travel for life

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• THE BIG IDEA

Why travel should be considered an essential human activity

Travel is not rational, but it’s in our genes. Here’s why you should start planning a trip now.

In 1961, legendary National Geographic photographer Volkmar Wentzel captured two women gazing at the surf off Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia. This and all the other images in this story come from the National Geographic image collection.

I’ve been putting my passport to good use lately. I use it as a coaster and to level wobbly table legs. It makes an excellent cat toy.

Welcome to the pandemic of disappointments. Canceled trips, or ones never planned lest they be canceled. Family reunions, study-abroad years, lazy beach vacations. Poof. Gone. Obliterated by a tiny virus, and the long list of countries where United States passports are not welcome.

Only a third of Americans say they have traveled overnight for leisure since March, and only slightly more, 38 percent, say they are likely to do so by the end of the year, according to one report. Only a quarter of us plan on leaving home for Thanksgiving, typically the busiest travel time. The numbers paint a grim picture of our stilled lives.

It is not natural for us to be this sedentary. Travel is in our genes. For most of the time our species has existed, “we’ve lived as nomadic hunter-gatherers moving about in small bands of 150 or fewer people,” writes Christopher Ryan in Civilized to Death . This nomadic life was no accident. It was useful. “Moving to a neighboring band is always an option to avoid brewing conflict or just for a change in social scenery,” says Ryan. Robert Louis Stevenson put it more succinctly: “The great affair is to move.”

What if we can’t move, though? What if we’re unable to hunt or gather? What’s a traveler to do? There are many ways to answer that question. “Despair,” though, is not one of them.

In this aerial view from 1967, wall-to-wall seaside sunbathers relax under umbrellas or on beach towels in Ocean City, Maryland .

A 1967 fall festival in Guadalajara, Mexico , starred traditionally costumed musicians and dancers.

We are an adaptive species. We can tolerate brief periods of forced sedentariness. A dash of self-delusion helps. We’re not grounded, we tell ourselves. We’re merely between trips, like the unemployed salesman in between opportunities. We pass the days thumbing though old travel journals and Instagram feeds. We gaze at souvenirs. All this helps. For a while.

We put on brave faces. “Staycation Nation,” the cover of the current issue of Canadian Traveller magazine declares cheerfully, as if it were a choice, not a consolation.

Today, the U.S. Travel Association, the industry trade organization, is launching a national recovery campaign called “ Let’s Go There .” Backed by a coalition of businesses related to tourism—hotels, convention and visitor bureaus, airlines—the initiative’s goal is to encourage Americans to turn idle wanderlust into actual itineraries.

The travel industry is hurting. So are travelers. “I dwelled so much on my disappointment that it almost physically hurt,” Paris -based journalist Joelle Diderich told me recently, after canceling five trips last spring.

(Related: How hard has the coronavirus hit the travel industry? These charts tell us.)

My friend James Hopkins is a Buddhist living in Kathmandu . You’d think he’d thrive during the lockdown, a sort-of mandatory meditation retreat. For a while he did.

But during a recent Skype call, James looked haggard and dejected. He was growing restless, he confessed, and longed “for the old 10-countries-a-year schedule.” Nothing seemed to help, he told me. “No matter how many candles I lit, or how much incense I burned, and in spite of living in one of the most sacred places in South Asia, I just couldn’t change my habits.”

When we ended our call, I felt relieved, my grumpiness validated. It’s not me; it’s the pandemic. But I also worried. If a Buddhist in Kathmandu is going nuts, what hope do the rest of us stilled souls have?

I think hope lies in the very nature of travel. Travel entails wishful thinking. It demands a leap of faith, and of imagination, to board a plane for some faraway land, hoping, wishing, for a taste of the ineffable. Travel is one of the few activities we engage in not knowing the outcome and reveling in that uncertainty. Nothing is more forgettable than the trip that goes exactly as planned.

Related: Vintage photos of the glamour of travel

Travel is not a rational activity. It makes no sense to squeeze yourself into an alleged seat only to be hurled at frightening speed to a distant place where you don’t speak the language or know the customs. All at great expense. If we stopped to do the cost-benefit analysis, we’d never go anywhere. Yet we do.

That’s one reason why I’m bullish on travel’s future. In fact, I’d argue travel is an essential industry, an essential activity. It’s not essential the way hospitals and grocery stores are essential. Travel is essential the way books and hugs are essential. Food for the soul. Right now, we’re between courses, savoring where we’ve been, anticipating where we’ll go. Maybe it’s Zanzibar and maybe it’s the campground down the road that you’ve always wanted to visit.

(Related: Going camping this fall? Here’s how to get started.)

James Oglethorpe, a seasoned traveler, is happy to sit still for a while, and gaze at “the slow change of light and clouds on the Blue Ridge Mountains” in Virginia, where he lives. “My mind can take me the rest of the way around this world and beyond it.”

It’s not the place that is special but what we bring to it and, crucially, how we interact with it. Travel is not about the destination, or the journey. It is about stumbling across “a new way of looking at things,” as writer Henry Miller observed. We need not travel far to gain a fresh perspective.

No one knew this better than Henry David Thoreau , who lived nearly all of his too-short life in Concord, Massachusetts. There he observed Walden Pond from every conceivable vantage point: from a hilltop, on its shores, underwater. Sometimes he’d even bend over and peer through his legs, marveling at the inverted world. “From the right point of view, every storm and every drop in it is a rainbow,” he wrote.

Thoreau never tired of gazing at his beloved pond, nor have we outgrown the quiet beauty of our frumpy, analog world. If anything, the pandemic has rekindled our affection for it. We’ve seen what an atomized, digital existence looks like, and we (most of us anyway) don’t care for it. The bleachers at Chicago ’s Wrigley Field; the orchestra section at New York City ’s Lincoln Center; the alleyways of Tokyo . We miss these places. We are creatures of place, and always will be.

After the attacks of September 11, many predicted the end of air travel, or at least a dramatic reduction. Yet the airlines rebounded steadily and by 2017 flew a record four billion passengers. Briefly deprived of the miracle of flight, we appreciated it more and today tolerate the inconvenience of body scans and pat-downs for the privilege of transporting our flesh-and-bone selves to far-flung locations, where we break bread with other incarnate beings.

Landscape architects work in their Rio de Janeiro, Brazil , studio in 1955.

A tourist photographs a towering century plant in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, in 1956.

In our rush to return to the world, we should be mindful of the impact of mass tourism on the planet. Now is the time to embrace the fundamental values of sustainable tourism and let them guide your future journeys. Go off the beaten path. Linger longer in destinations. Travel in the off-season. Connect with communities and spend your money in ways that support locals. Consider purchasing carbon offsets. And remember that the whole point of getting out there is to embrace the differences that make the world so colorful.

“One of the great benefits of travel is meeting new people and coming into contact with different points of view,” says Pauline Frommer, travel expert and radio host.

So go ahead and plan that trip. It’s good for you, scientists say . Plotting a trip is nearly as enjoyable as actually taking one. Merely thinking about a pleasurable experience is itself pleasurable. Anticipation is its own reward.

I’ve witnessed first-hand the frisson of anticipatory travel. My wife, not usually a fan of travel photography, now spends hours on Instagram, gazing longingly at photos of Alpine lodges and Balinese rice fields. “What’s going on?” I asked one day. “They’re just absolutely captivating,” she replied. “They make me remember that there is a big, beautiful world out there.”

Many of us, myself included, have taken travel for granted. We grew lazy and entitled, and that is never good. Tom Swick, a friend and travel writer, tells me he used to view travel as a given. Now, he says, “I look forward to experiencing it as a gift.”

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• TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY
• VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPHY

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Ministry of Tourism, organised the Global Launch of ‘Travel for LiFE’ The Travel for LiFE program, which is a part of Mission LiFE, sets out the path to a sustainable planet Earth: Shri Ajay Bhatt Ministry of Tourism to carry out cleanliness drive at identified 108 tourist locations for the launch of the Swachhata Campaign. Ministry of Tourism to carry out a design challenge competition to develop innovative solutions in the field of edible cutlery

On the occasion of World Tourism Day 2023, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India organised the Global Launch of ‘Travel for LiFE’ , a sectoral program under Mission LiFE, targeted towards the tourism sector, in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, today.

Shri. Ajay Bhatt, Minister of State of Tourism and Defence; Ms. V. Vidhyavathi, Secretary (Tourism); Ms. Leena Nandan, Secretary Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Shri. Rakesh Kumar Verma, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tourism along with other officials were present on the occasion.

On the occasion Shri. Ajay Bhatt said that the Ministry of Tourism’s recent initiative, “Travel for LiFE” is a testament to our commitment to promoting sustainable tourism. He further added that the recent G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi has demonstrated India's commitment to forging global unity and collaboration, and the deliberations echoed the collective aspirations of nations for a sustainable future. He urged every traveller, every business, and every citizen to adopt this program and pledge to travel responsibly, to respect our environment, and to understand and appreciate the diverse cultures that make our world so beautifully complex. The Travel for LiFE program, which is a part of Mission LiFE, sets out the path to a sustainable planet Earth, he added.

Ms. V. Vidhyavathi, Secretary (Tourism ) presented the overview of Travel for LiFE and its varied dimensions. She underlined that the ‘Travel for LiFE’ program will encourage tourists to take simple actions that result in conservation of the environment, biodiversity, improvement in the local economy and preservation of the socio-cultural integrity of the local communities. It aims to create mindful and deliberate utilization of resources by the stakeholders in the tourism value chain.

On the occasion, Ms. Leena Nandan said that mission Life aims to have sustainable lifestyle, which means mindful use of resources. She added that the challenge of climate change has to be met by governments, by organisations and by individuals through positive and proactive environment related actions.

During his welcome address, Shri. Rakesh Kumar Verma , Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, stated that the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration (NDLD) has highlighted the crucial role of tourism and culture as a means for sustainable socio-economic development and economic prosperity.

The event saw the launch of the Travel for LiFE program for two different verticals viz.  Travel for LiFE for Cleanliness – a national TFL campaign for cleaning tourist sites and monuments in convergence with the Swachhata campaign and Travel for LiFE for Rural Tourism encouraging tourists to explore the rural and lesser-known hinterland promoting sustainable rural tourism thereby empowering rural communities.

The ‘Travel for LiFE’ program actions promotes sustainable economic development, encourages sustainable consumption and production and thereby contributes to the SDGs focused on Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), Climate Action (SDG 13) and Life Below Water (SDG 14). Given the wide range of actions, Travel for LiFE contributes directly and indirectly to almost all the SDGs.

A national Travel for LiFE competition titled as ‘Tourism for Tomorrow’ for case studies and best practices was also launched during the event, in alignment with the key priorities of Goa Roadmap.

The Global launch of Travel for LiFE at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi was virtually attended by the international organizations, participants from the G20 member countries, industry and State Governments.

The event saw the launch of other initiatives like the ‘Tourism for Tomorrow’ Competition, Design Edible Cutlery Competition, Yuva Tourism Club Merchandise and the Swachhata Campaign at 108 Tourism sites across India. The ‘Tourism for Tomorrow’ Competition builds upon the five key priorities of G20 GOA Roadmap for Tourism that are Green Tourism, Digitalization, Skills, Tourism MSMEs, and Destination Management. The Ministry of Tourism will recognize and support SDG-driven Tourism Best Practices in India through the facilitation of this competition.

A Design challenge competition for Institutes of Hotel Management affiliated to NCHMCT (National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology) under Ministry of Tourism, Government of India has been planned to develop innovative solutions in the field of edible cutlery.

In line with the Swachchta campaign activities, a massive cleanliness drive has been planned by the Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India at identified 108 tourist locations for the launch of the Swachhata Campaign. This campaign will be carried out at these 108 sites as well as other places of tourist importance. The objective of the whole drive is to ensure garbage cleaning, sanitation and banning Single Use Plastic (SUP) and promoting use of eco-friendly substances. For a wider reach, the students of schools and colleges and members of Yuva Tourism Clubs (YTC) have also been involved.

On the occasion Best Rural Tourism Village Awards were given f or promotion and preservation of their cultural heritage and sustainable development through tourism. 35 Rural Tourism Villages were with 5, 10, and 20 villages in Gold, Silver, and Bronze Categories respectively.

List of the awardee villages

Unconventional language hacking tips from Benny the Irish polyglot; travelling the world to learn languages to fluency and beyond!

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Home » Articles » How to travel the world for life (and work while you travel)

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written by Benny Lewis

Reading time: 16 minutes

Published: Jul 10, 2014

Updated: Jun 29, 2023

How to travel the world for life (and work while you travel)

Today, July 10th , is my 32nd birthday! But it's also my 11 year travel anniversary .

Back in 2003 I left Ireland this day with no return ticket, and 132 months / 574 weeks / over 4,000 days later, I'm still on the road with no home or place I can call a base. Everything I own in the world weighs 23kg/50lb and comes with me.

On my 8 year travel anniversary, I wrote my site's most popular post ever by sharing the 29 most important life lessons I learned while travelling the world. And last year on my 10 year anniversary, I took those top-10 life lessons and presented them in a professionally edited video to summarize my travels visually.

This year, I'm doing something different and sharing my most practical tips on how you can travel the world (long-term) like I have, without winning the lottery (or having a mega savings). All throughout my travels – for over a decade – I've paid my way from money I earned while travelling .

So, how do I travel the world?

First, you don't need to save up money for years before you can travel the world. So many people make this mistake in mentality, and as a result they put off their travel goals for years unnecessarily. In fact, starting a travel lifestyle right now is well within the possibility of many people. I realize that there are exceptions, and some people might not want to travel the world long term like I do, so today I want to give you a heap of ideas for how to manage your own travel goals, whatever they may be.

I'll tackle four key points:

• How to lead a cheap travel lifestyle
• How to score cheap flights
• How to get the cheapest (and sometimes free) lodging
• How to work while you travel

If you're really serious about starting a travel lifestyle, I'll also share the best links for further reading on travel hacking. To get you started, you can't get better than checking out Nomadic Matt , since I learned a lot of the strategies I now use myself from his book How to travel the world on $50 a day .

(Oh yes – since it's my birthday, as a present request I'll ask that you share this post on your favourite social media site ( Facebook wall, retweet , Google+ share etc.) if you found it useful. Thanks! 🙂

How to travel the world for cheap

Before we discuss how to travel cheaper, it's very important to tackle how to live cheaper . This applies to you right now, even while you are settled.

If you have expensive habits now in your settled life, those habits will follow you into your travel lifestyle and rack up unnecessary expenses. It doesn't need to be this way.

So how expensive is your current life? Before you start travelling, track your actual expenses now and see where they go. Do you eat out a lot? Spend a lot on fuel costs? Does most of your money go to car or home insurance payments?

The good news is that if you start travelling for the long-term, you can live cheaper in part because you'll no longer need to spend hundreds of dollars of month to pay for your car, its insurance, its gas… and all the other major expenses that comes with leading a settled life. When you think about it, with all of these major expenses, leading a settled life is expensive!

But if you're finding that the biggest sticker shock comes from your lifestyle habits, then you'll have to make some tough choices.

Can you cut back on coffee, cigarettes and beer in exchange for extra cash you can put towards train tickets to the distant corners of the world?

Not everyone can, or wants to. But if you can save just ten dollars a day by living a cheaper lifestyle … just 10 dollars a day! … that's enough to pay the cost of your entire monthly rent for a hut on the beach in India or Thailand.

Think about that for a minute.

You might consider making other cheap lifestyle choices, like keeping a vegetarian diet and learning to cook from home. In a lot of countries, you can rely almost entirely on the use of public transport instead of a car, or get around on a bike. You can share accommodation costs by having room-mates. You can choose to be happy with the current technology and clothes that you have instead of updating them every few months.

These changes can increase the amount of your expendable cash dramatically .

After you learn to decrease the cost of your life in general, this will absolutely spill over into savings for your travel life. Then, I recommend you:

• Follow these 25 travel on the cheap tips from myself and Graham Hughes (who has visited every country on earth on a shoestring budget)
• Get rid of all your stuff. Use sites like Ebay , craigslist , gumtree , go to 2nd hand shops, the options are endless. There is no physical item that you actually can't live without unless it is the clothes on your back, food, or your means of earning money (for me, that's my laptop). This will both give you a financial boost and allow you to travel with all your posessions and not need to pay for storage or rent back home.
• Learn how to travel with everything you own carried along with you.
• When eating in a country, don't forget to try to get a place with a kitchen if you can (many youth hostels have one) and cook your meals. Otherwise, try to eat out at lunch time instead of dinner, since many places do lunch specials. Cities like Berlin and Paris have great “business lunch” options that offer several courses for just a few euro. Also, do indeed visit tourist sites, but leave the area when it's time to eat, since you'll be paying tourist rates. Find out in advance where the locals eat .

My number one biggest tip by far for how to travel for cheap is to learn the local language . This will save you heaps of money. I honestly feel this is one of the main reasons that I've been able to afford to travel so long – I've avoided paying the “English speaking tax”, and trust me, that tax exists pretty much everywhere that English is not the native language.

How to find cheap airfares

When your general lifestyle is less expensive, the next biggest expense people imagine is flights .

Flights, I'll admit, can cost thousands of dollars. But if you know where to look, there are several ways to make these dramatically cheaper than you think. Here are some rules to live by when checking out flights.

• Never go to the airline's own website. Instead, use “meta-search engines” while check and compare the rates for multiple travel sites at once. Also, try to book tickets around 3 months in advance, and choose flexible criteria – especially for the exact day of travel. See what the cheapest day is during the week or month around when you can fly. You can save hundreds of dollars by flying even a single day earlier or later! And try multiple searches on several of the following websites until you get the best results:
• www.skyscanner.com
• www.momondo.com
• www.kayak.com
• www.expedia.com
• www.hipmunk.com  [This site ranks flights by “Agony”, taking inconvenience into account]
• For long-haul, cross continental flights, use  flightfox.com. For $49 they can save hundreds or get you nice upgrades. Definitely worth it for many people. I got Lauren's return flight (from US to Spain to live with me for 3 months, then from Ireland to US for Christmas) for $450/€330, because of some strange rule where we added an extra leg to Canada 2 days after she landed in DC that she didn't even take. This website did the research for us in a way you wouldn't get on the above meta-searches.
• If your goal is to fly a lot, you can use “Round-the-world tickets”, which can cost about €3,000+ depending on the number of continents you want to visit. You can book through  airtreks.com  or flightcentre.com , but it's better if you can save miles through credit card sign-ups. This is more appropriate if you want to travel the world for a year and know where you want to go in advance. Using the above options and buying individual tickets still tends to work out cheaper most of the time though, and allows for more flexibility.

How to find cheap or free lodging

For those of you travelling very fast and moving around once every few days, travel will be more expensive, but you can reduce costs by getting last-minute prices on hotels on sites like laterooms.com ,  lastminute.com , hoteltonight.com , priceline.com ,  hotwire.com  (name your price – you won't know where you'll stay until you've paid).

I can understand why people think long term travel is not possible for them, when they think it's a $1-200/night hotel stay, but the fact of the matter is that long term travellers do not tend to stay at hotels .

Instead, we:

• Stay for free with couchsurfing , servas (reference letter required, mostly US senior travellers), hospitality club , globalfreeloaders ( I use Couchsurfing a lot for its search feature to find language learning partners too )
• If you speak Esperanto, Pasportaservo.org is like the above sites with the only catch being that you communicate with your hosts in a language you can learn in a few weeks ! ( Here's how well my girlfriend did with just an hour a day for 6 weeks )
• Use wwoof.org  (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms – about €20 per country membership – you work on a farm and get free accommodation, as well as the amazing experience)
• House-sit at housecarers.com ,  mindmyhouse.com ,  caretaker.org – This is more suited to stays of a month or longer; you get free accommodation in exchange for keeping an eye on pets, gardens, and other chores.
• Stay in youth hostels – as low as just $5/night in countries like Thailand, cheaper across Europe. Find your options on hostelworld.com or hostelbookers.com .
• For stays of a few days or a few weeks, I highly recommend staying in a serviced apartment. For mid-range budgets this is my go-to choice. Find your home away from home on 9flats.com ,  airbnb.com ,  homeaway.com , roomorama.com , or wimdu.com .
• Go camping! You are only paying for the space and can access water, electricity and other services as required in specialized campsites for a fraction of the cost of alternatives.
• Here is more on how I find accommodation while travelling

How to work while travelling

Most people think they have to save their pennies for months or years in advance until they have “enough” money to travel and live off of for a while. Unfortunately, this can only last you so long (unless you have won the lottery, in which case send a donation my way! 😛 ). The fact is that you can earn while on the road.

There are two ways to do this:

1) Get a job on-location

If you are an EU citizen you can do this automatically in any other countries in the EU. In most other situations though, you need to obtain a visa in advance.

As an Irish citizen, I got a J1-visa to work in America twice when I was a student (this was part of the 6 months of travel I did before my 11-years-non-stop travel, so I am actually approaching 12 years depending on how you count it…) I applied for this through the Irish organization USIT . They also offer Irish people working visas in many other countries. Your country may have an equivalent service.

In most other situations, you may have to see in advance what your options may be. If you are a student, your university most likely offers study abroad options, and definitely use your network of friends and colleagues to see if any of your fellow students have experience working abroad.

If you are looking for a job on your own, it is actually usually much easier to get hired by a company  before  you travel, and then have that company arrange the visa. This was a possibility for me the first time I went to the US, because I worked as a summer school teacher for a university, which was experienced in hiring foreigners, so I actually didn't need to arrange the working visa myself.

Finally, have a look at the country's embassy website and see what they recommend for working visas.

What work can you do on-location?

The easiest way by far that English speakers can work abroad is to do it as an English teacher . In countries were English teachers are in high demand, the school will arrange the visa and all logistics for you.

I've done lots of work as an ESL teacher myself, all based on an initial weekend affordable TEFL certificate I got from i-to-i , and then building upon my experience earned to get me higher paid jobs with time, eventually working for prominent schools like Berlitz and Wall Street Institute. I've also worked the following jobs on location, to give you an idea of your options (your options expand immensely if you learn the local language – don't forget to sign-up to my newsletter for a week long crash course if you aren't sure how):

• Youth hostel receptionist
• Store manager
• Photographer
• Basic office work
• Engineer (what my undergraduate degree was in – in this case I worked as an intern)
• Go Kart race controller
• Computer repair / on-site tech support
• Lots of English teaching
• On-site translator

You may find other work depending on your work skills and the opportunities available.

2) Get a location independent job

I worked on-location for my first years travel, but the catch was that my wages remained stagnant for all work other than teaching English, since I moved every few months and had to start over from scratch again.

That's why the future of many jobs (not all of course) is that they can be based online , and you can take them with you around the world!

Here are a few ideas:

• If you are good at languages, and willing to go through training for it, become a freelance location independent translator . I found my initial work on proz.com
• Teach your native language online . You can become a teacher on italki for instance and take your students with you wherever you go. My girlfriend did this for her first months of travel with me, and was working full-time with the work she got.
• Become an online coach – while I do this myself to help people expand the popularity of their websites and craft their language learning projects, there are many ways you can implement this. I once met someone who earned her living coaching people to give up smoking (her background was in psychology) over Skype!
• Write an e-book or sell a course online. My site fi3m premium supports this completely free blog (no spammy irrelevant advertising anywhere here – that's a really poor way to do anything but cover hosting costs) through a video course and resource database. I used to sell an e-book too. You can distribute this yourself if you put the time into creating a really high quality free site/Youtube channel/podcast or similar that sends traffic to it. You can also sell it directly on Amazon (self published) or through various other channels. Note that traditional publishing is not a good way to earn a living for most people – my book is an international best seller and this does not translate into money in my pocket because of traditional publishing logistics.
• Take a skill that you have and see if it works online. Here is a list of 64 ideas to work online depending on the skill. You can also see if job openings are available through various online advertising boards, or a job outsourcing site like Upwork .

What kind of working visa do I need?

The question of how you manage the logistics of working online is tricky because there are no international laws that govern such things. What many of us do is simply set ourselves up legally and officially in our home country – so we have a bank, and pay taxes there.

Then we stay in a country on a tourist visa – a grey line depending on where you go. I actually have a business visa while I'm in America right now, since its immigration tends to be the most strict about what I can and can't do here – this is despite the fact that I am not actually technically employed for any of my time here, but my book tour is business of sorts. In most countries though, a tourist visa is OK for online workers. (Disclaimer: Please don't take what I'm saying here as legal advice – I accept no responsibility if you run into issues!)

You aren't legally working in the eyes of many countries as you are not taking any money or employment from its citizens, only spending, as any tourist would. In case you are wondering, the “3 months” in my blog title comes from the 3 month visas I typically have as my limit in most places 😉

How do I set myself up as a business?

Whether you should operate as a freelancer or start your own business depends on too many factors for me to cover here, most important of which being the kind of work you'll be doing, but you can contact a lawyer in your home country if you are unsure.

You can receive payments directly to your bank account (when I was a freelance translator, my clients were European and bank transfers within Europe are free – working with American clients is a pain in the ass to be honest because they are one of the few first world countries that still insist on printing your money on dead trees, i.e. snail-mailing checks/cheques).

Another solution is to set up a pro or business paypal account, but keep in mind that you do pay fees for many transactions and withdrawals.

When everything is combined – working and travelling long-term is easier than you think

A really cool benefit of working location independently is that you can earn in a strong currency like the euro/dollar/pound and spend in a cheaper country where that money will take you really far. Leveraging currency differences is another thing that allows “technomads” to travel so extensively.

The combination of everything I've said in this post, namely

• SPENDING less through a minimalistic lifestyle
• Finding cheaper flights through a bit of research
• Finding cheaper or free accommodation, especially through slower travel
• Working online and earning in a stronger currency, while spending in a weaker one

Means that long-term travel is absolutely sustainable. I break some of these rules sometimes, like this year I'm travelling very fast on my book tour, and accommodation is much more expensive as a result, but flights are still cheap, we eat in as often as possible, we earn online, and we generally don't spend much otherwise.

This kind of fast-travel wouldn't be sustainable for me in the long-term, but we'll be back to three month stays later this year, and back to saving plenty for intensive periods like this.

Benny Lewis

Founder, Fluent in 3 Months

Fun-loving Irish guy, full-time globe trotter and international bestselling author. Benny believes the best approach to language learning is to speak from day one .

Speaks: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Esperanto, Mandarin Chinese, American Sign Language, Dutch, Irish

Have a 15-minute conversation in your new language after 90 days

Traveling For Life: What It’s Really Like to Move Country All the Time

A few years ago it seemed ‘ Lifestyle Traveler ‘ was the label they attached to me. But more recently that has shifted to ‘ Digital Nomad ‘.

Not that my life has changed much, it’s just that more people started to live a lifestyle that involves moving from country to country while working remotely and that’s how this new label was created.

And in a way I’m happy that they (whoever they are) have come up with a name for people who live a similar lifestyle to mine.

Because although many other digital nomads are very different from me in many ways, it does feel good that I’m not the only one living this “ strange traveling lifestyle “: moving from country to country, starting new adventures and exploring new worlds.

I first moved abroad when I was 17. I decided to spend the summer working in a restaurant in a small town in Spain called Moraira . Not long after that I flew to Guatemala where I’d have my first real backpacking experience.

Since then I have lived and worked in over 10 countries all over the world and traveled through many more. Traveling, moving and building a new life became a lifestyle. A lifestyle that I love, most of the time.

In my opinion, there is nothing more intoxicating than being immersed in the unfamiliar: from the new smells and sights to the new people you are about to meet… It gives me energy, makes me feel alive.

But, seeking a better life abroad doesn’t necessarily mean that things will be easier.

Traveling For Life

I’ve seen some amazing places and met so many great people from all walks of life.

While my friends back home got a steady job and started thinking about marriage and kids I was exploring Mumbai (India) in a rikshaw or swimming with dolphins in Mauritius .

It sounds amazing, yes, and in many ways it is. But no life is perfect and neither is mine.

The older I get the more I realize how important family and real friends are. And that is what I have to miss while I’m abroad . Many of the new friends I make abroad are great people but will never be able to replace some of my lifelong friendships at home.

And then there is all the frustration of having to build a new life.

I recently lived on a tropical island in the Caribbean . Paradise in many ways with its great weather, warm water, palm trees, and endless cocktails.

But, like any other place, it has its downsides: housing is very expensive compared to the average salary, at night I don’t feel safe enough to walk on the streets alone, the inefficiency and “Caribbean relaxed attitude” can be extremely frustrating if you need to get something done, and so on.

I’ve realized though that I need to stop fighting the conflicting feelings I’ve had for so long; those that compel me to keep going, to explore the next place, to go somewhere new, and those that tell me to settle down.

A life of travel at times can be lonely and getting to know a new place can be tiring and frustrating. I’ve missed so many birthdays, weddings, and family Christmases.

But, few people can say that their life is perfect – I just have different concerns and worries than people living more conventional lifestyles.

Also Read: Emotional Challenges of the Digital Nomad Lifestyle

And I have to admit, I really am a lifestyle traveler: I love the excitement of a new place, the joy of planning for a new destination, the unimaginable adventures that daily life offers.

I don’t know why I am this way, but for some reason I feel happier when I’m the foreigner, just a little out of my comfort zone.

So while I sometimes envy my friends who are happy with their careers and settled lives, I still find so much enjoyment in exploring new worlds and starting my next adventure that I think I’ll remain a lifestyle traveler or digital nomad for some time to come…

If You Are Interested in How to Live a Travel Lifestyle, Also Read:

• Why Moving Abroad is Such a Valuable Experience
• 10 Signs You Have Been Bitten By the Travel Bug
• How to Find a Job Abroad & Make It Work
• An overview of other articles about the digital nomad lifestyle
• My Current Crazy Adventure: I Bought a Catamaran to Travel the World by Boat!

“Once the travel bug bites there is no known antidote, and I know that I shall be happily infected for the rest of my life” – Michael Palin

7 thoughts on “Traveling For Life: What It’s Really Like to Move Country All the Time”

I completely related to your experiences as a digital nomad! I’ve been living abroad for the past 5 years and I completely agree that it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. There are definitely challenges that come with constantly adjusting to new environments and languages, but the freedom and adventures it brings are so worth it. Your post captured the good, the bad, and the ugly of this lifestyle perfectly. Thank you for sharing your honest experiences and inspiring others to take the leap!

Wow, I can completely relate to this post! I’ve been living in different countries for the past few years and it’s amazing how much it can affect your perspective on life. The constant fluidity can be overwhelming at times, but it’s also incredibly enriching. Thanks for sharing your experiences, it’s great to connect with others who understand what I’m going through! 😊

I’ve been a travel blogger for a few years now, and I can tell you that it’s not always easy to move to a new country every few months. It’s definitely an adventure, and I’m so grateful for the experiences

I’ve been a travel blogger for a few years now, and I can tell you that it’s not always easy to move to a new country every few months. It’s definitely an adventure though, and I’m so grateful for the experiences.

Good on you for sharing not only the highlights but also the negatives of constant travel. I think its amazing that you have been doing it for this long, i bet you have incredible stories form your journeys. We are working towards making this a reality for ourselves too but with two kids. Congrats on your 9 years and hoping for many more too!

Thanks Elisa, I really appreciate that! 🙂 Yes, I feel it would be unfair to only share the positives… a life of travel isn’t always the easiest but it is absolutely worth it! With two kids it will definitely require more planning but just take your time and enjoy the journey! 🙂

That is very interesting, You are a very skilled blogger. I have shared your web site in my social networks!

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Created by Mar y San Design

Travel for Life Now is based in the New York area and Singapore. One of us (Sue) is from New York, and one from Singapore (Reggie). We see the world in different ways and that influences where we go and how we write.

We offer personal reflections on near and far away places with a humanistic world view, scattered with little known tidbits, out-of-the-way places and historical background. Our trips range from popular venues to hidden treasures. We try to offer new ways of poking around and about our own back yards, our country and our world.

Through our travels and writing, we like to understand the history and events–current and not-so-current–that have influenced how people see the world.

We’re not afraid to pay for things to do, but we don’t like to break the bank.

Things we enjoy

Ancient temples.

We love ancient temples and other historical sites–Cambodia’s Angkor Wat temple complex, the Egyptian temples, Indonesia’s Borobudur, Sir Lanka’s Cultural Triangle, China’s Terra Cotta Wars and the Great Wall, Peru’s Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, Chile’s Easter Island … Seeing what humans have created 1,000, or 3,000 or 5,000 years ago gives us an appreciation of humane ingenuity and will to create.

Food and Culture

While culture is embedded in all of the activities above, we also like to see the local scene. In Austin, Texas, that might mean Graffiti Park, the Fuzebox (performance) and Moontower (comedy) Festivals. Or,  a French ballet performance at night at Angkor Wat or dinner in the Sinai Desert with Berbers or Bedouins. And, we seek out local restaurants and street food where ever we go.

We have been to more than 50 countries and six continents.  In addition to Travel for Life Now, Sue has also published on Women Who Explore , Adventuress Travel Magazine , Female Travel Bloggers and Politics for the People .

Wild Life and Nature

Nature and the wilderness likewise inspire us. Sleeping in an ice hotel, hanging out with bears in the Alaska wilderness, kayaking in Antarctica ,  chasing the northern lights across Scandinavia , following a black rhino in Tanzania, and camping in the Sahara desert are a few of our favorite adventures.

Read About The Things We Enjoy

Forget milling around in your finest evening wear, Singapore Sling in hand: You'll be lucky to get peanuts. Flying isn't quite the party it was in Sinatra's days, and lots of time, energy, and money are expended to leave home, so why travel? How long do the  personal benefits of travel last?

Getting away from home and stepping outside of your usual routine is beneficial for both mind and body. The long-lasting personal benefits of visiting a foreign country far outweigh the costs and time to get there.

The great travel writer Pico Lyer said: "Travel is not really about leaving our homes, but leaving our habits." Here are seven ways that travel, especially  international travel, will enhance your life.

Travel Sharpens the Mind

You've done your old routine for so many years that you could run through it on autopilot. Being dropped into a new environment engages a dormant part of your mind and gets those synapses firing again.

Suddenly, you'll be required to navigate unfamiliar places, read foreign languages , try new things, make quick decisions, and choose your new eating and sleeping schedule.

Unlike at home, all the new sights, sounds, and places will require mental processing and filing. Your brain will welcome the workout! Once you return home, you'll be sharper than ever for better organizing and sprucing up your daily routine.

A Shift in Perspective

"Nobody comes back from a journey the way they started it." — Unknown

Being exposed to new cultures and people will greatly shift your paradigm and create a healthier perspective once you return back home. Seeing different social classes creates compassion and really makes you feel more blessed and content. Large portions of the world's population have to deal with daily threats such as hunger, disease , and landmines .

A hard day at work suddenly doesn't seem so bad when you see people in developing countries toiling in sun-scorched fields from morning to dark, or begging for a drink of water.

A Chance to Try New Things

"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

While you may branch out at home from time to time by trying new restaurants or splurging on expenditures, traveling kicks you out of the comfort zone and forces you, for better or worse, to try new things!

Even if you don't enjoy your first attempt at scuba diving , at least you'll be able to relate in a new way the next time you see it in a movie or hear someone talking about it.

Becoming a well-rounded individual enhances self-confidence and will help you find new material for conversation in social settings with a wider variety of people.

Who knows, you may accidentally discover your new favorite food or find out that you want to pursue a new career in karaoke!

Meet New People

"A journey is best measured in friends, not in miles." — Tim Cahill

You'll meet far more friendly people on the road than you will under ordinary circumstances at home.

Other travelers are always looking to share experiences, give tips on places to go, and meet people from all over. Striking up a conversation with other travelers is extraordinarily easy.

A polite "so where are you from?" breaks the ice quite easily and may lead to lasting friendships with people from all over the world.

See the Real Deal

"To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries." — Aldous Huxley

Until you visit a place and form your own opinions, your understanding only comes from what you were taught in school, read in books, or saw on media, which may or may not be a complete truth.

Don't over-research your upcoming destination in guidebooks. Do your best to avoid building a bias toward a place or installing mental filters before you visit. Wait to form your own opinion, remaining objective until you can make up your own mind.

Exercise and Sunshine

Sure, you could just go sweat in the gym under fluorescent lighting, but chances are that you'll be much more active from day to day while on the road, regardless of whether your trip is an adventurous one or simply a relaxing beach trip .

You could be exploring new cities on foot, hiking , swimming, walking between places, and hopefully soaking up some needed sunshine while doing so. And it's guaranteed to smell better than the gym.

Come Home Renewed

After stepping away from home for a while, you'll return with renewed energy, a new set of mental filters, and ready to take on the next big project or challenge. Call it a life reboot.

Getting away for some time, even though it requires effort, will greatly enhance your attitude and productivity once you return home. Sure, you may have some mail piled up and matters to attend, but those are simple challenges easily knocked out.

Breaking up the monotony for a while is a great way to reduce stress and give your life an injection of excitement. Don't be surprised if shortly after your return, you're already counting down days until the next trip!

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World Tourism Day 2023: Sustainability should be imperative, not an option

As the world gears up to celebrate World Tourism Day, the global tourism sector is poised for a grand convergence, uniting under the theme of “Tourism and Green Investments”. The industry stakeholders and experts we reached out to, advocated the need to have a collective and coordinated approach involving governments, businesses, and stakeholders, besides, the need to have more local community involvement.

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How to Live a Life of Travel: Tips to Getting Started

Written By: The Planet D

Digital Nomads

Updated On: June 3, 2023

Recently we’ve received a lot of emails asking us how we financially supported our travels since we decided to take the plunge to live a life of travel in our unconventional life.

I realize that we’ve written a lot of inspirational pieces about following your dreams and pushing yourself to step outside your comfort zone, but we haven’t given real practical advice in quite a while. So we decided it was time to share some of our tips and tricks to living an unconventional life.

Table of Contents

How to Live an Unconventional Life of Travel

Our journey to becoming full-time travel bloggers was not a quick and easy one. We had many failures and setbacks along the way. It took time for us to find what we wanted to do with our lives and what would make us happy. We knew way back in 2003 and we wanted to be together traveling the world forever, we just didn’t know how to make that dream come true.

I realize that many people have that dream, but we felt it deep in our bones. It was more of a yearning than a fantasy. When we were traveling, we felt at home. We knew that on the road was where we were meant to be.

Another Backpacker

In 2004 we were like many backpackers traveling around South East Asia, but unlike the many others out there, we were already brainstorming with ideas of how we could continue to travel for the rest of our lives. We knew we wanted more than just a one-year escape.

We didn’t have the answers yet, but we knew that we couldn’t keep working at our current jobs for the next 20 years hoping that we’d one day be able to retire and finally live our dreams. So we started making plans. Check out more travel jobs by our pals at goats on the road .

Steps to Living a Life of Travel

1. change your spending habits.

We used to spend a lot of money on things that didn’t better our lives. We’d buy $4 lattes, go out to dinner several times a week and we’d buy new designer clothes. The more popular the brand name, the better.

On the weekends, we’d drop $200 on a meal and not even blink at the cheque, and then we’d go to movies spending a good $50 on tickets and popcorn.

Well, all that changed when we decided we decided that we were going to live a life of travel once and for all.

2. Find Affordable Things to do

It was a big decision but we decided to put away enough money to sustain ourselves for a year. We knew that once we took the plunge, we would have to go 100% into fulfilling our dreams, so we needed a nest egg while we worked to become professional travel bloggers.

We ate at home and cooked at home. We made our own gourmet coffees, and instead of going out to the movies all the time, we rented movies. When we wanted to go to the bar, we instead had a glass of wine at home and invited friends over, it was much more affordable.

Our activites changed from spending money on expensive meals and nightclubs, to doing free and exciting things on the weekend like mountain biking, rock climbing, or snowshoeing.

We didn’t drop cash at the bar, on expensive meals, or on expensive weekend getaways to a suite in Niagara Falls anymore. We did as many things as possible for free.

Wwe went camping and spent our time outdoors.It was much more fulfilling and a lot easier on our pocketbooks.

Note: At this time in our lives, we still didn’t know how we were going to become full-time travelers, we just knew that we wanted it to happen one day and that we had to be ready when we finally figured it out. By having a nest egg and by not having anything tying us down, we’d be ready to jump at any opportunity.

3. Downsize

People have often said to us “ I wish that I could do what you do, but I can’t afford it ” Well if you really truly want to travel. It can be really easy to save and build a nest egg. We sold our house and most of our contents and went back to renting a small one-bedroom apartment.

This freed up a lot of our income to put towards our travel savings fund. Getting a small one bedroom apartment that included utilities, cable and parking helped us plan our monthly budget.

4. Get Rid of Debt and Wasted Expenses

We also went down to one automobile. We used to drive two cars and paid an expensive monthly lease. But when the leases came due, we let them go and bought a used car. Our monthly payments were less, and our insurance cost less too because we no longer had to pay for the collision coverage since our car was so cheap. If our car was damaged it didn’t matter because we paid next to nothing for it anyway. We drove that car for the next 10 years.

5. Keep All Options Open

Like many people, we knew we wanted something more in life, but we didn’t know what it was that we wanted. We were frustrated. I remember always saying to Dave “ If I only knew what I wanted to do with my life, I know I’d be successful. ” The problem was, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. The only thing we both knew was that travel was to be a part of it.

So, we studied ALL THINGS TRAVEL.

We went to seminars talking about Teaching English as a Second Language , we went to travel trade shows, we watched travel shows like Pilot Guides and Don’t Forget Your Passport.

Little did we know we were honing our adventure skills

We took up as many adventures as we could. We learned how to rock climb, mountain bike, scuba dive, and snowboard. We became avid campers and built our adventure gear arsenal to an impressive list where we actually started to look the part of Adventurer!

We said to ourselves, “one day maybe one of these skills would come in handy.” At the time, we didn’t know it, but all those skills eventually came in handy. We used to call ourselves “ Jacks of all trades and Masters of none. “

6. Nothing is Waste of Time When Searching for your Purpose

We had doubts, of course, we did. We thought, maybe we’re wasting our time and energy trying new things all the time, but we knew that we had yet to find something that we truly loved.

We enjoyed everything, but we didn’t have the passion that some of our rock climbing or scuba diving friends had for one particular sport. Our friends found their passion and all they wanted to do was rock climb around the world, or go scuba diving when they went to a destination. They couldn’t care less if they saw the local culture or witnessed incredible landscape. They wanted to explore under the sea or a new climbing route and that was great!

It just wasn’t for us. We wanted it all. We wanted to be able to climb in one location, dive into another, and shop at the market in yet another. We realized that we wanted it all!

Our lack of focus helped us become true explorers. It was our “Jack of All Trades” mentality that eventually lead us to become travel bloggers.

7. Focus on Strengths

Once we decided that we wanted to have the word “Adventurer” on our business card, we made plans on how we were going to make that happen. After exhausting all possibilities we decided to focus on our strengths.

We had been working in the film business for a long time and learned from the successful people around us . I watched television hosts promote themselves and create their brand and identities and Dave picked the brains of photographers and cinematographers on the movie set.

We knew that we were good at self-promotion and that we knew the TV business well, so we decided to sell an idea.

8. Do Something Epic

We knew that we would have to do something epic to stand out from the crowd. In 2008, backpacking around the world was becoming very popular. When we did it in 2000, not many people were leaving their jobs to travel the world, but now it seemed to be that everyone was taking a sabbatical.

If we did something epic like bicycle from Cairo to Cape Town people would take notice. So that is what we did and Canada’s Adventure Couple was born.

We had a dream of turning our adventures into a TV show. We hired a publicist, sent out press releases, and announced our epic journey. We knew we loved traveling together and that we had the mental stamina to succeed in this race down the continent.

9. Make a Plan

We invested a good chunk of our hard-earned money into this cycling race. We saved for a year putting every penny away and buying new bikes, training, and investing in the entry fee and flights. We didn’t want to take part in an epic adventure only to return to our jobs and resume our lives.

We made a plan that within two years of signing up, we’d be traveling full time. That gave us something to focus on. Having a time limit and a plan to make it happen, kept us focus don our goal. We had no choice but to to figure out a way to keep the momentum going.

10. With Failure Comes Success

We tried pitching a TV series that had a lot of interest but eventually failed. That didn’t deter us though, we had made a lot of TV appearances and were becoming minor celebrities in the online world, so we decided to nurture our 15 minutes of fame and turn it into something bigger.

Drawing on our nearly decade of travel experience, we created a blog that had a focus. We decided to focus on being inspirational and to show people that happy couples are not obsolete and that marriages can last and that the opposite sex can have fun together.

Right from the beginning of creating ThePlanetD, we knew what our message was going to be. We wanted to show that adding a bit of adventure into your everyday lives can help you feel more fulfilled. We wanted to show people that if we can do it, anyone can.

It took us a long time to figure out our purpose, but we never stopped searching and if you really want to change your life, you can do it too. Don’t let age, money or fear stand in your way, if you want something bad enough, you CAN make it happen.

So the message is, never give up, never stop searching and seize the day. What are you going to do to live an unconventional life of travel?

• How to Travel Around the World – The Ultimate Travel Resource
• 21 Ways to Get Paid to Travel
• How to Start a Travel Blog in 11 Easy Steps
• Our 27 Best Travel Tips from 10 Years of Travel
• How to Achieve Your Life Goals
• How Travel Can Change Your Life
• Best Travel Jobs to Spark New Ideas for Your Future Career

Travel Planning Resources

Looking to book your next trip? Why not use these resources that are tried and tested by yours truly.

Book Your Flights: Start planning your trip by finding the best flight deals on Skyscanner. We have used them for years and have found that they have the best flight deals.

Book your Hotel: Find the best prices on hotels with these two providers. If you are located in Europe use Booking.com and if you are anywhere else use TripAdvisor.

Find Apartment Rentals: You will find the cheapest prices on apartment rentals with VRBO . 

Travel Insurance: Don't leave home without it. Here is what we recommend:

• Safety Wing - Occasional Travelers.
• Medjet - Global air medical transport and travel security.

Book Your Activities: Looking for walking tours, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more? Then we recommend Get Your Guide.

Need more help planning your trip? Make sure to check out our Resources Page where we highlight all the great companies that we trust when we are traveling.

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About The Planet D

Dave Bouskill and Debra Corbeil are the owners and founders of The Planet D. After traveling to 115 countries, on all 7 continents over the past 13 years they have become one of the foremost experts in travel. Being recognized as top travel bloggers and influencers by the likes of Forbes Magazine , the Society of American Travel Writers and USA Today has allowed them to become leaders in their field.

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59 thoughts on “How to Live a Life of Travel: Tips to Getting Started”

Thank you for being a voice of positivity and inspiration in a sometimes negative world.

We too live an unconventional life. We have 13 children, work remotely, home educate and yes, we travel with ten of them too! It *is* possible to live a life of travel – we did two months of the Balkans earlier this year and are about to set off for another couple of months. Want to know more? Let us know!

Thanks for laying this out there. You guys and your adventures are always a huge inspiration to us! Love #3 “We kept all our options open” as we try to live by that same motto. It really makes things so much fun and introduces you to some crazy and exciting experiences of a lifetime. Happy travels!

Thanks John, I’m glad that you are living the life you want as well. We agree, keeping options open is very important. YOu need to be willing to try something new and be open to new experiences. It opens up a whole new world.

LMAO at the first pic:legendary!

Congrats, it has been awesome to follow part of your journey and thanks for the inside scoop 🙂

Ha! Glad you liked it. That’s Dave’s signature pose. At least lately, ever since we downsized, he does a lot of jumping like that.!

Looks like a very happy couple! You two are living with your dreams. I owe you a lot, very inspiring story. Thanks for sharing the tips, I find it really useful. You can manage to save and budget together. Congratulations!

Thank you Marie! Glad we could inspire you. If you really set your mind to something you can do it too. At one point in our lives we didn’t think we’d ever be able to travel the way we wanted to and yet here we are now. If we can do it, anyone can too!

That is a very inspirational story! My wife and I have managed to carve out a life of travel by working in Denali National Park 8 months per year and having four months off. Many of the resorts and tour companies are seasonal up here and it is perfect for travel.

I just need to cut out those $4 lattes and I can do even more…

Wow! that’s fabulous Jeff. Denali is beautiful. I know what you mean about the $4 lattes, we still love them too.

Thanks for this blog and for sharing with us. Me and my husband are planning for a trip to African countrie’s and its first time for us where we have to visit many countrie’s, so I am nervous about the planning that how do I mange everything but your blog gives me confident about the trip. Thank you so much.

LOVED this. Luckily, my boyfriend and I were students when we discovered our love for travel so we didn’t spend a lot of money or lived in an expensive way. That made it pretty easy to take the leap – and we’re actually able to have a better life than we did in Denmark and still spend less. 🙂

Very interesting post, though! And lots of great tips that we need to follow up on. Especially about gaining more recognition and create a brand like you guys have! So inspirational.

We kicked off our nomadic lifestyle with a bike journey as well – around Europe in 3 months on city bikes, normal clothes and no training. We made it and had an epic journey. 🙂

Thanks for sharing your advice.

Awesome article! I hope others will be inspired too to travel and to save, save a lot of money for they travel escapade.

Interesting read indeed! I think turning your lifestyle pretty much upside down and opting for a life on the road requires a certain balance. The biggest hurdle might be the monetary one, but it’s probably the same with all big plans and achievements: mindset matters! I think someone who can tick of the first points on your list is probably almost on the way… 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

Thanks Oliver. You are right, all big decisions in life require balance and yes, any big plans whether travel related or not can follow these simple rules. It is possible to change your life if you are willing to sacrifice a little to achieve your dream.

Hi Guys: Enjoyed your article and great sense of adventure…I too, have been traveling all my life and now based part-time in the Philippines. I have 7 channels, with over 21 MILLION viewers from 87 countries. Take a look and learn from some of my videos….. Main channel: http://www.youtube.com/globalvideopro1 WEBSITE: http://www.globalvideoprotv.com

Great post! Great ideas! Thank you!

We left the rat-race and have not looked back. Who wants to be “normal?” Life is a journey not a destination. Live it! Take care.

Congratulations on leaving the rat race Curtis. All the best to you!

There’s really no need to clip coupons to save money; it’s not that effective anyway. The best way is to do what you did: downsize, minimize transport costs and cook. I love how you slowly realize what you want to do in life. It’s all about the journey!

Thanks Dela. You are so right, downsizing is key. So many of us in North America live beyond our means. I think back to how little I lived on fresh out of college. If we all kept living simply, we wouldn’t have the burden of all the money problems. For some reason, people feel that as they age, they need to have more ‘things’ and that just weighs them down. We are now in a good financial situation after 6 years of pursuing our dreams, but we have no desire to go back to buying a bunch of things again. Life experience is what we are loving.

This is an eye opening post. Makes one realize that we can all achieve so much with just the right strategy and not necessarily resources. Inspiring and it made me start booking amazing tours. The journey is the destination!

Congratulations! Good luck with your tours.

This is great advice, both inspirational and practical.

Thank you Mariellen!

Firstly congratulations for hanging on and living your dreams. Here I would like to speak about one of my uncles who loves to trek even at this age (he is in his 60s). He’s a quiet man. The only time I get to see a gleam in his eyes is when someone talks about travel… and I shout out in my mind…”I get that oldie..”

Sounds like you have an amazing uncle! I know how he feels, I can feel excitement come over me whenever I get the chance to talk about our own travels.

You two are an inspiration. I am so glad you are living your dream. Thank you for sharing these great tips!

Thanks Mary. I think the two of you have been living the dream as well! Congratulations right back.

Very cool post. Reducing down to one car is something I know our family needs to do if you want to start saving a significant amount, we’re just finding it so hard to bite the bullet on that one!

I know that it can be difficult to go down to one car, especially if you have kids and have to pick them up from sports or dance or hockey practice. It does save a lot of money though. Between car payments and insurance, it’s literally hundreds a month!

Very inspiring post. Traveling is such an important part of a healthy lifestyle and it is wonderful that you are now able to reach so many people to inspire them to add more travel into their lives through your adventures.

Thank you Katherine. That has been our goal in recent years. We want to let people know that it is possible. For so many years we didnt’ think it was possible to change our lives. Now that we have, we want to inspire others to take a chance and follow their dreams. If two regular people like us can do it, anyone can.

Thanks for your tips. Best of luck with your on going travels. Great read.

Great tips- that are good for day to day life as well!

Great Escapes , oh yes I have a number of interesting trips to choose from. I find it fascinating and also confusing when it comes to planning my travel, so I've opted for an unconventional way of travelling that can fund me while I spend time in the air, or on a beach.

Beautiful & Inspiring post!

There’s a point when you just gotta let it all go and dive right in, even if you have no idea what you’re diving into. I left my old work life behind to move down to Mexico about 9 months or so ago and I’ve never been happier.

Anyone can do it, and it doesn’t take a ton of money. It’s just as you said you need to change your perspective, your spending habits. It’s amazing how freeing it can be to not worry about little things like a tv(that’s what the internet is for), brand name clothes(you know you don’t need those $200 pair of jeans), or dining out all the time, even if that only means Mickey D’s. After that the money starts stacking up. 😉

If you wanna travel the world or just become an Expat the only thing stopping you is you, do whatever you can to achieve that dream!

Congratulations Devlin. Wow! It must be amazing living in Mexico. That is something we’d like to in the next year or two. Spend an extended period of time in Mexico. And you hit the nail on the head. Dropping a few of the extra expenses seriously helps the money add up. We had a lot of fun while still being able to save money, jut by changing our habits a little bit.

Good for you Don. Any great adventures planned?

Thanks for this post. Great to hear some behind the scene stories.

I left my home country a year ago, to move to London and last week I left London to travel the world – starting in Sri Lanka, where me and my boyfriend are at the moment.

It´s scary and amazing at the same time to follow your dreams. I will keep follow your adventures here 🙂

Wow! Have a great time in Sri Lanka, it’s one of our favourite countries. And congratulations to traveling the world! Well said to, it’s scary and amazing all at once, but that’s what makes you feel alive. Being comfortable can be very boring. A little fear keeps like exciting.

You are not a failure though at first you fail. But I can say that you became a successful traveler and writer. You are right at first it is difficult. It takes a lot of perseverance and dedication.

You said it Carl Joe, we didn’t have instant success, but when you know what you want, you will keep trying until you succeed and we have no intention of stopping. There will always be ups and down, but we’ll keep on working at what we want for the rest of our lives.

Saving and budgeting is indeed one of the best thing to do. Thanks for the tips that you’ve shared. I find it really useful

Thanks James, I’m glad we could share a few tips with oyu!

It’s always great to see people follow their dream and lovely to see Don’s comment about getting the travel bug at 60! 🙂

Agreed, it is never too late to get the travel bug and change your life. It’s a whole new world, you dont’ need to be 20 to follow our dreams.

Congrats on hanging in there and making your dreams to travel full-ltime come to fruition! AWESOME!!! We share the same deep passion for traveling and try to save our money to go to Europe about once a year. Our friends ask us the same kind of questions or take little "jabs" at us about the financial part and often ask how we can afford to do this. We tell them travel is "our addiction" and to feed our habit, we do many of the same things as you….such as eating at home and making lots of soups from scratch, only getting basic cable service, driving older & easy/low maintenance automobiles with great gas mileage, no big screen TV's or fancy electronics/phones, working from home, buying most of our clothes from second-hand stores, no beverages except for water when we go out for dinner, saving all our spare change, etc. Once we are on our adventures, we really enjoy staying in simple accommodations like small hotels and hostels, having "picnic" lunches and dinners with local foods from the grocery store and 'self-guiding" our trips with well researched itineraries and utilizing public transportation, whenever possible. All of this really adds up in the course of a year and equates to literally thousands of dollars!!!! We gladly sacrifice and make these relatively easy lifestyle changes, to have that money to travel!!! Best wishes for many more adventures, Cheers 🙂

Great advice, thanks for sharing Nora. You make a great point about water only when eating out. I think the most expensive part of the bill is often beverages. You can always go home afterwards to enjoy a glass of wine at a fraction the price. We don’t way to live like Paupers, but cutting back can make a big difference. I say, don’t cut back to the point of making yourself unhappy in life, but definitely cut back on the little things that you can do without. Best to you too!

Couldn’t agree more with you! More than saving and budgeting, I think the passion to travel should be there. Like I am very bad at saving, but I still manage to travel because I really want to!

Good for you Renuka, it sounds like you do well at making your dreams happen.

Awesome post, i'm just getting the bug for travel at the ripe age of 60, my wife has always loved to travel, but me not so much. I've just subscribed to your newsletter and i'm looking forward to reading more of your articles.

Thanks Don! Congrats on living your life to the fullest!

The reason we were able to leave the comfort of regular paychecks a little over 6 months ago is encompassed in your first 3 points. The last 2 are a bit of a work-in-progress, but it’s always encouraging to read about your success. Keep up the stellar work! Good luck!

Great article for all travel lovers! 🙂

Awesome article double D, shared on Twitter!

What’s amazing about all of these kinds of stories is how different they are with respect to their specifics and yet so very similar in their general approach. For the most part everyone who has ever done something like this tells a story of having a dream, shedding material things, and relentlessly working toward their goal. The execution of those steps all take different paths – some people write books, or barter web development services, or create promotional travel videos, or whatever – but they all basically had to first let go of the familiar and then chase after their dream with dogged determination. I know, because that is our story too.

Congrats you guys. Happy travels.

Well said Brian. It’s true, you need to let go of the familiar and chase your dream. Soon, the unconventional begins to feel comfortable.

26 Unconventional Travel Hacks You Need for Your Next Trip

Last Updated: March 30, 2021

*FYI - this post may contain affiliate links, which means we earn a commission at no extra cost to you if you purchase from them. Also, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Check out our Privacy Policy and Disclosure. for more info.

There was a time in my life when I was absolutely obsessed with travel life hacks.

Throwing your shoes in a shower cap while packing ? Oh yeahhh. Keeping jewelry untangled with straws? Talk to me, baby.

On a super vain level, I think it’s because knowing the best travel hacks makes me feel like an unstoppable smartass… even if I’m the kind of person that trips over nothing and manages to create chaos out of the simplest tasks.

That said, thanks to six years of frequent travel, I’ve picked up my fair share of travel life hacks, some that are a little weird but I promise do work.

This isn’t your regular list of hacks – nope. Sure, some are odd, but shhh, just embrace it.

Save this list of travel hacks for later!

You’ll be very glad you did.

The Best Travel Hacks for Booking Flights & Accommodation

Let’s start with some of the best traveling hacks to make your life easier when you’re booking travel and accommodation. These travel life hacks have been a total lifesaver (and money saver) for me over the years, so I hope you find them helpful too.

1. Get cash back on every travel booking

Rakuten  (formerly known as Ebates) is a free cashback site that allows you to earn money back from most of your online purchases, almost like a partial instant refund.

Here’s how it works:  Rakuten is partnered with a  bunch  of popular online retailers (travel ones like Expedia, Agoda, etc. included!).

When you click through to these retailer sites via Rakuten and buy something, Rakuten earns some affiliate commission,  a portion of which they share with you as a cashback (deposited straight into your Paypal) .

In other words, you’re getting money back for shopping, which translates into instant discounts for your travel bookings.

Sign up for free here and earn cashback on your online purchases.

Canadians:   sign up for Rakuten Canada here.

Warning:  The folks at Rakuten are biiiig fans of email, so be ready for that. I like getting their emails because they advertise sales/deals, but I admit they can be a bit much. To handle it, I have my Gmail filters set up so that eBates emails go into a special folder that I browse maybe once a day. Yay to no more clutter!

2. Use Honey to find coupon codes automatically

By far THE easiest way to save on all your travel bookings (and any online shopping really).

This ridiculously simple Google Chrome extension automatically searches through the Interwebs to locate relevant coupon codes and then applies them for you when you’re shopping online!

This means you no longer need to search around for deals and codes that may or may not work.

As all the reviews say, “it’s literally free money”. You can also earn Honey points that you can redeem for things like train trips in Europe.

Click here to download Honey for Google Chrome.

3. Sleuth around on discount sites like Groupon and Travelzoo

Looking for some cheap vacation hacks that can save you loads of money?

Websites like  Groupon,   Travelzoo  and  Living Social  often have crazy discounts on vacations, hotels and activities all over the world, from Germany to Indonesia.

I love these websites because they consolidate great deals in one spot, which makes finding the perfect deal pretty effortless.

Double whammy:  if you purchase buy a Groupon or LivingSocial voucher through eBates, you’ll get some  extra  cashback.

4. Earn money while doing trip research

I’m a big fan of getting rewards for things I’d be doing anyway… so that’s why I adore websites like  Swagbucks , a free online community that rewards its members with gift cards for doing things they already do online, e.g. Googling, watching videos, etc.

Through doing certain tasks, you rack up “Swagbucks” which you can redeem for things like Amazon or PayPal gift cards which can be spent on travel gear and experiences!

I was super into this years ago, and have earned tons of free gift cards from it. It’s easy work but adds up to awesome rewards!  You can create a free account here.

Plus: Swagbucks also does cashback like eBates. While you’re compensated in Swagbucks rather than immediate cash, you can then redeem these SB for gift cards or direct Paypal deposit.

The upside of using Swagbucks for cashback (rather than eBates) is that sometimes, Swagbucks has better bonus cashback rates. For instance, at the time of publishing this article, they were doing up to 10% cashback on Priceline. Pretty rad!

5. Use incognito/private browsing to potentially save money on flights

Incognito browsing (AKA private browsing) is a mode available on most internet browsers that allows you to browse without storing any data on your computer or tracking your history from that session.

This can be VERY helpful when booking flights because as rumour has it, many sites use a dynamic pricing system that will sometimes increase prices when they know you’ve been looking at a particular route constantly (sneaky, I know).

NOTE: While some experts claim this is false , I always do it just in case because it takes zero extra effort.

For more tips on airfare, check my full guide to finding cheap flights to Europe.

6. Call the hotel for a better rate by booking directly

This is a tip that most websites do not give because they rely on affiliate income from your hotel bookings… I mean, my site does too, but hey, if you’re reading this, I want to let you in on an excellent secret: literally 99% of the time, you can score some kind of perk or discount by booking with a hotel directly vs. booking through an aggregator like Booking.com.

Well, these aggregators usually take a cut of any bookings, so hotels prefer when you book directly, and will often offer incentives to do so, whether that’s in the form of a discount, a free upgrade, or a free perk like breakfast. I’ve noticed this is especially common with booking hostels in Europe.

This is one of the best travel hacks that nobody talks about, so be sure to remember it!

The Best Travel Hacks for Packing

Next up: cool travel hacks that help you pack like a pro. Want more packing tips? Be sure to read my full guide featuring 30+ suitcase packing tips & hacks.

7. Use packing cubes

Packing cubes are a wonderful packing tool that help you save space and organize your clothing.

Long story short, they’re re-usable fabric cubes that you can stack/place in your suitcase when you travel. They’re very affordable and a good set will last you for years – definitely one of the most worthwhile purchases for any frequent traveler.

In a pinch, Ziplock bags could also be used to organize your clothes in a similar way.

If you want to know which packing cubes to buy, check out my  full guide to packing cubes  or watch my video showdown  here.

8. Roll your clothes

I’m full of funny travel tips, but whenever I suggest this to newbie travelers, I get SO many weird looks…

Trust me though, rolling your clothes instead of folding them is a great way to keep them organized and wrinkle free in your packing cubes. Try it out and I promise you won’t go back!

9. Bring a pillowcase

Never a pillow “just a case” if you’re looking to save space.

One of my favourite packing hacks is to bring a pillowcase instead, so if you’re ever in an emergency situation where you need a comfy pillow, just stuff some soft clothes in that case and go to town.

Likewise, you can use the pillowcase to compress clothes like a puffy jacket in order to save space in your luggage.

10. Pack a dryer sheet

By packing a dryer sheet o two, your clothes will smell extra nice for those long haul trips!

BONUS TIP: Keep an extra handy for your “dirty laundry” bag so that your whole suitcase doesn’t start smelling like dirty clothes. Ick.

Alternatively, just throw a bar of soap in (mini hotel ones work great).

Stock up on cheap dryer sheets here.

11. Pack a clothespin to prop up your toothbrush

One of my favourite travel packing hacks!

Whether you’re staying in an AirBNB , hostel or hotel, sometimes you want to make sure your toothbrush doesn’t touch anything… after all, sinks can be notoriously germy.

If a holding cup isn’t available, just throw a clothespin on it to prop it up. Pure germaphobe genius.

12. Get creative with your storage containers

I’m a big fan of re-purposing old junk, and luckily, you can repurpose a lot when it comes to packing!

Here are some ideas:

• Using a Tic Tac case for bobby pins
• Using a carabiner for hair ties
• Storing Q-Tips in an old pill bottle

Top Travel Hacks for the Airport/Flying

Dread flying? There are lots of great travel tips and tricks to make this part of travel a lot more bearable. Here are some helpful traveling life hacks that will make your airport and flight experience a breeze.

13. Pack an empty water bottle to the airport

That way you can fill up after you pass security.

No more $4 bottles of water! Woo!

Alternatively, some experts swear by freezing their water so it’s not technically a liquid.

I guess that could work, but then you’re kind of awkwardly just waiting for your water to melt? Just bring an empty bottle, folks.

14. Freeze a sponge as a DIY ice pack

This is one of my favourite travel tips and tricks that I learned from a flight attendant friend.

Have snacks you want to bring on the plane and hoping to keep them cool? A frozen sponge will do the trick!

15. Scope out your flight seat in advance

This is an amazing international travel hack if you have a long haul flight to book.

As most travellers know, not all plane seats are created equal!

Some have more leg room, some are absurdly close to the washrooms, etc.

Luckily, you can just enter your flight details on Seat Guru (it’s free!) and read different reviews/first hand experiences.

If you have one of those flights where you can choose your own seats during online check-in, this is a massive life saver.

16. Reserve the aisle and window seats

If you’re travelling with a friend or partner, no need to fight to the death re: who must take the dreaded middle seat.

Just reserve both the aisle and window in hopes that nobody wants the middle seat… if they do though, just ask to switch!

Super simple travel hack that works well 🙂

17. Mark your stuff as fragile

One of the sneakiest travel life hacks I’ve come across, but you’ll get your luggage first and the airline workers will be extraaa careful with your goods.

18. Wear compression socks to make your flights more bearable

Compression socks = less swelling and better circulation! This is a must-know vacation hack for those that want to fly more comfortably.

The Best Travel Life Hacks for When You’re on the Road

These hacks for traveling will make your life infinitely easier once you’re actually out and about. Here are my favourite international travel hacks you need to know:

19. Download Google Maps for use offline by typing in “OK Map”

One of my favourite new travel hacks – this is SUCH a lifesaver.

If you have sufficient space on your phone, you can easily download Google Maps to browse offline on mobile, even when you don’t have Internet connection.

All you need to do is go on the map to the area you want to save, then type “ok map” into the search and press Download.

20. Find WiFi passwords on FourSquare

FourSquare is a website/app where people share tips, ratings and reviews on places to go near you (e.g. restaurants, cafes, bars, etc.)

The handiest part of this website is the “Tips” section where people can leave helpful recommendations for others, and it’s often here that you’ll find the WiFi password for places.

So, if you need WiFi in a pinch, you can easily hop on Foursquare and sleuth around for WiFi passwords.

21. Or download an app that shows you all the WiFi passwords

There are tons of helpful travel apps out there these days.

WiFi Map is a great example. This app shows you the passwords to different WiFi networks (over 100 million of them, as they say).

The handy part is they’re organized on a map so you can easily scope out the ones closest to you. Note: some dissatisfied users say that passwords are outdated, but it’s a handy tool to have just in case.

Find it on: Google Play | iTunes 

22. Download Google Translate for use offline

One of my favourite trip hacks! If you’re travelling abroad and don’t speak the language, it’s handy to have Google Translate loaded and ready.

That said, it normally does require Internet connection. Here’s a way around it: download the Google Translate app, then go to Settings and choose “Offline Translation”.

From there, you can download different languages.

Bonus tip: if you want to translate signs, menus, etc. quickly, tap the camera button on your Google Translate app to translate images in real time.

The first time I saw this feature in action, I realized we are (indeed) living in the future.

23. Bring some baby powder for a quick freshen-up

Weird, I know, but baby powder is amazing for freshening up.

Especially in the summer, if you’re wearing flats or sandals, your feet (and footwear) will inevitably start smelling.

Throwing some  baby powder  on them is a quick way to deodorize and make you feel human again.

24. Keep a pen in every bag/pocket

Not the most unconventional, but I promise this will save your life.

You never know when you need a pen, so have one handy in all your purses/daybags, backpacks, luggage cases, etc. so you’re not scrambling when everyone else is filling out their Customs sheets.

25. Make use of local grocery stores/supermarkets

One of my favourite hacks for traveling on a budget is to simply hit local supermarkets.

No, you don’t need to cook your own meals necessarily, but all the time I see budget travellers sprinting for vending machines/little kiosks when there are supermarkets literally within eyesight selling the exact same stuff for a fraction of the price.

Supermarkets are great for stocking up on snacks, water, drinks, etc.

Take advantage of them!

26. Use a TV to charge your electronics

One of the the things I forget most often is the little USB adapter that comes with my phone charger.

If you’re forgetful like that too, don’t worry – there’s several easy travel hacks to help you out of that situation.

I usually then just plug my cable into my laptop to charge, BUT if you don’t usually pack a laptop, know that most TVs have a USB port around the back and you can easily use that to charge all your electronics 😉

You’re welcome!

Did I miss any of your favourite travel hacks?

So, it seems like you’re well on your way to becoming a travel ninja. I hope you enjoyed that article about unconventional travel life hacks. Feel free to leave a comment below if you have more to share! 

My Go-To Travel Favourites:

🧳 Eagle Creek: My favourite packing cubes

💳 Wise: For FREE travel friendly credit cards

🍯 Airalo: My go-to eSIM

🏨 Booking.com: For searching hotels

📷 Sony A7IV: My (amazing) camera

✈️ Google Flights : For finding flight deals

🌎 WorldNomads: For travel insurance

🎉 GetYourGuide: For booking activities

102 thoughts on “26 Unconventional Travel Hacks You Need for Your Next Trip”

18. leave your kids at home 😀

hahahah the ultimate life hack 😉 thanks for the laugh, Alex.

These are great tips because they are different. I especially like the pillowcase tip and marking your luggage fragile. Well done!

thanks for reading, Dorothy! <3

Really great tips! Very helpful and not weird at all!

Hahaha thank you for not thinking I’m a total weirdo <3

Charging using a TV is GENIUS!!! Wow never thought of that! Also love packing a dryer sheet. Definitely doing that next trip. I also always travel with powder in my bag. My go-to is Lush Silky Underwear Powder – it doubles as a deodorant and smells lovely!!

Woah underwear powder?! That sounds amazing. Definitely going to look into it. I used to use baby powder for everything but never realized there might be powders for special purposes hahah. Thanks for sharing, Meaghan!! <3

I’m still on the edge about compression socks. My mum has tried those and I dunno, the results aren’t great? Or maybe she got the cheaper ones? Haha! – Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog https://charmainenyw.com

weird! I have loads of friends who swear by them. I guess it depends on the person!

Great tips! I never thought of using the tv to charge my electronics.

so genius hey?! Thanks for reading, Meera 🙂

My husband loves the aisle/window trick – esp when we flew as two adults with a lap infant. I hadnt thought about the TV charger one! Some hotels have like one outlet!

Yes! Another good tip (if you’re travelling as a big group or family) is to bring your own power strip so you can charge more than one thing in those pesky hotel rooms with limited outlets 🙂 Thanks for reading, Harmony!

I honestly didn’t even consider half of these! Great read, thank you! I’ll be sure to get some fragile stickers next time I’m out. I always seem to have some sort of issue with baggage.

so happy you found it helpful, Jessica!! <3 Thanks for reading.

OK, this list is great! There are so many ideas on here that I have never heard of. I’ll be saving this for later, thank you very much!

no problem, Michelle! Thanks so much for reading <3

These are the BEST tips! Especially love the ones about the pillow case and the tv charging. Another good one in the vein of offline google maps is that even if you don’t download a map, if you open your map while you’re on wifi before leaving a wifi area, you’ll still be able to follow the blue dot and see all the streets on the map – even without data. It even works in places that aren’t so keen on google maps like South Korea.

YES! So true. That has totally saved my butt a million times. Thanks for the awesome comment, Sarah <3

At first, I wanted to do a virtual hi-five, thinking the pillowcase is for germophobes like me who wanna feel more at ease resting our faces on pillows overseas, until I realized yours is for a different purpose, lol! Great list, Christina! I need to check out the TV USB especially 😉

ahaha well, I guess the pillowcase is multi-purpose then 😉 thanks for reading, Kristine!

Such good tips! I got into Edinburgh yesterday and the first thing I did was go to the local grocery store and stock up on ready made (healthy!) meals that were like 2 pounds instead of always having to eat out at 12-20 pounds for the same portion size! Love it girl!

<3 Thanks for reading, Kashlee!

I love the “Ok Map” function. I thought I knew everything! Thanks for the tip 😀

Hahah right? I only recently discovered it and my mind was blown! Thanks for reading 🙂

These are awesome, Christina! I’m pretty proud that I actually do a couple of them 😉 haha. The pillowcase and dryer sheet hacks are super smart! I’ll definitely be using those for my upcoming trip in November. BRB while I try and hunt down a spare pillowcase…

Hahah thanks for reading, Kay <3 I hope you get to bust some of these out on your next trip!

Love these tips – especially the clothes pin for my toothbrush! And duh that I’ve never checked the TV to use as a charger. Thanks!

No problem, Jamie! Hope these tips come in handy for you soon! 🙂

Thanks for these! Really useful tips =) An offline map called Here we go saved my trip in Kuala Lumpur just a few days ago.

Ooh I haven’t heard of that one. Will look into it. Thanks for the comment! <3

Oh man. Those are some great tips! Thanks for sharing, i’m gonna use a lot of them!

woohoo! Awesome. Thanks for reading 🙂

We seem to travel with so much electronic gear. When we went to Europe we actually to a multi plug board to plug everything into and then one adaptor rather than one for each devie we needed to charge. Laptop, cellphones and cameras.

These tips are excellent.

That’s super smart! Especially for those travelling as a family/in a big group, bringing a multi-plug can be a huge lifesaver. Thanks for reading and for the bonus tip. It’s much appreciated! <3

Being a traveler I liked all the tips and getting Wifi password is one of the best suggestion so far.

Glad you found the article helpful! 🙂

These are some azaming tips, being from Europe I always have to carry an adaptor with me wherever I go. I use to be an window seat girl but now I will take an asile anyday as I can get and go to the bathroom as many times as I like

Hahaha I always avoid aisle because I literally pass out whenever I get on a plane, so people always feel awkward waking me up.

I honestly thought I probably won’t know anything I haven’t heard before but these are great tips! Definitely learned a couple news ones! Thanks for sharing! <3

No problemo. Thanks for reading!! <3

I do most of these already but number 15 made me laugh out loud. That is me every time lol

hahaha okay honestly, same. even though I swear I keep a pen in every bag, somehow I’m always left scrambling. You’re not alone!

These are awesome! I’ve never thought of the pillowcase trick before, which is ridiculous as I’m always using clothes as a makeshift pillow and then wondering how I can keep them together rather than smushing my head into them awkwardly LOL. I always try and keep some pens handy, and oh my word, supermarkets! Apart from anything else I think it’s a good way to travel “like a local” and yet so many people shy away from them because convenience. Also with the TV charging – I’ve seen people do that at airports! Haha!

Omg at the airport? That’s genius and hilarious hahaha. Thanks for reading, Clazz! Glad I could enlighten you about the pillowcase trick haha.

Hi Christina,

These are some amazing giveaways. I wonder why I haven’t thought of charging my phone with TV before. Thanks for the tip girl.

no problem, Gloria. Thanks for reading!

Nice hacks Christina Guan… For the baby powder in the shoes, i only know the tea bag in shoe one not the baby powder… Did you come up with these yourself? Anyway Love You has XXOO

Very good suggestion is very helpful in traveling Thanks for sharing.

SeatGuru is a nifty little tool most of the travellers miss out on. Also, one must not forget to ask for seat upgrades. You won’t necessarily get it, but ASKING doesn’t cost 🙂 I have been successful in getting upgrades 30% of the time (except Singapore Airlines, they just won’t!) I have also practiced the art of carrying just 2 pair of clothes when going to a country that has cheaper clothes than the home country. Then, I buy my entire trip’s clothes from that country. Saves money and also saves weight while travelling to the destination!

I always love to be with friends and family. I used to travel around time for many problems. Your post really helped me thank you so much, sir

It is really a very helpful blog for all the budget travelers. Every point in this blog is valid and helpful. Thank you for such an information.

Such amazing tips! Thank you!

Glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for reading, Lieze 🙂

Great content! learned so much specially from #16 . I didn’t even consider cooking on site. Was really afraid to be swindled .

Just wanted to share another Life hack on getting good Air tickets ! Follow this link! : https://bit.ly/31QEOlh

Great list of travel hacks. The clothesline is new to me. Reserving the middle and aisle seats are also a very good idea.

Here are some travel hacks that have worked well for me: 1. Airlines usually assign seats from front to back. So if you reserve one of the last rows on a plane (especially the back middle row on wide body planes), you are significantly more likely to get a row to yourself

2. Some airline apps let you view the seat map even after you checked in. I often will view the seat map and ask gate agents to change me if I find an empty row.

3. Free upgrades almost never happen. It’s usually not worth asking. But sometimes you can get a very cheap upgrade to business class when you check in.

The last one often helps i remember when i was struggling to charge my laptop while i was traveling then later realized there was tv in the room and i looked for port where i can put the cable guess what, found one charged it …was such awesome feeling Then i calmly texted my mom…

haha awesome. glad to hear you’ve been using these hacks! 😀

Some great tricks & hacks…makes a change to see a few different ones! I am with you 100% when it comes to pens & I have no idea what I would do without Google & all its ‘bits’! Cheers! – Nigel

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Travel hack Ideas I use: * Always carry a flashlight and put on nightstand in case you have a hotel fire/ emergency so you won’t be I n total darkness. * Buy a Passport neck case from Wilson’s Leather Outlet. $15.-small but conveniently made .You can keep everything you need in it- cash, passport, cards, packet of medicine dose- I put it under my shirt. It drops down to my waist, so I can access it at the bottom of my shirt. In known thief places, I also poke the purse in the top of my shorts, so if they find a way to cut the straps it is still with me. It has gotten us through many trips to France. * Foldable bags ( Walmart, Dollar store) for souvenirs or in case we decide to do a picnic lunch on vacation. In Europe with small rooms and no storage, I use them them as dresser drawers to find things quickly for longer stays. * Use a foldable backpack(tennis ball size) in a bag (Lewis and Clark-not meant to be durable, basically a snack bag) we call it our “Disney bag”. We add snacks, wipes, paper maps, first aid bag with OTC meds for headache, stomach, water bottle, jacket in a bag, light shoulder wrap for church visits, my old small IPAD for grandchildren. To make it work, I put urgent needs( kids’ snacks, meds) in ziploc bags. I also add a ziploc gallon bag to cover the backpack in case of rain. If we only have snacks and maps, I carry it on my back, if it has my old IPAD or SLR, my husband carries it over 1 shoulder and up under his arm so if the strap is cut, he still has it. * A colorful small coin purse to store my phone charger (and a long cord) so when cramped into a plane seat, I can find it quickly to use. * Bread ties to organize all of those crazy charging cords. You will always need a long cord when u don’t have it. They now make bendable ties for that use. * Download Dolly Parton’s “ I Will Always Love You” if you travel with small children. We have used it with my 2 year grandson for over a year. If he is tired or upset, we can play Dolly and watch him just melt and smile as he says “ My Dollwy”. When he couldn’t sleep through the night, my son set Alexa to that song (very softly) at his awake times. At 5:30 AM they started hearing him sing along with Dolly on his baby monitor .If he is really upset, I turn it very low and put it close to his ear. If using around others, you may need headphones . * Passport- after airport security, I only carry a paper passport copy on me. * NEVER email passports to anyone unless it is a dire situation when a family member must email it to you, then pray a lot.We make paper copies of our passport/ drivers license to carry with us and give a copy to a family member. * * if going overseas, join STEP, so you will be notified of terror levels plus your embassy will know where you are if there is a blackout or terror attack. * Always put liquids in a freezer ziplock bag for your checked bag. Those bags are thrown all over the place. * Plan on 2 Quart Bags for airport Security: #1 Bag-for liquids as required by airlines * #2 Bag- watch , wallet, necklace , phone at the last minute- anything that comes off at airport. Finish dressing after airport security. * I pick up hotel cards to give to cab drivers in case they can’t understand my accent. * Pack an extra pair of shoes. If it rains a lot, you will need them.

The OK Maps blew my little mind. Cool trick. Also, the pillowcase is genius! I plan to repurpose mine as a dirty laundry bag too (obviously throwing it in the wash too!) Fun article 🙂

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Home » Europe » Moscow

EPIC MOSCOW Itinerary! (2024)

Moscow is the heart of Mother Russia. Just the mention of this city conjures images of colorful bulbous pointed domes, crisp temperatures, and a uniquely original spirit!

Moscow has an incredibly turbulent history, a seemingly resilient culture, and a unique enchantment that pulls countless tourists to the city each year! Although the warmer months make exploring Moscow’s attractions more favorable, there’s just something about a fresh snowfall that only enhances the appearance of the city’s iconic sites!

If you’re a first-time visitor to Moscow, or simply wanting to see as much of the city as possible, this Moscow itinerary will help you do just that!

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Best Time To Visit Moscow

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Here is a quick look at the seasons so you can decide when to visit Moscow!

The summer months (June-August) are a great time to travel to Moscow to take advantage of the enjoyable mild temperatures. This is considered peak travel season. Bear in mind that hotel prices rise along with the temperatures!

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If you’re planning a trip to Moscow during fall (September-November) try to plan for early fall. This way the temperatures will still be pleasant and winter won’t be threatening.

Russian winters (December-February) are not for the faint of heart as Napoleon learned to his peril. Some days the sun will be out for less than an hour, and snow is guaranteed. Although winters are exceptionally cold, this is when you’ll get a true glimpse of the Moscow experience!

The best time to visit Moscow is during spring  (March-May). The temperatures will begin to creep up and the sun begins to shine for significant portions of the day. Hotel rates will also have yet to skyrocket into peak ranges!

With a Moscow City Pass , you can experience the best of Moscow at the CHEAPEST prices. Discounts, attractions, tickets, and even public transport are all standards in any good city pass – be sure invest now and save them $$$ when you arrive!

Moscow is a large city with many accommodation options to choose from. Staying in a location that fits with your travel plans will only enhance your Moscow itinerary. Here is a brief introduction to a few great areas of the city we recommend checking out!

The best place to stay in Moscow to be close to all the action is Kitay-Gorod. This charming neighborhood will put you within walking distance to Moscow’s famous Red Square, thus cutting down on travel time. This will allow you to see more of the city in a shorter amount of time!

It’s surrounded by restaurants, cafes, bars, and shops. If you’re a first-time visitor to Moscow, or just planning a quick weekend in Moscow, then this area is perfect for you!

Another great area to consider is the Zamoskvorechye district. This area of the city offers a blend of new and old Moscow. It has an artsy vibe and there are plenty of fun sites you can explore outside of the main touristy areas of Moscow.

Of course, as in all areas of Moscow, it’s close to public transportation that will quickly connect you with the rest of the city and make your Moscow itinerary super accessible!

Best Airbnb in Moscow – Exclusive Apartment in Old Moscow

Modern and cozy, this apartment is in the heart of Old Moscow. Bordering the Basmanny and Kitay-Gorod districts, this two-bedroom flat is walking distance to the Kremlin and Red Square. Safe, quiet, and comfortable, this is the best Airbnb in Moscow, no question!

Best Budget Hotel in Moscow – Izmailovo Alfa Hotel

The Izmailovo Alfa Hotel is a very highly rated accommodation that provides all the components necessary for a comfortable trip to Moscow. There is an on-site restaurant, bar, fitness center, and an airport shuttle service. The rooms are modern and spacious and are equipped with a TV, heating/air conditioning, minibar, and more!

Best Luxury Hotel in Moscow – Crowne Plaza Moscow World Trade Centre

If you’re touring Moscow in luxury, the Crowne Plaza Moscow World Trade Centre is the hotel for you! Elegantly furnished rooms are equipped with a minibar, flat-screen TV,  in-room safes, as well as tea and coffee making facilities! Bathrooms come with bathrobes, slippers, and free toiletries. There is also an onsite restaurant, bar, and fitness center.

Best Hostel in Moscow – Godzillas Hostel

Godzillas Hostel is located in the center of Moscow, just a short walk from all the major tourist attractions and the metro station. Guests will enjoy all the usual hostel perks such as self-catering facilities, 24-hour reception, Free Wi-Fi, and security lockers. This is one of the best hostels in Moscow and its wonderful social atmosphere and will make your vacation in Moscow extra special!

An important aspect of planning any trip is figuring out the transportation situation. You’re probably wondering how you’re going to get to all of your Moscow points of interest right? Luckily, this sprawling city has an excellent network of public transportation that will make traveling a breeze!

The underground metro system is the quickest and most efficient way to travel around Moscow. Most visitors rely exclusively on this super-efficient transportation system, which allows you to get to pretty much anywhere in the city! It’s also a great option if you’re planning a Moscow itinerary during the colder months, as you’ll be sheltered from the snow and freezing temperatures!

If you prefer above-ground transportation, buses, trams, and trolleybuses, run throughout the city and provide a rather comfortable alternative to the metro.

Moscow’s metro, buses, trams, and trolleybuses are all accessible with a ‘Troika’ card. This card can be topped up with any sum of money at a metro cash desk. The ticket is simple, convenient, and even refundable upon return to a cashier!

No matter which method you choose, you’ll never find yourself without an easy means of getting from point A to point B!

Want to save money on your trip?

We got you. For reals.

Red Square | Moscow Kremlin | Lenin’s Mausoleum | St. Basil’s Cathedral  | GUM Department Store

Spend the first day of your itinerary taking your own self guided Moscow walking tour around the historic Red Square! This is Moscow’s compact city center and every stop on this list is within easy walking distance to the next! Get ready to see all of the top Moscow landmarks!

Day 1 / Stop 1 – The Red Square

• Why it’s awesome: The Red Square is the most recognizable area in Moscow, it has mesmerizing architecture and centuries worth of history attached to its name.
• Cost: Free to walk around, individual attractions in the square have separate fees. 
• Food nearby: Check out Bar BQ Cafe for friendly service and good food in a great location! The atmosphere is upbeat and they’re open 24/7!

The Red Square is Moscow’s historic fortress and the center of the Russian government. The origins of the square date back to the late 15th century, when Ivan the Great decided to expand the Kremlin to reflect Moscow’s growing power and prestige!

During the 20th century, the square became famous as the site for demonstrations designed to showcase Soviet strength. Visiting the Red Square today, you’ll find it teeming with tourists, who come to witness its magical architecture up close!

The square is the picture postcard of Russian tourism, so make sure to bring your camera when you visit! No matter the season, or the time of day, it’s delightfully photogenic! 

It’s also home to some of Russia’s most distinguishing and important landmarks, which we’ve made sure to include further down in this itinerary. It’s an important center of Russia’s cultural life and one of the top places to visit in Moscow!

In 1990, UNESCO designated Russia’s Red Square as a World Heritage site. Visiting this historic site is a true bucket-list event and essential addition to your itinerary for Moscow!

Day 1 / Stop 2 – The Moscow Kremlin

• Why it’s awesome: The Moscow Kremlin complex includes several palaces and cathedrals and is surrounded by the Kremlin wall. It also houses the principal museum of Russia (the Kremlin Armory).
• Cost: USD $15.00
• Food nearby: Bosco Cafe is a charming place to grat a casual bite to eat. They have excellent coffee and wonderful views of the Red Square and the Moscow Kremlin!

The iconic Moscow Kremlin , also known as the Kremlin museum complex, sits on Borovitsky Hill, rising above the Moscow River. It is a fortified complex in the center of the city, overlooking several iconic buildings in the Red Square!

It’s the best known of the Russian Kremlins – citadels or fortress’ protecting and dominating a city. During the early decades of the Soviet era, the Kremlin was a private enclave where the state’s governing elite lived and worked.

The Kremlin is outlined by an irregularly shaped triangular wall that encloses an area of 68 acres! The existing walls and towers were built from 1485 to 1495. Inside the Kremlin museum complex, there are five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Kremlin Wall with Kremlin towers.

The Armoury Chamber is a part of the Grand Kremlin Palace’s complex and is one of the oldest museums of Moscow, established in 1851. It showcases Russian history and displays many cherished relics. Definitely make sure to check out this museum while you’re here!

The churches inside the Moscow Kremlin are the Cathedral of the Dormition, Church of the Archangel, Church of the Annunciation, and the bell tower of Ivan Veliki (a church tower).

The five-domed Cathedral of the Dormition is considered the most famous. It was built from 1475–1479 by an Italian architect and has served as a wedding and coronation place for great princes, tsars, and emperors of Russia. Church services are given in the Kremlin’s numerous cathedrals on a regular basis.

The Grand Kremlin Palace was the former Tsar’s Moscow residence and today it serves as the official workplace of the President of the Russian Federation (Vladimir Putin seems to have bagged that title for life) .

Insider Tip: The Kremlin is closed every Thursday! Make sure to plan this stop on your Moscow itinerary for any other day of the week!

Day 1 / Stop 3 – Lenin’s Mausoleum

• Why it’s awesome: The mausoleum displays the preserved body of Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin .
• Cost: Free!
• Food nearby: Khinkal’naya is a charming Georgian restaurant with vaulted ceilings and exposed brick. It’s a popular place with locals and right next to the Red Square!

Lenin’s Mausoleum, also known as Lenin’s Tomb, is the modernist mausoleum for the revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin. It’s located within the Red Square and serves as the resting place for the Soviet leader! His preserved body has been on public display since shortly after his death in 1924.

It’s located just a few steps away from the Kremlin Wall and is one of the most controversial yet popular Moscow attractions!

Admission is free for everyone, you’ll only need to pay if you need to check a bag. Before visitors are allowed to enter the mausoleum, they have to go through a metal detector first. No metal objects, liquids, or large bags are allowed in the mausoleum!

Expect a line to enter the building, and while you’re inside the building, you’ll be constantly moving in line with other visitors. This means you won’t be able to spend as long as you’d like viewing the mausoleum, but you’ll still be able to get a good look. Pictures and filming while inside the building are strictly prohibited, and security guards will stop you if they see you breaking this rule.

The mausoleum is only open on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday – unless it’s a public holiday or a day scheduled for maintenance. The hours it’s open for each day are limited, make sure to check online before you visit to make sure you can fit this into your Moscow itinerary for that day!

Insider Tip: The Lenin’s Museum is there for people to pay their respect; remember to keep silent and move along quickly, it’s not intended for people to congregate around. Also, men are not allowed to wear hats and everyone must take their hands out of their pockets when inside the building.

Day 1 / Stop 4 – St. Basil’s Cathedral

• Why it’s awesome: A dazzling designed cathedral that showcases Russia’s unique architecture. This cathedral is one of the most recognizable symbols of the country!
• Cost: USD $8.00
• Food nearby: Moskovskiy Chaynyy Klub is a cozy cafe serving food items and pipping hot tea; it’s the perfect place to go if you’re visiting Moscow during the winter months!

Located in the Red Square, the ornate 16th-century St. Basil’s Cathedral is probably the building you picture when you think of Moscow’s unique architecture. Its colorful onion-shaped domes tower over the Moscow skyline!

The cathedral was built from 1555-1561 by order of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. It was designed with an iconic onion dome facade and enchanting colors that captivate all who see it. Fun fact: If you’re wondering why Russian churches have onion domes, they are popularly believed to symbolize burning candles!

This iconic cathedral has become a symbol of Russia due to its distinguishing architecture and prominent position inside the Red Square. It’s one of the most beautiful, wonderful, and mesmerizing historical cathedrals in the world!

The interior of the church surprises most people when they visit. In contrast to the large exterior, the inside is not so much one large area, but rather a collection of smaller areas, with many corridors and small rooms. There are 9 small chapels and one mausoleum grouped around a central tower.

Visiting the inside is like walking through a maze, there are even small signs all around the cathedral tracing where to walk, and pointing you in the right direction! The walls are meticulously decorated and painted with intricate floral designs and religious themes.

The church rarely holds service and is instead a museum open for the public to visit.

Insider Tip: During the summer months the line to go inside the cathedral can get quite long! Make sure to arrive early or reserve your tickets online to guarantee quick access into the cathedral!

Day 1 / Stop 5 – GUM Department Store

• Why it’s awesome: This is Russia’s most famous shopping mall! It’s designed with elegant and opulent architecture and provides a real sense of nostalgia!
• Cost: Free to enter
• Food nearby: Stolovaya 57 is a cafeteria-style restaurant with a variety of inexpensive Russian cuisine menu items including soups, salads, meat dishes, and desserts. It’s also located inside the GUM department store, making it very easily accessible when you’re shopping!

The enormous GUM Department Store is located within the historic Red Square. It has a whimsical enchantment to it that sets it apart from your typical department store.

A massive domed glass ceiling lines the top of the building and fills the interior with natural sunlight. There are live plants and flowers placed throughout the mall that give the shopping complex a lively and cheerful feel! A playful fountain sits in the center, further adding to the malls inviting a sense of wonder and amusement!

The GUM department store opened on December 2, 1893. Today, it includes local and luxury stores, including Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Prada, and many more! There are numerous cafes, restaurants, and even a movie theater inside!

For a special treat, head into Gastronom 1. This 1950s-style shop sells gourmet food items, like wine, freshly-baked pastries, cheese, Russian chocolate, and of course, vodka! Also, be on the lookout for a bicycle pedaling ice cream truck with an employing selling ice cream!

The ambiance is simply amazing, a trip to this idyllic shopping mall is an absolute must on any Moscow itinerary!

Insider Tip: Make sure to carry some small change on you in case you need to use the restroom, you’ll need to pay 50 rubles – or about USD $0.80 to use the bathroom in GUM.

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These are packing cubes for the globetrotters and compression sacks for the  real adventurers – these babies are a traveller’s best kept secret. They organise yo’ packing and minimise volume too so you can pack MORE.

Or, y’know… you can stick to just chucking it all in your backpack…

Novodevichy Convent | Gorky Park | State Tretyakov Gallery | All-Russian Exhibition Center | Bolshoi Theater

On your 2 day itinerary in Moscow, you’ll have a chance to use the city’s excellent public transportation service! You’ll explore a few more of Moscow’s historic highlight as well as some modern attractions. These sites are a little more spread out, but still very easily accessible thanks to the metro!

Day 2 / Stop 1 – Novodevichy Convent

• Why it’s awesome: The Novodevichy Convent is rich in imperial Russian history and contains some of Russia’s best examples of classical architecture!
• Cost: USD $5.00
• Food nearby: Culinary Shop Karavaevs Brothers is a cozy and simple place to have a quick bite, they also have vegetarian options!

The Novodevichy Convent is the best-known and most popular cloister of Moscow. The convent complex is contained within high walls, and there are many attractions this site is known for! 

The six-pillared five-domed Smolensk Cathedral is the main attraction. It was built to resemble the Kremlin’s Assumption Cathedral and its facade boasts beautiful snowy white walls and a pristine golden onion dome as its centerpiece. It’s the oldest structure in the convent, built from 1524 -1525, and is situated in the center of the complex between the two entrance gates.

There are other churches inside the convent as well, all dating back from many centuries past. The convent is filled with an abundance of 16th and 17th-century religious artworks, including numerous large and extravagant frescos!

Just outside the convent’s grounds lies the Novodevichy Cemetery. Here, you can visit the graves of famous Russians, including esteemed authors, composers, and politicians. Probably the most intriguing gravestone belongs to Russian politician Nikita Khruschev!

The Novodevichy Convent is located near the Moscow River and offers a peaceful retreat from the busy city. In 2004, it was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The convent remains remarkably well-preserved and is an outstanding example of Moscow Baroque architecture! 

Insider Tip: To enter the cathedrals inside the complex, women are advised to cover their heads and shoulders, while men should wear long pants.

Day 2 / Stop 2 – Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure

• Why it’s awesome: A large amusement area in the heart of the city offering many attractions!
• Cost: Free! 
• Food nearby: Check out Mepkato, located inside Gorky Central Park for a casual meal in a cozy setting. There are indoor and outdoor seating options and the restaurant is child-friendly!

Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure is a large green space in the heart of Moscow. The park opened in 1928, and it stretches along the scenic embankment of the Moskva River. It covers an area of 300-acres and offers a lovely contrast from the compact city center.

You’ll find all sorts of wonderful attractions, from boat rides to bike rentals to tennis courts and ping-pong tables, and much more! there are an open-air cinema and festive events and concerts scheduled in the summer months.  A wide selection of free fitness classes is also offered on a regular basis, including jogging, roller skating, and dancing!

Although many of the options you’ll find here are more suited for outdoor leisure during the summer, you’ll also a selection of winter attractions, including one of Europe’s largest ice rinks for ice-skating!

If you’re trying to decide what to do in Moscow with kids, the park also offers several venues designed specifically for kids. Check out the year-round Green School which offers hands-on classes in gardening and art! You can also feed the squirrels and birds at the Golitsinsky Ponds!

The park is very well maintained and kept clean and the entrance is free of charge, although most individual attractions cost money. There is also Wi-Fi available throughout the park.

With so many attractions, you could easily spend all day here! If you’re only planning a 2 day itinerary in Moscow, make sure to plan your time accordingly and map out all the areas you want to see beforehand!

Day 2 / Stop 3 – The State Tretyakov Gallery

• Why it’s awesome: The gallery’s collection consists entirely of Russian art made by Russian artists!
• Food nearby : Brothers Tretyakovs is located right across the street from the gallery. It’s a wonderfully atmospheric restaurant serving top quality food and drinks!

The State Tretyakov Gallery was founded in 1856 by influential merchant and collector Pavel Tretyakov.  The gallery is a national treasury of Russian fine art and one of the most important museums in Russia!

It houses the world’s best collection of Russian art and contains more than 130, 000 paintings, sculptures, and graphics! These works have been created throughout the centuries by generations of Russia’s most talented artists!

The exhibits range from mysterious 12th-century images to politically charged canvases. The collection is rich and revealing and offers great insight into the history and attitudes of this long-suffering yet inspired people!

All pictures are also labeled in English. If you plan to take your time and see everything inside the museum it will take a good 3-4 hours, so make sure to plan your Moscow trip itinerary accordingly! This gallery is a must-see stop for art lovers, or anyone wanting to explore the local culture and history of Russia in a creative and insightful manner! 

Insider Tip: When planning your 2 days in Moscow itinerary, keep in mind that most museums in Moscow are closed on Mondays, this includes The State Tretyakov Gallery!

Day 2 / Stop 4 – All-Russian Exhibition Center

• Why it’s awesome: This large exhibition center showcases the achievements of the Soviet Union in several different spheres. 
• Food nearby: Varenichnaya No. 1 serves authentic and homestyle Russian cuisine in an intimate and casual setting.

The All-Russian Exhibition Center is a massive park that presents the glory of the Soviet era! It pays homage to the achievements of Soviet Russia with its many different sites found on the property.

The center was officially opened in 1939 to exhibit the achievements of the Soviet Union. It’s a huge complex of buildings and the largest exhibition center in Moscow. There are several exhibition halls dedicated to different achievements and every year there are more than one hundred and fifty specialized exhibitions!

The Peoples Friendship Fountain was constructed in 1954 and is a highlight of the park. The stunning gold fountain features 16 gilded statues of girls, each representing the former Soviet Union republics. 

The Stone Flower Fountain was also built in 1954 and is worth checking out. The centerpiece of this large fountain is a flower carved from stones from the Ural Mountains! Along the side of the fountain are various bronze sculptures.

You will find many people zipping around on rollerblades and bicycles across the large area that the venue covers. It’s also home to amusement rides and carousels, making it the perfect place to stop with kids on your Moscow itinerary! Make sure to wear comfortable shoes and allow a few hours to explore all the areas that interest you!

Day 2 / Stop 5 – Bolshoi Theater

• Why it’s awesome: The Bolshoi Theater is a historic venue that hosts world-class ballet and opera performances!
• Cost: Prices vary largely between USD $2.00 –  USD $228.00 based on seat location.
• Food nearby: Head to the Russian restaurant, Bolshoi for high-quality food and drinks and excellent service!

The Bolshoi Theater is among the oldest and most renowned ballet and opera companies in the world! It also boasts the world’s biggest ballet company, with more than 200 dancers!

The theater has been rebuilt and renovated several times during its long history. In 2011 it finished its most recent renovation after an extensive six-year restoration that started in 2005. The renovation included an improvement in acoustics and the restoration of the original Imperial decor.

The Bolshoi Theater has put on many of the world’s most famous ballet acts! Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake premiered at the theater in 1877 and other notable performances of the Bolshoi repertoire include Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker!

Today, when you visit the theater, you can expect a magical performance from skilled singers, dancers, and musicians with the highest level of technique!

If you don’t have time to see a show, the theater also provides guided tours on select days of the week. Tours are given in both Russian and English and will provide visitors with a more intimate look at the different areas of the theater!

The stage of this iconic Russian theater has seen many outstanding performances. If you’re a fan of the performing arts, the Bolshoi Theater is one of the greatest and oldest ballet and opera companies in the world, making it a must-see attraction on your Moscow itinerary!

Godzillas Hostel

Godzillas Hostel is located in the center of Moscow, just a short walk from all the major tourist attractions and the metro station.

• Towels Included

Cosmonautics Museum | Alexander Garden | Ostankino Tower | Izmaylovo District | Soviet Arcade Museum

Now that we’ve covered what to do in Moscow in 2 days, if you’re able to spend more time in the city you’re going to need more attractions to fill your time. Here are a few more really cool things to do in Moscow we recommend!

Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics

• Hear the timeline of the ‘space race’ from the Russian perspective
• This museum is fun for both adults and children!
• Admission is USD $4.00

The Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics is a museum dedicated to space exploration! The museum explores the history of flight, astronomy, space exploration, space technology, and space in the arts. It houses a large assortment of Soviet and Russian space-related exhibits, and the museum’s collection holds approximately 85,000 different items!

The museum does an excellent job of telling the full story of the exciting space race between the USSR and the US! It highlights the brightest moments in Russian history and humanity and is very interesting and fun for all ages!

If you’re a fan of space or just curious about gaining insight into Russia’s fascinating history of space exploration, make sure to add this to your 3 day itinerary in Moscow!

The Alexander Garden

• A tranquil place to relax near the Red Square
• Green lawns dotted with sculptures and lovely water features
• The park is open every day and has no entrance fee

The Alexander Garden was one of the first urban public parks in Moscow! The garden premiered in 1821 and was built to celebrate Russia’s victory over Napoleon’s forces in 1812!

The park is beautiful and well maintained with paths to walk on and benches to rest on. The park contains three separate gardens: the upper garden, middle garden, and lower garden.

Located in the upper garden, towards the main entrance to the park is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with its eternal flame. This monument was created in 1967 and contains the body of a soldier who fell during the Great Patriotic War!

The park stretches along all the length of the western Kremlin wall for about half a mile. Due to its central location in the city, it’ll be easily accessible when you’re out exploring The Red Square.

It provides a bit of relief from the city’s high-energy city streets. Bring a picnic lunch, go for a walk, or just sit and people watch, this is one of the best Moscow sites to wind-down and relax!

Ostankino Television Tower

• Television and radio tower in Moscow
• Currently the tallest free-standing structure in Europe
• Make sure you bring your passport when you visit, you can’t go up without it!

For spectacular views of the city, make sure to add the Ostankino Television Tower to your itinerary for Moscow! This impressive free-standing structure provides stunning views of the city in every direction. The glass floor at the top also provides great alternative views of the city!

It takes just 58 seconds for visitors to reach the Tower’s observation deck by super fast elevator. The tower is open every day for long hours and is a great site in Moscow to check out! There is even a restaurant at the top where you can enjoy rotating views of the city while you dine on traditional Russian cuisine or European cuisine!

The tower is somewhat of an architectural surprise in a city that is not known for skyscrapers! To see the city from a new perspective, make sure to add this stop to your Moscow itinerary!

Izmaylovo District

• The most popular attractions in this district are the kremlin and the flea market
• Outside of the city center and easy to reach via metro
• Most popular during the summer and on weekends

Travel outside the city center and discover a unique area of the city! The Izmaylovo District is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike, and one of the coolest places to see in Moscow! The two main attractions we recommend checking out are the Kremlin and the flea market.

The Izmailovo Kremlin was established as a cultural center and molded after traditional Russian architecture. This colorful complex is home to several single-subject museums, including a Russian folk art museum and a vodka museum!

Next to the Kremlin is the Izmailovo open-air market, which dates back to the 17th century! The market is connected to the Izmailovo Kremlin by a wooden bridge. Pick up all your Russian souvenirs here, including traditional handicrafts, paintings, books, retro toys, and Soviet memorabilia!

You will find many hand-made and hand-painted options available at higher prices, as well as mass-produced souvenir options at lower prices!

Museum of Soviet Arcade Games

• Closed on Mondays
• Filled with old arcade games that visitors get to try out!
• The museum also includes a small cafe and burger shop

For something a little different, check out the Museum of Soviet Arcade Games! The museum features roughly 60 machines from the Soviet era, including video games, pinball machines, and collaborative hockey foosball! The machines inside the museum were produced in the USSR in the mid-1970s.

The best part is, most of the games are still playable! Purchase tickets and try the games out for yourself! The museum also has a neat little screening room that plays old Soviet cartoons and an area with Soviet magazines! This unique attraction is a fun addition to a 3 day itinerary in Moscow, and an attraction that all ages will enjoy! 

Whether you’re spending one day in Moscow, or more, safety is an important thing to keep in mind when traveling to a big city! Overall, Moscow is a very safe place to visit. However, it is always recommended that tourists take certain precautions when traveling to a new destination!

The police in Moscow is extremely effective at making the city a safe place to visit and do their best to patrol all of the top Moscow, Russia tourist attractions. However, tourists can still be a target for pickpockets and scammers.

Moscow has a huge flow of tourists, therefore there is a risk for pickpocketing. Simple precautions will help eliminate your chances of being robbed. Stay vigilant, keep your items close to you at all times, and don’t flash your valuables!

If you’re planning a solo Moscow itinerary, you should have no need to worry, as the city is also considered safe for solo travelers, even women. Stay in the populated areas, try and not travel alone late at night, and never accept rides from strangers or taxis without a meter and correct signage.

The threat of natural disasters in Moscow is low, with the exception of severe winters when the temperature can dip below freezing! Bring a good, warm jacket if you visit in Winter.

However, please note that Russian views on homsexuality are far less accepting than those in Western Europe. Likewise, Non-Caucasian travellers may sadly encounter racism in Russia .

Don’t Forget Your Travel Insurance for Moscow

ALWAYS sort out your backpacker insurance before your trip. There’s plenty to choose from in that department, but a good place to start is Safety Wing .

They offer month-to-month payments, no lock-in contracts, and require absolutely no itineraries: that’s the exact kind of insurance long-term travellers and digital nomads need.

SafetyWing is cheap, easy, and admin-free: just sign up lickety-split so you can get back to it!

Click the button below to learn more about SafetyWing’s setup or read our insider review for the full tasty scoop.

Now that we’ve covered all the top things to see in Moscow, we thought we’d include some exciting day trips to other areas of the country!

Sergiev Posad (Golden Ring)

On this 7-hour guided tour, you’ll visit several scenic and historic areas of Russia. Start your day with hotel pick-up as you’re transferred by a comfortable car or minivan to Sergiev Posad. Admire the charming Russian countryside on your drive and enjoy a quick stop to visit the Russian village, Rudonezh!

You’ll see the majestic Saint Spring and the Church of Sergiev Radonezh. You’ll also visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, one of the most famous Orthodox sites in Russia!

Lastly, you’ll swing by the local Matreshka market and enjoy a break in a nice Russian restaurant before returning to Moscow!

Day Trip to Vladimir and Suzdal

On this 13-hour trip, you’ll discover old Russia, with its picturesque landscapes and white-stoned beautiful churches! You’ll visit the main towns of the famous Golden Ring of Russia – the name for several cities and smaller towns north-east of Moscow.

Your first stop will be in the town of Vladimir, the ancient capital of all Russian principalities. The city dates back to the 11th century and is one of the oldest and the most important towns along the Ring! Next, you’ll visit Suzdal, a calm ancient Russian town north of Vladimir with only 13,000 inhabitants!

The old-style architecture and buildings of Suzdal are kept wonderfully intact. If you’re spending three days in Moscow, or more, this is a great option for exploring the charming areas outside the city!

Zvenigorod Day Trip and Russian Countryside

On this 9-hour private tour, you’ll explore the ancient town of Zvenigorod, one of the oldest towns in the Moscow region! As you leave Moscow you’ll enjoy the stunning scenery along the Moscow River, and make a few stops at old churches along the way to Zvenigorod.

Upon arrival, you’ll explore the medieval center, including the 14th-century Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery. Next, you’ll take a break for lunch (own expense) where you’ll have the chance to try out the Russian cuisine! Next, you’ll visit the Museum of Russian Dessert and sip on tea at a Russian tea ceremony.

The final stop of the day is at the Ershovo Estate, a gorgeous place to walk around and enjoy nature!

Day Trip to St Petersburg by Train visiting Hermitage & Faberge

On this full-day tour, you’ll enjoy a a full round trip to St Petersburg where you’ll spend an exciting day exploring another popular Russian city! You’ll be picked up from your hotel in Moscow and be transferred to the train station where you’ll ride the high-speed train ‘Sapsan’ to St Petersburg.

Upon arrival, you’ll start the day by touring the Hermitage Museum and the Winter Palace. Next, you’ll visit the Faberge Museum, where you’ll explore the impressive collection of rare Faberge Eggs! In the afternoon, enjoy a sightseeing boat ride and a traditional 3-course Russian lunch.

If you’re spending 3 days in Moscow, or more, this is an excellent trip to take!

Trip to Kolomna – Authentic Cultural Experience from Moscow

On this 10-hour tour, you’ll escape the city and travel to the historic town of Kolomna! First, you’ll visit the 14th-century Kolomna Kremlin, home to the Assumption Cathedral and an abundance of museums!

Next, enjoy lunch at a local cafe (own expense) before embarking on a tour of the Marshmallow Museum – of course, a marshmallow tasting is provided!  Your final stop is the Museum of Forging Settlements, where displays include armor and accessories for fishing and hunting.

Discover this beautiful Russian fairytale city on a private trip, where all of the planning is taken care of for you!

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It looks exactly like a normal belt  except for a SECRET interior pocket perfectly designed to hide a wad of cash, a passport photocopy or anything else you may wish to hide. Never get caught with your pants down again! (Unless you want to…)

Find out what people want to know when planning their Moscow itinerary.

How many days you need in Moscow?

We recommend that you spend at least two or three days in Moscow to take it all in.

What’s the best month to visit Moscow?

The best time to visit Moscow is over the spring, from March to May as temperatures are mild, crowds are thin and prices are reasonable.

What are some unusual things to do in Moscow?

I mean, queuing up to see an almost 100 year old corpse is pretty unsual! Check out Lenin’s Mausoleum if you fancy it!

What are some fun things to do in Moscow?

The Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics is a fun place to explore the famous space race from the perspective of the ‘other side’!

We hope you enjoyed our Moscow itinerary! We’ve made sure to cover all the Moscow must-sees as well as some unique attractions in the city! Our addition of insider tips, favorite food stops, and day trips from Moscow is an added bonus and will guarantee you make the most out of your exciting Russian vacation!

Immerse yourself in the modern and traditional Russian lifestyle! Get lost in museums, witness awe-inspiring architecture, and indulge in Russian cuisine! Spend the day strolling through all of the charming sites of Moscow, admiring the beautiful scenery and discovering the city’s fairytale-like enchantment!

Made it this far? You get 15% OFF to book a place to stay ! Offer valid exclusively for Broke Backpackers 😉

Alya and Campbell

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Olympics opening ceremony live updates: Highlights from Paris torch relay, flame lighting

With an ambitious and unique opening ceremony , the 2024 Paris Olympics got under way when thousands of Olympians, including Team USA athletes , cruised along the Seine River on Friday night.

The city’s iconic landmarks provided a stunning backdrop for the parade of nations. Athletes from around the world, including Team USA flag bearers LeBron James and Coco Gauff , floated on boats for the six-kilometer route that traveled east to west across Paris from the Pont d’Austerlitz to the Trocadero.

USA TODAY Sports brought you live updates from Paris, highlights and more throughout the opening ceremony. (Follow NBC's replay of the opening ceremony in prime time.)

Who lit the Olympic Cauldron?

The Olympic Cauldron was lit by Teddy Riner, a three-time Olympic champion in judo, and Marie-Jose Perec, a three-time Olympic champion in track and field.

2024 Olympic medals: Who is leading the medal count? Follow along as we track the medals for every sport.

Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams carried Olympic torch

In an Olympics opening ceremony surprise, Rafael Nadal carried the Olympic torch once it reached the Eiffel Tower. Nadal might as well have honorary French residency after winning a record 14 French Opens. He won four in a row from 2005-2008, five in a row from 2010-2014, another four in a row from 2017-2020 and his final one in 2022. He is 112-4 all-time at Roland Garros. A statue of him was erected outside the stadium in 2021. Nadal has 22 Grand Slams total. 

Nadal then passed the torch to fellow tennis legend Serena Williams. Three of her 23 Grand Slam titles came at the French Open. Carl Lewis, a four-time Olympic champion at the 1984 Games, and Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci, who scored the first perfect 10 in Olympic history at the 1976 Games, also were part of the torch’s final journey. — Nancy Armour

Amelie Mauresmo passed Olympic torch to Tony Parker

The tennis theme in the Olympic torch relay continued when Amelie Mauresmo, the only French player to be No. 1 in the Open era, took the torch after it arrived off the boat. Tony Parker, who paved the way for French players in the NBA and won four titles with the San Antonio Spurs, took the handoff from Mauresmo. Parker and Carter continued running with the torch after they passed it over to a trio of French athletes. — Nancy Armour

Celine Dion at opening ceremony dazzled

The legendary singer Celine Dion performed at the opening ceremony after the Olympic Cauldron was lit. She also sang at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics opening ceremony.

Eiffel Tower puts on light show at opening ceremony

Watch the iconic Paris landmark sparkle.

Who sang 'Imagine' at the Olympics?

Pianist Sofianne Pamart and singer Juliette Armanet performed “Imagine,” the John Lennon and Yoko Ono song.

Team USA's LeBron James, Coco Gauff not slowed by rain

The rain wasn’t spoiling the party for LeBron James, Coco Gauff and the rest of the U.S. Olympic team.

“Representing the red, white and blue, there’s no better time,” James said during an interview with NBC’s Maria Taylor during the parade of nations. “We’re here for the USA and ready to go out and compete at a high level.”

The NBA superstar and the Grand Slam champion were selected as flagbearers by the rest of the U.S. team. Flagbearers held their country’s flags aloft as the team boats floated down the Seine while other athletes waved smaller flags. But Gauff and James also took time to pose for photos with others on the boat – including the captain – and take in the sights of Paris.

“Seeing a lot of water, first off,” Gauff said. “But also some amazing people, a lot of amazing athletes and we’re all excited to represent Team USA.”

Asked if the steady rain put a damper on their special moment, James said no.

“The rain can’t stop us,” he said. — Nancy Armour

Axelle Saint-Cirel performs French national anthem on Grand Palais roof

On the roof of the Grand-Palais and wearing colors of the French flag, Axelle Saint-Cirel, the Choeur and the Maîtrise de Radio France performed the French national anthem, called The Marseillaise. It was composed in 1792 by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle, who was an officer for the French Engineers. It was declared the national anthem in 1795. As the national anthem was performed, the Republic Guard raised the flag at the Trocadéro. Composer Victor le Masne musically rearranged the national anthem for the opening ceremony. 

Steph Curry, A'ja Wilson at Olympics opening ceremony

Women's basketball forward  A'Ja Wilson  looks to have added an extra piece of fashion to her Team USA Ralph Lauren outfit — thanks to the help of Steph Curry. The Golden State Warriors guard — who is making his Olympic debut with USA Basketball in Paris — gifted Wilson Olympics-themed sunglasses for Friday's opening ceremony.

Which country will host the 2028 Olympics?

The 2028 Summer Olympics will be in Los Angeles. The city has hosted twice before: 1932 and 1984.

Noah Lyles, Sha'Carri Richardson show off nails at opening ceremony

Here's a look the nails of Noah Lyles, who is the fastest man in the world so far this year.

And here are Sha'Carri Richardson's nails from the opening ceremony.

What country has the most athletes in the Olympics?

There are 10,714 athletes from 206 different countries scheduled to take part in this year's Olympic Games. The United States  will have the largest national delegation at the Summer Games in Paris with 593 athletes. Host nation France is second with 573, followed by Australia (460), Germany (427), Japan (404), Italy (403), China (388), Spain (382), Great Britain (327) and Canada (318) rounding out the top 10.

Why was Australia after Zambia and Zimbabwe at opening ceremony? 

The sight of the Australian team coming after Zambia and Zimbabwe might have taken those who know their alphabet by surprise. But there was a reason for the Aussies being so far out of alphabetical order. Countries that are hosting upcoming Olympics come at the end of the Parade of Nations. Brisbane is hosting the 2032 Summer Games, so Australia was the third-to-last team. The United States was second-to-last, with the Olympics returning to Los Angeles in four years. And France, the host of these Paris Olympics, was the last country in the 85-boat flotilla. — Nancy Armour

Olympics opening ceremony order of countries

The order of the parade of nations is determined by the French spelling of their country names. Germany is Allemagne in French, for example, so it goes with the As, not the Gs. The only exceptions are the United States, which is Etats-Unis in French but goes second-to-last because it is hosting the next Summer Games, and France, because it’s the host country. 

Metal band at Paris Olympics: Who is Gojira?

The metal band Gojira , who performed at the Olympics opening ceremony, is made up of Joe Duplantier, Mario Duplantier, Christian Andreu and Jean-Michel La- badie. They performed at the Conciergerie, which was the residence of French kings in medieval times. It became a prison during the French revolution and Marie-Antoinette was one of its most famous prisoners. Gojira performed alongside singer Marina Viotti.

Aya Nakamura Olympics opening ceremony performance 

Aya Nakamura is one of France’s most famous pop stars, performing performed "Pookie, Djadja" and "For me formidable, La Bohéme" at the opening ceremony alongside 60 musicians from the Republican Guard and 36 choristers of the French Army. Nakamura mixes elements of R&B, Afropop and Parisian street slang, and her most famous song is “Djadja.” She’s been compared to Rihanna and Cardi B.

Why Russia, Belarus are banned from 2024 Olympics

Once again, Russia is technically banned from appearing at the Olympic Games . Yet once again, Russian athletes will compete under a different name − a handful of them, at least.

At the 2024 Paris Olympics , which begin this week, 15 athletes from Russia − and 18 from neighboring Belarus − are slated to compete as "Individual Neutral Athletes," or AINs for short, according to the most recent statistics released by the International Olympic Committee on Saturday . The AIN classification means that Russian and Belarusian flags, national anthems and uniforms will be absent from the Paris Games. This punishment was levied by the International Olympic Committee following its invasion of Ukraine. — Tom Schad

How many athletes are on Team USA?

There are 593 American Olympians at the Paris Games. Meet Team USA .

How many countries participate in the 2024 Olympics?

More than 200 countries are competing in the 2024 Olympics , from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.

Minions at Olympics opening ceremony

Minions — of the "Despicable Me" franchise and its spinoff movie, "Minions" — made a digital appearance at the opening ceremony. In a video with the "unknown" athlete running with the Olympic torch, the Minions are seen acting out a scene in a submarine submerged in the Seine.

Lady Gaga at Olympics opening ceremony gave stunning performance

Lady Gaga  returned to music at the 2024  Paris Olympics  during a performance at the opening ceremony and lit up the City of Lights. Alongside  a fleet of dancers , the Grammy favorite performed a French-inspired set alongside the Seine river with a tribute to Zizi Jeanmaire's presentation of  "Mon Truc En Plumes,"  translated to “My Thing with Feathers.” — Jay Stahl

Olympic opening ceremony performers

Lady Gaga, metal band Gojira and French pop star Aya Nakamura were among those who have performed at the opening ceremony.

Who made medals for the Paris Olympics? 

The Monnaie de Paris, which has been minting France’s coins since 864. The company also made the medals for the Athens Olympics in 1896, the first modern Olympic Games, and the two previous Summer Games in Paris, in 1900 and 1924. 

How many medals were made for the Paris Olympics? 

Why does greece go first in the olympics.

Greece goes first at the opening ceremony every Olympics because it is the birthplace of the Olympic Games. 

Why is Peyton Manning wearing an arm band?

NBC opening ceremony co-host Peyton Manning sported an arm band on his right forearm during the opening ceremony broadcast, much like he did during his playing days as an NFL quarterback. He joked he was wearing it because he had notes on all 200-plus countries in the opening ceremomny.

Giannis Antetokounmpo on being Greece's flag bearer

“That is an honor,”  he said . “If I am the flag bearer, great. If I am not, OK. I am just happy that I have a good coaching staff and a good team, I am in the Olympics."

Who designed the Olympics flag?

Pierre de Coubertin, who is considered the founder of the modern Olympics, designed the rings in July 1913. The Olympics logo was first used on a flag in 1914. That original flag is now at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne. The IOC officially adopted the rings logo and flag in 1914.

Americans in Paris

Rachael Raskovich, Amanda Mason-Sekula and Kelly Holmes arrived at the opening ceremony wearing American flag themed hats, red white and blue glasses and sequin USA jackets with "Proud American" stitched on the back.

"Amazon," Raskovich said with a smile when asked about the gear.

The trio of friends met in law school and said they will spend the next week or so hopping around to events around the city. They have tickets to beach volleyball and equestrian, Raskovich said, among other sports. Their group was just one of the many clad in red, white and blue that lined the southern banks of the Seine River on Friday night. Doris Ng of Chicago was among the U.S. spectators who were still searching for a good spot from which to view the ceremony in the hour before it began.

"We thought we were going to be on time," she said. "I think everybody else beat us to the punch already."

Fortunately, she also has tickets to the closing ceremony, she said. — Tom Schad

Not every local was in a festive mood

One man saw my media credential and wanted to make sure — despite barely speaking English — that he was upset over a rumor Celine Dion had been paid 2 million Euros to perform one song at the opening ceremony. Another woman, an American who has lived in Paris for 15 years, said property taxes went up and yet Parisians were not given much access to events or even public spaces to watch the festivities despite the financial and social burden being put on them.

But even when the rain began falling, people did not scatter to look for shelter. Instead they powered through, trying to get a better look at the bleu, blanc and rouge streaks being left in the sky by an airplane flyover.

Restaurants, which don’t have televisions here, were generally not busy. If you were going out to eat Friday night, it’s because you didn’t care to watch the show live. But inside one of them in a residential area near the Eiffel Tower, you could hear the singing of La Marseillaise, the French National Anthem. For a few minutes, the din of conversation went completely silent. — Dan Wolken

Team USA opening ceremony outfit

Team USA’s opening ceremony outfit is a modern take on a tailored look. On top, a tailored single-breasted wool blazer with red and white tipping is worn over a striped oxford shirt. The bottom is a more casual tapered jean and classic suede buck shoe fit. 

Ralph Lauren works closely with Team USA and the goal, as always, is to “do something graphic and uniquely American,” chief brand and innovation officer David Lauren said. 

To account for the heat, the company constantly looks at different fabrics and layering systems to keep the athlete’s body temperature in check, Lauren said. All items in both the opening and closing ceremony outfits are manufactured in the United States. 

Coco Gauff opens up on being U.S. flag bearer, making Olympic debut

Coco Gauff is making her Olympic debut in Paris and she is one of two U.S. flag bearers . “(Competing) in the  Olympics  has always been up there with winning a Grand Slam, like top goals,” Gauff told USA TODAY Sports this summer.  Read our full feature on Gauff .

On the opening ceremony red carpet, Serena Williams was asked about Gauff being the flag bearer. "Isn't that great. I'm so excited to see her tonight. I'm just so happy for her," the tennis legend said.

USA flag bearers 2024

Basketball superstar LeBron James and tennis star Coco Gauff are the flag bearers for the Americans. Gauff is the first tennis player to serve in the role.

Why is Snoop Dogg at Olympics?

With his mind on the Olympics and the Olympics on his mind, Snoop Dogg is, indeed, back for the 2024 Paris Olympics . The rapper, who will carry the torch ahead of the opening ceremony , is primed for a bigger role three years after his reactions to the dressage competition with Kevin Hart went viral at the Tokyo Games.

Snoop will appear regularly on “Primetime in Paris,” serving as a “ special correspondent ” for NBC. During parts of the primetime show, Snoop Dogg will interact with Team USA athletes, their families, or explore Paris and share his experiences and insights with the night's audience. He's also carrying the Olympic torch .

Paris Olympics closing ceremony date

The 2024 Summer Games will hold the closing ceremony on Aug. 11

How many times has Paris hosted the Olympics?

Paris has hosted the Summer Olympics three times: 1900, 1924 and 2024.

Are any U.S. athletes skipping the opening ceremony?

About 350 of Team USA’s 592 athletes will march – or rather, float – in today's opening ceremony, according to Nicole Deal, who oversees the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s security operations.

That means about 40% of the U.S. delegation will be absent, though that is not exactly unusual.

Many athletes and teams – especially those competing early in the Games – choose to pass on the opening ceremony because it often runs late into the night and requires them to spend several hours on their feet. U.S. gymnasts and swimmers, for example, regularly skip the ceremony to rest up for their competitions – which, in some cases, begin the next morning.

U.S. swimming star Katie Ledecky said earlier this week that she never planned on going to the Paris opening ceremony for this very reason. She swims the 400-meter freestyle Saturday morning. — Tom Schad

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

Alumna travel influencer shares her story — and top travel tips

By Gisela Valencia

July 22, 2024 at 2:31pm

Alumna Jen Ruiz ’09 is a travel guru.

She is also an author, entrepreneur and three-time TEDx speaker who has been featured by The Washington Post, Huffington Post, ABC News, Forbes, Insider and more. She has traveled across the globe to places ranging from Greece and Argentina to Thailand, Iceland and Jordan. Along the way, she blogs about her adventures and shares tips for affordable traveling.

She is an author of six books covering topics such as ways to solo travel safely and how to transform a blog into a business. Most recently, she wrote her memoir, “12 Trips in 12 Months,” which was published by Blackstone Publishing, the same publisher that earlier this year released books by Whoopi Goldberg and Robert Downey Jr. Ruiz and her new book have been featured in news stories, podcasts and even on a billboard in Times Square.

How did Ruiz become so successful?

It started with a deeply personal travel challenge she set for herself in 2017: to take 12 trips in 12 months. She was only one year away from turning 30, she was single — and wishing she could find a good man, get married, travel with her hubby and live her life. After a failed relationship that year, she decided to fully enjoy life as a single woman.

“I didn’t want to be anxious about waiting for romance,” Ruiz said. “I was looking to celebrate my life. There are pros and cons to every life stage. We spend so much time wishing our life away. I asked myself, “What is the pro of my life stage’?”

She realized she had time to travel so she embarked on a journey to experience the world. It proved lifechanging. She not only smashed her travel goal (she ended up taking 20 trips) but also found a new career as a blogger and writer.

Ruiz quit her job as a lawyer and dedicated herself full-time to her blog and business. Today, she regularly works with brands who hire her to travel across the globe to share her experience with her followers. She’s got a long list of partners, such as Viking River Cruises (she'll be taking a cruise for the company through Eastern Europe later this year).

Earlier this month, Ruiz came back to FIU for a special event hosted at the Barnes and Noble at MMC’s Graham Center. She and fellow travel blogger Kristi Evans led a conversation about Ruiz’s memoir. Ruiz was greeted by avid bloggers and would-be-travelers as well as an ardent base of sorority sisters and friends from her alma mater.

“I loved my time at FIU,” said Ruiz, who majored in political science, under the Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs. “I was involved in Greek Life, Model UN, and I was the representative at large for the Student Government Association.”

She says that her student activities were the best preparation for her current job, whether it be creating marketing plans for her books or landing solid partnerships. “All those extracurriculars, it’s basically what I do for a living now. It reminds me of running for student government.” 

She shared some of her insight as a travel expert and blogger with Panthers.

Traveling tips

• Find cheap flights . Budget airline tickets and look for deals. Sign up for flight alert programs that notify you when affordable flights become available. You can also use travel points and miles from credit cards and other purchases to reduce your total flight bill.
• Always bring an airplane bag . “Bring wipes, so you can clean seats, windows and any other area you will be touching,” she says. Also bring headphones, a backup charger and an anchor battery. Ruiz also takes slippers on flights over six hours long. She also wears tights (“you don’t want any of your clothes touching stuff in the bathroom”) and a hoodie to keep her warm when it’s cold.
• If you’re traveling by yourself and concerned about safety, make sure you book walking tours and food tours. “You have a built-in group of people that way,” she says. “The guide is designated to make sure you make it back to your hotel okay.”
• Don’t use public wi-fi. You could get hacked. Seriously. Ruiz recommends using an eSIM or SIM card with your phone to connect to wi-fi instead.
• Make sure to bring your own medicine pack. It should include bruise ointments, a burn kit, allergy medicine and pain relievers. You never know what’s going to happen!
• For students:   Take advantage of study abroad trips and exchange programs . Check for affordable deals, too. “On studentuniverse.com,” Ruiz says, “students can save a couple hundred bucks just with a student ID.”

Travel Faves

• What is an awesome first trip? Try a European river cruise, Ruiz says. “I did a Viking River Cruise of Christmas markets on the Rhine. It was great.”
• Favorite food on a trip: Moussaka from Greece. Moussaka is an eggplant or potato-based dish often including ground meat and cheese.
• Favorite place to visit? “It’s hard to pick a favorite. It depends on what experience you have in mind,” she says. Of the trips recorded in the memoir, her favorite was the south of France. “I got to see the lavender in full bloom,” she recalls. “I felt at ease and so peaceful there. I was also able to go find the real-life places Van Gogh painted. For adventure, Jordan can’t be topped. It’s the best. You’ve got the Wadi Rum desert, Petra, so many great things.”

Three tips to become an influencer

• Decide what your expertise is . “That’s what will make you influential,” Ruiz says. “You have to pick a topic that you know more about than other people. You need to have a core skill set."
• If you’re interested in travel blogging, start with your own city . “You already have that expertise,” Ruiz says. “Even if you can’t travel, you can share hidden gems in your own town. That’s what’s going to help you stand out. You can even go deeper and find your niche. Be a blogger on Miami travel food or Miami travel art or Miami travel history.”
• Think of it like a business . “When you share your knowledge or entertainment across platforms, you are providing your skillset to others. You want to be recognized outside of individual platforms.”
• Have endurance . “Most bloggers quit within two years of starting,” Ruiz says. If you want to be a blogger, she says, you need to stick with it. “Eventually, it will take off.”

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Ukraine tells China it is open to talks if Moscow acts in good faith

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BEIJING/KYIV (Reuters) -Ukraine's top diplomat said on Wednesday, after a day of "very deep and concentrated" talks in China, that Kyiv was prepared for talks on the conflict with Russia provided Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity were fully respected.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, in a video address issued in the evening by his ministry, restated that Ukraine insisted that no agreement could be reached without its participation. He also said he saw no readiness from Russia to negotiate in good faith.

Kuleba is the highest ranking Ukrainian official to travel to China since Russia's February 2022 invasion. He held talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi for more than three hours, a Ukrainian source in the delegation said.

"I emphasised two principles that must be steadfastly upheld. First, no agreements about Ukraine without Ukraine," he said in his address.

"Second...full respect for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. If these two principles are adhered to, we can engage in any discussions and seek any solutions."

Kuleba's ministry, in earlier comments, quoted him as saying that Ukraine was ready to engage "when Russia is ready to negotiate in good faith" but he emphasised "that no such readiness is currently observed on the Russian side".

Russian troops have been inching forward in eastern Ukraine in the 29-month-old invasion ahead of a U.S. election in November that could see the return to the White House of Donald Trump, who has threatened to cut vital aid flows to Ukraine.

China, the world's second largest economy, positions itself as neutral on the war, but declared a "no limits" partnership with Russia days before the 2022 invasion and has hosted President Vladimir Putin for talks, most recently in May.

China has also provided diplomatic backing to Russia and helped keep Russia's wartime economy afloat.

At the conclusion of the Guangzhou talks, a Ukrainian source in the delegation told Reuters that the meeting had lasted "longer than planned. This was a very deep and concrete conversation."

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson told a regular press conference in Beijing that both ministers had talked up the need to take a long-term view on building bilateral ties and that China would "continue to expand its food imports from Ukraine".

Mao Ning added that China was concerned by the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

She also said that both the Russian and Ukrainian sides had "to varying degrees signalled their willingness to negotiate".

"Although the conditions are not yet ripe, we support all efforts conducive to peace and are willing to continue to play a constructive role in bringing about a ceasefire and the resumption of peace talks," she added.

LASTING SOLUTIONS

Kuleba, in his video address, agreed that the two sides had said the conflict required "a just and lasting peace...In other words there is no need to strive for temporary solutions."

The Kremlin told reporters that Kuleba's remark on a willingness to hold talks appeared to tally with Russia's position, but more details were needed.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in June that Moscow would end the war if Kyiv retreated from and handed over the rest of four partially-occupied Ukrainian provinces, and dropped its NATO ambitions, ideas rejected in Kyiv as an absurd ultimatum.

Kyiv plans a second summit later this year to advance its vision for peace after an initial gathering in Switzerland in June drew dozens of delegations, but not from Russia or China.

Ukraine says it would like its second summit to be hosted by a "Global South" country and that Russia should attend.

With the possible prospect of a Trump presidency looming, there has been a flurry of diplomacy in recent months. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Kyiv, Moscow, Beijing and Washington this month on what he described as a "peace mission".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy dismissed Orban's efforts, saying that only actors like the United States, China or the European Union were in a position to mediate.

China and Brazil published a joint six-point peace proposal in May, saying they supported the holding of an international peace conference that both sides in the war would recognise.

(Reporting by Tom Balmforth in London, Olena Harmash in Kyiv, Joe Cash in Beijing, Yuliia Dysa in Gdansk; Editing by Andrew Heavens, Peter Graff, William Maclean, Alex Richardson, Ron Popeski and Diane Craft)

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