Hostels have played such a huge role in my travels and my life — especially party hostels. If I added up the happiest memories of my travels, hostels would be responsible for quite a few of them. Most of my closest travel friendships began in hostels as well. At the same time, though, I’m getting […]
My Favorite Hostels Read More »
This week’s question is one that I get asked quite often. If you bring your phone on your travels, how do you make calls abroad? I was wondering what cell phone and carrier you use? I have a centro and I’m with sprint but have never used my phone outside the USA. I’m going
Ask Kate: Should I Get An International Phone Plan? Read More »
For my final night in Costa Brava, Spain, I arrived in the inland town of Caldes de Malavella. This beautiful town ended up being an unexpected highlight of the region. I’d never heard of Caldes de Malavella before my arrival. The small town is an hour from either Barcelona or the French border and 15
Caldes de Malavella and The Best Sunset of My Life Read More »
What makes a travel destination a high value destination? This is something that I’ve been trying to define for the past few years, and I feel like I’ve finally got it: Value is figuring out what is important to you in a destination — the things you want to experience the most, the trade-offs you
What Are High Value Travel Destinations? Read More »
I usually try to answer general travel questions in Ask Kate and not get too specific to one person, but this particular question was so fitting for first-time solo travelers that I thought it would be a great addition. Hope you enjoy! Hi Kate, My fiance works many holidays and was on midnights for the
Ask Kate: Where Do I Go When I Haven’t Been Anywhere? Read More »
In some countries, the best season for eating is the heart of summer, when tomatoes and zucchini pop up in abundance. For other countries, it’s fall — the time of harvest and the time when all the best new wines come out. For France, however, I think that the best food season is the winter.
Winter French Dishes That Will Stick to Your Ribs Read More »
I was visiting my sister in New York last week when I got an urgent call from my dad. “You better not come back on Friday like you planned,” he said. “We’re getting a snowstorm. And this is going to be a BIG one.” Big was right. Soon we would be hit by Storm Nemo,
Surviving Snowstorm Nemo in New York and Boston Read More »
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This week’s question is about how to handle money — and are traveler’s checks worth it? I am going to Abu Dhabi for a 10 day trip in the spring — how should I handle my money? Do I need to get travelers checks? Can I use my debit and credit cards instead? The single
Ask Kate: How Do I Handle My Money While Traveling? Read More »
There’s a sad story in the news that I’ve been wanting to discuss here. An American woman, Sarai Sierra, was found dead in Istanbul. She was traveling alone at the time. This story is indisputably tragic, especially since Sarai was a mother to two young children. Predictably, there was an outcry. Go onto any site
The Truth About Solo Female Travel and Safety Read More »