Bilking the Balkans

Are you traveling to the Balkans anytime soon? Here's a scheme I invented to save a little extra money on your travels: The Balkan Backpackers is an exclusive (sorry, INCLUSIVE) organization that lists about 45 hostels located from Slovenia down to Greece and up to Romania. Each hostel on the list offers a 10% discount when booked directly through the hostel (not promotional websites), plus the fifth hostel at which you stay offers some type of perk. So technically at your first hostel you pick

How To Pick A Seat On The Bus/Train

Okay, this may sound like an incredibly trivial topic - one on which advice shouldn't make much of a difference. But almost all travelers have been in this situation before. It's 40oC outside. You are hot, sweaty, and in need of a shower. A small, cramped bus arrives to pick up passengers for the 8-hour drive and you're not even sure if there is enough room for you to find a seat. My favorite quote that I coined last year while traveling through Serbia and Romania is this: Traveling is the worst

New Format

So until recently this blog was a mirror image of my other site. I have deleted most of the posts in an attempt to revamp the content, and hopefully engage more friends and travelers in the formation of this page. Anyone viewing this page is welcome, in fact encouraged, to add just about anything to it: experiences, tips, stories, ideas, future travel plans. I enjoy all the input I receive from anyone and everyone. This site is a bit more difficult to find than my other blog (which I use mostly

Visa-Free Travel

I spent about six hours this week researching areas of the world in which I would be able to travel with relative ease. I discovered that a United States passport is considered in the top-ten in the world for tourism visas. It is possible, according to several websites, to enter about 160 countries either without a visa, or by purchasing a visa at the border. Still, Russia and China are not included on that list, which means I'll most likely have to fly from Europe to Asia. I am also considering