Category: How To

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How to Fly from the U.S. to Europe for Under $200 [Budget Travel Secrets]

How to Fly from the U.S. to Europe for Under $200 dollars
How to Fly from the U.S. to Europe for Under $200 dollars

Updated: January 2020

I used to expect to pay over $1000 for round-trip tickets to Europe. Now I’d never pay over $500. And one-way tickets for $200 or less are more common than you’d think. When we started traveling full time, our frugal beginner’s travel budget forced us to find the cheapest method to fly to Europe. And now I’m sharing it with you.

Traveling on the cheap from the U.S. to Europe is quite simple, really. It involves just three things:

  • a flexible travel schedule
  • packing light
  • my new favorite airline
Continue reading “How to Fly from the U.S. to Europe for Under $200 [Budget Travel Secrets]”
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Proof that PHOTOS Make the Best Souvenirs: 9 Awesome Travel Portraits to Capture on Your Next Vacation

9 Awesome Travel Portraits and How to Capture Them on Your Next Vacation

9 Awesome Travel Portraits and How to Capture Them on Your Next Vacation

Are you a serial souvenir collector? Always gotta grab something from the gift shop to remember your trip?

What if I told you there’s a better way to remember that vacation than shelling out money at souvenir stands? This trip, say no to souvenirs and take a more active (and fun) approach to capturing memories: photography.

Here we’ve put together a collection of our favorite travel photos, complete with how-to instructions for capturing a similar shot of your own. Whether you’re city-, beach-, or outdoor adventure-bound… we’ve got a photo idea for you. You DON’T have to be an expert photographer, either. Almost all of these shots are beginner-friendly.

So grab your camera and put on your best face for your very own vacation portrait shoot!  Continue reading “Proof that PHOTOS Make the Best Souvenirs: 9 Awesome Travel Portraits to Capture on Your Next Vacation”

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How to Make Money While You Travel

How to Make Money While You Travel on northtosouth.us

How to Make Money While You Travel on northtosouth.us

Do you want the freedom to quit your job and live and travel where you please?

Ian and I did, and after having a serious discussion about the possibility, we planned carefully, saved substantially, and lived frugally to get started. Now we pour our hearts and souls into several online projects, making sure they’re profitable, enjoyable, and diverse enough to keep a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, and smiles on our faces.

We’ve already talked in detail about the other steps we took to prepare for our travel life, but the money-making part is what we’ll discuss in this post. If you want to realize a sustainable traveling life for yourself, you need to have a reliable source of income.

Here we’ll talk about three common approaches to making a living while traveling.  Continue reading “How to Make Money While You Travel”

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How to Be a 5-Star Host on Airbnb

How to Be a 5-Star Host on Airbnb

How to Be a 5-Star Host on Airbnb

Want to give your Airbnb listing a boost? Attract more travelers with a 5-star hosting average! Whether you’re brand new to Airbnb or you’ve got some hosting experience under your belt, these tips can help. Just think, with a 5-star hosting average, you’ll be able to take your pick amongst all the inquiries that will roll in!

What other benefits are to be had from a 5-star rating? Well, just to name a few:

  • You can choose only well-reviewed travelers, if you prefer. (Everyone starts unreviewed on Airbnb, but experienced, well-reviewed travelers usually translate to a lower potential for unexpected “surprises” or issues.)
  • You can increase your prices. (Guests are often willing to pay a little extra to ensure they’re staying with a well-reviewed host.)
  • You can be nominated for special recognition in the Airbnb hosting community. (That means more bookings — and more money — for you!)

I wanna hold your hand! — Ensure you’ll get good reviews by following these easy guidelines. From your guest’s first inquiry through the time they submit their review, this list will handhold you through the process. Now let’s get started!  Continue reading “How to Be a 5-Star Host on Airbnb”

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How to Find a Safe, Comfortable and AFFORDABLE Place to Stay on Airbnb [Budget Travel Secrets]

How to find safe, comfortable and affordable accommodations with Airbnb

How to find safe, comfortable and affordable accommodations with Airbnb

As budget travelers, we search for budget accommodations (on average $600 or less per month). But that doesn’t mean we’re frequenting skeezy hostels or crappy motels. Even a year after quitting our jobs to travel, we’ve continued to avoid the summer camp housing scene. If you’re searching for a way to make travel more affordable without kickin’ it bunk-bed style, Airbnb could be your answer.

If you’re searching for a way to make travel more affordable without kickin’ it bunk-bed style, Airbnb could be your answer.

To sustain our traveling life, we book most of our accommodations through Airbnb, a website I HIGHLY recommend for finding unique and affordable places to stay. It’s especially great if you’re traveling to an unfamiliar place, as a helpful host can be priceless when you’re exploring someplace new. We typically book what I refer to as a “home away from home” — a private room in a local family’s house or apartment — but you can find everything from private vacation rentals to shared rooms to traditional bed and breakfast inns on Airbnb. They even have some crazy cool accommodations like tree houses and geodesic domes!  Continue reading “How to Find a Safe, Comfortable and AFFORDABLE Place to Stay on Airbnb [Budget Travel Secrets]”

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Intro to Hypermiling: How to Save Money & Increase Your Car’s MPG [Budget Travel Secrets]

How to Maximize Your MPG through Hypermiling

How to Maximize Your MPG through Hypermiling

What if you could stretch the gas in your tank an extra 50 miles? Or, even better, 100? This past summer Ian and I did just that by hypermiling our 2008 Yaris across the western U.S. — increasing our gas mileage by up to 25 percent! Want to learn how you can save substantially on gas money and get better mileage than the EPA’s estimate for your car? Well, read on, because that’s what I’m going to share with you here.  Continue reading “Intro to Hypermiling: How to Save Money & Increase Your Car’s MPG [Budget Travel Secrets]”