I spend a lot of my time reading what other travelers are doing. Here are some of the places on the web I return to frequently to read about and research travel.
I categorize these based on whether they are about practical advice or more for the pleasure of reading about travel. Many of these sites offer some of both, but I list them under the category that feels primary to me.
Stories and Inspiration
Accidental Nomads
Carolyn and Clive, a married couple from England, have been living as nomads since 2007. Their blog’s theme is “Travel. Food. Stories.”
Bald Hiker
Paul Steele is a hiker from northern England. He’s been writing this blog since 2010. In addition to great travel writing, he has posts on food and drink, animals and nature, health
and sport, and more.
Brent and Michael Are Going Places
This gay couple became digital nomads in 2017 and have been traveling and living around the world since then. They both write about their experiences with humor and a willingness to open up.
Dan Flying Solo
According to his website, Dan “was on the road for 1467 days between 2014 – 2018.” He shares a lot of those experiences along with interesting and helpful tips.
Eat Your World
Subtitled “A global guide to local food,” much of the content on this blog is actually written by anyone who signs up and submits stories. It’s a great place to check if you’re looking for somewhere to eat while traveling. But it’s also just a delight for food lovers who travel or travelers who love to eat.
Expert Vagabond
Here’s a site that could go into either category, with lots of tips, but my favorite part of this site is the personal stories and stunnng photographs to go with them.
For 91 Days
Mike and Jürgen have a unique concept for their blog — and their lives: they live in a new places for 91 days at a time, and then they move on. And they try to write 91 articles for each location. It’s fun reading as well as great information. By the end of each stint, their posts turn into a great travel guide for each city.
Grantourismo
Lara Dunston is a food writer; her husband, Terrence Carter, is a photographer. This is their travel blog. As you might guess, the emphasis is on food and photography. Their mission is “to make travel more meaningful and memorable by exploring more authentic and enriching ways to travel.”
Hey Ciara
Ciara is a 20-something who chucked it all and started traveling. She has good suggestions for itineraries, and also writes with humor and insight about the places she’s been and the experiences she’s had.
Nomad Flag
Keith says, “My only real travel regrets are that I didn’t spend more time in a place.” And he says, “Travel is a confidence booster better than any therapy or drug.” Those are two of the reasons I find his writing so inspiring.
Nomad Revelations
In blogger João Leitão’s own words, “Nomad Revelations is a travel blog written to inspire and empower ‘independent’ travelers and ‘audacious backpackers’ through stories of travel, adventure, and exploration.” Anyone who has been to as many places as João (over 145 different countries) is bound to have both some extraordinary stories to share and a lot of first-rate advice.
Notes from the Road
Erik Gauger says this site “is my project in the unvarnished, messy truth of travel, told by a regular guy.” It really lives up to that. Erik writes in a way that seems fearless, and he travels the same way.
Perceptive Travel
This is an online magazine of travel writing from published book authors. So you know the quality has to be good. They say, “Come here for authentic travel tales about interesting places, not for top-10 lists and advertorials.” Amen!
Rick Steves
When I’m planning a trip to Europe, Rick’s guidebooks are my primary source of research. His “back-door” approach to travel means getting more authentic experiences and visiting as a temporary local rather than a tourist. On his site are videos from his PBS TV show, podcasts, merchandise, and lots more.
Seth Kugel
I’ve been following Seth since he wrote the Frugal Traveler column for the New York Times. In Reykjavik in 2012 I had lunch in a restaurant, and on the wall was a framed print of his article about his time in Reykjavik, including a visit to that same restaurant. It’s not the only time I found myself in his footsteps (or learned of him following in mine). I loved reading about his frugal travels, and I have often wished I traveled more like Seth does.
Sidetracked
This is a visually stunning site, not surprising since Sidetracked is also a print magazine. “The concept is simple: to capture the emotion and experience of adventures and expeditions throughout the world… and to inspire.”
Solo Traveler
As the name suggests, solo travelers (like me) will find great content here. It’s written by Janice Waugh and Tracey Nesbitt, two women with lots of perspective on the subject.
The Everywhereist
Geraldine DeRuiter started this blog after getting laid off from her copywriter job. She began tagging along with her husband, who travels extensively for work, and starting writing about the places they went “so he can know a little bit about what I see when he’s off giving presentations and having meetings.” She also writes about politics, and in her views she’s a kindred spirit with me, so I am happy to endorse her blog.
Tips and Tricks
Global Viewpoint
Jon has been to over 40 countries and offers great itinerary ideas plus practical help. He’s also an excellent photographer and has an excellent section of tips to help take great travel pics.
Going Awesome Places
This, from his home page, pretty much sums up what this website and blog is all about: “Hey, my name is Will and I’m here to help you travel to some awesome places around the world and my home country of Canada by providing insanely detailed itineraries, travel guides, and packing lists.”
Inside the Travel Lab
Abi’s approach to travel is “thoughtful luxury.” Her philosophy is that “Eco‐travel doesn’t need to be miserably bare. Luxury travel doesn’t need to be soulless.”
Never Ending Footsteps
Lauren has been traveling all over the world for more than ten years, and shares all the mishaps she’s had in that time, hoping to spare us all the same troubles. The stories she shares are fascinating, and the guidance she offers is invaluable.
Nomadic Matt
Matt has been traveling and writing since 2006, and his site offers tons of tips for travelers of various ilks, travel guides for a good portion of the world, and a blog filled with personal experiences and the vast knowledge he has acquired. If you travel on a budget (and who doesn’t?), you’ll find Matt’s advice invaluable.
Sand in my Suitcase
Janice and George say their blog is about “luxury travel (splurgey and affordable).” They offer itinerary advice for all seven continents, including adventure travel, cruising, hotel reviews, food and drink, and clothing and packing suggestions.
The Planet D
This award‐winning blog is written by married couple Dave and Deb, who have been traveling full‐time since 2008. They’ve been to over 100 countries, and they offer travel guides, superb photography, and personal stories.
The Points Guy
A the name of this site suggests, it was originally all about maximizing travel and minimizing cost by learning how to take advantage of loyalty programs. While that is still its primary mission, it is a lot more than that today, with tons of practical advice on all aspects of travel.
The Travelphile
Trish works with Rick Steves and writes beautifully about her travel experiences. She also offers tours, virtual classes, and trip consulting services.
Travels of Adam
Adam Groffman’s blog is “a personal way to share my travel tips. You’ll find gay travel stories, nightlife tips, photos and all‐too‐personal stories from my travel adventures around the world.” He has also written a number of award‐winning Hipster City Guides.
Travels with Bender
There are some great travel stories here, but Josh offers so much practical advice. Just about anything I want to know, I can probably find answers here.
YTravel
The Makepeace family have traveled extensively, and they have a lot of ideas for destinations as well as general tips and advice.