Our Travel Picks of The Week : 10/12/07

October 12, 2007

Travelers to Paris can now bike around the city for as little as 1 Euro a day (about $1.40 USD). These bikes, called Velibs can be picked up and dropped off at any of the approximately 1000 stations all across the city. Equipped with locks, lights and carry baskets, Velibs are just right for the environment and the budget!

Few pleasures equal the joy of hiking on a beautiful day; scaling majestic summits, walking through tree arches and quenching thirst from gurgling brooks. Proper gear and conscientious preparation go a long way in getting the most out of your trail adventures. Backpacker.com’s editor-in-chief Jon Dorn has video advice on how to prevent blisters on your hiking trips.

If you want to make new local friends in the place you visit and spend the night for free on their couch, welcome to the network of couch surfing. Ask for a couch on the date you want and if a host match is found, you do not have to bother about booking a hotel or a hostel. Just to make sure you are not uncomfortable, and to take these acts of kindness of strangers beyond random, you can look for details of other surfers who have vouched for their hosts. The host’s personal information is verified and kept up-to-date. With over 335,000 registered couch surfers in 223 countries, the Couch Surfing project is creating strong currents in the international travel community.

Along with flexibility in decision making about time and budget, solo travel can also provide heightened intimacy with destinations visited and allows savoring of moments of solitude that greatly enhances travel experiences, says Volker Poelzl. He makes a case for traveling alone and provides tips to do it comfortably.

Traveler’s depression can leave the solo traveler wishing to get teleported home, then and there. Maintaining a forward-looking attitude with the determination to ride it out helps avoid about turns and breakdowns. GoBudgetTravel has strategies to maintain a healthy mental equilibrium when you are on the emotional roller coaster ride of long-term travel.

To wrap up, and to make you smile, here’s how a traveler found the carpet of his dreams in the city of magical minarets and suave salesmen in Jason Fields’ slideshow Rug Burn in Istanbul

Written by Mala · Filed Under Editor