26 Best Travel Blogs & Websites Must Read to Stir Your Wanderlust

From short trips, to massive life moves that take us to whole new countries, there is nothing quite as exciting as travel. For many of us, wanderlust will be a lifelong condition that draws us away from our homes and out to see new sites, new places, new people. We live and thrive on those experiences, and their memories are a force that pushes us to our next great adventure.

We plan for years to take that next major leap across the ocean, or months to head to another state or province. The excitement grows with each passing day, until it is almost impossible to concentrate. Sounds familiar?

Unfortunately, most of us can’t afford to travel all the time. We have jobs, families, responsibilities. Real life can’t be dropped on a dime as we carry ourselves off to this country and that. And most of us aren’t lucky enough to get a job where travel is the primary objective. So what do we do in the meantime?

Look at blogs that satiate that thirst, of course! You can find a never ending list of fantastic blogs dedicated to traveling on the low budget, luxury trips, long term backpacking, vacations, living abroad, study abroad, visa concerns and many more related topics.

These, in no particular order which one is the best, are some of our very favorite travel blogs and websites. Each one offers a unique style of writing, collection of experiences, and even many tips and tricks that you can take on your next travel exploits.

 

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Here are 26 Best Travel Blogs & Websites that you should follow

  • Travel and Leisure

    You may not have seen Travel and Leisure, but you almost certainly know the company that owns them, Time Corp. Their blog is a great source for tips on traveling in a more luxurious manner, complete with exclusive deals with partner sites like hotels and airlines. If you are looking to go on a more comfortable, glamorous vacation, this should be your first stop.

  • Nomadic Matt

    Matt Kepnes is a well seasoned traveler. Not only has he been around the world, but he has written a book about it titled How to Travel the World on $50 a Day. Now he is a blogger who brings those tips to readers so they can emulate him, and see the incredible things travel has to offer them, all on a budget.

  • View From The Wing

    Working as the Chief Financial Officer for a university, Gary Leff has done a lot of traveling. So much that he ended up launching InsideFlyer, a place dedicated to helping travelers get the most out of their frequent flier miles. He is also the founder of View From The Wing, where he talks about his experiences, and teaches the rest of us how to really get along for less. He also provides things like hotel rankings, airport information, and more.

  • Expert Vagabond

    Matt, not to be confused with Nomadic Matt above, is an adventurous traveler who calls himself a vagabond. Seeing his many incredible trips to destinations from one end of the globe to another, you could certainly see why. He shares the stunning photographs and amazing stories about his time in other countries, so vividly that you feel as though you were actually there..

  • The Planet D

    Dave and Deb have spent years going from place to place, near and far, at one another’s side. Now this charming couple has invited you along for the ride. They encourage people to get out of their seats and into the streets, especially those in places they have never been before. They are a truly inspiring couple, and great if you want to really get a feel for what adventure can bring to your life and relationship.

  • Two Monkeys Travel Group

    What if traveling was more than a hobby, but was an actual lifestyle? That is the way things have gone for Kach and Jonathan. They weren’t content just to travel sometimes, they wanted that experience all the time. So since 2013 they have been continuous wanderers. They share their tips, tricks, experiences, and occasionally frustrations as they live lives on the move.

  • The Blonde Abroad

    Female run travel blogs are pretty scarce. At least ones that get as up close and personal as this one. Kiersten was a corporate finance bigwig in California when she decided she needed to make some changes in her life. So she kicked the high paying job to the curb, packed her bags, and started making her way from country to country. As of this writing she has been to 50 at least once, and she documents her experiences with everyone on her blog. Occasionally she has guest writers on to share their own travel tales.

  • Camels and Chocolate

    Speaking of female run blogs, this one by Kristin Luna isn’t exactly a travel blog. Instead she shares everything from photographs of exotic trips, to her favorite recipes, to her home renovation DIY projects. It is an extensive, awesome website that can show you a lot, on a myriad of different subjects. All from a charming and cheerful Southern Belle that is more than happy to share her life.

  • Mr and Mrs Smith

    No, it isn’t a website about married spies. This is a website that shows you the latest deals about luxury accommodations, from hotels to resorts. Find out about the best savings, special offers, and read blogs about destinations that perfectly cater to what you want or need. They even have gift cards you can buy, so you can give the gift of luxury anytime!

  • Legal Nomads

    What do humans use as a universal experience? Food! We connect over meals, learning about cultures, and sharing with those we love. Legal Nomads is all about storytelling through food eaten across the globe, all by a friendly writer who is passionate about her subject. What is with the name? Back in 2008 the blogger decided her chosen career of law wasn’t for her. So she quit, took off on an extended bit of travel, and found a love of learning through cuisine.

  • Melting Butter

    Is there an overlap between design and travel? There is if you are the kind of person who only wants to stay in aesthetically pleasing accommodations. Melting Butter is a blog for the culturally and design obsessed traveler that wants to stay somewhere beautiful, modern, and nice to look at. They also cover nightlife, food and drink, and a lot more. So you can make every single stage of your trip look nice.

  • Travel Fish

    Worried about relying on what could be paid reviews when planning your destination vacation? Travel Fish is an independent travel guide that has no corporate ties. It covers Southeast Asia, specifically Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar/Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, and Indonesia.

  • Our Wild Abandon

    If you were to describe Kyla and Jill you could compare them to Thelma and Louise, only without the murder. They are a couple of wild gals who sold everything they owned all the way back in 2013 and went off on a trip of a lifetime. They are still consummate travelers, and offer some of the most frank and honest stories of their life around the world that you could ever hope for.

  • Huckberry

    This isn’t a travel site, though they do have travel stories. Basically, they are an inbox subscription. You sign up, they send you stories showing you everything from amazing gear for independent living, outdoorsmanship, travel (etc), to stories that are sure to inspire you.

  • Roam Magazine

    The planet Earth is a beautiful place, filled with stunning examples of nature. Roam Magazine is about capturing that beauty, and sharing it with those who would be inspired by it. They encourage submissions from writers and photographers who love to travel. They have some of the best destination photos on the web, and some incredible stories to go with them.

  • Roads and Kingdoms

    The American Society of Travel Writers once named Roads and Kingdoms the Best Travel Journalism Site. But they are much more than that. The blog focuses on food, culture, and even politics. All written for people who are more along the lines of a sophisticated and well informed crowd. You can’t read this blog without coming away from it with a sense of the glamorous.

  • Landcruising Adventure

    Karin-Marijke and Coen are a couple who do things a little differently. They take their Land Cruiser and travel from place to place, often taking it overseas. They have been to South America and Asia, and are now making their way through the Far East in their bright yellow vehicle. They don’t rush, often taking huge blocks of time on each trip. But their goal is to connect with other human beings on each new leg of their journey, staying in each place long enough to do so.

  • Lost With Purpose

    You may have come across Alex and Sebastian before, as their article on how they spent a year traveling the world on less than $20,000 became a major hit across the web. If not, you should definitely check out their site. They love to go to places most never dwell, and to find off the beaten path means of getting from place to place.

  • Scandinavia Standard

    From Sweden to Finland, Denmark to Norway, Iceland and The Netherlands, Scandinavia is a gorgeous collection of countries that are well known for their standards of living. If you have ever wanted to go there, this is the website for you. They bring you all things that make a Scandiphile smile, in every category. They even have a collection of posts for those hoping to make a move there.

  • Carnets de Traverse

    For those who speak French, this is a beautiful travel blog that celebrates the diversity and stunning imagery brought to you by places around the world. You will find some truly awe inspiring photographs here, spanning the globe.

  • Fresh Off The Grid

    Worried that your long term camping or backpacking trip is going to leave you eating nothing but unhealthy campfire and packaged foods? Megan McDuffie and Michael van Vliet feared the same, and so they decided to do something about it. During a year long road trip, they began to find new ways to cook healthy, nutritious meals while outdoors. Now they share recipes and tips for others who are doing the same.

  • Travel Dave

    Solo adventurer Dave Brett has a more impressive travel resume than most. He has been to an astonishing 86 countries, and has been traveling for his entire adult life so far. In fact, he started solo traveling clear back at the age of 15! His experiences are some of the most unique you could ever come across, and his casual yet descriptive storytelling is a great way to learn about what life is like traveling out on your own, even in the most unlikely of places.

  • Globe Trotting Ginger Travel

    Aubrie Engman has turned her love of travel into a career. Now she takes on clients who want to travel, but don’t really know where to start. ON top of this job, she also writes on her blog to help others get better deals, plan everything they need to for both long and short trips, and shares her own stories of life out in new places, meeting new people. Be sure to check out her useful reviews.

  • Trip Hackr

    What if you could fly across the world without paying a dime for airfare? What about living in a hotel for a month for half the price? Trip Hackr is a website that can help you travel for a fraction of what you would expect, using tried and true tips the blog writer uses himself. He has been to more than 100 countries (seriously!), and is sharing how you can do it, too.

  • Travel Tomtom

    Netherlands writer Tom loves to travel. He loves to travel so much his life revolves around it. He has figured everything out, from how to afford his trips, to how to stay fit while on the go. He shares everything openly with his readers, and the result is a truly helpful, everyday resource for those who plan on extended trips, especially backpackers.

  • Travel Telling

    Do you worry about the environmental impact of traveling? Then you may want to consider slow travel, one of the most environmentally-friendly forms of travelling. While this blog by Slow Traveler Matthias Derhake is a universal travel site, one of the best parts about it is the section on conscious traveling, where this particular way of traveling is discussed in detail. (Most of the articles are in German language).

    So that was our 26 best travel blogs that we are following.

How You Can Use Travel Blogs To Get Yourself Moving

Plenty of us just read travel blogs as a way to feel like we are traveling without stepping out of our homes. But we can use them for so much more. These twenty-six websites give us valuable information, insights, advises, and even inspiration.

When was the last time you did anything truly bold? If you go through the list you will be a number of people on those blogs that quit their jobs and left their lives behind to completely change the way they experienced the world. Of course, you don’t have to do anything so extreme (unless you want to). However, if they can give up everything to fulfill their dreams, what is stopping us from getting out of our comfort zones and taking a walk on the wild side?

Truly, these inspiring sites show you that you, too, can fulfill that dream. Yes, it will take some work, and some planning, and a lot of tips. But they can help you in every step of the way, and the results will be well worth the efforts.

Do US Citizens Need a Visa for Germany?

If you’re a frequent traveler for business or pleasure and you have the fortune of holding a US Passport, you’re probably aware of the stories in the news regarding a potential change in the visa requirements for Americans heading to Europe. Because the United States has refused to grant visa-free travel to citizens of Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland, and Romania, the reciprocity agreement seems to require the European parliament to respond in kind to the US government.

So far, there has been no real change to immigration policy on either side. Americans can still travel to the EU without a visa, and citizens of those five countries are required to apply for a visa prior to entry in the US. The European Parliament has merely passed a non-binding vote which may or may not be implemented in the coming months.

 

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Do US Citizens Need a Visa for Germany?

As it stands now, Germany, among other countries in the European Union, is accessible to all Americans for stays up to 90 days as part of the Schengen Agreement. Germany visa requirements allow US citizens to enter the country for tourism or business without a visa, provided their passports are valid for more than six months and are not otherwise damaged.

Need a German visa for longer than three months?

If you are planning to study abroad or work in Germany for longer than the current regulations allow, there are still options. To start a company in Germany, you’ll need access to 500,000 euros in investment funds and prove the new business will have at least five jobs available.

Travel Visa Pro can assist with these student visas, in addition to artist and work visas. Contact us now!

Renew your passport before you travel

Don’t let a damaged or expired passport keep you from enjoying the sights of Berlin or Heidelberg Castle. Our travel experts can renew your passport in as little as eight hours in some cases and eliminate any doubt you have regarding your travel documents.

5 Things to do once you get a New Passport

So, your passport is about to expire. No worries: we at Travel Visa Pro can assist you, whether you need one in a hurry or there’s plenty of time until your next trip. But what should you do once you actually have that new passport smell under your nose? There may be a few things you’ve failed to consider.

 

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1. Signature

Your new passport won’t be valid until you take a pen and sign that page with your John Hancock. Obviously, you should check that all the information on the document is accurate; although they are double and triple checked, sometimes things fall through the cracks. If you don’t plan to move in the next ten years, go ahead and fill out the appropriate address.

2. Update Personal Information for Travel

Your new passport, without exception, will have a new number, expiration date, issue date, etc. The only thing that remains the same is your name and birthday. Some airline websites keep your passport information recorded and automatically forward it to carriers when you book a flight. By the same token, some international ferry and train tickets require information like your passport number be received in advance; getting a new passport book can mean these tickets are now invalid, and may have to be reissued.

3. Transfer Visas

If you’re currently holding a long-term visa or even if you recently applied for a tourist visa, all these documents need to be transferred to the new passport. This means returning to the consulate or embassy of each respective country (or local immigration office, if you’re living abroad) and requesting that service; US passport agencies cannot legally transfer visas. Usually there’s a fee for this service as well.

4. Protect Your Data

US Passports are actually quite sensitive machines: bend the cover too much or get it wet and you may need a replacement. In addition, all are equipped with RFID (radio frequency identification). Though this makes it much easier to get through immigration faster, there have been some concerns about security, most of which can be alleviated by investing in an RFID-blocking passport cover.

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5. Keep it Safe

Getting a replacement passport isn’t cheap, and if yours is stolen, abroad or at home, chances are it’s going to be at a time when you need it the most, resulting in hefty fees and time lost. Even when you’re in another country and required to keep international identification on you at all times, be mindful of your surroundings.

What do I put for “local ID’ on the Chinese visa application

Drivers licence number

Do I really have to mail my passport? Is that safe?

You can either drop your paperwork off in person at one of our offices located throughout the country, or you can use a courier service like FedEx to ship your passport and paperwork to us. FedEx is very reliable and we recommend getting a tracking number.

 

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I already submitted my application at the post office/consulate can I still use your services?

No, once you submit your application you can not re-apply thru Travel Visa Pro.

I am sending you my passport with my picture on it. Why do you need another 2×2 photograph for the visa application?

When the Consulate receives both, it is easier for them see that the person who is applying for the visa and the person on the passport are the same. Also, U.S. passport is usually valid for 10 years and within that timeframe, people’s appearance tends to change. Providing the most recent passport style photograph on the visa application is the best way for the Consulate to keep track of your appearance when you enter the country.

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I am a Non-U.S. citizen and would like to travel to Italy. Can you help me get a visa?

Italy is part of a Schengen treaty. In order to obtain a Schengen Visa (which allows you to travel to 25 European countries) you must apply in person. The applications submitted by Third Parties or by mail will be rejected.

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I have received my passport back. Where is my visa?

Once you receive your passport back, please look through the passport pages. Approved visa looks like a sticker and is placed inside your passport.

 

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When I am applying for an E-visa, do I need to mail in my physical passport? And how will E-visa be returned to me?

You do not need to mail in your physical passport. You only need to e-mail a scan copy of it. Once E-visa is approved, the approval letter is emailed to you; therefore there is no shipping of any physical documents.