Hey there Travellers,

As though racing overland across Europe weren't enough, I met several people last week who were not only travelling from London to Tallinn within 7 days, but who also had side quests scheduled in.

By that, I mean the family who did an escape room in every city they visited. Or the racers who went to concerts along the way (Oasis, Ed Sheeran, Rag'n'Bone Man to name a few). The sisters who went on a hike in the Black Forest after leaving London a day late due to seeing Oasis!

That got me thinking about my own little travel side quests, and the things I look for and do in every place I visit.

I'll be honest, I usually hunt down a Georgian restaurant wherever possible (Stockholm, Vilnius, Tallinn, Bishkek, Amsterdam, Berlin, Edinburgh, London...), and visit supermarkets just to get a feel for the place. But maybe I need a more niche travel side quest, like finding unusual vending machines.

So, dear readers, what are your favourite travel side quests? Be it trying the local beer or skydiving in every country you visit, we want to know! Jump into the comments, or reply to this email.

Happy travels and safe landings,

“You realize Wellington is, like, 6 hours away, right?”

My roommate at the Rotorua hostel seemed skeptical about my upcoming plans. He had just spent the last five minutes explaining his ambitious scheme to defraud Chase Bank out of 3 million dollars (it involved real estate loopholes), but now he was looking at me like I was the crazy one.

The rest of my New Zealand itinerary was met with similar misgivings. It takes a lot of driving to cover two islands in two weeks, and some people think of six hours in the car as a wasted day. But such is the life of a solo road tripper. “Hero” might be too strong a word to describe those of us who prefer open roads to closed itineraries, but then again, it might not be.

I’ve always enjoyed traveling unfettered, A/C in my hair and the sun at my back, so here are a few tips I’ve picked up to help you survive your own solo drives.

Know Your Car, Love Your Car

Don Quixote had Rocinante. The Lone Ranger had Silver. Me? I had a rented Suzuki Swift. Pure white, which is a solid enough color for a rental. White paint reflects light, keeping the interior a little cooler in the summer. A black car, on the other hand, will bake you alive on an open highway.

Another benefit of a white paint job: The reflected light helps to hide faint scratches. I wouldn’t rely on it, though. If you’re sticking to your home country, your car insurance will almost certainly cover you, no matter what you’re driving. But international travelers should spring for the coverage offered by the rental company.

Seriously, get the liability coverage. It might feel like a scam, but nothing ruins a road trip like a five-digit repair bill. That $150 insurance fee doesn't seem so bad comparatively.

A flat tire can also be a major mood killer, so make sure you’ve got roadside assistance lined up. You can usually get that service as an add-on when you’re renting the vehicle, but a motor club membership (like AAA in the US) is almost always the best investment. They have partner organizations all over the globe, plus you can sometimes get a discount on the car rental if you show your member card.

When you pick up the car, you’ll be tempted to take off as soon as possible. You’re excited to be somewhere new, you’re feeling a bit cooped up after the plane ride, and the open road is calling your name. I also had a time limit after landing in New Zealand—I had to get from Auckland to Pōkeno before the famous ice cream shop closed for the evening.

But, wherever you’re rushing off to, you can still spare 5–10 minutes to check out your new rental. Take pictures (or, even better, a video) of the exterior from every angle so they can’t charge you for pre-existing scratches, fiddle with the mirrors, and adjust the seat until your legs can stretch comfortably to the pedals. That last one is especially important if, like me, you’re over 30 and have to treat your body with kindness. Spending 3+ hours crammed into a poorly adjusted driver’s seat will do awful things to your knees and ankles, trust me.

If you’re in your early 20s and still feel invincible, at least mess with the headrest before you drive away. You might have ligaments of twisted steel, but neck pain comes for us all.

Keep in mind that, as a solo road tripper, your car is your castle. Accommodations come and go along your route, but the vehicle is a constant. Think of it as your hotel room on wheels and set it up accordingly!

I had my backpack on the floor of the front passenger seat, upright and unzipped so I could reach into it without taking my eyes off the road. I kept one water bottle in the center console cupholder, one in the door cupholder, and one on the passenger seat with my car snacks (vital for mid-drive munchies). In the back seat, a plastic bag for trash, to be emptied surreptitiously at unlocked dumpsters. My suitcase lived in the trunk with my jacket and hiking boots, hidden away from prying eyes and schlepped into a new hostel room every night.

Overkill? Maybe. But that little white hatchback was my transportation, dining room, and base of operations all in one, and keeping it in order made the whole trip smoother. And when I spotted a small wooden sign reading “RAINFOREST TRAIL” by the side of the road, I knew exactly where to find my boots.

Be Your Own Best Friend

One fun thing to do on a road trip is call a friend and make them listen to your chattering over speakerphone. It’s a pretty great way to kill a bit of time and get some much-needed social interaction. But, unless you have some very patient friends and a robust cell network, you’ll mostly be spending time on your own.

In the car. With nothing to do.

On a long solo drive, solitude can be your worst enemy. Well, no, your worst enemy is an overzealous gas station attendant who won’t let you use the bathroom unless you buy something. But solitude is up there. Luckily, the 21st century has plenty of ways to cure boredom.

Keep reading...

Slowing Down the Speed of Our Wanderlust. This is how tourist fines ask us to pause.

You’ve heard the protests, seen the headlines, “The new tourist fines sweeping Europe”. 

But depending on who you ask, the new rollout of tourism rules and regulations can feel like a total killjoy or long-overdue protection against an industry that’s been eating itself alive. 

Reading the list below, it’s easy to roll our eyes when we’re the ones passing through. But how would you feel if the beach you grew up hearing the waves at night now echoes with drunk tourists music and drones overhead? That street you grew up on where you learned to ride your bike? It’s now blocked with selfie-stick traffic impeding your route to work. 

And your favourite café, the one that knows your order by heart? They tell you that you’ll have to wait longer because tables are being saved for tourists that tip better and stay all day. 

Through this lens, it’s easier to see that these new waves of tourist fines are less about punishing visitors, and more about meeting a destination and its locals on their own terms. So, presuming you want to be a conscientious traveller and not become enemy #1 in your chosen destination, here’s everything you need to know.

Flip-flops behind the wheel in Europe

Rule / Fine: Up to €200 if police deem your footwear unsafe, despite no outright ban.

In countries like Spain, drivers are expected to maintain proper control of the vehicle at all times. Loose footwear like flip-flops can jeopardize pedal control, so officers can fine you if they judge your sandals to compromise safety.

Traveller Tip: Always pack a pair of light sneakers or secure sandals to slip on when you hit the open road.

No Swimwear Off the Beach (Europe, including Barcelona, Sorrento, Albufeira, Cannes, Venice)

Rule / Fine: Up to €1,500 for walking around in swimwear outside beach zones. It's just polite, really!

Traveller Tip: Keep a lightweight cover-up handy — say, a breezy shirt or sarong — for when you step ashore and into town.

Public Drinking (Spain, UK, Baltic states, Canada & more)

Rule / Fine: Up to €3,000 for alcohol consumption in non-designated public areas.

Party hotspots like Ibiza and Mallorca in particular are trying to curb rowdy public behaviour by outlawing open-air drinking away from bars and restaurants. But beyond that, many countries or local authorities have blanket bans on carrying open containers of alcohol in public. 

Traveller Tip: Check the local laws at your destination before cracking open a nice cold beer. If in doubt, sip your sangria indoors, at a bar’s outdoor terrace, or in your hotel.

Sunbed Reservation Abuse (Spain)

Rule / Fine: Around €250 for reserving a sunbed with a towel and abandoning it.

Resorts are cracking down on the old 6am towel trick to keep things fair and tidy for all beach-goers.

Traveller Tip: We’re not sure what to say about this one… Don’t get lost? 

Collecting Shells or Pebbles (Greece & Sardinia)

Rule / Fine: Up to €1,000–€3,000 depending on location.

Coastal ecosystems are fragile. Pocketing natural souvenirs threatens biodiversity and local ecosystems.

Traveller Tip: A picture says a thousand words. Take one, take a thousand — just leave the shells be. 

Swimming in Venice’s Canals (Italy)

Rule / Fine: Around €350 fine — and up to €1,000 if other violations apply. 

Repeat after me, “Canals aren’t for swimming, they’re for boats and sewage!” Banning swims protects both visitors and historic waterways — and probably protects you from at least a dozen infectious diseases. 

Traveller Tip: Stick to gondolas, or head to the Lido if you must get your feet wet.

Keep reading...

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across web this week.

• From Iceland to Hawaii, Antarctica to Australasia, some of the most spectacular places in the world are disappearing before our eyes. Here's how to see them before it's too late, without making matters worse.
  
  
• Who needs tongue twisters when you've got Zzyzx?
  
  
• It's probably not something to base your entire trip around, but it's certainly a nice boost when you realise you'll be travelling through one of the cleanest airports in the world.
  
  
• As conspiracy theories go, the Bermuda Triangle has been pretty persistent over the last half century. But now an Australian scientist claims to have worked out the mystery.
  
  
• And finally, if Antarctica is indeed on your bucket-list, this travel influencer has shown us exactly how not to get there… unless you want a very extended stay with the Chilean military, that is.