Roots & Routes - the really rough guide to world travel

23/10/2015

Having traveled to many countries around the world, I’ve noticed some of the most common mistakes travelers make, we have often made simiar mistakes ourselves, so were keen to share some of them:
http://tinyurl.com/okkbjkn

15/10/2015

Stuck for something to cook and eat while staying in a youth hostel and only having access to a microwave? check these recipes out: http://www.buzzfeed.com/arielknutson/delicious-snacks-in-a-mug #.svyKK8K3j

31/08/2015

Traveling is hard work but well worth it http://www.buzzfeed.com/stephaniemcneal/reality-check?bffbnews&utm_term=4ldqpho #.rfewwKwqB

Chanel Cartell and Stevo Dirnberger wrote in a blog post that social media hides the reality of their journey around the globe.

23/08/2015

Fascinating story of one woman's attempt to escape the exploitation of rent by travel - would you do it? https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/08/22/how-one-german-millennial-chose-to-live-on-trains-rather-than-pay-rent/?tid=sm_fb

22/08/2015

En route back home after a wonderful time in western Russia. On the way to the airport I realised there were at least 8 journeys left on my travel card so I passed it on to a young lad. He thought I was selling it at first, but in my very basic Russian I made it clear that he could have it for free. Making sure you pass on your unused travel passes when you leave a place might not save you money but it will help someone else out - and make them smile :)

20/08/2015

A little light relief from our usual thrifty travel tips: would you go youth hostelling with Chris Eubank? We definitely would!

Spawned during a breakdown recognised as iconic by British comedy fans, Alan Partridge’s TV idea of Youth Hostelling with Chris Eubank has finally been made ...

12/08/2015

One of the biggest annoyances on the road is seeing a huge bank note come out the ATM. You don't want to give it to a little local shop or bus and eat up all their change! Specifying an amount that forces the ATM to give smaller notes (e.g. asking for 490 no 500), using big notes at large chain stores, and setting aside some small change can all help... Just don't forget to spend it all, because it can be hard to change back to your own currency!

10/08/2015

As well as finding the best way to travel to places... Money can also be saved by researching into the cheapest way to travel around places too.

On the metro In Moscow, Russia, it's possible to pay for a single journey or pay for several at a time which get added to a card - the more you buy the cheaper they become and the more you save!!

It's also worth sharing a card with a fellow traveler to enable you to purchase even more journeys at the same time.

07/08/2015

Travel agents make a lot of money out of booking transport on travellers' behalf, but with a bit of research and helpful online resources you can do it all yourself. We used this great blog post to successfully book Russian train tickets a good 30% cheaper than through an agent :D

04/08/2015

Make sure you do your research and learn the laws of where you visit... In Moscow we got into trouble and could have been fined for drinking in a public space (our youth hostel) - this would have cost us a lot of money!!

02/08/2015

Our first day in Moscow and we are making sure we return to our budget-saving habits... Researching supermarkets, finding free public toilets and talking to other travellers about the cheapest way to travel.

31/07/2015

Back on the road again... This time heading to Russia!!

First tip of the journey, avoid shuttle buses to and from the airport - there should always be a public bus too, may take longer but much cheaper!

15/07/2015

Save money on luggage when flying by only taking hand-luggage http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3161522/How-cram-80-holiday-essentials-hand-luggage.html

08/07/2015

More advice on how to travel on very little money:http://www.travelthewholeworld.org/2014/05/how-to-travel-without-any-money-at-all.html?m=1

One of the easiest ways to travel without money is right in front of you: the internet. You’re using it to see the world (hello everyone!). The tangible way is just too expensive, right? Well, if you’re secretly planning your grand escape into the world, then you should know that it’s possible to tr…

16/06/2015

When travelling on the cheap, sometimes sleeping at the airport is the best option. Check out this super-useful website to find out how best to do it...

Airport reviews and guides for sleeping in the airport overnight or while stuck in the airport during transit, weather or airline delays.

07/06/2015

Travelling for work reasons can be frustrating - you spend all your time in exciting new places sitting in an office when you really want to get out and explore. But if you've got a flexible job and friendly boss there is a silver lining! Just book some holiday time directly before or after the work trip, book your transport accordingly, and - hey presto - you've got yourself a cheap break with free transport (y)

12/04/2015

Great advice:http://rawsafari.com/blog/6-easy-ways-to-pack-your-bag-better/

Over the years, I’ve experimented with all kinds of different way to pack my bag. The key to getting everything in easily, and quickly, is to have a place for everything worked out, and have your stuff organised the right way. Here are 6 easy tips to help you get your backpack sorted.   1.…

11/03/2015

17/02/2015

Sometimes you find something interesting about a local culture or custom in the strangest places. Sport can be a great part of this - getting involved in a local Innebandy (six-a-side indoor hockey) club in Stockholm was an energetic but fun way to learn about Swedish attitudes towards all kinds of things - food, etiquette, family life... even pets!

10/02/2015

Some of our favourite times on the road have been when we've stopped and stayed in a community for a while. House-sitting is a great way to do just that, and it doesn't have to cost a penny. Anyone here done any house-sitting recently?

Read How to house-sit the world by Lonely Planet

12/01/2015

Reflecting on our travels to 23 countries by land, over 22 months, we cant help but wonder how Graham Hughes attempted to visit a staggering 201 countries by foot, bus, taxi, train, ship or canoe.

http://www.theodysseyexpedition.com

22/12/2014

Just discovered Trampolinn (https://trampolinn.com/), a site, similar to CouchSurfing, where you can house-swap across the world for free. It's a time-banking system, so the more hospitality you give, the more travel you get from other members of the community. Anyone done this before? Looks like fun!

Trampolinn is a free home exchange community. Host travelers to get points and use them to travel for free anywhere in the world

26/11/2014

Too true...

28/10/2014

Some hard-hitting thoughts about the value of "voluntourism". Travel is full of political and ethical dilemmas, and so is volunteering. What do people think?

Helping out at an African nursery or digging trenches in rural India might have become a fashionable – and expensive - rite of passage for thousands of young people each year, but volunteers would often do more good staying at home and assisting communities on their own doorstep, a conference on eth…

17/10/2014

Don't you just hate it when you search for flights, find a good deal, and then 20 minutes later they've magically become more expensive? This is because a lot of airlines 1) are evil and 2) track your search history. You can avoid this trick by either deleting your cookies before you buy the tickets, or searching on one internet connection (e.g. at home) and buying on another (e.g. work). Hey presto, the cheap tickets are yours! But - be careful when booking budget flights, as you can still get screwed over in other ways, as these ladies tunefully indicate...

DVD Available Now from - www.fascinatingaida.co.uk Certified (15) PAL - Region Free - (Will work world wide on PAL compatable DVD players) DVD extras include...

12/10/2014

Anyone done any hitchhiking recently? It's a great way to travel for free (or very cheap) and meet some cool new people too. And after years of decline, user-run sites like Hitchwiki are helping it re-emerge by providing space for people to share knowledge and experience in the ancient art of hitching a ride.

Hitchwiki is a collaborative website for gathering information about hitchhiking and other ways of extremely cheap ways of transport. It is maintained by many active hitchhikers all around the world. We have information about how to hitch out of big cities, how to cover long distances, maps and many…

03/10/2014

Think you're an intrepid traveller? Check out these amazing colour photographs by Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky, who documented life in the Russian Empire shortly before the 1917 revolution. Especially excited to see so many photos of Central Asia, where we spent several months travelling in 2012. Check out our blogs from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan here: http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rootsandroutes/1/1334843238/tpod.html

Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky became photographically renowned in Russia for a color portrait of Tolstoy. It was this fame that brought him to Tsar Nicholas II.

11/09/2014

We've been lucky enough to travel to some of these beautiful and remote places. Anyone else?

The Fairy Pools - Check out these stunning destinations before you book your next vacation! , , ,

02/09/2014

Journalists love to lump Couchsurfing (the free hospitality exchange site) in the same category as AirBnB (the site for renting out spare rooms). They claim they're both part of the same "sharing economy", but they couldn't be more different. Check out this blog explaining why free hospitality exchange projects like Couchsurfing will always be best :D

By Jessica Lipsky Did you know that Istanbul is the second largest city for tango dancing outside of Buenos Aires? Or that in the punk/anarchist…