I asked my 22-year-old niece, just back from summer travels in Europe, to give us the inside scoop on hosteling. Learn her list of myth-busting tips and packing must-haves.
AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO HOSTELING
by Madeleine Clute
My first foray into hosteling was at the end of high school when some friends and I took a road trip to Quebec, Canada, and it’s been my preferred method of seeing new places since. Most recently, my friend Elizabeth and I traveled on students’ budgets for 30-days in Europe, spanning 10 cities and 8 countries, primarily staying in hostels.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
One of my favorite yearly projects is creating a gift guide for travelers. It gets me in the spirit of giving and reminds me how much fun it is to share cool products that help make exploring easier and more enjoyable.
Wondering what to get the traveler in your clan? Check out my short-list of travel gifts now online at THE ADVENTURE BLOG or view the collection in the slide show below. For more ideas, see last year’s list as well.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Do you wish you could travel lighter? The secret to setting off with less, as you might imagine, is as much about what to leave out as it is what to put in.
As a professional wanderer, I know a bit about living out a suitcase. In fact, my husband, action/adventure novelist Hank Barone, and I recently packed up and set off on a yearlong romp through Latin America.
So, when the editors at The Adventure Blog asked me to share a few tips on packing for adventure, I was more than happy to accommodate. Read more: Packing Tips For the Adventure Traveler
What about you? How do you pack for adventure? Share your tips below.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Here’s a travel tip for those of you who’d like to pack a little karma on your next adventure…
Let’s say you’ve decided to go trekking in Timbuktu, touring the wine country in South Africa, or celebrating Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Great! Now, before you go, leave a little room in your rucksack (or designer suitcase…if that’s more your style) and visit StuffYourRucksack.com. The site lists crucial items (e.g. boy’s clothing for a youth organization in Rawanda) needed by non-profits across the globe. Simply enter your destination in the search engine, then pick up a few things to deliver in person.
“How many times have you been travelling and visited a school or community or local charity that you would love to help? The school needs books, or a map or pencils; an orphanage needs children’s clothes or toys. All things that, if only you’d known, you could’ve stuffed in your rucksack. But once you get home you forget, or you’ve lost the address, or worry that whatever you send will be stolen before it even gets there…” That’s why we’ve set up StuffYourRucksack.com - Kate Humble.
Hummm? With the name Humble, it sounds like there’s more than a little karma behind Kate’s passion. Thank you Kate!
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".