Image courtesy of Matt

There are loads of free attractions like the National Science Museum and the Tate Art Museums and a hundred other sights and walks to see and do. You can have a picnic in Hyde Park one minute and weave your way down Oxford Street the next. You can sit atop a lion in Trafalgar Square by day and admire the dazzling lights of Piccadilly Circus by night. As you well know, there’s a lot to get through in London – you’ll never do it in a day.

But what a lot of backpackers debate about is the best way to get to and from these sights and sounds. The world famous Underground, an unbelievable feat of engineering in itself, is by far the most convenient way to get around, but some argue that the Tube deprives you of the full visual charm of London. Others say that the Tube is part of the charm of London and, while you may not agree during rush hour when your face is squashed against the window of a train, this is hard to refute. The London experience is incomplete without a ride on the Tube.

Of course, if you’re pressed for time, then the Tube is often the best way to get between points of interest that are beyond walking distance. If you’re staying for more than a couple of days and you think you’ll make quite a few trips via the Underground, then be sure to bag yourself an Oyster card – you’ll save a small fortune on fares to spend on essentials like food and drink.

LondonNights.com offers discounts on hotels all over the capital for a place to stay, even if it’s just for a night. Pardon the cliché, but there really is something for everyone in this city; from every type of cuisine you could imagine to a bar or club for every type of music put there.

It is, like most cities, a very busy place, so you will need to keep your wits about you, backpackers. This is especially true during busy spells on the Tube, so it would perhaps be worth your while to have your backpack as a frontpack on there. This shouldn’t, by any means, serve to put you off London, since every city has its dangers: it does you no harm to be extra vigilant for both yourself and your mates.

The streets of London can be, in parts, as busy as the Tube, but it is really up to you how you travel and what you want to see. Your itinerary of places to see will inevitably dictate how much time you spend underground, so it is always advisable to plan your visit in advance. If you can walk it, walk it. If it’s too far to walk it, tube it. Either way, you’ll get to experience London at its exhilarating best.

photo credit:worldpress.org

Mine’s 25, and I am looking to get to 35 by the time I am 40 in 7 years time. My Mum’s is 21 and my Dad’s is 28, yet my boyfriend’s is only 9. What am I talking about? Countries. Or Countries visited to be precise. It was at the half point on the Inca Trail last year, and after an exhausting days trekking, my tent companion and I were indulging in a little pre-dinner relaxation, tending to blisters and catching up on our journals, when she asked me how many countries I had visited. I honestly had no idea, it wasn’t a list I’d ever consciously constructed before. According to my friend, ideally I should have visited one country per year of my life. At that point I was days away from my 32nd birthday. As I began listing, I was sure I’d been lucky enough to have taken one trip abroad most years, but to different countries each time, I didn’t think so? Damn those family caravanning holidays to France every Summer, they were going to damage my tally for sure. Thankfully, everyone can claim they have visited one country as where you were born or live counts for one. In terms of definitions, we are using the list of sovereign states (check out Wikipedia), so eager as I was to subdivide the United Kingdom into its 4 parts of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, this was not within the rules. However it does mean that places you might not even have thought of qualify, so if you have ever been to the south of France and visited Monaco, then as a the latter is a principality, that means you get 2 for the price of 1. What a bargain. Also, ever been to Rome? Did you go to the Vatican City? Another double whammy right there my friend.

The only other rule is to qualify what visiting a country means. Any place you fly to simply to connect for another flight and therefore never setting foot out of the airport, doesn’t count. So I can kiss goodbye to China after a lay over in Hong Kong en route to Australia, and also Guatemala after flying from Costa Rica to the US last year. The only other pre-requisite is either that you have spent one night in that country, or visited it for the purposes of a day trip. I thank my adventurous spirit for making me take a random day trip to Uruguay whilst I was in Buenos Aires last year and also for wanting to see Iguazu Falls from the Brazilian side as well as the Argentinean side. For the record, I think they are better from the Argentinean side, but who cares, it bumped me up one.

Once you have compiled your list you can begin to spot the gaps. I’m woefully low on Asian and African countries and for someone who has lived in the UK for most of my life, I feel like I probably should have a better list of European destinations than I do. For now, I’m residing in Toronto, which puts me in a reasonably good position to start ticking off some more Central American and Caribbean destinations. It’s funny how once you know your list, your travelling plans become governed by it. I find myself putting off a trip to Boston or a repeat visit to New York, because I’ve already been to the USA. I’m desperate to visit Rome and Florence, yet I won’t allow myself to until I have cross some more places off the list.

So what does your list look like? Who has the highest number? Let us know your magic number and what plans you have next to bump it up.

My list:
1. United Kingdom
2. Spain
3. France
4. Belgium
5. Netherlands
6. Germany
7. USA
8. Australia
9. New Zealand
10. Canada
11. Greece
12. Kenya
13. Monaco
14. Singapore
15. Italy
16. Ireland
17. Portugal
18. Argentina
19. Uruguay
20. Brazil
21. Chile
22. Bolivia
23. Peru
24. Costa Rica
25. Czech Republic

Written by: Vicky Fellowes
Vicky writes for dinner plate diaries where she blogs about her food adventures from around the world.

Well if I and like many others can travel by having a day to day life, why can’t you?

Reasons to stay at home

1. You feel secure: whether is may be, money, house, car, and all the materialistic objects
2. You feel safe: you are surrounded around your family/ friends and you know your city/town.
3. You have a career/job: you have a steady income or you are in a career position in something you love
4. You have a routine: you do your day to day routines, job, shop, socialize, and go home to a comfortable environment
5. You have a relationship
6. You want other things in your life before considering traveling. You believe traveling is too much of a leap.

Now if you think all this stops us backpackers, from traveling well you have that completely wrong. Most of us have all this back home, but when there is a gap between these reasons we include traveling to fill it in. There will always be reasons why to stay home, but to have the chance to see new places/countries when you can is not only rewarding but exciting to. Wouldn’t you rather want to snatch that up? It’s not only amazing to see new places everyday but expanding your knowledge about different cultures and traditions around the world is something you can not learn at home. Therefore, you may think you are learning a lot in an office environment, but imagine how much you would learn in just one day in a new country that is filled with things you have never experienced before. I realize it is easy to say rather than do, but some people are just too scared to consider backpacking. Yes, every backpacker is scared, but you have to get over that fear and feel the freedom around you. You will soon realize how rewarding it is to travel and see places that most of the world will never experience.
So anyone can get up and book that flight to another country, no matter how many reasons you have in why to stay home!! Its easy, you just need to figure the hard part out first.

As for me, my passion for traveling has never stopped due to obstacles in life getting in the way.

You can’t let those obstacles stop you from achieving your goals.

Traveling for me is a bug, so even though the ordinary day route of work is still there, I make sure to fit traveling in that lifestyle. Many people ask me, “well you must make a lot of money” or “you are one of those lucky people to get the time off work.” Well both comments are completely incorrect. Since I am so obsessed with seeing new places around the world, I make sure nothing stops me. It is a true passion of mine, so no matter how hard it is to find the time or money to travel I make sure it works. For the most part, backpacking can be very inexpensive. You just need to find flight deals, stay in hostels, and do everything on a low budget. Plus true backpacking is seeing the world on a budget. As a result, backpacking usually makes its way in my lifestyle ever few months. Even if it is a five day backpacking trip, at least I am doing something that I love.

So if you have a passion for something, make it happen even if it is extremely difficult to make. Anything and everything is possible. Also, life is to short to not do something you love.

French Quarter
The first thing on my list is to see is the French Quarter, also known to the locals as Vieux Carre. The French Quarter sits on the crescent of the Mississippi River, another one of the many highlights to see. This area is the city’s culture hub, where not only history surrounds the area, but also includes amazing architecture of a mix of Spanish, French, and Creole styles. Many courtyards, cast irons balconies, and 17th century chimneys are spotted throughout the quarter. Yet, obvious not only the architecture is important to experience, but also the delicious restaurants, history museum, wandering around the French Market, and taking in each street as the perfect shopping destination. It is said, by many do not be fooled by the French Quarter because there are some many things to experience. Since it is the home of many writers such as Mark Twain, Lafcadio Hern, and John James Audubon.

Historic Homes
I have always wanted to experience the New Orleans Plantations and the historic homes in the south. It is something where you can go back in time and grasp that feeling of the 17th and 18th century lifestyle. Even though I am a huge history lover these homes are one of the many tourist attractions for New Orleans. There is one particular plantation I am interested in seeing, which is called the Houmas House. It was once the largest sugar plantation in the world in the 18th century. The house was built in the early 17th century, but really didn’t take a purpose until 1810 where a Revolutionary War Hero, Gen Wade Hampton of Virginia purchased the property. He and his family started to shape the house into what it is today, a sugar plantation with over 300,000 acres. Among this property, there are many other plantations around the area that are filled with so much history and beauty that I plan to see.

Restaurants
New Orleans is known for the city to discover your love for unique cuisines. There are so many restaurants in New Orleans that are great, that choosing one will be very difficult, although there is one fun thing I really want to try. You can take a tour of the South Louisiana with Cajun and Creole classics or step into the Caribbean by sampling all the fresh seafood. Plus you can experience by dinning in as many cultures at once, Spain, Italy, Africa, South America, and France. Another. great reason to experience the true dinning life in New Orleans, is the eat in quaint courtyards and small little patios around the city limits. There is something for everyone in the city. Which is the reason why so many people around the world flock to this southern city. Plus not only is the history amazing and the food wonderful, but also the music scene. Many people just come due to the music. There is such a range of music styles in this city, that not one person can every get sick of.

So wouldn’t you say, this would be a great long weekend trip??

The two main things to do from Tangier are explore Essaouira and Cap Spartel. Essaouira is a small village located along the coastline of Morocco. It is a bit of a drive from Tangier, but since you are already near the coastline, why not take a wander down the coastline to not only explore the little towns, but also see this wonderful surfing beach. It’s where many surfers across the world come to enjoy one of the continents best places to catch a few waves. For now it is Morocco’s most popular destination to relax on the beach, among one of the most popular spots for hippies too. Cap Spartel is the favourite stopping point, only because it has the most extraordinary view of the meeting point of the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. You see the dark blue ocean meet crystal, clear turquoise water, where white sandy beaches start along the coastline. It is something that only those who see it will grasp how amazing the scenery really is.

As far as going to Tangier for the first time, you not only should experience Essaouira and Cap Spartel, but as the Grand Socco Square that is the entrance into the Medina. It is a square filled with cafes, restaurants, and market stalls. Seeing this square will grab your attention and really help you understand the local way of life within the city. Within this square you can wander around these little alleyways that will take you to see snake charmers and musicians. From here you will enter the Medina, the old city where you can come across jewelers to herbalists. It is a market that will not only amaze you for its variety of products, but also culture.

Tangier, for years has now been the hangout of many celebrities, and tourists that can just enjoy the laid back culture.

Prior to leaving for a 5-month semester in Monterrey, Mexico, people thought I was crazy. “Mexico is so dangerous”, “They’ll kidnap you”, “Don’t go out by yourself”, “Don’t walk alone when it’s dark”, “Don’t go to Chiapas, it’s dangerous”, “Don’t go to Mexico DF, you’ll get mugged” and the list goes on and on and on. And of course, I still went to Mexico. Not only did I go, but I traveled all around Mexico, I walked by myself at night and as you can see, I returned home safe and sound- and with lots of great Mexican memories!

Then prior to leaving on my 3-week trip to Brazil, I went through it again: “You’ll get kidnapped”, “They’ll remove your organs”, “You’ll get lost and get stuck somewhere”…  And after many attempts of people trying to discourage me from traveling by myself in Brazil, not only did I go, but I survived. And guess what? I had the time of my life! And looking forward to traveling by myself again this winter.

For all fellow women traveling in South America, it’s all about using your common sense. Whatever rules apply to the boys, apply to the girls. If you don’t wear jewelry, don’t flash your camera, don’t get drunk and act stupid and overall don’t look too much like a tourist, you’ll be more than fine. Whether you’re a man or a woman, you should avoid walking alone in dodgy looking areas or alleys. Follow your instinct, it’s normally right!

Do always be aware of your surroundings. You’re more likely to be followed than a man. Always be on guard when walking around a city or town. If you plan to go out drinking, do make sure you’re not going back to your hostel by yourself. Take the precautions to avoid getting yourself into trouble. The obvious: don’t accept a ride, an offer or anything from a stanger. If you haven’t known the person for more than 5 minutes, you may be taking a big risk.

Do have fun and enjoy! You’ll meet tons of other fellow travelers. People who haven’t traveled much tend to be paranoid about places like South America. It’s really not as dangerous as everyone makes it appear to be. Obviously some countries in South America are unstable and unfortunately have their economic and political problems but most places are safe for tourists to travel to.

On my way to spend New Year’s Eve in Nice (France) a few years ago, I found myself  in London for a about 8 hours. I was traveling with two other friends and there was no way we were going to hang out in Heathrow that day. We paid a few pounds (a lot actually!) to leave our luggage in the airport and got on the tube… Destination: London! As none of us really knew London, we studied the map of the tube, got a map of the city, and off we were on some adventure. We spent an awesome day walking around the city and visiting some main touristic sites such as Picadilly Circus, Big Ben and Buckingham Palace.

Regardless of the city you are on a stopover, the first thing you need is a wide timeframe to get to the city center and enjoy your visit there. If the airport is over an hour away, it may not be worth all that traveling to get into town. Otherwise, all you need is a good pair of shoes, a map and a watch to make sure to catch your flight on-time for your final destination. Go for it!