

Get a car -. You can buy cheap used cars from car dealers or owners on Craigslist. There are many lists, and you can leave the car at the end of your journey back to amortize sell some of your original cost. While this is easily in other countries, it is hard to do in the United States, so consider a few key points:

1. you get a US address for the registration of documents need to get sent , I would use a hotel or an address, and then set up a forwarding address with the post office.
2. You will auto insurance to purchase, which can add to the cost of the journey considerably.

is another way to use a car relocation service. This is when someone take the car and drive it across the country. They are usually paid, and gas is covered. The downside is that you do not often have a lot of leeway on timing, so you may not have much time to stop along the way and visit. Auto shift options are limited and generally. Two companies are worth Transfercar and hit the road.

Some different things

1. The highways are with junk food restaurants. I'm not proud to say that I ate a lot on my trip in the subway. On avoid up to Sandwiches in grocery stores to choose between Taco Bell, McDonalds, and Subway.
2. add parking costs. I did not really find a super awesome way to reduce the parking fees when I was in the big cities overnight, but if you have suggestions, please leave them in the comments.
3. Take a metal water bottle on the way to refill. Plastic bottles of water, add!

A Road Trip in the United States is a fun way to see many different landscapes, experience different cultures and meet interesting people. The United States is not very expensive outside the major cities and you can easily extensively across the country on a budget travel through the advice in this article. Not that fooled USA - it is one of the cheapest Western targets in the world

READ MORE -> WHAT IN THE USA ON A BUDGET

to see and

Next -> 21 cheap and delicious LOCATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES TO EAT

* Note : I drink actually no coffee. I'm addicted only to their iced green tea lemonade!

How to visit Napa Valley on a budget

How to visit Napa Valley on a budget -

With its green hills, acres of vineyards and temperate climate, Napa Valley in California is one of the leading worldwide wine regions. Each year 3.3 million people in this region will flow by bike, hike, swim in a veritable pool of wine and eat rich, tasty food.

However Napa on the wallet is not easy. Restaurants, hotels and visits to wineries can add up quickly. As a money-sucking feedback loop, visitors can expect to spend a lot of money, and the prices reflect the willingness of people to open their wallets

I went to answer the question examined I ask from all locations: ". can travel here at $ 50 a day? "

I found you can, but it takes work. Even if you do it bare-bones, no desire, there are ways to reduce your costs and still enjoy an affordable visit to Napa Valley.

Accommodations

If your accommodation to reduce costs, you can visit Napa on a budget. The average cost of hotels in the area is around $ 175 per night, with some basic options start at $ 99 (before tax). Unless you are traveling as a couple or as part of a group, that is a lot to spend for a person per night. (Heck, I think that's a lot for a pair, too!)

The best way to save money for the property, especially as a single traveler is to use CouchSurfing, a site that locals with travelers combines need a place to stay. It is to remain a wonderful form of cross-cultural exchange and a free place at night! However, there are not many farmers in Napa, so look for in advance, because, given the cost of the property, they get a lot of requests. I found a host two weeks before I went, and they had other people at the same time to stay with them, also.

But if this does not appeal to you, go with Airbnb. It is also a cheap alternative. There are many deals on the region, with some cost as little as $ 65 a night for a private room.

Food

Napa is home to so many world class food as wine. That does not bode well for the bag. You can for a meal just sit down and just for an appetizer!

Stick to pay on the markets and sandwich shops than $ 10 if you want to survive on a budget. There is a farmer's market (with some restaurants) in downtown Napa. God roadside has locations in both Napa and St. Helena and serves tasty burgers for under $ 8, while Ad Hoc operates a delicious food truck offer fried chicken made by a Michelin star chef for $ 15 with sides.

In addition, you cook your own food. There are grocery stores in the region in abundance, where you can buy fresh food.

I would definitely at least one meal splurge on, though, as the region is known for its cuisine famous, but I would limit how many meals you they do so on - it will add up fast! You can get anywhere world-class food. Why break your budget? So efficient splurge - save it for the Wine

transport

Transport in Napa is complicated. Unless you have a driver, driving is neither the best nor the safest option. (Remember: Do not drink and drive !!) to get around, you will have to find other means of transport

you rent a bike .. bike excursions are over $ 100 and do not include tasting fees at the wineries. Instead, make your own cycling tour. You can rent bikes for around $ 45 per day. Two good rental companies are Calistoga Bike Shop and Napa Valley Bike Tours

Second, you can rent a car service. - There is no shortage of companies that take care, you and drive around your friends. However, this is a really expensive option. Most hourly cost $ 35 and have a minimum More hour, while some of the more luxurious options cost around $ 115 per hour. I would not recommend it if you are part of a larger group.

Third, you can attend organized group travel, which costs about $ 100 per day (and not always free tastings). You are shuttled from Winery are on a schedule to winery, but it can be a good way to see many wineries in a single day. However, I believe that these tours are overpriced and this option should be avoided!

Your cheapest option is Uber, a car pool service, which operates around the world. Upload their app to your smartphone, register your credit card, and ask a nearby driver directly through the app. There is a door-to-door car service! (I personally like their competitors Lyft better, but they do not work in the area.) There are many Uber drivers are in Napa so that you do not have a problem getting a ride. A 15-minute, five-mile drive will cost approximately $ 14. If you are traveling with a group, this is the cheapest way to get around.

wine

Tastings run at all wineries in the range of 15 to $ 20. The city offers a Napa tasting card for $ 30, you can participate in one of the tasting rooms in town. Even if you are not at the winery, you get a lot of samples for a low price to enjoy. I took advantage of it!

In addition, when you stop by the Tourism Office, you can pick up a set of 2-for-1 tasting cards are great if you are traveling in a pair. I tried to redeem them on their own in the hope that I would get either two or tastings at half the price of one, and the results were hit or miss.

There also will be an app Winery Finder called, the current actions of wineries lists in the region. I recommend this app, how many of the actions listed are not advertised in the tourist office.

Also, most wineries will waive the tasting fee if you buy a bottle or two of their wine (excluding shipping). So if you are planning your wine cellar in stock, you will find you will taste many free wine able!

I really enjoyed my time in Napa. The region was beautiful, the food was amazing, and the wine ... well, simply divine. However, I would not walk alone again. Firstly, it is more expensive, because I could not split the cost, and in a region as expensive as Napa, which is important.

Second, the joy of Napa is exploring the area with your friends and a few stories about the exchange of good wine and food. You can have fun on your own, but I have me most when I met with my friends and the people had to share the experience. If you think walking alone, spend a day and move on!

Napa does not have to break your budget. There are not many ways to save money, but there are a few, and when used together, they can greatly reduce your cost and make your dream trip to Napa a favorable reality.

How do you shoot the perfect travel photography

How do you shoot the perfect travel photography -

Even today professional photographer Laurence Norah find the universe, its five-part series on better travel photos. Photographs are important for the memories they represent. You look at a picture, and it conjures up thoughts, feelings and smells that take you back to a forgotten place, so Laurence here is to help us better pictures, take! Part two of the series is, how to get the perfect shot.

In my first post in this series, I talked about the most important compositional rules that can you create the vacation photos. If you are new to this, I recommend you to start there.

Today I'm going to deal with cover as sophisticated lighting and control some introducing some advanced ideas for your composition to be selective with your focus and make objects appear closer together than they are.

Then I'm going to get into specific advice for common travel scenes to keep you better take photos faster.

I will begin, although to talk about the most important element of photography - the light. Here is a shot of where I grew up and got first in the photograph, the Seychelles Islands, taken on one of my favorite times of day for shooting - Sunset

When shooting

the middle of a sunny day might seem to be perfect for photography. In truth, it is the worst time to take pictures - the light hard shadows are challenging, and your photos will be your subjects will not meet

The best time to shoot closer to sunrise and sunset when the. Light is soft and warm. These periods are called "the golden hour" known.

Dealing with poor lighting

, you can not always the right time for the perfect light, especially when traveling. Here's how to get the best shots from a low light situation.

Be aware of the sun. This is the most important tip of the lot. Ideally, one would like to the sun behind you. If you can, take a stand, you are between the sun and your subject, as I did on my trip to New Zealand in this shot:

Be creative. The bright light can be used to your advantage. Try in the sun shoot silhouettes to create or use a high aperture to produce a starburst effect, as in this Napa Valley Balloon photo:

Use They weather. If the sun is behind the clouds is scattered light. Cloud also add interest and scale to otherwise plain, sky tedious as in this shot of the Painted Desert in Australia: Search

shadow. If you take pictures of people, find somewhere shady. Here, the light will be, even more, with less harsh shadows on their faces, as in this recording in the middle of the day in Sri Lanka: field

get creative with depths and compression

now I would like to share with you two concepts that allow more creative shooting.

depth of field

, the depth of focus is on the control which parts of the shot are in focus. Check out this shot of a monkey:

As you can see, only the monkey is in focus. This is known as "shallow" depth of field and is used to isolate subjects and make the shot over them.

A large depth of field is to shoot for scenery and landscape. Here a shot in New Zealand, where I used a large depth of field to get a lot more of the scene is in focus:

to manipulate depth of field on the camera, you must set the aperture - check the manual how to do that. Typically, it will be marked as "Av" or "A" on the Mode Dial.

Some smartphones, you can manually set the aperture, either through the built-in camera app, or through an advanced app download App Store on your device.

a wide-open aperture (f / 4 and below) a shallower depth of field generated (less of the shot can be focused) and a smaller aperture (f / 8 and above) puts the focus of the scene more

There are many tutorials on the web about depth of field. Take a look here for a more detailed explanation, and here for a depth-simulator in order to get more of a handle on what it is

Tricking your viewer. Perspective and compression

You've probably used a camera with zoom, so you closer to distant objects.

a zoom lens can be used your viewers to think objects are closer together than they are to cheat. This is called compression. Here is an example, a Coke bottle as a subject with:

These three photos show the same Coke bottle in the same place. The difference between the shots is where I was, and how far I enlarged. On the left shot I was standing close to the Coke bottle and zoomed, and then I moved further away and enlarged.

By far right picture, it seems, the Coke bottle is almost next to the houses in the background.

compression can be used subject to be taken to the background, such as bringing in the shot down by a friend to a huge setting sun. Out, as the left-Cola bottle over, and you can isolate your subject from an interfering background.

Shooting for various scenes

When traveling, we often find ourselves in similar places. Here is a guide for better shooting results in common driving scenes always

Street Scenes

street photography is to be noted about moments - .. immersing himself in environments and search for interesting stories

patience and courtesy are the key to successful road shots where people - not everyone wants to have made their picture, and it may be illegal to do so, no one wants to be photographed without explicit permission.If, try larger quantity shots or focus in the colorful spice pile or unusual-looking products are always interesting topics - on the market goods. . Alternatively, shoot the roads themselves Doorways or interesting architecture are a great starting point - you take this road in Bologna, Italy, for example:

As with the settings, greater depth of field use (smaller aperture) for general street scenes.

employees

If you are interested in portraits, your best bet is to search for friends with the people. Learn more about them and their stories, then ask for this authorization.

I prefer taking pictures of people I know how I have to be worried in general do not have the permission problems.

My favorite style people pictures is "open", candid shots. This is the best way, in my opinion, the to capture the personality of man.

The key to the art of photography is unobtrusive perseverance, patience and keep your eyes open to the photographic opportunities around you. In anticipation of the moment, the keys might happen to be going.

I would advise a shallow depth of field (large aperture) and short exposure times for portraits and action shots of people.

Beaches

beaches are one of my favorite spots sunsets sunsets ~~ POS = shoot HEADCOMP - nothing goes quite the sun over the sea! The water and the wet sand make for great reflection opportunities.

about your composition carefully thought and in particular the front and middle of the shot, as I said in the composition Post. Try different angles, and maybe get about your subject on the beach in the context of its surroundings, as this recording hell to present beach in Western Australia:

Outside the sunset , beaches may very bright environments, so you need to adjust your exposure may be compensated. Most cameras and phones, you can move left or right exposure manually with a button that looks like +/-, or from within the app.

If you shoot friends and can not find shade, consider setting your camera flash to "fill" setting to compensate. This uses the flash to light caused by the sun, the shade, and portraits in the sun look pleasing to make profit.

Finally, take care of your equipment. disagree Fine sand and surf with most camera equipment! Here are some more beach photography tips for getting started

Landscapes

There are two things that helped my landscape photography improve. A tripod and a polarizing filter (if you are interested my photo art, here is a full list of my travel photography gear).

Controlling depth of field is an important part of landscape photography. Here is how the bezel increase the shutter speed slower - to the point where your hand movement can result in a blurred image. For this reason, a tripod is required.

Read linked more about how shutter speed, ISO (light sensitivity setting) and aperture in this article on the exposure triangle.

A polarizing filter is fantastic for blue sky and clouds pop and make reflections to control. It also reduces the amount of light entering the camera enters so that tripod is still helpful.

If the two sounds like too much effort, do not worry above. You can seriously improve your landscape photography no end to the idea of ​​their composition. find leading lines, the rule of thirds, and a sense of scale, topics are set in your foreground or middle ground is the key.

Low light

as often as we are with friends at night and want to work together to capture these moments, but we can not seem anything other than a get blurred chaos.

This is because most cameras are not great at work with the amount of light that -they at night using slow shutter speeds is available, turn the movement blurring.

expensive equipment can make a real difference for low-light photography. It is not lost if you do not have your pockets deep enough, but. First, you can increase the ISO setting on the camera. While this reduce the quality of your recordings, they will see better than blurred photos.

Another idea is something to find your camera to rest. If you do not have a tripod, try and find an alternative - everything is stationary and not prone to shake, how does your hand. You then use the camera's timer function to take the picture. If you take pictures of people, they get as quiet as possible to stand!

Action

For a better action photos, you have two options. One is to use a fast shutter speed to "freeze" the action -. Like a shot of a hummingbird in flight, or a surfer on a wave

The other possibility is to show the movement by a slower shutter with speed - the resulting blur a sense of action to your viewer mediate

In this shot of a train, I the shutter speed manually to 1 / 30th of a second, slow enough that the trees at the edge. would the shot seem to rush past, as I leaned out the window, but fast enough that the train would remain self-focused even handheld. I think it's worked pretty well!

Waterfalls

Waterfalls are a fantastic photography theme. My favorite way is to shoot with a slower shutter speed, with a soft and fluffy effect. Shutter speeds of 1 / 15th of a second slower and produce the best results -. They are a tripod or rest your camera on something to avoid blur from hand must use movement

Another great way waterfalls to shoot away a long lens, compression use your subject is from a sense of drama to accomplish. Or go the other way, and shoot super-wide, taking in the full splendor of the scene.

Finally, do not forget to use the light. All that running water can cause beautiful rainbow as seen in this shot of Vernal Falls in Yosemite:

Summary

I believe that a better photos make is a combination of three factors - to be at the right place at the right time, to know how your gear works, and to know how to compose a great shot. Shutter speed and aperture are two important settings in the photographer Toolbox, and you must learn how to control it and access these modes on the camera. When you do this, you will have a lot more creative control over your photography.

I will in the coming weeks to share with you more will help you to improve your photography, and the right equipment for your needs and why picking post is so important. In the meantime, if you have any questions for me, I was among the topics up

Be sure to check out the rest of Laurence photography tips in this series:

• part 1 - How to make Professional travel photos
• part 2 - as you shoot the perfect travel Photography
• part 3 - camera gear: How not to wrong to terminate equipment
• part 4 - how to make the perfect photo: Advanced techniques
• part to improve 5 to 7 post-processing tips for your trip Photography

if you look really into photography to get and want to master your camera and take amazing photos, when you are traveling, Laurence and I have developed a comprehensive photography course that will get you from car and let your friends go "Wow! This really is breathtaking! "In a very short time. Click here to learn more about it.

Laurence began his journey leave in June 09 after the corporate life and looking for a change of scenery. His blog to find, , the universe, cataloged his experiences and is a wonderful resource for photography advice! you can find it also on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Flickr.

As the support of your friends and family

As the support of your friends and family -

Once a month to win, Kristin Addis Be My Travel Muse writes a column with guest tips and advice solo female travel. It is an important issue, I can not adequately cover, so I brought to share in an expert their advice. This month's article is dealing with about unsupportive friends and family, you think like the movie Taken at the end then.

I swallowed hard as I sat opposite her, would the message of hope, go smoothly. I had to sit for months on the information and had worked to finally tell the courage to her.

"Mom," I began, "I'm leaving my job to travel the world." I held my breath and wish that I could hide behind something while viewing the message.

"How fun!" She replied.

I was stunned.

There was no survey, no criticism, and no attempt to dissuade me. I had their support. Plain and simple. It was a great relief and now that they knew that I tell the rest of the world.

Have you found yourself in the same position? You're dying to travel the world. You have up to a friend, family member not to wait, decided or significant other, you can connect, because if you have, you could wait forever. They are inflated for the way forward, but only one thing looms in the way -. to say all others in your life that you're going to be away for a while, all of itself, on the other side of the world

One of the biggest sources of concern people breaking the news to friends and family , You can ask: " What about your career What about your friend / Leasing / cat / garage band If you really alone in this big scary world be it is not safe to travel for Women Are?. Do not be concerned about end up like in the movie 'Taken'? "

your concerns are only natural, and it is best to plan on a mixture of reactions, only in the event that they do not all my mother was encouraging all positive.

So if you get a negative review, as we deal with their criticisms and concerns?

Do not try to be some experience

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, it is easier to prove your skills when it travel through itself from the first time you. Have you ever done something boldly completely on your own, how to move to a new city where you knew no one, studying abroad or taking a trip by itself? Point to these successes in the past as evidence that you have to do it again in a position.

If you have never done something like that, then first take a baby travel. It must be big nothing. There can only be a long weekend away in a new city. Navigate it on your own, talking to strangers start or a meal itself. It's a great way to build your experience and confidence and the confidence of the people in your inner circle.

secure in your decision be

If you are not quite safe to travel about your decision solo, it becomes easier for the concerned friends and family to talk it out. Not only come with a half-baked idea and tell everyone that you could consider traveling alone.

On the other hand, has the dream of traveling keep awake at night (in the proper sense)? Are you more excited about the world than to explore everything else in your life now? Can you put your life on hold, and you are committed enough to save the necessary funds? If so ....

Have a solid plan

Sit down and plan every detail, so if you can meet doubters They come back with information to address their concerns. Show your friends and family how much time and thought you put into your trip. It is easier to calm your parents and friends, if you have a well thought out plan and are totally prepared.

Hopefully be contagious your passion, and when they see how much it means to you, they will be more supportive.

When I asked my mother what she made as soon support my decision, she replied that she saw how good I had planned my trip and knew from that alone how much it means to me and how serious I it was.

I had shown examples of other solo travelers to do the same thing to do, given her a rough itinerary, and spoke to her at length about what would make the trip with him. I had told the country that I planned to visit, she pointed to the blogs that I read, and shared my budget plan. She feels as if she was part of it and not just an afterthought. That you soothe more.

Be prepared for any questions that they might throw at you!

You're just a phone call away

Part of the negative reactions will most likely have to do with your friends and family for fear that they are not in will be able to get in touch with you. They can be jungle and remote places where only Envisioning fashioned post is available. This may 20-30 years ago have come true, but these days Wi-Fi is everywhere. Even if it is not, are local SIM cards easy to find

It is also easier than ever to stay connected with chat applications like Facebook in connection (which is also free calls allowed). Skype , which is good for video calls; Viber, a smartphone app that allows free calls; KakaoTalk an app directed by South Korea (home to the fastest Internet in the world) and the functioning of free calls on a bad connection; and WhatsApp to send voice and text messages.

International phone plans are also available from T-Mobile without the high price. This means that wherever you get at least cell reception, you will be accessing. You will be really just a phone call away in the majority of the trip.

Ask for their trust and support

"A girl should not be made to travel alone; it's a scary world out there" is an answer that you are likely to hear. Parents naturally want their child to worry about safe and sometimes that foreign countries will be more dangerous, as it is here at home. In reality, abroad it's not so scary and dangerous -. In some cases, it is safer than at home

Most major cities US, for example, a higher violent crime rates than do countries in Southeast Asia and even South Africa. Whatever you have done so far in life is to stay alive, is also relevant in other countries.

If all else fails, turn it around. Your parents raised a child with a good head on their shoulders, right? Ask them, "Do not you think I'm capable of?" If the answer is "yes", then to end of this week. If the answer is "no", then do not ask for the reason behind. Chances are they are not really come up with a - no parent wants their child to say they do not think they can be successful

to seek males and females both to their security, and gender doesn '. t inhibit your ability to travel. Dare not you, love you, and want you to live a life that is fulfilling? Should they prevent you to live your own life?

Chances are, if put in this way, your loved ones will appreciate that you are a competent adult and do not intentionally do to bring stupid things yourself at risk

Please remember themselves:. it's your decision is

, it can be quite disappointing if you are so excited about the prospect of your big trip, and the most important people around you are not supporting it.

When I travel alone to finish my work, were scratching left of the head, worried a lot of people, I was going through a quarter-life crisis and behind me is burning bridges. Simply did not understand a life outside of one they lived, and they were not comfortable with this kind of risk in their own lives. I have come to realize that when people express a negative view on the decisions of others made, it is to speak their own insecurities as a rule.

Worried friends and family are not necessarily a bad thing, but. It means that there are people who love and care about you, and you want around. It is natural and probably inevitable. Over time, as you bloom see on your trip, keep up with adventure and beautiful experience for a lifetime, they will become more comfortable with the idea.

There are always naysayers, but you do not have to hold you back from living from your own life. You only get one, and it is to do you what you want. You might as well spend it can chase a dream, rather than the fears of others hold you back.

When it comes to it, go with or without applause from everyone in your corner, you just need to take the first step, and.

In the words of Dr. Seuss: "You're off to Great Places Today is your day Your mountain is waiting, So ... on your way!"

Kristin Addis is a former investment banker who sold all of her belongings and offer California farewell favor of solo travels through Asia, while for off search -the-beaten-path adventures. There is almost nothing that they will not try, and almost nowhere they will not discover. You can find more of her thoughts at MyTravel his muse or on Twitter and Facebook

Conquering mountains. The Guide for Solo Female Travel

For a complete A Z Guide for solo female travel out Kristin new book Conquering mountains . In addition to the discussion of many practical tips in preparing and planning your trip is aimed the book, the fears, security and emotional concerns about traveling, women alone. It has more than twenty interviews with other female travel writers and travelers. Click here to learn more about the book, as it can help you, and you can start to read it now!

How to visit Sunny Chernobyl

How to visit Sunny Chernobyl -

A few months ago I read the book Visit Sunny Chernobyl by Andrew Blackwell, via the largest garbage-ridden in the world and polluted places. It's like the anti-guide. It's about all the places a traveler would not go that ugly places that we overlooked. It was interesting to learn about these places that exist, but never received a cover. Intelligent, funny and well written, this is one of my favorite books that I read all year. Since Andrew lives in NYC, I was lucky to get with him recently online

Nomadic Matt :. Tell everyone about yourself How did you get to write
Andrew Blackwell. I got to be only by a reader in the letter. I was always interested to read and write in high school and college, but I had no real experience as a reporter, before I wrote the book. My actual background was as a documentary editor. But about stories and structure through filmmaking learn a lot

Nomadic Matt :. How did you do with the book idea?
I lived and travel for about six months with my girlfriend in India. She worked for an NGO, and I was around with her on these environmental sites Travel and got some pretty dirty, not-on-your-regular-tourist-route to see places. And I really enjoyed. I thought, "You know, if nobody wrote the Guide to polluted places, no one will know that these places are interesting to visit."

So I had this idea, and it is only a kind of kept rattling in your head. I finally really only gradually developed to the book proposal and wrote the first chapter in my own really slow the course of several years. And then, if I had that, I started it shows to agents.

And so, how it works for nonfiction books, especially if you are not established, you must always first write the first chapter. You have to write a proposal type mapping, which is the whole thing. But it was always a book contract, which forced me to really have to go into the world and do this

Nomadic Matt: When did you actually come up with the idea, and when did you go and after Chernobyl, when did you actually write the book?
I had the idea for this book in the spring of 03. I went Chernobyl in the spring of 06 I got the book deal on the basis of the chapter I wrote about Chernobyl, I believe, in 09. and then he was two years before it send when traveling and writing to the publisher. It was a real odyssey

Nomadic Matt :. Yes, that's a long time. How did you take the points in the book at hand?
Well, I wanted to get a good spread of different types of environmental issues and the various parts of the world, as well as various travel activities. I thought about the book not only as an environmental reporter would, but also as a travel writer. I did not walk on any trip in a forest are

those So were the three criteria :. The choice of the environmental issue, the geographical location and the movement angle. For example, you always hear about the Garbage Patch, but almost no one who actually writes about been there, because it is an incredible pain in the ass to get there. So I thought: "I have to go there." And that would be the "Cruise" section be

Nomadic Matt:.? What was your favorite experience or goal
I'll always have a soft spot for Chernobyl itself. It's just a really interesting, fascinating, beautiful place. In addition, you are somewhere you do not really know the ropes, you do not know someone, you're kind of clueless feeling perhaps a little lost or separated, and then something happens where you suddenly feel it, you start your get stock.

I had in Chernobyl this experience where I was the feeling that I limited to this quite official tour, and then I ended up to stay the night and just wasted drunk only with my tour guide. And we had a great time. I remember being in that tiny cinderblock room, which was the only bar open on a Friday night for zone workers, pounding shots back Cognac from tiny plastic cups that you might see at a dentist.

Nomadic Matt: So you visit the first goal, Chernobyl, on their own
Yes, I literally went on my vacation time after Chernobyl. I just went and did my best imitation of what should a reporter do. You know, talk to people, take notes, and find stuff. And that went relatively well. Then I have to sample chapter and the proposal for probably another two years worked

Nomadic Matt. What was your least
This is hard ?. I found parts of China difficult. I would have to do it not have been possible without a translator, because of the language barrier. No one spoke English; no signs were in English. In addition, the trip to the garbage patch in some ways the most difficult was. It was both an extraordinary, beautiful experience, but you're on a boat in the middle of the ocean with nothing to, easy to feel sick for almost a month movement. to be on the sea, is scary. If you fall over the rail and nobody notices you - you're just gone. They are floating in the Pacific Ocean, a thousand miles from land. It is a little scary and physically demanding

Nomadic Matt:.? Why are there not more effort the negative side to see or on the environmental impact of travel and development [1945003reden] There is a question why polluted in some way places are not on our normal route, and I think that is obvious. Because people think they are probably grossly and do not want to go there. I would say they really are not so great. I would also say that I think a lot of what people on the go are often a certain type of fantasy to live on what life could be, or what another country is like or what the journey itself.

I think if you were on the road, because you want to find out how the world works, then that would be a lot of other places open that are not obvious destinations and that would include problem environments. We are all interested in the environment, is not it? For me, I see, should be interested in what looks like the pollution in the vicinity. And I think it's not as viscerally disgusting or horrible as people expect

Nomadic Matt :. I would definitely agree that to a certain extent, people want the romance of a target. What is the one thing that get you people out of your book?
is this sound super pretentious, but for me it is really to accept a world that is less perfect. Many will environmentalism motivated by a very idealistic version of what we want the world would look, it would be all green and clean and full of beautiful, exotic animals and so on. But I think it is very important for the future health of the environment to be realistic about the fact for us is that we do not get to the perfect, idealized Garden-of-Eden-style environment.

For example. If you go to Paris and looking for romance and it is not what you expected, then you have two options Either you can think that it is a disaster, and it is a mistake and go home totally disappointed - or one can engage really like it actually is. And that will be sustainable and a rich experience, even if it does not meet your expectations

Nomadic Matt :. Do you know all about it, see how people, the environment on your trips to these places?
Yes, definitely. I think that we can help the rawness of places hype us about environmental issues, take care. On one level, that's fine, but I think we as consumers of media and people concerned about the environment, we need the hype, the image, the scary story to help us connect, why it is important. To connect with why it is important, but at the same time it builds a lot of mythology to

It is controversial to say, but have the dangers of Chernobyl and the consequences of Chernobyl overblown. been the images of the garbage patch overblown. Much of it has to do with images. How, we really think some space to see and feel it and smell so disgusting, [but], when you go there you're like, uh, it's just a kind of a different location. And the environmental issue is very real, but you only realize that we have been through a kind of hyped images already connect

Nomadic Matt :. What advice would you have travelers regarding travel and the environment?
I think eco-tourism traditionally means a place of a pristine environment helps us visualize. But we should expand the idea of ​​eco-tourism, to include all kinds of environments, even if it is a place that serious problems of undergoing, or recreation. Places such as Chernobyl, for example.

And should not reach out to NGOs and people feel that in this situation, to work on these issues travelers. If your interest is sincere, you are going to make a lot of friends and have unforgettable experiences. I mean, I'm a reporter, but a lot of times it's not because I'm a reporter, I'm greeted by some activists or organization. It's really just because I called and said: "I am going to be close to you and I'm interested in what you do, can we hang out.?" If you are respectful and legitimate interests that opens many doors in many interesting Places.

Andrews was carrying one of my books travel of the year. Always meet and interview him was a great experience. I can not recommend enough the book!

P.S. - If you want more suggestions book, the free community book club come join and get book recommendations to you once a month! Click here to register!

How to travel Switzerland on a budget

How to travel Switzerland on a budget -

Switzerland many images conjured. On the one hand there are majestic mountains, delicious fondue and chocolate, big banks protect other people's money, precision watches and an orderly society. On the other, heart attack inducing Price: $ 8 USD coffee or beer! $ 50 steaks! A $ 15 Menu at McDonald's? $ 35-40 hostel beds! WTH!

Switzerland is the most expensive country in the world rated to visit, with Geneva and Zurich two of the ten most expensive cities are living in.

And because it is so expensive, it's easy to see why so many people all over the country skip and wait until they are older and richer (hopefully). When I mentioned that Switzerland was visiting on a budget, many people shook his head and wished me good luck with a "poor soul to think that he can do that" expression.

I admit, I was worried. While I know that not all have "expensive" found targets on the wallet must be too hard (although some are inevitably expensive), Switzerland seemed daunting, a strong currency and high taxes and a mecca for rich banks to be international organizations, rich residents and tax shelterers.

Switzerland never is a "dirt cheap" to visit the country, to be where the traveler only a few dollars per day to visit, but I found to my surprise that it is possible to travel the country on a relatively slight budget. It is difficult, but doable!

How much I spent
Here's how much my eight-day trip through Switzerland (Zurich, Bern, Geneva and Interlaken) costs (in Swiss francs (CHF), which in value of $ $ 1.03 are):

food: 105.75
property : 171.36
transport : 222.30
Metro : 17.40
alcohol: 66.0
interest : 30
total : 613.71 (or 76.71 CHF per day)

Overall, I have a good job to keep my costs keep $ 79 USD per day. Granted, it was a lot of work. I relied heavily on the sharing economy (see below) and my own food to cook. Being able to move and free attractions also helped visit if in the winter when you have to pay Ski, this might not be the case. had spent a few days in Zurich in the past, I feel the need, not much (and I drink coffee not) to eat, so I was glad when compared to ordering expensive restaurant eating my own food to eat. Alcohol costs a good deal (11% of my budget), but there was no way to Interlaken go to the famous Balmers (also the only hostel I stayed in the whole time) without Party.

My biggest mistake was not to the fact that attention I was flying in and out of Zurich. So I went from Zurich to Geneva to Zurich, which meant that I doubled back, cost me an additional 100 CHF in train tickets! It was like stupid error, and I am still experiencing it. I mean, how could I miss such a simple thing? If I had gone a way, I would have saved a significant amount of money and significantly reduced my average expenditure. Always save your money on transportation direction. It is a hard and fast rule of mine and I completely messed up.

How visits Switzerland traveling on a budget

I do a lot of my costs kept down because I did not participate in many adventure activities, and the country when I could walk (free activity). While I could have cut some expenses (gone in one direction, drank nothing prevents Starbucks in Geneva), I do not think you certain things should be easy to do for the sake of being cheap (Live a little, is not it?) , Even if I did ride sharing or Couchsurfing during my visit, I would have put additional savings in other activities. Be frugal, not cheap is my travel philosophy. So I think my budget just right for the country was

Here are a few high-impact ways to save a lot of money and still have fun, and to be wasteful avoid.

Use CouchSurfing - With bedroom from $ 30-40 per night, you need to reduce your accommodation costs. CouchSurfing is the way to do it. It is a service that locals can free (more here) stay travelers. It was a life-saver that allows me to reduce my costs most hold. As many travelers to use this service, make your requests for hosts early. I have in 25 hosting requirements in Geneva before I found someone to stay with

Use Blablacar - The transport is very expensive, especially as accommodation. Most intercity trains are around 50 CHF. That adds up too fast! Instead, use the ride-sharing website Blablacar avoid the trains and to meet the locals. This site allows you, with people carpool, and although I used it only once, it saved me $ 50 and I met a cool French father and son on the way to Germany (I have to practice my poor French):

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: be noted that many rides cancel. I had to cancel three trips on me at the last minute (and a man who only show still fail), so that the service requires a certain flexibility. But if it works, it's awesome. And it's definitely something that I want to use a lot more in Europe

use hotel points -. Hotel Bonus points are a lifesaver in expensive destinations where even hostels are expensive, and the chance of a CouchSurfing host is small. Collect a few points of Hotel Travel Hacking prior to your trip and burn them while you remain in the country. Most hotel sign-up bonuses are around 60,000 points, which is about five nights in hotel chains such as Hilton, Marriott, Starwood value (so make sure you stay with their cheaper properties. Unfortunately, no W for you!). [1945003Alternativ]

, is Airbnb also a good thing if you are traveling with someone, since most private rooms about $ 50 per night. Split two ways, which is only $ 25 per person, much cheaper than a hostel dorm

Do not drink - drink here not cheap. Most beers are around 8 CHF. (Plus, who wants while hiking hung over?) Most wines are between 10-25 CHF per bottle. If you must drink, stick to hostel bars where you can enjoy 2-for-1 happy hours and cheap drinks for around 5 CHF

Cook -. With sit-down restaurants will cost around CHF 40 per meal per person, eat in Switzerland can be very expensive, so you buy your food. A week's worth of food (bread, pasta, rice, eggs, vegetables, cheese, sausage for sandwiches and some different fruits) costs CHF 75-100. The big supermarkets are Migros, Coop and Spar. COOP is the most expensive

Go Veggie -. Meat is expensive in Switzerland. spoken Each Swiss resident or expat I told me how they limit their meat consumption, because it costs so much. Stick to vegetables and avoid to buy for your meals meat (especially beef). While I supermarkets and butcher for food prices (travel writing is glamorous, is not it?!) Trolling, I found a pound of flesh 14.12 CHF was. At this price, keep meat for protein deli

Use lunch menus - If you eat out, do so at lunch than most lunch menus cost at 19.10 CHF. In addition, keep yourself (and closer to that 10 CHF price) to ethnic restaurants such as Chinese, Middle Eastern, Indian, Thai, or for the best deals and the most part. The lunch specials are a great way to get a lot for your money and enjoy dinner, but for a lower price menu - that's the only way I eat when countries attend as expensive as Switzerland. Cooking breakfast, lunch, eat, cook dinner - you can not go wrong

Switzerland is an expensive country - there is no doubt about it. I think that the ground for what a backpacker / budget travelers should travel to Switzerland, is about USD $ 75. At this price point, you would have enough money to do the basics, stay in some hostels, go and enjoy some adventure and outdoor activities. Everything would cheaper limit your ability to truly enjoy what Switzerland has to offer.

But no matter your travel style or what you plan to do the tips follow up, you can Switzerland on a budget to travel by cutting wasteful. Expenditure and your hard earned travel money on what you want - whether museums, beer, adventure activities, or a pound of flesh

Editor's note : paid visit Switzerland for my One-way flight from Zurich to New York and reimbursed me for the cost. They did not provide logistical support or had any input on how or where I went. I traveled the same way that I would elsewhere.