If the journey is supposed to be the reward, someone forgot to tell the bus drivers in Bolivia.

Latin America routinely ranks highly among indie travelers for being budget friendly and, for the most part, for having a decent tourist infrastructure. It’s also handy that much of the region speaks some form of Spanish – learn the basics of one language and you can get by for a good long while. Getting around Latin America, however, is far from a uniform experience.

This week on BootsnAll we’re talking about Latin America, but not just the transportation. We’re kicking things off with an admonition to take your kids to Mexico despite what you’ve read in the news. Later in the week, you’ll read about some of the adrenaline-pumping activities you can enjoy in Chile, get tips for visiting the famous Salt Flats of Bolivia, and learn about planning an extended trip in South America.

But we’d like you to talk to us about getting there.

Week 14 of the Indie Travel Challenge 2012 is all about transportation in Latin America.

Transportation in Latin America runs the gamut from the plush buses in Argentina to the chicken buses of Central America to Bolivia’s notorious “most dangerous road in the world.” No doubt many a traveler has returned from a trip through Latin America only to look back and wonder how they survived the journey.

For week 14 of the Indie Travel Challenge, we want to hear your best Latin America transportation stories – and you get to decide what “best” means. Whether you were served champagne on an overnight bus ride or feared for your life as you biked along a dodgy trail on a steep cliff, we want to hear about it! Pictures are, of course, encouraged.

And if you haven’t yet traveled in Latin America, tell us about the first thing that comes to mind when you hear “world’s most dangerous road.” Does that make you want to buy a plane ticket to Bolivia right now, packing extra Dramamine just in case – or did you swear aloud after seeing the photo of said road at the top of this post, vowing to never find yourself on it? What’s your general inclination toward things with names like “most dangerous” – does it draw you in, or make you run screaming from the room?

The Indie Travel Challenge is a year-long blogging project. Every Monday, we’ll post a new prompt, question, or challenge that bloggers can respond to via text, photos, or video. Respond on your own blog, and link back to BootsnAll so we can find and highlight the best submissions. 

Check out the Indie Travel Challenge landing page for all information related to the event. You can see the week’s daily prompt, follow the hashtag on Twitter, share your posts, and check out submissions from around the world.

Read more about Latin America:

• A Step-By-Step Guide to Riding the Chicken Buses of Guatemala
• Seven Spectacular Bus Routes Through South America
• South of the Border: 3 Mexican Road Trips for the Intrepid Traveler
• Exploring Peru’s Sacred Valley of the Incas by Car
• Caribbean Without the Cost: 5 Great Beach Spots in Latin America
• Traditional Markets in Latin America: A Guide for First Time Shoppers
• Seven of the Best Eco-friendly Experiences in South America
• Seven Experiences Not to Miss in Bolivia
• Wine Tasting in South America: Where to Go and What to Try

photo by fabulousfabs

If you’ve been following BootsnAll for any length of time, you’d know that we work and live our lives by four core values:

• Embrace Change
• Make Meaningful Connections
• Love Learning
• Work and Play with Passion

These four core values align perfectly with the career break movement started by Sherry, Michaela, and Michael over at Meet, Plan, Go!. How better to embrace change than to make your dreams come true by doing the unconventional and taking a career break trip? If you want to make meaningful connections, MPG has organized monthly meet-ups around the country, culminating in an annual event where you can meet other like-minded people. If you love learning, then there’s plenty of knowledge to be gained by taking a career break and changing the course of your life. And if you work and play with passion, then what better way to do so than by working your ass off to be able to take an extended break to go play around the world?
 

 
If you are reading this and nodding your head along, then you are probably the kind of person who wants to take a career break to re-motivate yourself. Meet, Plan, Go is currently celebrating their third anniversary, and during the past three years they have motivated and helped countless Americans get over that mental hurdle needed to do something that isn’t yet ingrained in our society’s thought process.

If taking a career break is something you dream about but don’t think is something you can do, then let the folks at Meet, Plan, Go! help. They have a career break basic training which gives you all the tools necessary to help you take your own career break. And to celebrate their three-year anniversary, they are offering 33% off their career break basic training class through the end of March. In addition to the discount, they are also offering $175 in discounts and coupons to AirTreks and Intrepid Travel to save yourself some money once you do get on the road.

If you are sitting in your gray cubicle wondering if this is all there is to life, then it might be time for a break, no matter where you are in your career. Getting over those mental hurdles is tough to overcome, so take advantage of the expertise available to you. These people are just like you and me – normal people with normal jobs and normal lives who simply decided that enough was enough. If you want to take back control of your life, this is the first step to doing so.

Europe has long been a magnet for backpackers and others on extended trips. Nowadays, “the continent” has a well-deserved reputation for being an expensive place to visit – but hearken back, if you will, to the days when our forefathers and mothers hopped from one European hostel to the next with the help of a Eurail Pass and a few months of free time before high school and college. Or, we can go even further back, when “The Grand Tour” was synonymous with Europe’s great cities.

Today’s budget travelers have to be a bit more creative if they want to still visit Europe but not spend several times what previous generations might have spent. In short, we’ve got to head east – which is what we’re about to do this week at BootsnAll, learning more about Eastern Europe.

One of the articles coming up this week on BootsnAll is about places in Poland you’ve probably never heard of. Another will offer tips on planning an extended trip through Central Europe. And we’re kicking the week off with an article all about why you should go to Belarus, regardless of what you think you know about it.

Week 13 of the Indie Travel Challenge 2012 is all about Eastern Europe.

For most of us, Western Europe is what comes to mind when we hear “Europe” on its own – and most of us have some inkling of what to expect in Western Europe. We’ve taken the history classes, read the books, or just listened really well when smart people were talking. But Eastern Europe? For many, it’s a mystery – until you actually go there.

Have you traveled in Eastern Europe? What did you know about the region before visiting? If you haven’t been to Eastern Europe, what country or city appeals to you most as a place to visit? Or, more generally speaking, how much does knowing about the history of a place inspire your future travels?

The Indie Travel Challenge is a year-long blogging project. Every Monday, we’ll post a new prompt, question, or challenge that bloggers can respond to via text, photos, or video. Respond on your own blog, and link back to BootsnAll so we can find and highlight the best submissions. 

Check out the Indie Travel Challenge landing page for all information related to the event. You can see the week’s daily prompt, follow the hashtag on Twitter, share your posts, and check out submissions from around the world.

Read more about Eastern Europe:

• Beyond Prague: Off the Beaten Path Experiences in the Czech Republic
• 6 Reasons to Visit Romania
• Why You Should Go to Post-Communist Eastern Europe Now
• Experience the Best of Eastern Europe in Budapest
• 8 Reasons to Move Albania to the Top of Your Travel List

photo by Andrea

During a couple recent international flights, I finally got some solid reading time in – which meant I had time to dig into two ebooks released by a pair of long-term travelers we at BootsnAll happen to adore, Betsy and Warren Talbot.

Travelers know the Talbots as Married with Luggage, but since setting off on their RTW trip more than a year ago, they’ve become evangelists for something bigger than just travel. Their focus is now on what they call “Living the Good Life,” and while their own personal “good life” is about traveling the globe, they’re cheerleaders ready to help you achieve whatever the “good life” means for you.

Dream Save Do

The first ebook I read, “Dream Save Do,” is partly a step-by-step guide to moving from being unhappy in your current situation to not just determining what your “good life” looks like but actually helping you figure out ways to save the money you need to make it a reality. The other side of “Dream Save Do” is the more personal one, in which the Talbots share their own story – and, more importantly, their own struggles – as they explain each step. These real-world examples of foibles (and how to fix them) are powerful reminders that even though no one is perfect, we can all still get where we want to be. It’s a matter of not giving up.

The Talbots recommend reading “Dream Save Do” twice – once straight-through to get an idea of the whole process, and a second time to actually put each chapter’s to-do list into action (as they say in the book, “action is a more powerful path to success than research”). The tasks outlined in each chapter aren’t always easy – in fact, some are really tough – but along with the tasks are helpful tips and loads of supportive guidance. Here again, learning about the Talbots’ personal stories behind each of the steps goes a long way toward making it seem like you’re not embarking on an impossible mission by yourself.

Getting Rid of It

The second ebook, “Getting Rid of It,” zeroes in on one aspect of “Dream Save Do” – clearing out the clutter. Now, anyone who’s planning a long-term trip knows that this is a very literal process – you’ve got a house full of stuff, and you need to get rid of it before you can leave on your trip. But again, the Talbots aren’t just speaking to travelers, so “Getting Rid of It” isn’t just geared toward people who are selling everything they own (even though that’s what the Talbots did) – it’s geared toward anyone with a closet that’s too full, a garage they can’t actually park in, or a bathroom cabinet jammed with out-of-date medication. In short, this book is perfect for most of the people who live in the United States (myself included).

The tips listed in “Getting Rid of It” aren’t necessarily ground-breaking, although the Talbots definitely get points for creativity in some cases (the “Reverse Birthday Party” concept comes to mind) and many people could learn from their ability to maintain focus on a goal and stick to what can be a difficult road.

Passion You Can Almost Taste

Of the two ebooks, I think “Dream Save Do” is the stronger work. Not every reader will have the benefit of knowing Betsy and Warren personally, but I promise you that the passion and enthusiasm they have in real life for pursuing the “good life” practically jumps off the page. It’s incredibly easy to imagine that you’re getting advice from a friend when you read these books, because the Talbots really do care about you.

They don’t know you, and they still care about you – and anyone who knows Betsy and Warren will back me up on this.

Although these books have greater application outside the travel world, they are incredibly useful for travelers – whether you’re planning a long-term trip or just want to travel more than you currently do. You can find both books in the Amazon Kindle Store (links below).

• Dream Save Do – on the Amazon Kindle Store for $9.99
• Getting Rid of It – on the Amazon Kindle Store for $4.99

>> Ladies, Betsy has also just written a brand-new ebook which I have but haven’t had time to read – and this time it’s just for the girls. It’s called “Strip Off Your Fear: Slip Into Something More Confident,” and it’s on the Amazon Kindle Store for $9.99.

Most of us can appreciate the wonder of walking around in a new city, of sampling new flavors in restaurants, and browsing through new shops. But, as the saying goes, it’s not all about the destination – sometimes it’s about the journey.

Now, modern travel has its perks – speeding through time zones on a trans-Atlantic flight should make anyone feel awe-struck – but let’s face it, there’s nothing romantic or wistful about airports or airlines these days. Long lines, security checks, shoe removal, liquids in tiny containers, seats that hardly recline, extra fees for bad airline food… Combined, all this does a fine job of removing the fun from travel until you actually get where you’re going.

Rail travel, on the other hand, retains much of its romantic appeal – which is why we’re focusing on it this week on BootsnAll. You’ll read about ways to make the most of long train journeys, and you’ll learn about some places in Eastern Europe where you can get off the beatean path while still sticking to the train lines.

Week 12 of the Indie Travel Challenge 2012 is all about train travel.

We’ve all heard rail travel described as “romantic,” and that has nothing to do with getting busy with the hot girl from the next bunk on an overnight ride across France. (Well, usually it doesn’t, anyway.) Most travelers can tell great stories about train trips, will choose the train over other methods of transportation, and preach the benefits of riding the rails.

What we want to know this week – the question we want you to answer in your Indie Travel Challenge blog post for Week 12 – is why? What is it about train travel that captivates the imagination of travelers in every corner of the world? What about it makes the word “romantic” so apt? Do you have a rail experience that perfectly captures why we love trains so much? Or are you one of the people who actually avoids trains whenever possible?

Don’t forget to add your blog posts to the main Indie Travel Challenge page – and be sure to include a picture when you do (we love pictures!). Also, the voting is still going on in the Indie Travel Take Down (our March Madness-style travel tournament), so pick your favorites in each regional bracket!

• THE AMERICAS: What’s the best country in North, Central, & South America for independent travel?
• EUROPE: What’s the best country in Europe for independent travel?
• ASIA & OCEANIA: What’s the best country in Asia & Oceania for independent travel?
• AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST: What’s the best country in Africa & Middle East for independent travel?

The Indie Travel Challenge is a year-long blogging project. Every Monday, we’ll post a new prompt, question, or challenge that bloggers can respond to via text, photos, or video. Respond on your own blog, and link back to BootsnAll so we can find and highlight the best submissions. 

Check out the Indie Travel Challenge landing page for all information related to the event. You can see the week’s daily prompt, follow the hashtag on Twitter, share your posts, and check out submissions from around the world.

photo by Valerie Everett

Hey, sports fans! Not a day goes by where, somewhere in this world, there’s not some kind of sporting event going on. We have no actual confirmation of this, but we’re pretty sure it’s true. With a few sports nuts around the BootsnAll office, it was probably inevitable that we finally moved past the March Madness office pool and instead created our own tournament all about travel.

Introducing – Travel Bracketology.

Through the rest of March, we’re going to be tallying your votes to determine which country you think deserves the title of “best country for independent travel.” To begin, we’re asking you to go to our Facebook page and nominate or vote for countries in order to come up with an initial list of 64 – 16 countries from each of four regions of the world. From there, we’ll use our new Indie-o-Meter to judge each head-to-head country match-up.

The four regional polls:

• THE AMERICAS: What’s the best country in North, Central, & South America for independent travel?
• EUROPE: What’s the best country in Europe for independent travel?
• ASIA & OCEANIA: What’s the best country in Asia & Oceania for independent travel?
• AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST: What’s the best country in Africa & Middle East for independent travel?

Week 11 of the Indie Travel Challenge 2012 is all about Travel Bracketology, the Indie Travel Take Down.

We need your help to get the first 64 countries into their respective places. We’ve got four polls up on Facebook and are soliciting nominations and votes for whatever country in each region you think is absolutely the best for indie travel.

And like any good nomination-and-voting system, lobbying works – and is encouraged.

Your mission this week is to blog about the country you think is best for independent travel. You can choose to write only about the one country you think should win the whole Indie Travel Take Down tournament, or you can pick four nominees – one per region – that you think should be the number one seeds going into the tournament. You’ll want to cast your vote in the respective Facebook polls for your country (or countries) of choice, and – if you want your pick to win – you’ll want to encourage your friends to do the same.

Voting in the Facebook polls is open now, and voting for this round ends on Tuesday March 13 at noon Pacific Time. Then the real fun begins, when we pit countries against one another in the indie travel battle.

So, let us know – what country do you think is the best for independent travel, and why? Or what four countries (one per region) would you choose as the top picks going into the tournament? Make your case for your country/countries of choice!

And don’t forget to cast your vote on Facebook before March 13! Check out the updated bracket every day until the end of the tournament on April 3 to find out who’s beating who, and to cast your vote for your favorites.

• THE AMERICAS: What’s the best country in North, Central, & South America for independent travel?
• EUROPE: What’s the best country in Europe for independent travel?
• ASIA & OCEANIA: What’s the best country in Asia & Oceania for independent travel?
• AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST: What’s the best country in Africa & Middle East for independent travel?

The Indie Travel Challenge is a year-long blogging project. Every Monday, we’ll post a new prompt, question, or challenge that bloggers can respond to via text, photos, or video. Respond on your own blog, and link back to BootsnAll so we can find and highlight the best submissions. 

Check out the Indie Travel Challenge landing page for all information related to the event. You can see the week’s daily prompt, follow the hashtag on Twitter, share your posts, and check out submissions from around the world.

Travelers have been drawn to Europe for ages, and it remains one of the top destinations for people planning short vacations or more long-term backpacking trips. There’s so much variety, so much to see and do (and eat!), and it’s all concentrated into such a small part of the planet, that it seems tailor-made for the wanderer in all of us. Throw a few things in a backpack, grab a Eurail Pass, and go – just like people have been doing for decades, right?

Oh, if only it were still that simple.

This week on BootsnAll, we’ll look at spectacular locations in Romania worth discovering up close, explore some must-have Ireland experiences, discover European cities that still feel “untouched,” and learn about some of the best festivals and events in Europe. And be sure to check back Wednesday for the launch of our research report on RTW ticket buying!

Week 10 of the Indie Travel Challenge 2012 is all about planning a Europe trip.

While Europe’s infrastructure is typically a boon for travelers, much of the region has become more challenging for indie travelers these days. The euro currency makes everything way more expensive than it once was, and Europe’s popularity means it can be difficult to get away from big crowds.

There are ways to visit Europe on a budget, of course, and there are good reasons to keep major sights on your must-see list (even if they’re crowded).

What have you done in your own visits to Europe to make it more budget-friendly or to get away from the crowds? If you were going to spend several weeks – or several months – in Europe, where would you go (and why)?

The Indie Travel Challenge is a year-long blogging project. Every Monday, we’ll post a new prompt, question, or challenge that bloggers can respond to via text, photos, or video. Respond on your own blog, and link back to BootsnAll so we can find and highlight the best submissions. 

Check out the Indie Travel Challenge landing page for all information related to the event. You can see the week’s daily prompt, follow the hashtag on Twitter, share your posts, and check out submissions from around the world.

Read more about Europe:

• How to Travel Like a Local in Bavaria
• Unknown Greece: Nine Places to Avoid the Crowds
• Eight Reasons to Move Albania to the Top of Your Travel List
• Nine Quirky Accommodation Options Around Europe
• 12 Budget European Destinations to Add to Your RTW
• The First Timer’s Guide to Train Travel in Europe

photo by JPC24

Who among us can resist the allure of Italy?

Whether you’ve been there before or it’s still on your must-see list, Italy still calls to travelers, just as it has for millennia. Considering the number of world-famous attractions and destinations contained within its borders, Italy has certainly earned its spot near the top of the most-visited countries list. The small size of the country itself only serves to make it more appealing – all those awesome things to see, do, and eat in such a small package!

This week on Bootsnall, Italy will be featured in a few of our articles – including eating your way through Italy, hints about going wine tasting in Italy on a budget and how to visit Italy and the rest of Europe on a RTW trip without breaking the bank.

Week 9 of the Indie Travel Challenge 2012 is all about la bella Italia.

There’s plenty for travelers to love in Italy, but it can definitely be more challenging to get off the proverbial beaten path – it’s popular, remember, so you’re not going to be the only person visiting. This doesn’t mean it’s not possible to have an indie travel experience in Italy – far from it – it just means you might have to work a little harder to do so. And that’s exactly the kind of extra effort that can sometimes lead to the greatest travel rewards.

What’s the best indie travel experience you’ve had in Italy? Or, if you’ve never been, what’s the place you’d like to go in Italy more than any other (and why)? More generally, what do you do when you visit popular places in order to have an indie travel experience?

The Indie Travel Challenge is a year-long blogging project. Every Monday, we’ll post a new prompt, question, or challenge that bloggers can respond to via text, photos, or video. Respond on your own blog, and link back to BootsnAll so we can find and highlight the best submissions. 

Check out the Indie Travel Challenge landing page for all information related to the event. You can see the week’s daily prompt, follow the hashtag on Twitter, share your posts, and check out submissions from around the world.

Read more about Italy:

• Italy Trip Planning: 24 Resources You’ll Want
• Ten Lesser-Known Places to Visit in Italy
• Eat Your Way Around Rome
• Hiking Italy’s Green Heart: 5 Great Trails in Umbria
• 8 Small and Beautiful Italian Islands You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
• 8 Reasons to Explore Sardinia’s Secrets
• Italian Islands: Choose The Best One For You

photo by violinconcertono3

Traveling on a budget and getting the most bang for your travel expenditures are extremely common themes here at BootsnAll. It’s not that we’re cheapskates, we just know that the kinds of indie travel experiences we love most often come when you’re traveling “close to the ground” – which means not insulating yourself from local culture in a 5-star hotel. Being conscious of your travel budget can mean making sure your money is going into the local economy whenever possible, rather than to big chains. Spending less usually means being able to travel longer, too, which is definitely something we support.

Okay, and sometimes we’re just cheapskates.

This week on Bootsnall, we’re talking about different aspects of budget travel – including different ways you can use Couchsurfing as more than just a free place to stay, and how you can travel around the world for as little as $14 per day! We’ll even explore the idea that budget travel isn’t always the best kind of travel.

Week 8 of the Indie Travel Challenge 2012 is all about budget travel.

This should be a topic that everyone can talk about from some angle – because no matter what kind of trip you take or where you go, there’s a budget involved. Either you struggle with saving money for travel, or you’ve mastered the art of budgeting and have tips to share. Either you let your bank account determine where you go and therefore have great suggestions for budget-friendly destinations, or you decide where you really want to go and then figure out the best ways to save money while there (even if it’s normally a costly spot to visit).

Rather than just making this a simple topic for a blog post, then, this week we’re issuing a challenge:

Find one major expense to cut from your daily life. How much can you save for travel by cutting it? How many other expenses (large or small) could you reduce in order to put that money toward travel?

Share what changes you’re going to make, and we may use your ideas (with a link back to your blog) in an upcoming feature article on BootsnAll!

The Indie Travel Challenge is a year-long blogging project. Every Monday, we’ll post a new prompt, question, or challenge that bloggers can respond to via text, photos, or video. Respond on your own blog, and link back to BootsnAll so we can find and highlight the best submissions. 

Check out the Indie Travel Challenge landing page for all information related to the event. You can see the week’s daily prompt, follow the hashtag on twitter, share your posts, and check out submissions from around the world.

Read more about budget travel:

• How to Travel Around the World for $40 Per Day
• 12 Reasons Why Southeast Asia is the Best Place in the World for Backpackers
• 8 Ways to Beat Long-Term Travel Burnout on a Budget
• Five of the World’s Most Expensive Countries and How to Visit Them on the Cheap
• 8 Ways to Travel for Free on Your RTW

photo by comedy_nose

When we think of islands, very often we think of the quintessential picture-perfect tropical island: white sand beach, swaying palm trees, and crystal-clear water gently lapping at the shore. But there are a staggering number of islands on this planet. They come in sizes large and small, busy and modern or nearly undiscovered, in varying climates and topographies.

This week on BootsnAll, we’re exploring some of the diversity of islands around the world, including the islands of Finland and the coastal towns and islands of Croatia.

Week 7 of the Indie Travel Challenge 2012 is all about island traveling, too.

In the past, we’ve featured plenty of island-related articles here on BootsnAll – there’s no shortage of island lovers out there, or (it seems) island topics to discuss. We’ve learned about islands that are slowly on their way to disappearing, American islands you’ve probably never heard of, hopping around the world island-style, how to pick which Italian island or Virgin island is right for your vacation, and we’ve even asked why the word “paradise” seems synonymous with beaches for so many people.

What do you think makes islands so appealing from an indie traveler’s standpoint? Do you have a favorite island to which you escape – physically or mentally – when you need a break from the real world? When you think of “island,” do you automatically think of “beaches,” or is there another kind of island that appeals to you?

And – you know we have to ask – what would be three things you would absolutely have to have with you if you were stuck on a deserted island?

We want to hear what you love about islands, what your favorite indie travel island destination is, which island you’re most longing to see, or why you think islands evoke such strong emotions in travelers.

The Indie Travel Challenge is a year-long blogging project. Every Monday, we’ll post a new prompt, question, or challenge that bloggers can respond to via text, photos, or video. Respond on your own blog, and link back to BootsnAll so we can find and highlight the best submissions. 

Remember, we now have a new landing page for all information related to the event. You can see the week’s daily prompt, follow the hashtag on twitter, share your posts, and check out submissions from around the world.

Read more about island travel:

• 10 Unspoiled Beaches For Your RTW Trip
• Five Enchanting Islands of the North Atlantic
• Mediterranean Islands: 6 Destinations Not to Miss
• Hawaii for Lovers: Six Ways to Share the Islands with Someone Special
• Six of the Most Remote Islands in the World

photo by Tom BKK