A site completely dedicated to packing light. Not only does it save you the aggravation of trying to figure out what to pack and carrying it, but it could save you the hefty fees. Airlines are nickel and dimeing us to death. Don't give them another reason to take money out your pocket.



World Funniest Airport Names: Rudest, Weirdest and Strangest

There is a Batman Airport. Also Mafia Airport, Deception Airport and a Woodie Woodie Airport. How they got their names is not important right now. But the fact that they exist, funny!



7 Tips for Traveling Where You Don't Know the Local Language

One of the biggest fears is traveling and not knowing what is going on around you because you don't know the language. You can prepare yourself beforehand with some simple tricks. English works in many places, but not everywhere. That doesn't mean you should not go there.



How to Travel Europe on a Budget

The peak European summer season is upon us and folks are flocking to Europe. By the way, air fares prices have been rising the last few weeks, so plan your trips and get moving.



The Lowdown on Low International Airfares

Speaking of rising air fares, this article goes into ways to save if you're traveling internationally. The most interesting concept: Split your trip into two tickets. For instance, if you're going from London to Los Angeles, get a ticket from London to Atlanta and then Atlanta to Los Angeles. Try London to New York, London to Chicago, London to DC... you get the idea.

Some people go overseas and never come home ... by choice.

The grass IS greener on the other side sometimes and many people, known as ex-pats, settle down in a foreign country for any number of reasons.

One website, NuNomad, chronicles how and why one can live comfortably overseas. NuNomad co-founder Carmen talks about what a NuNomad is, how to become one and why you should seriously consider it.

See the link to NuNomad at the end of this post.



What is a NuNomad?

The way we define NuNomad is a person who is traveling the world while maintaining their income from a source back home. In other words, they have made their work independent of their location and have the ability to move freely where and when they want.



Are you a NuNomad? What is your story and how did you get to be where you are now?

Yes. I used to be a clinical psychologist when my great aunt turned me on to a guy who was teaching mental health professionals how to do coaching via telephone. I had two young children at the time and I quickly realized that with coaching I could get rid of my overhead, free myself from dealing with insurance companies and be mobile. My husband’s family has a house on the beach in Connecticut. Previously, whenever I wanted to visit the beach I had to keep my vacations to about a week because I could not afford the loss in income by being away from my office. It used to kill me that the house was sitting their, available to use, and I couldn’t use it. Once I got trained in coaching and began working by phone I shut down my private practice. That’s when it really started. We began doing road trips, going to Connecticut for 5 weeks instead of one, and then we started exploring other places. We’ve seen lots of the U.S., some of Europe and Central America. Tomorrow we’re taking off for a year long trip starting in Brazil! I keep coaching my clients wherever we go.



What are the some of the ways NuNomads earn a living abroad?

There are so many ways, you are really only limited by your imagination. I’ve done many interviews with nomads over the last few years and I’d invite you to read them in the Meet the Nomads category on my blog to get a sense of the possibilities . Here’s a partial list of some of the careers of nomads I’ve interviewed or met along the way:

Web designers

Branders

Trapeze artists

Balloon artists

Writers

Real Estate investors

Market investors

Bio fuel enthusiasts deriving income from sponsors

Insurance salesmen

Radiologists

Affiliate marketers

Coaches

Virtual assistants

So, you see, while technology brings opportunities to make money on the road, you can also form a career that is not related to the internet.

What are some of the preferred countries for US and UK citizens to become NuNomads? Why?

Many nomads seem to love Thailand. In fact, my partner in NuNomad Ventures, Ricardo, has lived several years in Thailand. Other favorites are Costa Rica, Turkey, Prague. Really what people look for in any destination is a cost of living lower than the U.S. and Europe, safety, good weather, places of interest and the ability to connect to the internet if that is vital to your work. Then after you choose a destination, it’s important to think through what type of accommodation you’ll need. NuNomads tend to stay for extended periods in a destination, often looking for houses or apartments when they find a place they like. To understand what makes a NuNomad friendly accommodation you might like to look at this post.



What is the biggest lesson(s) learned by you and other NuNomads?

It’s hard to name just one. One big lesson – especially for those new to the lifestyle – is that making that first leap is often the hardest part. People have a lot of fears about whether they’ll run out of money, whether they’ll keep their work, etc. Usually, once you’re into the swing of things you realize that you’re going to be ok and that your work is really no more precarious than it was back home. There were some interesting results on this subject in a recent survey done by Free Pursuits and Location Independent and I chose to write on the subject of nomads and their fears around money http://tinyurl.com/mu7lqw .

A big lesson I learned on my first international venture was that I needed to give myself more downtime around transitions. In other words, I scheduled client calls too soon after our arrival at our destination. I was very stressed trying to get my technology in order and trying to beat the jet lag when I was already working again. I’ve learned to give myself a little more vacation time around those transitions.

Also, I have had to learn to balance my life while on the road, making sure I have enough free time to enjoy the place I’m in instead of constantly worrying about maintaining my career. After all, what good is it to be sitting in front of the Taj Mahal if you’re staring at the laptop on your lap or discussing business on your mobile phone!

I travel with my 3 children and sometimes my husband. Once I traveled with friends and their children, bringing us to 3 moms and 8 kids. We were like a moving daycare! Needless to say, traveling with kids adds a whole other dimension to the demands in play. I have to really remember my priorities and try to maintain balance and sanity while making sure we choose places where there is something interesting for all.

For more information, check NuNomad @ http://www.nunomad.com

3 Reasons to Throw Away Your Guide Book

Loyal reader Rhona has been traveling Germany solo for the last three months and has been enjoying her experience. There are a lot of women who like to travel but only go when their friends or family go with them. That limits your opportunities if you need other people to go with. Now you are not only dependent on own your schedule and money, but someone else's.

Completely unacceptable!

Rhona explains how she started traveling solo and why you should too! Check out her blog about her Germany adventures at the end of this post.

What was your first first trip solo - where and how long?

My first international solo trip was to Barcelona, Spain over the Easter Weekend of April this year. I was supposed to meet some friends that weekend in Spain but at the last minute, they bailed. Since I had already paid for my trip, I went alone. I was upset at first to not be sharing the weekend with my friends but in the end I had a fantastic time!

One of NoDebtWorldTravel.com's loyal readers, TJ, took off on a trip to Europe in the last few weeks. Using some of the information he found here, he had a great time.

Here is his field report from London and Paris.



Where did you go and how did you decide to go there?

Me and a friend took a week and went to London and Paris. Our planned trip to Egypt was called off due to the kidnapping of several tourists there. We started kicking around ideas and decided on London and Paris. Neither of us had ever been to Europe and we figured those two cities would be a great place to start our European adventures.

Prior to this trip, the only time I left the country was to go to the Caribbean or Mexico. Oh I did journey to Kiribati once, but that’s another story.



How long was your trip?

8 days and 7 nights



Did you use hostels? What were your criteria for choosing the ones you stayed at?

We chose to stay in semi- budget hotels instead of hostels. Melody made it clear she had to have at least three star accommodations. We compromised. I chose a two star Holiday Inn Express in London, and a supposed three star regular Holiday Inn in Paris. We established a lodging budget and pretty much met it.



What are two MUST see sights that everyone reading this should visit?

The MUST see sights of the trip were the Eiffel Tower, a Seine River Cruise and standing in the middle of the Champs Elysee looking towards the Arc de Triomphe. A West End theatre experience and the free museums of London should not be missed.




Any funny, interesting people you met along the way? In the airport, on the streets, cab drivers, at the museums, etc?

We met an Australian backpacker named Kylie in Paris. She was traveling Europe for a year before going home to work and save money for her next sojourn. While backpacking she had managed to drop almost eighty pounds!! For her next trip she plans on backpacking all the way to Alaska.

We also met a crepe vendor on the street. He loved Obama and actually talked us to death about politics and anything else he could.

There was a hotel clerk who demanded we speak French. So I spoke English with a French accent to him.

I wanted to speak with a runner who “hit the wall” during the London marathon. He was in distress and I didn’t think it would be in proper taste to ask him what happened.



Anything people should be wary of, warned about, stay away from?

London appeared to be very clean and safe. We chose the tube or bus for all transportation. I felt safe the whole time.



The Wimbledon tour and museum were nice but should have been a lot better. It’s a private club, so gift shop prices are high and access to the club is very limited. Unless you are a tennis fan (I am) it can be skipped.

In Paris just beware. We again chose the subway for all our transportation needs. I never felt threatened. However, a cab driver wanted to charge us 80 Euro to go from Gare du Nord to Gare de L’est. It was less than a mile and only one stop on the subway for 1,60 Euro.

Beware of the Gypsy woman. If she asks do you speak English, just keep walking. If you say yes, she starts begging for money. If you say no, she starts begging for money.

Beware of the friendship bracelet. If someone offers to tie some string around your wrist because you are a friend……u really are a friend because they will demand money. Actually, this scam is interesting and I should have tried to speak with one of the purveyors.



Final words of advice?

If you have a desire to travel, plan your trip and just do it. The internet is marvelous for planning. Don’t let your excuses overtake you. It is true where there is a will, there is a way. The world doesn’t begin and end in the US. It begins and ends in NYC. LOL….just playing.

Every year for the past umpteen years I have wanted to go to Europe. For the record I am the de facto travel agent for my friends. They are always calling me to book trips and find fares for them. However, I never would plan the trip I wanted to take to Europe. I always found a reason not to go. The exchange rate is bad. I have no travel companion. I don’t speak the language. I wouldn’t know what to do. I am scared. My momma is scared for me. My daddy said I was forbidden to go. Yeah he said it, and I am very grown!!!

Finally, this was the year I was going to make it happen. When Africa got canceled, I knew I was still going to take a trip and Las Vegas and another Caribbean cruise was not on my agenda this time.

I don’t know what is in store for a major trip next year. Some friends have asked me to plan a group trip to Hawaii. Melody wants to go to Rio and Bahia. Our African connection is planning two journeys to the continent. All of those are good and I may do one or more of them. If they don’t work out, they just don’t. I have a bucket list of places to visit and I will just pick one or two and travel there. If a friend comes along, cool. If not, so be it. London and Paris stoked the fire of desire for travel. I have no intention on letting that flame extinguish.

Do 'I'm on vacation' posts pose security concerns?

From loyal reader Meredith
We are ultra connected with Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, email and blogs. Just be conscious of this when you announce on your Twitter page that you are out of town and won't be back for two weeks. It's the equivalent of the thief reading the obituaries waiting to see when the funeral is.



Man Not Allowed On Plane; Common Practice...It Could Happen To You

If you're booking a flight, you should make sure that you are the person on the credit card used, if at all possible. This is another security measure airlines are using, but it can be an inconvenience to the legitimate flier who's being booked by a relative.



Missed Your Flight? Your Airline May Help If You Know What To Ask For

People who know me well know I don't like to miss flights. I'd rather be 3 hours early and lounge in the terminal then rush to the airport at the last minute.

So if you are late, what do you do? What do YOU do? Apparently there is an obscure rule to rebook on the next flight at no charge. Some ticket agents don't know about it.



Budget Paris in the Springtime

Another big city bargain guide. This time it is Paris, one of my favorites.



The World's Best (and Worst!) Toilets

Why did I include this? Because it is one of the things that always freaks people out. You see a hole in the floor with a bucket and you suddenly can hold it in. Or you can't figure out how to flush. Or wonder why that water is coming out the toilet like a water fountain.



PeaceCorps Journals

PeaceCorps applications are up in the face of the global recession. Here are some blog entries and videos from currently volunteers. This is a great way to see a new part of the world and help others out. You know I like those win/win situations.



Those 'Gap Years' Aren't Just For Students

Why Losing Your Job Could Be a Ticket To A Whole New World

This speaks directly to the person who is a not a 21 year old coming out of school and shows the various options for someone who is a little more 'seasoned'.



Getting Around Eastern Europe - Tips To Save Money and Reduce the Hassle

Eastern Europe is coming on because of the low prices, architecture and history. Investigate and add it to your itinerary for your next trip.



From Abu Dhabi to Dubai and Back

One traveler's story about his trip between the two Emirates.



Cruising for the Committmentphobe

I have never been on a cruise. I will eventually and the cruise companies are targeting young folks like me who have never been. Shorter cruises with more activities geared toward a younger crowd. When you get on board make sure you have drinks and dinner with the Captain and hum the theme to the 'Love Boat' as you read this article.



Plane Legroom is Shrinking, so use SeatExpert to pick your seat

Airlines are hurting and to maximize the revenue per flight, they are packing in more seats. More seats means less room for each seat. SeatGuru and others help you pick the best seat. SeatGuru also seems to have leaped ahead of the other sites by automatically determining the plane used for your particular flight.



The World's 10 Messiest Food Festivals

Greasy wrestling, a roadkill cook-off, cheese rolling and eating cat. Yes ... cat. Just go ahead and click the link now.

Good news! The Statue of Liberty will officially reopen her crown for sightseers this coming July 4th. It has been closed since 9/11, and after years of wrangling about security and safety concerns the go ahead was given for it to reopen.

Tickets went on sale this past weekend, and it seems that July 4, 5 and 6 are already sold out.

I already told you about the CityPass. Combine that with the additional $3 ticket for Liberty's crown and you'll have a full day in Lower Manhattan.


Statue of Liberty Crown Tickets Available on June 13


Want to climb Liberty's crown? Make a reservation