People do great things with travel and if you’re looking to really expand your horizons or seek employment while learning about the world, you’re likely one of the smart ones. Travel is an expensive hobby but if you do it right, it can be worth every penny.

Here are some tips for saving money while travelling:

Plan, Plan, Plan

Having a solid idea of what you’re going to do, where you’re going to stay and what you’re going to eat will let you know roughly how much it’s going to cost. If you do this early, you’re sure to have the most options available, which means possibly the greatest savings. It’s never a bad idea to have a credit card just in case of the unexpected or for those hostels that only accept pre-payment, but keep a careful eye on its balance to avoid a nasty surprise when the bill comes.

Avoid the Sauce

You can drink and be merry all you like at home but on vacation, it’s a surefire way to eat away at your cash stores. There’s always the time when you’ll go out on the town and want to have some fun, but if you are doing this multiple times a week, it could be the difference between a week’s accommodation and going into debt.

Check out What’s Free

Cities are living, breathing places with a ton to offer visitors of all budgets and some of the best things to do won’t cost you anything. Many websites or tourist info centres will have a list of the must-see free activities ranging from walks of the city to parks and places to hang out. Certain museums offer free entrance on different days of the month – making getting a little culture not so expensive after all.

Stay in a Destination as Long as Possible

You may be tempted to cram in as much as you can to a limited timeframe because the initial cost of getting to a place is the biggest expense, but this can also be misleading. Each time you move to a new locale, you incur a few costs that otherwise may have been avoided, from tickets to food to time wasted waiting – some airports are in the middle of nowhere and shuttles cost almost as much as the tickets (*cough* Beauvais *cough*). Stay put for a while and really take in what a city has to offer!

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You’re not being authentic to who you are inside

God bless them, but family and friends sometimes can hold an image for you as a person that is pretty solid and doesn’t allow for a lot of change. Human nature is often to comport oneself to fit into the view other have of you. There comes a point though when a person is feeling so different inside that really they have no choice, but to begin to express it. A lot of times a good opportunity to explore alternative selves is to hit the road. If no one knows who you are then you are totally free to be your full self. For me this was the dominant reason that I left my home city of Edmonton to go traveling.

You feel like perhaps you want to see something else 

The same city, the same rules, the same people, the same job… into infinitum can grind on a person. For many, these things are a comfort – and that is understandable – but for a person who is getting to the point that they can stand it no longer, they need to shuffle things up, perhaps a trip is in order.

You favour freedom over security 

Connecting to the second point is the question of where you fall when it comes to freedom versus security. This isn’t a thought to be taken lightly as security is earned through constant effort, much of which will not be particularly fun. So you have to ask yourself are you willing to forgo the security you have amassed for the excitement of travel? If in a given moment, or better yet, for a sustained period of time you feel that you would be willing to make the trade than the time is right to travel.  Remember it takes years to build security up and not long to see it disappear to nothing.

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Andorra, nestled between France and Spain in the Pyrenees, has neither airport nor train station. You will have to drive in from one of its surrounding countries, which is a bit of a hassle, but since it’s such a tiny nation you will not have to get behind the wheel much on arrival. Weirdly enough, even without an airport, there’s a strip of shops selling duty-free items like perfume and cigarettes. Its proximity to Spain and France plus light tax laws made Andorra a prime location for smuggling goods in previous years.

Monaco has garnered a reputation for catering to holidaying celebrities, Princess Grace Kelly, and hedge fund managers with its glitz and glamour. Also lacking an airport, Monaco can be reached by train from France and will reward you with some gorgeous seaside views.

San Marino, while being very small, is the world’s oldest Republic and was established in 301. Rick Steves says San Marino has “remained sovereign through almost all its 1,700-year history.” You can journey into the country by bus. The nation is dotted with ancient fortresses and is a popular day trip spot among Italian and other European tourists. San Marino is tourist-centric with tons of duty-free shops and souvenirs, but there’s also a very firm sense that the nation has reverence for its past, which creates an interesting dichotomy.

Malta is the only European microstate to host an airport, which serves the entire Maltese archipelago. For European travelers on a budget, there are a number of chap air carriers running flights to Malta, a country lying not far off the coast of Italy. Despite its small size, Malta has been the site of many movie shoots, like Gladiator and Alexander, capturing the historical look of its sandy shores. Blessed with both stunning natural scenery and beautiful architecture, Malta has become a draw for travelers from around the world.

Traveling to microstates may be more difficult than reaching a major European city like Paris or Rome, but the wealth of history, natural beauty and unique personalities make the microstates places you shouldn’t overlook.

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Atlanta is a city that is rather sprawling and is based upon different neighborhoods or sections of the city. Nights range out across Atlanta’s Midtown, Buckhead neighborhood, the Old Fourth Ward, and Virginia Highland. This guide to Atlanta’s bars looks to highlight these parts of the city and showcase the bars that make them up.

Midtown

Midtown is one of Atlanta’s most popular areas for bars. Very walk able midtown is also a great place to slip into a restaurant first then head forth into a night of drinking. If you’re looking for a relaxed bar to chill out in and chat a few options include: Tap, which has a great beer selection, Steamhouse lounge – a dive bar that has made a name for itself by the oysters they serve, Front Page News – a great summer patio that serves Cajun style classics, or RiRa – an Irish pub with live music.

Buckhead

Buckhead has long been the place when it has come to partying in Atlanta. In recent years, as the result of a city crack down, many of its countless bars have been shut down. Still though, Buckhead has plenty of options for a night out. A couple of Buckhead’s bars include: Johnny’s Hideaway – known to the locals as the “cougars den”, Divan – a hookah lounge, Fado – an Irish pub, and Cellar 56 – a wine bar. There’s a whole slew of good dive bars in the area too like: Five Paces inn, Park Bench, or Churchills. Just around the corner from Buckhead you will find the Lindbergh Centre area which has the Gold Room – a popular dance club, Tongue and Groove – another dance club, and Taco Mac – a massive sports bars that has a great selection of beers.

Old Fourth Ward 

The Old Fourth Ward is a departure from dance clubs and mainstream bars in Atlanta. In recent years it has emerged as a hip, alternative for night lifers looking for something else. A bit of a hipster scene the Old Fourth ward now has cozy, original bars dotting all over it. A few of the best spots around here in clued Sister Lousa’s Church of the Living Room and Ping Pong Emporium and Sound Table – which is a restaurant by day and a dance bar by night.

Virginia Highland

Virginia Highland is really popular with the college students and has a real college town feel to it. 20 something graduates love to come down here too, and this section of town appeals Emroy Students. A few of the bars that are popular around here include: Hand in Hand, Dark Horse, Neighbors, Atkins Park. All of these bars have great prices on pitchers. If you want some live music check out Blind Willie’s for jazz and blues or 10 High which puts on bands most nights.

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London is a gateway to the rest of the world. Regardless of if you actually live in the city or are just using it as a travel hub, London is one of the most important, busiest and well connected starting points for would be travellers, regardless of their itinerary. With a number of airports to fly out of, from Heathrow to Gatwick, you’ll never be short on options for getting to where you need to go.

Deciding on where to go is the easy part, but figuring out how to get to the airport may be a bit of an issue. It’s tempting to simply arrive at the ticket desk and just board a flight on impulse but it never hurts to do a bit of planning ahead of time to ensure everything goes smoothly. Thankfully in the present age of travel, there are a number of websites you can visit to do all the planning before you head out the door (or sometimes even on the way!), from ticket booking to airport parking sites like Parking4less.com. Having these tools at your finger tips takes a lot of the stress out of the planning process, allowing you to dedicate your time to kicking back and relaxing.

With this in mind, take a look at the easiest ways to get to the airport to fly out of London, all of which can be arranged ahead of time at your convenience.

Airport Parking

There is nothing like getting in your car and heading to the airport when you want to leave and being alone with your own thoughts for the drive. It really is the best option for people who are not on any direct public transit route, have a lot of luggage or want to have access to their car upon return. With a number of long term and short term options available for every airport, you won’t have an issue finding the right spot for you.

Taking the Train

If you don’t have a vehicle or you’re coming from the city centre, the train may be your best option as you don’t have to worry about traffic. The downside is if you don’t live on a direct route to the airport you may have to transfer a few times, but the rate is far less than paying to park your car for the entire duration of your trip.

Hop on a Shuttle

Again, also great if you live in a well connected area or can get there on your own somehow, and likely the cheapest of all the options. Shuttles have the convenience of stopping only for the airport but the downside of having to take roads, which may be congested.

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The most visited city in Europe, according to Forbes magazine, is the UK capital. And with so many world famous landmarks, it’s easy to see why! The iconic sights of Big Ben, Tower Bridge, the London Eye and Buckingham Palace are all big attractions for tourists who come from all corners of the earth to see the city up close.

Flickr user ‘megoizzy’

Not only does London have lots of famous buildings, but the city has a rich history and is one of the oldest and most important cities in the world, with its influence going well back to the times of the British Empire. The monarchy attracts a lot of visitors and Buckingham Palace is, for that reason, never free from tourists.

Another reason why London is worth a visit is that the city, despite land being much sought after, has plenty of pleasant green spaces. Hyde Park is simply massive and the perfect spot to relax on a sunny summer’s day.

Sports fans also have plenty of reason to visit London with a third of the English Premier Football League based in London and with all important cup finals in football and rugby played there. Tennis, cricket and even the NFL all attract big crowds in London as well.

2 – Paris

Paris misses out on top spot, but is still a very popular city and worth a visit too.

Flickr user ‘House of Hall’

The City of Lights boasts many attractions, just like London, and the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Elysées are just a few of them.

As well as the tourist sights, Paris is a great place to eat and drink. With France making some of the world’s best cheeses and wines, the capital is one of the world’s top spots to enjoy the two, especially in a nice little restaurant looking over the Seine. Many of the world’s top chefs move to Paris to work, so that really tells you something about the quality of the food.

3 – Istanbul

Istanbul is becoming more and more popular as a destination for tourists and received 14.7% more visitors last year than the last. Their spending has also increased by 20.7%, making Istanbul and Turkey one of the success stories of recent years in the tourism world.

But why are so many people visiting? Well, the fabulous palaces and places of worship make the Istanbul architecture simply unmissable and history lovers will find stories and stories to keep them busy.

The Turkish cuisine is also unique and tasty and you won’t find a kebab cheaper than in Istanbul. Shopping in the markets is also cheap and a unique experience with everything you could imagine being sold down at the local squares.

4 – Madrid

The Spanish capital is a well visited city and that is for two reasons: its culture and its business centre. Madrid is popular with tourists for its museums and squares, but is also popular for business given that it’s the capitals of one of Europe’s biggest economies.

Whether a tourist or a business person, you’ll fall in love with the tapas culture at Madrid, where a few drinks in a local bar turns into a meal of little Spanish foods.

The city is quite huge and each zone has a unique character. That’s just another reason why Madrid is so popular.

Whichever of these much-loved cities you decide to visit first, make sure you get prepared and take a look at some accommodation options before you go. Staying in an apartment will let you mingle with the locals even more so it could be worth taking a look at gowithoh.com where apartments in London, Paris and Madrid are available. So you can get planning now!

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For many Americans the idea of signing up for the Peace Corps (the Peace Corps are only for US Citizens) is a highly romantic notion that will give them a worthwhile chance to really do some good out in the world. There can be no doubt that this is true as Peace Corps workers during their 27 month long commitment are sent to all areas of the world to help in whatever way their skill sets allow. Still though, before you jump forward to this call of duty there are a few things that you should considered first.

Is this what you really want? 

The central question that you must ask yourself as you are signing up for the Peace Corps is whether this is truly what you want? The romance of helping people in many of the places that you will be assigned to go will be at a material comfort level far below what you are use to. Do you think that you will be able to use a hole for a toilet or use a bucket to bath yourself? Surviving in conditions like these may end up being a regular part of your day to day reality and you have to be honest whether it is something you can adjust too.

Be prepared to adjust yourself to impoverished conditions and the local culture 

When you actually arrive for your placement you will be shocked to see the real poverty that people live in. Not only targeted towards pockets of the urban poor, you will be saddened to realize that many of the people that you work with also have to go without. As a result of this it will be important that you never flaunt any wealth that you may have and that you learn about the culture you are sent to. The surprise is that without much material wealth many places have societies that find joy in the small things of life. Adjust and adapt the best you can, people will respect you more if they see you try to connect with the place and the people. Being in the Peace Corps requires you to be open minded.

You Will Change from your Experience 

When the service is done you will be permanently altered by it. A return to American soil will not end the transformation that will have occurred inside of you. Things that you once took for granted will be different in your eyes… they won’t have changed, but you will have. This can be taken as a positive. Perhaps it will change the direction of your life and what you would like to pursue as a career or perhaps it will make you want to continue giving back to society in whatever ways that you can.

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Travellers the world over know Melbourne as a central hub for culture and sophistication. It’s the more mature and respected city out of the Sydney/Melbourne rivalry with Sydney taking the touristy-popular route, and the locals would have it no other way. If you happen to be out looking for a place to relax in and move at your own pace, taking the sights as they come to you, Melbourne is perfect for you.

The first thing you should do when visiting Melbourne is to abandon your notions of public transportation or any sort of vehicle and just walk everywhere. It’s a very walkable city with charming streets and districts that are just begging to be explored and gotten lost in. You can’t go wrong in just picking a direction and walking as regardless of your plans, you’ll find it opens onto a square where people are congregating and taking in all that the city has.

This is why you really need to get a place to stay right in the action and sites like Hostel Bookers can help you out, so long as you visit them in advance of your trip. While it’s true that some seasons are a bit less congested than others, the popular hostels do book up fast and if you’re the kind that really hates the shared dorm setting, it’s best to not leave it to the last minute.

If you do find yourself tiring of the urban setting, most of the hostels you stay in can arrange for pick up to get outside of the city on an excursion to any number of the destinations in the countryside. Maybe a winery tour is up your alley? Perhaps you just want to see the rural world, a few animals and even enjoy the relative silence? You’re never trapped in Melbourne!

Something everyone should check out at least once in their life is the incredible Great Ocean Road route, which goes from Melbourne to Adelaide along the coast of Southern Australia. It is here that you can see those incredible rock formations, the Twelve Apostles and London Bridge, worn away by the constant beating of the surf. Speaking of surf, after getting out of the city you’ll be entering prime surfing territory, which depending on the time of year will either mean a fantastic sport to watch or an incredibly violent, beautiful beach.

Many people, if given the choice between Sydney and Melbourne, will choose Sydney as their Australia destination either because that’s where their flight lands from overseas or because of the Opera House. While not to take anything away from Sydney – it’s a great place in its own right – you’d be doing yourself and Australia as a whole a disservice if you came all the way down here and didn’t see Melbourne. It’s a city that really needs to be seen to be understood – even if by that point you’ll never want to leave.

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More often than not, this is the weather for Edinburgh Castle…

Edinburgh is certainly a city that knows how to drink. Any city that loves a good pint, and even has bars that open at 6am for the drunks still awake from the night before, will have contingencies for people nursing a dirty hangover. The Scots are on the right track for the hangover recovery. They employ strong coffee and big fry ups with heaping portions. Central to these fry ups is not shying away from the grease. A few places to go to shake off the cobwebs of a bad hangover include.

Snax – 118 Buccleuch Street, Newington 

First thing to hit is an extra large coffee, in a Styrofoam cup, here at Snax. Next check out the hand written menu on a chalk board that says options for breakfast: big breakfast, bigger breakfast, and the humongous biggest breakfast. These breakfasts come with Scottish favorites like black pudding, beans, and sausages. Enjoy the chatty style of the staff, mainly made up of backpackers from the hostel around the corner. You can listen to them talk about their big nights, to each other, as they prepare your food.

The Links – 4 Alvanley Terrace, Bruntsfield 

The Links is a hangover spot that appeals to the guys. They offer up cheap huge burgers and have big screens that show the weekends rugby and football matches. Sink yourself deep into one of the sofas, or perch yourself at a wooden table and start trying to figure out just what happened the night before.

56 North, 2-8 West Crosscauseway, Newington 

While perhaps the Links is more of a guys place to pull themselves together the 56 North caters to dealing with the girls. The interior is modern and stylish complete with comfy booths covered with big cushions and low seats to curl up in while you wait for your food to arrive. The food here is a touch more healthy than the famous Scottish fry ups.

The Penny Black, 17 W Register St

Well the truth is at the end of the day, if you can’t beat them – join them. The last option is to chase down some hair of the dog drinks at the legendary and infamous Penny Black. This place opens at 6 am, to a line, that’s more like a police line up, of the city’s biggest drunks who have yet to go home. There’s nothing pretty in here, but if you’re chasing down fun in Edinburgh it is an experience to say you have had. Other backpackers will respect it.

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Banff Ave Brewing Co

110 Banff Ave, 2^nd Floor

A thousand and one bars will have the standard Western Canadian beers on tap – Keiths, Kokanee,  and Pilsner. In contrast the Banff Ave Brewing Co has a wide variety of varied international and domestic beers including their own special brew Banff Ave Blond Ale. Be sure to try some of this golden lager and get a taste of Banff.

The Pump and Tap

215 Banff Ave

The Pump and Tap is a haven for Australian and English expats – which there are many – coming to stay in Banff. This bar is owned by a few British working holiday makers that enjoyed their stay so much they just decided to stay and buy a bar. Often expats doing seasonal ski slope and bar work in town come here to enjoy Premiership foot ball and eat cheap meals. Wednesday nights have 25 cent wings and $10 dollar pitchers.

Tommy’s Neighborhood Pub

120 Banff Ave

Another fun loving hang out where the many Australians who take working visas come together to congregate, be merry, and get cheap beer and grub. A Saturday night gives patrons beer and highball specials.

Mel’s Sports Bar

218 Lynx Street

Mel’s is Banff’s essential dive bar where people can come and get smashed on the cheap. This place caters to a young crowd that likes their drinks cheap and plentiful. Certainly an uproarious place where it is very possible to get totally smashed drunk, have a wild time and not really hurt your bank balance too badly.

The Rose and Crown

202 Banff Avenue

Rose and Crown is the oldest pub in Banff and it is still a vastly popular place because of its massive roof top patio and nightly live music. Every night of the year, except Christmas, bands take the stage with local acts also performing twice per week. Big name bands often take this stage on their way through Banff.

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