You used to dream of seeing the world … but then you woke up. You went online to check your balance … and then looked away before you could really see how little money was there. You can’t leave your job or your house, and it’s hard enough to get your kids out the door for school. Becoming a traveler? Forget it. No chance.
Or is there? Here are 15 of the best travel blogs for people who don’t think they can travel. Each of these travel bloggers has overcome one or more of the obstacles that keep most of us from believing we can travel: money, kids, commitments and even physical handicaps
Let’s get this out of the way…travel does cost money. Flights, lodging, and food all add up. And yet, it doesn’t have to cost as much as you’d think, and you don’t have to be rich to travel, even full-time. These bloggers are living proof that you don’t need a lot of money to travel the world, and they’re an excellent source of tips and tricks to make travel more affordable.
Nomadic Matt’s Travel Blog: Traveling the World on $50 a Day
Matthew Kepnes, aka Nomadic Matt, has been traveling the world since 2006. He is the author of How to Travel the World on $50 a Day, and his blog is full of helpful advice to bring travel within reach of all but the most restricted budgets. He also does interviews and guest posts from travelers who have overcome all sorts of obstacles.
eTramping.com: Traveling the World on $25 a Day
Does $50 a day still sound too expensive? How about $25/day? Polish travelers Agness and Cez show you how they keep costs low on the eTramping blog. Check them out for extreme (but still reasonable) budget travel tips, plus articles on destinations, travel photography and more!
The Poor Traveler: “We are everything a traveler should not be.”
Yoshke and Vins are two friends from the Philippines who built an amazingly successful travel blog starting from almost nothing. They lived in an apartment with roommates, worked an entry-level job and had no disposable income. But with persistence, Yoshke was eventually able to quit his job to travel full-time. Vins chose to keep his job and join in on weekends.
Take a look at The Poor Traveler out for hilarious anecdotes and frugal travel advice, with a special focus on Asian destinations.
Sample post: Gili Islands Budget Travel Guide
Wandering Earl: “When I landed in Bangkok, I had $1500 USD to my name and that was it.”
In 1999, Wandering Earl started traveling with only $1500 in his bank account. Somehow, he made it work, turning his adventures into a successful travel blog and tour company.
Sample Post: Should You Start Traveling Now, or Later?
4 of the Best Travel Blogs for People With Small Children
Think you can’t travel with kids? It can be done, and these 5 fabulous blogs will show you how:
Almost Fearless: Two grownups, now outnumbered
Christine Gilbert began traveling with her husband Drew in 2008. Since then, they’ve welcomed three children … and they kept traveling. In fact, they attempted an epic bike trip across Europe with a one-year-old and a four-year-old. Almost fearless, indeed.
Check them out for stories and information about life on the road/expat life with kids, raising bilingual children and advice about living and working as a digital nomad.
Sample post: The Wild Beastie Years
Our Oyster: 3 years old, 20 countries, one amazing mom!
Our Oyster is the online home of mother/son traveling pair Jade and Jason. At 3 years old, Jason has already been to 20 countries and counting. Read their blog to follow their adventures and get great tips on budget travel and family travel.
Sample post: The Balkans Are the Best for Traveling Families
Travel With Bender: The most well-traveled children in the world, according to Forbes
No, not Bender the robot from Futurama … this is the travel blog of the Bender family, who have been traveling the world since 2012. They started their adventures with a two-year-old and a three-year-old. Since then, they’ve been to more than 60 countries with the kids in tow. Follow their blog for reviews, tips and ideas for family fun at destinations around the world.
Sample post: Can You Take Kids on a Holland America Cruise?
Suitcases and Sippy Cups: Suburban life, with a twist
Living life on the road with kids may not appeal to you, and that’s okay. Suburban
mom Jessica and her family prove that you don’t have to give up the minivan and the white picket fence to travel. Check out her blog for more on how they make travel work with four rowdy boys.
Can’t take your job on the road? Don’t want to live life without a permanent address? Does your life partner hate to leave home? There’s a certain allure to the idea of selling everything and hitting the road … but the reality is, that’s not practical for most people. So, here are 3 travel blogs from travelers who only travel part-time.
Ordinary Traveler– “Trip ideas for people with limited vacation time.”
Christy and Scott have been traveling together since 2006, all while maintaining a home and careers in the US. Check out their blog for tips on travel, off-the-beaten-path destinations, photography and making the most of whatever travel opportunities you have.
If money isn’t an object but you prefer to put down roots with a house, pets, and other commitments, LandLopers is your kind of travel blog. Blogger Matt Long will help you find the best, most luxurious ways to make the most of your time in destinations around the world.
Sample post: More random thoughts about travel
Camels and Chocolate: “Just a girl who has managed to balance a career with a family and jet setting … “
Camels and Chocolate blogger Kristin Luna has an old house in Nashville, a busy career, a fluffy white
child dog and a travel habit. Read the blog to find out how she makes it all work and for travel tips and inspiration from destinations across the South and around the world.
Sample post: How to Be the Best Air BnB Guest You Can Be
4 of the Best Travel Blogs for People With Disabilities
Want to experience the world, but afraid your physical challenges will get in the way? Most travel blogs are aimed at able-bodied young adults. Plus, other countries often don’t have the same level of accessibility that we take for granted in the United States.
But travel is often still possible, as these 4 bloggers demonstrate:
Curb Free With Cory Lee- Sharing the world from a wheelchair user’s perspective
26-year-old Cory Lee plans to visit every continent in the world, and his wheelchair is coming along for the ride. Follow his adventures and find out how he manages the logistics of it all on his blog. You’ll also find lots of interviews with other travelers with disabilities and tips for traveling with a disability.
The Geordie Traveller: Every Country in the World, in a Wheelchair
Wikipedia only lists 9 people who have visited all 193 countries in the world (here, “country” is defined as a UN member state.) There are undoubtedly more…but probably not many more. Anthony Tipling-Bower plans to join that club from a wheelchair. Also, he’s hilarious. Read more about his adventures on his blog, The Geordie Traveller.
Sample Post: “How do you manage to travel with your wheelchair?”
Three Points of Contact- “Running amok around the world while legally blind. “
Three Points of Contact is run by Dan, a Canadian blogger who travels the world with extremely limited vision and an unlimited sense of (somewhat sarcastic) humor.
Although he does blog, most of the action is on his YouTube channel.
RexyEdventures: Travel tips, deaf travel tips, and handsome selfies
Ed Rex has been traveling the world since 2011. Check his blog out for travel tips, information on how to score luxury travel on a budget and of course, handsome travel selfies.
Did I mention he is profoundly deaf? He is, and he’s also an amazing resource for other deaf and hard-of-hearing travelers. Check out his blog for more!
Do you really want to travel? Hopefully, these blogs will give you ideas on how to overcome whatever it is that’s standing in your way. Sure, you probably won’t be able to leave tomorrow. But if you make a plan and stick to it, you might be surprised at what you can accomplish.
Part of the plan needs to include getting a passport, of course. Apply early- it can take 4 to 6 weeks for regular processing. Expedited processing via the post office still takes 2 to 3 weeks. If you need your passport faster, RushMyPassport can help.