Credit: cmogle

Students, now hear this! It’s a great time to be traveling the world on an AirTreks around the world ticket.

You might know that AirTreks uses a selection of partners to get special deals for our customers. Recently our student fare provider has come through with some seriously incredible student rates on a cool selection of popular routes.

If you’re a student and are looking to do an around the world trip this summer or fall (who isn’t?) and would love a discounted rate, read on.

Using some (or all!) of the following cities, you’ll be able to grab a much cheaper ticket than you thought possible.

These routes are on sale:

• Between Johannesburg and
  • Sydney, London, Hong Kong, Nairobi
• Between Sydney or Auckland and
  • Santiago, Buenos Aires
• Between Los Angeles and
  • Sydney, Auckland, Fiji
• Between London and
  • Bangkok, Auckland, Sao Paolo

A trip using these flights would look something like this (route can  be traveled in either direction):

Or how about this:

Add a few side trips locally and you have a pretty great way to spend a few months out on the road!

Note: New York can be modified with virtually any city in the US for very little price difference.

Even you don’t want to visit most of these cities, adding just one will bring down the price of a student ticket substantially. Definitely give our personal travel consultants a call, they should be able to fit that golden leg into a bigger trip.

Where are the prices?

That’s a great question, I’m glad you asked! Prices vary so dramatically depending on when and where you travel, it would be silly to try and list them all here, not to mention really really boring for you to try and piece through them all.

Our Personal Travel Consultants do all that for you. Prices are calculated using the specific route you choose, then returned to by email or phone. As sweet as you please.

How do you do it?

Just submit a trip via our TripPlanner tool using one of the above routes, or one of your own, making dutifully sure to tell your agent you’re a student by putting that in the notes field in your submission.

Teachers and travelers aged 25 and under are eligible too!

Your agent will calculate a rate using our special student fares and email you back a quote with those fares applied.

If you’re a student just submit a trip and someone will get back to you within a business day with a special student fare quote! (You’ll need to be able to provide a student ID card to get the rate.)

Simple. GOLDEN.

Even if you’ve recently graduated you can still take advantage of these discounts. Ask your travel consultant for more information.

And by the way, if you’re a recent grad and wondering how to do your post-bac travel, you may want to read this article all about trip planning for recent college graduates. It’ll give you a bunch of ideas.

We know as a student you may not have all the money in the world, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do that around the world or multi-stop trip you’re furiously trying to make work.

Book your ticket with AirTreks this summer make it happen, guys!

The post Student Travel Around the World Tickets Are Golden Right Now! appeared first on AirTreks Travel News.

Click for Google map of Kos

When it came time to pick a holiday spot last summer, the sunny island of Kos, Greece shot straight to the top of my list. I was looking for a place where my boyfriend and I could escape for a week or two and finally get a chance to relax.

Greece was a natural choice, and I narrowed my list down to Kos due to the fact that it is quieter than some of the other more publicized Greek islands, but still has plenty to offer in terms of beaches and outdoor activities.

We stayed at the Mitsis Blue Domes Resort and Spa, which was only 10km from the airport. The beautiful resort was located right on the beach, with easy access to Kardamena. Our room was well amazing and had luxury linens, marble floors, wireless Internet and everything else you’d expect from a 5* hotel.

One of the great things about the resort was its wide variety of in-house restaurants and dining options. There were 10 different places to choose from, specializing in Greek, Italian, Asian, Mexican and American cuisine. I especially enjoyed Ellinadiko, which served amazing and authentic Greek food. There was also a great American-style breakfast buffet that we visited each morning and a late night pancake and ice cream place which was perfect for a midnight snack.

View from the hotel lobby

With the resort as beautiful as it was and the beach just steps away, I’ll admit that we spent our first few days just lounging around in the sun. Once we had fully relaxed, we set out to explore our surroundings. Heading into Kos Town Harbor, we booked a 3 island boat tour for just 30€/person.

Amazingly clear sea

The tour ran from 10:00am – 6:00pm and included stops at the islands of Platti, Kalymnos, and Pserimos. Along the way we were able to swim in the Aegean Sea, explore the islands and sit down for a leisurely lunch. It was amazing stopping off on these tiny fishing islands that are homes to just a handful of people.

View of Kos Town from The Asklepieion

Another one of the highlights of our trip to Kos was discovering Kardamena. The small town was a 45-minute walk along the coast from the resort and turned out to be the hotspot on the island for nightlife.

During the day it’s a relatively quiet beach town where you can rent pedal boats or swim in the sea. However, things here turn lively when the sun goes down. There’s a street here called Bar Street, which was filled with nightclubs, bars and of course, a few karaoke places too. We spent quite a few nights here during our holiday and enjoyed well-priced cocktails, dancing and a bit of karaoke, too!

Kardemena By Day

As our trip wound down we decided to hire bicycles so that we could fully explore Kos. Bicycle hire was just 10€/day and we picked them up from Kos Town.

Our first stop was The Asklepieion, the island’s most famous archaeological site. Just a few kilometers from Kos Town, it dates back to the 3rd century BC and was built to honor the God of Health and Medicine. There were three separate terraces here, each with a different building meant for a different purpose.

From here we cycled along the coastline of Kos, admiring the view and stopping at different beaches throughout the day.

Kos is an amazing place to visit if you’re looking to relax and sightsee in the day, and then for something a little livelier at night. As an added bonus, Kos has its own airport with direct flights from the UK (and other various cities in Europe).

We visited slightly before the peak summer time in May and the island was quiet but still really fun. It meant we didn’t have to worry about competing with everyone to get a lounger and also that we always got a seat in the restaurants.

The staff said Kardemena really comes alive from mid-June onwards so if you really want a party, June to September is probably the best time to head there, but do expect the prices to be much higher then.

This guest post was written by Roxanne (@roxi_lovely) , an online marketer who loves all things digital and when she’s not busy working hard at Tug, she’s off traveling the world.

The post Holidaying in Kos, Greece appeared first on AirTreks Travel News.

Image credit: mason bryant

Ah, the 21st century. It doesn’t seem possible we made it through the stone ages of the nineties without the online conveniences we currently have. But we did, and now here’s a list of the best travel websites to use as tools to enhance your trip, as a modern international traveler.

Make your traveling life, and your nerves, a little easier and bookmark these essential travel websites:

To And From The Airport

The best site out there for, you guessed it, getting to and from airports. There’s a ton of info here like airport distances, prices, public transportation schedules, taxi fares, private transfers and telephone numbers for as many airports as you can possible think of (really!).

It lacks the design aesthetic of a slick travel startup, but it makes that up in sheer usefulness. If you fly, this site is invaluable.

Seat 61

Everything trains! From schedules to fares to cabin descriptions to photos, the Web’s best site for train info in countries around the world.

Luggage Limits

Never scour an airline website again looking for baggage allowances.  All the details you’ll ever need for flight specific baggage info. Just type your airline and airports, hit search and rejoice at the time and money you save.

Over 100 airlines in the mix.

Travel Etiquette

An essential guide to how best to mind your manners all over the world, for business and leisure travelers alike. From body language to conversation to dining – the faux pas is now a thing of the past.

One Bag

The definitive packing website. No packing list really comes close. Pack light, save your strength for more important things, like traveling.

Can I Drink the Water

A site that could save your health, your gut and your fortitude.  Search for every country you’re visiting on your trip and plan accordingly. They of course remind you, “It is always a good idea to have travel insurance on any trip – better safe than sorry!”

And then perhaps pick up a SteriPEN.

Trip Wolf

A super slick and modern destination guide with tons of great advice for the savvy traveler in each of us.

Google Search

You may not have realized the power of your very own Google search bar. It really is a great traveler’s tool. By typing what’s in the brackets below you can:

• Check Flight Status: [BA 51]
• Get weather forecasts for any city: [weather London]
• Do currency conversions: [100usd to eur]
• Do unit conversions: [50 km to m], [25C to F]
• Get local time anywhere: [Time Beijing]
• Get business addresses, directions, reviews, hours of operation etc: [Angelina Paris] [Uffizi Gallery Florence] [reclining buddha Bangkok]
• Translate: [translate hello to Thai]
• Get maps for any place or attraction [map Angkor Wat]
• Get sunrise/sunset times: [sunset Maui] [sunrise Taj Mahal]
• Search for images for any place on earth
• Street views for guided directions in pretty much every city on earth

Don’t forget the Google World Wonders Project! Let’s you tour virtually the Wonders of the World with Google Street View imagery.

Twitter

Legitimized by Google and the international press, you don’t even need followers to use it. There’s a LOT of super knowledgeable travel tweeters ready to shine light on virtually anything, anywhere. And they love to be asked questions.

Use the hashtag (#) along with what you’re interested in (e.g. #travel, #london, #walkingtours). Or else, read this basic guide to using Twitter.

Don’t forget about AirTreks if you’re thinking about an around the world or multi-destination trip in the future:

Plan and price your RTW or multi-stop trip with TripPlanner now!

Several more websites for good measure:

• Skype
• What’s on When
• Trace Me Luggage Tracker
• Flyer Guide: Travel Friendly Credit Cards
• Sleeping in Airports
• Couchsurfing
• Bed Bug Info

Still want more? Check out AirTreks’ own Useful Links and Websites.

If you know of any other helpful travel reference sites, help your fellow readers and leave them in the comments section below!

The post Best Travel Websites Everyone Should Know About (and use) appeared first on AirTreks Travel News.

There were times when travelers had to do all sorts of unpleasant things to find accommodations on a multi-destination trip: flip through pamphlets, pickup telephones, actually talk to people. The horror!

These days the Internet has rescued us from such tediousness – if of course you can find a good website on which to do it.

For you that website may be Tripping.com.

Tripping has all but removed the need to search around and wonder whether you’re getting the most unique and best located non-hotel property in which to lay your head.

As a short term and vacation rental metasearch platform, a sort of “Kayak for Airbnbs”, Tripping has developed what may be the most intuitive search tool for peer-to-peer home and apartment sharing ever built.

The search engine takes personally entered parameters and automatically skims a (surprisingly large) selection of partners dealing in privately-owned rentals and accommodations, searches by way of a series of controllable filters for their best listings and puts them all together in a quite beautiful presentation for you to peruse and even book.

What does this mean to you?

Well, it means you have to work a whole lot less to find yourself a place to stay that’s not the same sterile hotel room as you’re used to. It also means you’ll likely spend less money on that place too, since the tool automatically looks at services you may not know to check if you were doing it on your own.

Tripping’s London rental search page

Tripping has been working on their service since 2010, starting out as a community to bring travelers and locals together, their rentals search platform coming along less than two years later and since becoming their core focus. With that focus, along with its social angle Tripping is now a force to be reckoned with in their niche.

But the Tripping community pages haven’t been forgotten next to its for profit model. Au contraire. It remains a great resource for travelers to meet travelers and also locals along the byways of their members’ 175+ resident countries.

For me, Tripping is the end-all short term rental resource, one that couldn’t be more helpful to the average AirTreks client, the kind of people who might stay a little longer, travel a little slower and who want an experience that brings a more local aesthetic, one that’s so rare to find when you just set up shop in a city hotel.

Tripping’s listing pages and their hypergregarious community are reasons alone wander on over to their site and take their search engine for a spin. It may be possible to set yourself up with a locally inspired homestay or bike ride, walking tour, or night out with a local in each destination on your multi-stop round-the-world journey.

The post Travel Website of the Week: Tripping appeared first on AirTreks Travel News.

**One week only!** AirTreks is giving away our special $150 coupons to every person who likes our Facebook page… fb.me/2jbgZPfgR

— AirTreks (@AirTreks) April 8, 2013

The promo ended with a bang and its success was measured by the armful of new fans that came into the fold. My thanks goes out to everyone who participated.

Then I received a message from a fan who’s been with us for years wondering why we gush over new fans but not the loyal ones.

I then decided it was time to show some love to the fans who’ve been with us all the way – in the form of a series of giveaways for our regular Facebook community.

All this week (starting April 22, 2013) we’ll be handing out travel related goodies to folks who comment on a series of status updates.

The gifts will range from travel accessories to books to music. One new prize each day – five chances to win. (And by the way, the odds usually end up very good!)

Each day at 11:30am Pacific Time we’ll announce the day’s prize and at 4pm will pick the winner at random.

Head on over to our Facebook page to see what’s on tap for the day! Good luck!

The post Prizes on the AirTreks Facebook Page! appeared first on AirTreks Travel News.

What is difficult though is the logistics of getting to and from the airports, navigating the miles of corridors and counters and actually finding what you’re looking for.

Recently launched travel startup TravelNerd wants to make your flying day easier by solving some of these problems for you, especially if you’ve never been to the airport in front of you.

This site can be especially helpful for anyone taking a round the world trip (aka, AirTrekkers) since the airports you visit will usually be quite foreign, where simple pleasures like enjoying a cup of coffee or a solid WiFi signal can seem like utterly impossible tasks.

If user-friendliness could be all in your face, TravelNerd would be that site. With a few well placed clicks, their website’s minimal and intuitive experience offers such useful information as airport shuttle booking services, costs and links, WiFi locations, even pet relief areas if they actually exist, along with maps, restaurant listings and lounges among a variety of other things.

The overview page for Paris, Charles de Gaulle.

With over 50 domestic and international airports already represented and dozens more in the works this service will only get better as time goes on. It’s one of the most accessible airport navigation and information tools on the web right now and really, you should be using it.

TravelNerd is part of the well-situated Nerd Wallet family of sites – impeccably designed, high quality, high impact, and genuinely useful Internet fare.

They also have an iOS app that looks really good. (Android coming soon we hope!)

The post Website of the Week: TravelNerd appeared first on AirTreks Travel News.

The trick is make your stopover work for you, not against you.

I’ve compiled a list of options where stopping between major itinerary points can be a boon to your itinerary, create in you a state of mind that you’ve got one hell of an brain to figure all this out.

When they return price quotes, AirTreks Travel Consultants often suggest connection points where it’s possible to stop for added value. I always recommend people take advantage of this because what they’re getting, a chance to see a place they hadn’t expected, far outweighs what they’re not getting, continuing to their destination as quickly as possible.

When planning an around the world trip, consider these places to stop on a long layover. Whether the stop is six hours or thirty-six, each have something other places don’t for short stays.

The following destinations’ “layover highlights” offer options than can be accessed within an hour or two of the airport and definitely make for an enjoyable value-adding visit:

Hong Kong

With one of the slickest and most accessible airports in all Asia it’s easy to catch yourself a glimpse of the rather surprising beauty of Hong Kong on the quick (24 minutes to Hong Kong Island by train). And not only that, just about all stopovers in Hong Kong don’t add a dime to the base price of your RTW ticket.

LAYOVER HIGHLIGHTS

Star Ferry across the harbor – quite simply mind-blowing views, for cheap.

Victoria Peak – mind-blowing views from above. Not as cheap, but still cheap.

Double-decker tram ride – in operation since 1904.

Beijing

Perhaps in effort to boost a stalling tourist trade, Beijing has recently made it a whole lot easier to take a quick couple days to see their town. While China is not known for their overly friendly visa policies, in January they introduced their “visa free stopover” program which allows transit passengers from 45 different countries a 72 hour Beijing stay without the need to get a visa beforehand.

If you’ve ever wanted to catch a quick glimpse of the famed Chinese capital, now would be the time to do it.

LAYOVER HIGHLIGHTS

Beihai Park – the “oldest and most authentically preserved” imperial gardens in China. It’s a millennium old!

Forbidden City – visit and understand the nucleus of the Chinese mind.

Tiantan – translated “The Temple of Heaven”. There’s also a Buddha that’s 112 feet tall.

Shanghai

Not long after Beijing threw down their visa free stopover idea, Shanghai too jumped on that bandwagon. Now it’s possible to check out this ultra modern city with very little trouble on a long around-the-world trip layover.

Plus the Mag-lev train whisks you from the airport to the city center in 8 time-reversing and breathless minutes.

LAYOVER HIGHLIGHTS

Walk the Bund – for epic skyline viewing.

Pudong – fancy the Jetsons if they lived in China.

The French Concession – stroll around for beautiful colonial architecture gawking.

Amsterdam

The Dutch have made the city center incredibly accessible for folks coming in from the airport. Enjoy their truly authentic and quaint downtown experience in less time than it takes to decipher the train timetable — the very epicenter Amsterdam’s concentric canal rings is just 17 minutes away.

From there, some of the best sights in the city are mere footsteps away.

LAYOVER HIGHLIGHTS

Rent a Frederic Bike – local-style bikes will get your butt all over the world’s most bike-friendly city.

Climb Westerkerk – the tallest church tower in the city gives a giant view.

Dampkring Coffeeshop – the king of all Amsterdam coffeeshops. Yep, I’m recommending it.

Seoul

Most of the flight connections passing through Seoul are set up in such a way that leaves a half-day at the airport. It may be designed that way to force people, and their money, into the city (sneaky!). But because this is how it is, great perks abound for people connecting in Seoul.

A slew of half-day city tours accommodate the long layovers and depart directly from the airport, Take advantage!

LAYOVER HIGHLIGHTS

Myeongdong – prime people watching in Seoul’s number one shopping district.

Namsan Cable Car to the N’Seoul Tower – a birds-eye view of the 25 million strong megacity. The highest point in town.

Suva, Fiji

Almost due north of New Zealand, Fiji remains a favorite stopover point since stopovers are always free on the newly rebranded Fiji Airways. Being that many people make New Zealand the last stop on an eastbound around the world trip, Fiji makes a ton of sense — a few days with nothing to do except treat yourself wonderfully may be just the thing to do after you’ve killed yourself for 3 months navigating foreign imbroglios.

Flights connect in Suva, but even while much of Fiji’s attraction is on other islands it shouldn’t stop you from laying over there for a night or 10.

LAYOVER HIGHLIGHTS

Day trips from Suva - if you take more than an afternoon, get yourself on a boat and visit some outlying islands. Tours are bookable online.

Coral Coast – 2 hours from Suva (no ferry necessary) and dizzyingly beautiful beaches. Access the shoreline from Queens Highway.

Firewalking ceremony – Vilavilairevo, literally “jumping into the earth oven” is a tad touristy, but where else would you watch this particular brand of insanity?

Singapore

With such a compact city plan, that everyone speaks English and its central location between Australia, Indonesia and Southeast Asia, Singapore makes a great spot to extend a layover. Plus, with Changi consistently ranking as the one of the top airports in the world, you may not even want to leave the complex.

“Hawker centers” are ubiquitous eating destinations all over the city, numbering more than 120 with over 16,000 food stalls total.

LAYOVER HIGHLIGHTS

Gardens By The Bay – 160 foot tall ultra-futurist Supertree-scape.

Singapore Zoo – they’ve got white tigers and a Michelin 3-star rating!

Maxwell Road Food Center – locals choice best food hawker center in the city.

Reykjavik

Iceland is hot right now. And I’m not talking temperature, global warming alarmists! Fresh back from their little national bankruptcy experience, they were on many top destinations for 2013 and have a tourist infrastructure that needs to be experienced to be believed.

The national carrier Iceland Air is very generous with up to week-long free stopovers and with 8 North American gateways, from New York to Seattle and Toronto to Orlando, it’s super easy and quick to get to.

Not to mention the local populace is very happy and very good looking.

LAYOVER HIGHLIGHTS

Blue Lagoon – you just can’t go to Iceland and not do the lagoon. Its seawater averages 100.4° F!

Laugavegur Shopping  – Icelanders wear some pretty outrageous fashions. This is where they get it.

Icelandic Phallological Museum – It’s the world’s largest display of penises and penis-related art! Ahem.

San Francisco

What can I say, it’s home. Plus it’s one of the most beautiful cities in the world for travelers to take an extended stop, no bias required. As walkable as any European city center, hills that have views over a bay than can even make an 80s rockband sentimental, with hardcore Foodie-approved dining everywhere.

BART will take you downtown in 20 minutes, Muni will get you to any other neighborhood in an hour, tops. SF is on fire right now and everyone wants to be here. Just ask Mark Zuckerburg, Larry Ellison and Jack Dorsey.

LAYOVER HIGHLIGHTS

Coit Tower – I kind of love the view from the seminal firehose nozzle landmark.

Dante’s Weird Fish – dine at this hole-in-the wall Mission St eatery, with holy moly incredible and inexpensive SF  fare. It’s a downright miracle.

Dolores Park – the skinny jean center of the universe. A sunny Saturday will show you why the locals come here to nest.

Most AirTreks around-the-world itineraries allow for layovers at no additional cost. Ask your personal travel consultant about staying for longer at any connection point.

The post Top 8 Places to Take an Extended Stopover appeared first on AirTreks Travel News.

One of the potential messes prevalent in multi-stop travel comes in the form of the “onward ticket“. For those attempting to book your flights as you travel, be warned: failing to consider this could amount to an expensive nightmare upon airport check-in.

An “onward ticket” by definition is proof before boarding you’ll be leaving the country after you arrive.

The protocol is used extensively in countries that have had long-standing problems with undocumented residents and groups of people coming to work illegally, historically a huge drain on those country’s resources.

But for leisure travelers, it presents problems when they don’t know, or don’t want to know, exactly when they’ll be leaving a place before they get there.

The stakes have just gotten higher.

Recently the AirTreks staff, upon browsing Timatic, became aware of a rule that could very well present problems for travelers showing up the airport without onward tickets, in this case traveling from the USA to Lima, Peru.

The following message was created by TACA Airlines:

WARNING:- VISITORS NOT HOLDING RETURN/ONWARD TICKETS COULD BE REFUSED ENTRY.

The strong language leads one to believe that they will in fact be enforcing the onward ticket protocol and denying boarding to those that do not have proof of onward travel.

Be advised that these messages are indicative to many, if not most, airline Timatics.

While onward tickets are not always demanded it can amount to an expensive problem if they are and you don’t have one – it will require you to buy a brand new ticket on the spot.

Booking an around the world ticket with AirTreks keeps this problem at bay because you’ll always have proof of travel at some point later in your trip.

Take advantage of the AirTreks around the world ticket service – the money you save could be your own!

The post Don’t Travel Without Your Onward Ticket appeared first on AirTreks Travel News.

Photo by neha singh.

Because you’ve done enough research on your big around the world trip to fill a medium-sized gymnasium and because you’ve already done a good deal of traveling in your life (an around the world trip is usually “the next step” in a travel obsession) you’ve found yourself questioning the worthiness of so-called beaten path destinations, places you’ve already seen a bazillion photos of, listened to your friends talk endlessly about, and which even your Uncle Stanley has now gone to (what? Koh Phi Phi has jumped the shark?), you need some fresh ideas to keep you excited about your trip, to spice it up a little, baby, to keep you motivated.

So you’re sitting in front of your computer, the sun has officially gone down and you still can’t decide how to make this around the world trip special, how to really get behind it, to take it from “pretty typical” to “pretty special”.

This post will show you a few ways to put some spice into that route you’ve been looking at so long but don’t know why you can’t commit to it.

Today I’m throwing some hot curry into the mix. I’ve put together a few great ways to spice up your big around the world trip plan.

Destinations – five places to spice up your itinerary

The first way to get jazzed about your trip and to push you closer to your goal of actually doing it is to get some great and inspiring cities on your route list. Last year I wrote a post called 10 Common Stops on an Around the World Itinerary (and where you should go instead). Here are five more places that you won’t hear Uncle Stanley talking about.

Bagan, Burma – you’ve seen those photos of the temple spires sprouting through the mist, here is where you’ll find them. This pagoda-studded plain on the banks Ayeyarwady River in northern Burma makes a lovely, if dusty, day trip from town by bicycle. Bagan is a solid travel day by bus from Mandalay or Yangon.

Sri Lanka – it’s not “India lite”, but it is everything you love about India without the choking crowds, the gaping stares or the infuriating honking. With eight Unesco World Heritage sites in a country the size of West Virginia you’ll be consistently engaged. Do a safari tour, a bicycle tour, or a beach tour and let the spicy air of Sri Lanka light your senses.

Tromsø, Norway – widely regarded to be the best place in the northern hemisphere to see the northern lights, Tromsø has a burgeoning tourist infrastructure built up around thrillseekers out to get bedazzled in a way they’ve never been before.

Quito, Ecuador – the city is undergoing a sort of renaissance, so to catch it now would be a big win on your itinerary. Quito’s old town has been on the Unesco World Heritage List since 1978 and they’ve also just opened their brand spanking new airport.

Kyoto, Japan – in terms of peace and tranquility, Kyoto is the major Japanese city that has them. It’s terrific for walking (The Higashiyama neighborhood has loads of shrines, temples, and museums) and in the spring the cherry blossoms will knock your socks off. There’s a major airport here so you don’t have to spend a lot of money on bullet trains. In terms of expense Japan just isn’t as expensive as you think.

Themes – 5 methods to spice up your travels

Travel overland a lot

Flying between every city on your around the world trip is a surefire way to become an expert in seatback entertainment and airport security, but if you want your travel experience to be greater than planes and airports, the recommendation is to do a good deal of overland travel.

Traveling overland (meaning by train, bus, car, camel, human-powered palanquin) will save you money and give you a first-person perspective on the lay of the land, not to mention insight into how the bulk of the population moves from place to place.

It will keep you grounded (so to speak) and give you time to contemplate your existence while you watch the scenery pass before you. There’s nothing quite like rolling into a new city the same way they did a thousand years ago.

I put together an extensive post on the best cities between which to travel overland. Keep this in mind when you’re putting together your itinerary – you’ll find the price of your RTW ticket is a lot lower as well when skipping a few airplane legs. TripPlanner makes it easy to add surface legs into your itinerary.

Do couchsurfing and/or home rentals

Staying in hotels every single night of your trip is unwise for a couple reasons: you waste money first of all, and also because you cut yourself off from the very people you’re trying to get to know. One of the best ways to have encounters with locals is to stay with them in their house.

The idea may be unsettling to those that haven’t done it, especially when you show up with all your possessions hanging on your back, but the end result is always extraordinary – conversations, bewilderment and with any luck, a connection in the region for future visits.

There’s little doubt Couchsurfing is here to stay, not only as a viable accommodation option for budget travelers but also as a way to meet people, to get perspective into their culture and to add some variety into the old tedious check in/check out routine.

Or else try a home rental. Consider spending a whole month in one city! It will allow you a hidden glimpse into the rhythm and life cycles of the locals and give you a chance to slow down your traveling pace as well, which is commonly known as zen bliss.

HomeAway is the big obvious home rental service, or read this article by the Women on the Road blog about couchsurfing.com as well as some alternative services.

Do adventure tours

A lot of independent travelers skip doing big organized tours because they think they don’t coincide with their idea of so-called “grassroots travel”. But by skipping them, they’re also skipping experiences they just wouldn’t get outside of the tour.

Consider these ways of packing your trip with adventurousness:

• Safaris – zoo animals in their natural habitat? Win!
• Cruises – I’m on a boat!
• Bike tours – exercise your independence.
• Treks – make friends with travelers and mountaintops.
• Guided walking tours of cities – local love and knowledge on where Victor Hugo ate dinner.

If you plan tours into your travel budget ahead of time (ie, before you leave) you’ll reduce the impact on your traveling expenses while you’re on the road. No need to go crazy, folks, but a few select tours can really add a ton of value, and Trivial Pursuit skills, to the price of your trip.

Pro Tip: Book the tour locally instead of beforehand to maximize the tour’s cost. Visit a local travel agent or visit the actual tour office yourself.

Connect with short-term traveling companions

The idea is to not travel alone for a spell, or grow a group around that person who’s totally starting to get on your nerves. Give your traveling days some interest by letting some strangers spice them up for you.

Days will be filled with new conversation, nights filled with going out of your way for fun things to do. You’ll stray from your probably too rigid anyway schedule when someone else is convincing you to take the five-hour drive out to a remote wind-swept beach.

If you’re inherently shy or have difficulty approaching people, this post on the HostelBookers blog lists the best spots in the world to meet other long-term travelers when you’re solo on the road.

Or else visit Globetrooper, a service that connects fellow travelers on the road. See who is going where you’re going meet up with them. You never know how spicy things will get. Hubba-hubba!

Volunteer

Okay, it’s time to give a little back. Don’t let the voluntourism buzzword dissuade you from this most noble of traveling pastimes. This option is probably the best for you and everyone else as well.

Since volunteering has gained such popularity in recent years, a selection of companies have taken up the reigns to accommodate them all. On Nomadic Matt’s website is a great guide to choosing your volunteer path.

Conclusion

There’s no reason why your around the world trip needs to be bland, one where you come back saying, “that was pretty fun” but not, “OMG, life is crazy amazing!”

That’s what a spicy around the world trip should do, revitalize your spirit for living because you never knew what was out there.  There are so many ways to get excited and stay excited about the trip you’re going on.

Mid-trip doldrums are inevitable but if you keep something on the horizon you’re super jazzed about you’ll sidestep this condition and keep the thrills coming.

Good luck, y’all!

The post Everything You Need to Spice Up Your Around the World Trip appeared first on AirTreks Travel News.

Ceramic Sancai Silk Road camel with Persian merchant, Tang Dynasty, 618-907 A.D.

The Silk Road in China, the network of trade routes between Europe and China in the first millennium, usually brings up a romantic vision – long ambling camel caravans traversing great deserts with the crescent moon looking down on a line of weary and ancient travelers.

And why not, it’s a part of our collective history after all.

History of the Silk Road

The route itself dates as far back as 3000 B.C., with its heyday being between the 1st century B.C. and the 10th century A.D. The land route (there was a maritime route as well) spanned Northern China, the giant Taklamakan Desert, Persia and the Middle East, and Constantinople ending in points along the Mediterranean, namely Rome and Venice.

The term “Silk Road”, coined in 1877 by German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen, is a bit of a misnomer considering silk was not the primary product to travel along the route. Historically, a variety of other items passed through including perfumes, spices, jewels, nuts, teas, salts and glassware, with lacquer and porcelain products coming from China. Hard goods weren’t the only thing either: local religions, art and political doctrines spread along the route, including methods of healthcare, lore and disease. It’s believed the bubonic plague came to Europe along the Silk Road.

Transasia Silk Road trade routes 1st century – click for larger version

The term has been driven into public consciousness more recently to give the epoch a romanticism and simplicity, not the least of which is to sell tourism to travelers who overlook northwestern China as a travel destination.

» Plan your around the world trip with TripPlanner now!

Going to the Silk Road region

Due to its history, the perceived oriental mystery of the route, along with books written by Aurel Stein and Sven Hedin and the romantic wish to follow Marco Polo’s travels, tourism has been the newest visitor to the region, showing travelers this desolate region and its artifacts.

In terms of iconic sights there’s not a lot here, but the journey does take you deep into the Uighur heartland, allowing access to the rare lifestyle a marginalized people have built around them. Tours take visitors to monastery ruins and cave temples, along with giant Silk Road-style markets in cities like Kashgar and Gansu.

Kashgar Sunday Market, Kashgar, Xinjiang – by dperstin

These days the Silk Road region has narrowed down to a simple route in Northern China between Xian and Kashgar with stops in oasis towns long the way. If you’re interested in seeing this mysterious and unique area there are a few ways to do it.

Since China opened to tourism in the late 70s and early 80s, all foreign tour operators have been required to use official state-registered travel companies, usually arranged by one of three government companies:

• China International Travel Service (CITS)
• China Travel Service (CTS)
• China Youth Travel Service (CYTS)

You can probably save yourself some money by skipping the western tour middlemen and booking directly through one of these companies or their overseas offices.

Do it on your own

The best way to see the Silk Road region of China though is to simply arrange for travel on your own. Unlike Tibet, it’s legal to travel outside of an organized group tour, thus saving money and any logistical issues ahead of your arrival. Take the Urumqi Express railway line from Lanzhou for the greater part of the journey.

For more reading on the historical aspects of the Silk Road click here. Or if you want to look at the costs for incorporating flights into Xian and out of Kashgar into a longer round the world itinerary, start a TripPlanner session and see how much it will be.

Or else you can discuss the idea with one of our amazing travel consultants by calling 1-800-AIRTREKS.

The post The Silk Road – Following in the Footsteps of Marco Polo appeared first on AirTreks Travel News.