by Trav | Feb 17, 2014 | Podcast, Podcast Interview
A nice book, a good bottle of wine, and a comfortable reclining chair.
It sounds like a fantastic night!
But instead of sitting in your living room, you’re speeding past some of the world’s best countryside, a moving mural of lush fields, incredible mountains, and amazing seascapes…all while getting to your next destination!
Mark Smith, better known as the Man in Seat 61, paints the picture of putting the romance and relaxation back in to travel by taking trains, an often overlooked form of traveling by most people, especially Americans.
Mark has created the ultimate train travel resource on the internet, and in this episode, he not only discusses why people should consider train travel but gives incredible tips and real-life examples of how it can be more cost-effective and convenient than taking a flight.
As someone who has used Mark’s website innumerable times over the last few years, and because of this, gotten to experience the joys of train travel, I couldn’t be happier to have him on the show. He is absolutely full of incredibly practical and useful information, tons of which he shares today.
Want to know Mark’s secrets for a more relaxing trip, including some of these favorite trips by train?
Have a listen to this awesome interview.
Right-click to download this episode directly
Check out the entire library of EPoP Travel Podcasts on iTunes (and leave a rating)!
In This Episode:
- Why the experience of train travel dwarfs that of a plane.
- How train travel can be cheaper AND as quick as traveling by plane.
- How to book train tickets early to save up to 70%.
- Which countries are the cheapest for booking your tickets?
- The ins and outs of inclusive rail passes and determining whether they are worth it.
- Picking the right sleeper train.
- The right websites to book train tickets with.
- Combining train and ferry tickets for an even better value and more memorable experience.
- Mark’s favorite train trips, including the one you probably never thought of.
And much more!
Links Discussed in This Episode:
I Need Your Help
Mark is one of the most knowledgeable guys I’ve ever met and also one of the nicest. Show him some love by click “Tweet This” below:
@seatsixtyone has me dreaming of boarding my next #train! Thanks so much for all the info you shared on the EPoP #Podcast w/ @PackofPeanuts.
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I’m giving away $100 once we hit 100 ratings on iTunes, so why not take 1 minute, leave a rating, and enter to win!
Leave a Rating for the Podcast, Win $100! (now fixed so it works).
by Trav | Feb 10, 2014 | Podcast, Podcast Interview
Like most of us, 15-year-old Jessica Lawrence had a dream. She knew what she wanted to do, and she was going to do it.
Except, like most of us, she put it off…and put it off…and put it off.
Until, 22 years later, she finally stopped putting it off…and just DID IT.
She cycled across the entire country, 4200+ miles, alone. Not as a college student. Not as a retiree. And not as a foreigner.
But as a 37-year-old single woman who has a job, has a career, and has a life.
And now, she’s on a mission to motivate others to take a hold of their dreams and find a way to do them, no matter how long they’ve put them off and no matter how many excuses they’ve made.
But the great part of this interview is that not only is Jessica incredibly motivating, but also hilarious.
From being asked if she’s carrying a gun with her (4 times!) to being proposed to by a 79-year-old man, Jessica recounts some of the best stories from her amazing journey and also gives insanely useful tips for anyone wishing to do the same.
Inspirational + Humurous + Actionable = a podcast you won’t want to miss!
Right-click to download this episode directly
Win $100!
I’m giving away $100 once we hit 100 ratings on iTunes. Come on people, let’s do this…the money is burning a hole in my pocket!
Leave a Rating for the Podcast, Win $100! (now fixed so it works).
In This Episode:
- The true cost of biking across the country.
- Why it’s never too late to make a dream a reality.
- Small things you can do to balance work and play.
- Why you don’t need real training to bike across the country.
- The 3 types of people who bike across the US (and why Jessica was none of them).
- The toughest obstacles in achieving any goal (they’re not what you think).
- Why the fears of travelers are much different than the fears of those who stay at home.
- Taking big life lessons learned from travel and incorporating them into normal life.
- The best website for making friends and getting meals while biking.
And much more!
Links Discussed in This Episode:
I Need Your Help
Jessica is an incredible inspiration to people of all ages (and hilarious to boot)! Show her some love by click “Tweet This” below:
@Roadtorhode Congrats on the journey & thanks for inspiring me to go after my #travel dreams on the EPoP Podcast with @PackofPeanuts.
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by Trav | Feb 3, 2014 | Podcast, Podcast Interview
When was the last time you heard of someone:
- starting their own successful website
- crushing their courses
- and paying off their student debt
…all while they were still in college?
Mark Zuckerberg, you say?
Pssshhh…He never even graduated!
How about someone who did all that AND got his degree?
Like a unicorn, Thomas Frank of CollegeInfoGeek is a rare specimen.
He’s built an incredible website that, despite the name, helps people of ALL ages figure out how to become more productive, get a job they actually want, and pay off debt.
And in his spare time, he’s also taken multiple trips to Japan, which has to lead to a few funny stories.
One of the main reasons I wanted to have Thomas on the podcast was because, unlike many past guests, he hasn’t galivanted all over the globe…yet!
But, at the young age of 22, he has found a way to give himself freedom.
Freedom from a job and freedom from debt, so that now he’ll be able to do something he’s always wanted to do, and that’s to travel more.
And FREEDOM is what many people, especially those who yearn to travel, are after.
So if you’re one of those people looking to achieve some more freedom in your life, soak in these wise-beyond-his-years words from Thomas Frank.
Right-click to download this episode directly
Win $100!
I’m giving away $100 once we hit 100 ratings on iTunes. Come on people, let’s do this…the money is burning a hole in my pocket!
Leave a Rating for the Podcast, Win $100! (now fixed so it works).
In This Episode:
- How to make yourself indispensable for a company.
- The most important quality you need to set yourself up for the long term success.
- Why prepared people get lucky.
- How failure to land a “dream position” lead to an even better opportunity.
- How Thomas paid off $14,000 in debt while still in school without a full-time job.
- Sleeping in a Japanese airport for 13 hours.
- Why freedom is the most important goal to work towards.
And much more!
Links Discussed in This Episode:
I Need Your Help
Thomas is doing something many of us wish we had done; taking control of his life at a young age, and helping others do the same. Show him some love by click “Tweet This” below:
@TomFrankly is wise beyond his years! Thanks for awesome tips on productivity, freedom, and Japan on the EPoP Podcast with @PackofPeanuts
Tweet This!
I’m giving away $100 once we hit a 100 ratings on iTunes, so why not take 1 minutes, leave a rating, and enter to win!
Leave a Rating for the Podcast, Win $100! (now fixed so it works).
by Trav | Jan 30, 2014 | Apartment Rentals
Our GoWithOh apartment in Florence, which was located right in the heart of the city.
[My accommodations in Venice, Florence, and Rome were complimentary courtesy of GoWithOh but the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own. I’d recommend GoWithOh to anyone, even my own mother (in fact, I have)!]
When I travel, I’m a snob.
Not a “I want to have only the most expensive rooms and meals” type snob.
But a “I want to have as authentic and unique an experience as possible” type snob.
I want my trip to be different.
To have special touches.
To have magic.
And while traveling has a way of doing that on it’s own, I also think that the type of places you decide to stay can play a big part in what type of experience you have.
Which is why I usually eschew chain hotels for something more local.
Something with more personality.
Something that can give me a sneak peak in to the culture of an area, and provide me with a unique and interesting experience.
And one of the best ways to do that is renting apartments for a short period of time, a trend that is taking off in recent years.
Here are a few of my favorite benefits of staying in apartments.
The Benefits of Staying in an Apartment
The bedroom of our GoWithOh apartment in Florence.
Apartments provide many conveniences hotels don’t
Almost all apartments will come with a fully equipped kitchen, a huge plus, especially if you’re staying in a place for a few days.
Also, it may have a washer and dryer, which means you can easily do laundry if need be.
Apartments are bigger than hotel rooms
One of my favorite things about staying in apartments is having some room to stretch out. I hate walking in to a hotel and having my bag and all my stuff right next to me.
In an apartment, you don’t feel like you’re right on top of everything.
Apartments can be found in unique areas of a city
Most of the bigger hotels are found clustered in one spot of a city, usually the most touristed area.
Oftentimes, you can find apartments there if you’d like, but you can also find apartments in some quieter, more local, and more authentic spots of a city.
Apartment owners are a great resource for local tips
I always pick the brain of the apartment owner when we first arrive, asking them their favorite restaurants and activities.
It’s like having a built in local guide, and it’s helped us enjoy some really amazing places we would never find in a mass produced guidebook.
You can’t beat the human element, which is what traveling is all about.
Every apartment has it’s own quirks
What may be a turn off to some is a huge plus for me. You can never quite be sure what an apartment will be like until you get there, which is part of the fun.
In almost every instance, we’ve been pleasantly surprised, and the quirkiness of a place has helped make the experience more memorable.
Apartments come in all shapes and sizes
Renting an apartment really can be for anyone. Couples can easily find studios and 1 bedrooms to fit their needs.
For bigger groups, like families, apartments are an excellent choice because they allow you to all be together under one roof and are typically much cheaper than getting a couple of hotel rooms.
Sold on renting an apartment for your next trip?
Great, here is my favorite resource for renting apartments in Europe!
GoWithOh- Where I “Go” For Apartments in Europe
Our GoWithOh apartment in Rome, which was right next to the Roman Forum.
During our trip to Italy, Heather and I stayed at apartments in Venice, Florence, and Rome that we had found through GoWithOh.
GoWithOh is a European accommodation site that has over 2,800 apartments in 17 of the major cities across Europe, including London, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, and Barcelona, among others.
It was our first time using GoWithOh and we couldn’t have had a better experience.
Here are a few of the things I particularly enjoy about GoWithOh.
The Array of Choices
As mentioned, GoWithOh has over 2,800 apartments, which means there is something for everyone.
If you want a smaller, more affordable apartment for 2 people, they’ve got that.
If you’re looking for an apartment that can fit a whole family, they’ve got that.
Or if you want a super-chic upscale place to really spoil yourself, they’ve got that as well.
The Attention to Customer Service
What really sets GoWithOh apart is that they take special care in making sure everything goes so smoothly.
While you interact directly with the apartment owner to get the keys and check-in, there are also GoWithOh staff members (who speak a total of 13 languages) constantly ready to help.
They aren’t simply a site that has you book a place through them and then puts you out on your own.
They’ll be there every step of the way, if need be.
A High Standard of Quality
GoWithOh doesn’t allow just anyone to list their apartment.
Instead, each apartment has to go through a vetting process and meet a certain standard before it can be listed.
After this, if an apartment doesn’t receive a high enough feedback rating from people who have stayed there, it will also be pulled.
This helps ensure that you’re always getting an apartment that meets a high standard of quality.
An Easy to Use Website
I love to do a ton of research before booking a place, and so using GoWithOh is like heaven.
You can set all types of filters, from number of bedrooms to price, to narrow down your search.
You can also search by map view, my favorite function, so you know exactly what area you’ll be in.
To top it off, each apartment has TONS of pictures as well as reviews of past guests.
Final Word(s)
Next time you’re traveling, I would highly recommend taking a look at renting an apartment if you’re staying in an area for a couple of days.
Apartments make very comfortable, easy, and enjoyable home bases for exploring cities and provide a unique travel experience that can’t be matched.
If you are traveling through Europe, I can’t speak highly enough about GoWithOh.
They’ve got an amazing variety of choices, and every single GoWithOh apartment I’ve stayed in, from a 2 bedroom in northwest Venice to a 1,000 year old apartment in the heart of Florence, has been phenomenal.
The personal attention and customer service they provide is incredible, and you’ll be in good hands should you choose to use them.
Have you ever stayed in an apartment before? If so, where, and how was your experience?
To read more about traveling cheap in Italy, check out these posts:
by Trav | Jan 27, 2014 | Podcast, Podcast Interview
Would you open your home to someone you’ve only met on the internet who was traveling through your area and looking for a place to stay?
Martina Steinmann would, and so would 7 million other people (including myself) who are part of the global phenomenon that is Couchsurfing.
Wait…couch WHAT?
CouchSurfing, which is the term used for opening up your couch for travelers who are passing through and giving them a place to stay…for free.
After reading that sentence, you’ve already whether CouchSurfing is either the craziest idea you’ve ever heard or the most awesome.
Think it’s the most ludicrous?
Good. Apprehension and nervousness are natural. Let us convince you otherwise by discussing why CouchSurfing is much safer than you think (I’ve surfed and hosted, and I’m still alive) and why over 7 million people have joined.
Think it’s the most awesome?
Martina will tell you how to get started, what to include in your profile, and how to make the most of the amazing opportunities Couchsurfing provides travelers and hosts.
Martina will also tell you the 3 most interesting Couchsurfing stories she’s ever heard (and there are a lot) and why being lost in 3 languages is the best travel experience she’s ever had.
No matter what side you fall on, you’ve got to have a listen to this incredible interview.
Right click to download this episode directly
In This Episode:
- The benefits of Couchsurfing vs. a hotel or hostel.
- How Couchsurfing has grown, completely through word of mouth, to 7 million people in every country in the world.
- The multiple ways Couchsurfing ensures the safety of its guests and hosts.
- How new members can build appealing profiles and get accepted by hosts.
- Why taking 45 minutes for lunch can change your world, even if you can’t travel.
- The best and cheapest way to explore a city.
- Being lost in 3 languages…and loving it!
And much more!
Links Discussed in This Episode:
I Need Your Help
Martina and the whole team at Couchsurfing is doing an amazing job making the world better for travelers. Show them some love by clicking “tweet this” below:
@martlsteinmann Thanks for sharing the awesome story of @couchsurfing on the EPoP Podcast with @PackofPeanuts. #Timetosurf
Tweet This!
I’m giving away $100 once we hit 100 ratings on iTunes, so why not take 1 minute, leave a rating, and enter to win!
Leave a Rating for the Podcast, Win $100! (now fixed so it works).
