Tweet Your Trip

Have you ever wanted to explore some places which are off the beaten track? Places away from the usual tourist traps? There are some incredible destinations which are as good as, if not even better than those tourist places which get inundated with floods of people. Instagrammable alternatives we could call them! Let’s discover some of the best kept travellers secrets.

Light It Up

Everyone who is everyone seems to want to witness the Northern Lights. And why not. They are spectacular. Wonderful lights dancing across the sky in unbelievable colours. But did you know there is also the Southern Lights? It’s basically exactly the same but in the Sourthern hemisphere. You can’t get quite as close to them from a mainland location but they can still potentially be seen. The tips of Australia, New Zealand or Chile are ideal but head to the islands of the Southern Ocean for the best chances. Proper travellers secrets! The Northern Lights are the popular place so why not head to the less popular place where you can see stunning displays too?

The Original, Not The New

Did you know that the Taj Mahal, in many ways, was based on another building? There was a, kind-of prototype! Makes you wonder why so many people queue up to enter the wonder of the world every day. Instead of join the queue, check out the red-stone arches and bulbous dome of Humayun’s Tomb. Escape the hustle and bustle of Delhi, enjoy the grounds, take in the gardens, witness the 16th century architecture without so many of the crowds. You might even be able to get a decent photograph without someone else’s head in the shot!

Witness The Waters

Did you know that more people visit Venice every day during the summer months than actually live there? Many of them are just day trippers there for the photos who don’t really bring that much cash into the city itself. Some travellers who hate the crowds but love the location are looking for alternative locations. They may have found one in Annecy in France. The ‘Pearl of the French Alps’ as it’s known has the Thiou river and canal waters running through old town. You can take in the waterside markets, walk the narrow streets and cross the waters via little bridges as well as drifting along the stunning waters. On top of that though, and try doing this ins Venice, you can access mountains or alpine lakes.

A Catalonia Alternative

Barcelona is a wonderful place and the home of some fantastic things to experience. The capital of Catalonia is pretty special but it has millions of visitors every year. Where can you go to get that fix of cobbled lanes, courtyards and wonderful views? Head to Girona, which is 100km from Barcelona and you’ll discover 14th-century city walls with brilliant cafes, a stunning cathedral and spectacular views over to the Pyrenees. Everything you love about Barcelona without the 32 million tourists who visit every year.

Dive In Differently

If you love the ocean and are a keen diver, the Great Barrier Reef is likely on your bucket list. However, with so many people having the same thought, the dream destination is becoming affected. Looking for an alternative takes you to the other side of Australia and the Ningaloo Reef. It’s one of the longest near-shore reefs in the world and the world’s largest fringing reef system! Snorkel with humpbacks, sharks, manta rays and turtles. The Ningaloo Reef won’t be one of the travellers secrets for long!

Change The Game

It’s down to Game Of Thrones and dirt cheap flights that have forced the local authorities to enforce a maximum of 4000 visitors per day to Dubrovnik in Croatia. The popularity is obvious and the views are incredible from this clifftop location. However there are other places which are similar, without the tourists and capped visitors. Óbidos in Portugal is a hilltop town with white washed facades, cobbled streets and amazing views. The highest point is the castle which is now accommodation. A stay here would allow you to witness the town going to sleep after most of the visitors have retreated home. As well as witness the next day begin, as the sun rises over the medieval churches and the pastry shops open for business.

There are so many places which we can explore and enjoy without adding our feet onto overly touristy destinations. There are alternatives for Petra in Jordan, the Colosseum of Rome and even the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu. Have a great time discover some travellers secrets!

Travelling is a great way to discover who you are, see the world and open your mind. Lots of us do this with friends, partners or loved ones but have you ever considered traveling alone? If you want to get away from it all and enjoy some independence, or you’ve simply found yourself in a situation where you have no one to travel with, there are some amazing singles holidays for you to enjoy!

Travelling Alone

People travel by themselves for many reasons and even though some may find it strange, there’s nothing odd about it. People end up by themselves for many reasons. Perhaps their travelling partner or loved one has died by but they want to continue to see the sights and enjoy the road trips for the both of them. Maybe it’s some self care time where you just want to be by yourself and discover who you are. It could well be the fact that they’re a bit of a lone wolf and don’t have many friends but have never let that hold them back. For whatever reason you consider travelling alone, you are brave to do it. Having to rely solely on your own decision making and venture into unknown lands on your own is extremely courageous.

Single Travel Surcharge

Some travel companies see single travelers as a negative and often put a single person surcharge. This, I don’t think, should be something they do and there are in fact some specific companies who don’t because they don’t think it’s right either. Your best bet is to find one of those singles holidays companies who see each traveler as an individual and don’t charge you extra for being by yourself. They specialise in it and actually help aid single person travel. The single charge surcharge should be abolished. It really shouldn’t matter who we travel with, or don’t travel with. We should be encouraging getting out and enjoying the world.

Meet New Friends

One of the great things about travelling by yourself is all the potential new friends you might be. They could be travel partners for a few days or week or even become lifelong friends. With social media you can keep in touch and see where each of your travels are taking you. You might have to push that bravery a little further and push yourself out the box. Have the confidence to speak to strangers but you never know just who you might meet. If you’re on the lookout for love, you might even find someone to travel with long term!

Solo Adventure Is Waiting

From travelling the world with a backpack to enjoying relaxing by the pool in the sunshine, there are singles holidays for everyone. Some may be to helping you as a solo traveler enjoying an adventure. Others might connect you with other single people with the hope of romance blossoming. Where will you be heading to? Will it be a short train trip or a long haul flight? Whatever you’re looking for on your solo adventure, be sure to embrace chances, open your eyes and enjoy the journey just as much as the destination.

If you’re on holiday, travelling the world, backpacking through your gap year or jet setting across the globe, if you’re tweeting your trip, you want to be seen. Get your travel hashtags game on point and you’ll see your interaction and engagement rate rise and grow your following. Let’s look at some hashtags for travel.

Before Your Tags

Let’s consider your content before we even start looking at your hashtags. You need to give any potential followers a reason to follow you. Your photography needs to be top notch and your surrounding copy needs to be on point. Tell a story, give details about where you’re going, who you are and the travels thus far. If you want people to hop on your exploration with you, let them into your life, fully. Real stories full of personality. Get all of this in place before you start adding travel hashtags and people will follow your journey.

Know Your Social Network

Different social networks allow you to use different amounts of hashtags in your posts. Instagram limits you at thirty and you can put as many as you can fit into Facebook and Twitter posts. However there is also a certain etiquette you should try to follow. Flooding your posts with loads of hashtags can look very spam-like. Twitter etiquette suggests two or three tags in your tweets and Instagram is similar. To get around this you can drop your hashtags a few links below the text you type about your gram or pop the tags in a reply to the post. Get to know where you are posting and do you best to not put people off.

Pick Your Travel Hashtags

Next up is figuring out which hashtags to use. There are obvious ones like #travel and #travelling but you also need to make sure you tag in the location you’re visiting. This will help people to find your images when they look for a specific location. If you’re posting on a Tuesday, which might be an idea to keep up every week with #traveltuesday. This will help you create structure to your content and also show your audience that you are posting regularly. #travelgram is perfect for Instagram as are #backpacking and #solotraveller if you’re exploring the world with your belongings on your back. One of the big hashtags for travel is #wanderlust. This is perfect for thos incredible locations where you just fall into the landscape, lose yourself in the view and witness stunning sights. Be sure to add some specific travel hashtags too. If you’re at a waterfall use #waterfall. #TTOT (travel talk on Twitter), #TRLT (the road less travelled) and #TWWT (the way we travel) are also worth using. #LP stands for Lonely Planet and #RTW is round the world. Other words and phrases you could tag include adventure, travelpics and letsgoeverywhere.

Get It Out There

Now you’ve got your hashtags for travel in place you need to submit your post. Hit publish and then go enjoy the rest of your day. Don’t get too hung up on keeping tabs on people replying. Put your phone away and enjoy the journey. Give yourself some time every day to upload photos and reply to messages but don’t forget that you’re travelling! Social media can sometimes get in the way so make sure if you’re posting about travel, you’re actually doing some of it as well.

For a lot of people, there is huge appeal in visiting Europe. Maybe you’ve watched some movies which have given you the travel bug? Whether you just want to get away from it all for a few weeks, or you fancy a good few months exploring what the continent has to offer during your gap year, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to enjoy the European sights and sounds. Let’s have a look at how you can explore Europe on a shoestring.

How To Travel

One of the first things to figure out is how you’re going to travel. Some flights can be expensive but you can also get cheap deals which are often much cheaper than other alternatives. You might want to consider the ferry, the train or even the bus. Inter-railing is a past time which has seen many-a student find themselves and figure out their future. For someone under 28 you can get three months continuous access to the trains in second class for only £575! When you consider that a 4 day pass is £157, it’s a cracking deal. It’s just £.630 a day and you can travel from place to place across Europe, exploring and finding your way. Brexit hasn’t affected the inter-rail pass scheme either. Options to best avoid are taxis as they can quickly eat away the contents of your wallet.

Where To Stay

Hostels are the obvious choices because they are cheap and cheerful. You can also find bunk houses, camp sites, glamping pods, cheap motels and homestays. A homestay is where you live with a local person who has a spare room. This way you’ll get an authentic experience and really be able to immerse yourself in the culture. If you know anyone in any of the countries you’re going to travel to, try and make use of their sofa for a couple of days to save some cash. Similarly though, this is about an experience so don’t be afraid to treat yourself to a night in a swanky hotel. You might pay a few extra quid but if it’s somewhere on the list you’ve really been looking forward to or the room comes with unforgettable views (and a power shower!), it is probably worth the mini splurge!

What To Eat

Whilst you might fancy the occasional McDonalds to stay grounded, there’s quite like embracing the culture and diving head first into some of the local cuisines. The thing is, there are so many amazing street food type eateries which only cost a few pounds. Europe has some of the most diverse culinary delights to enjoy, you’ve be daft to not let you taste buds go for an adventure too!

Where To Visit

The idea of Europe on a shoestring is one thing but where do you actually want to visit? If you want to save money and experience a range of different countries we’ve got a list of the cheapest ones to visit. They include Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Czech Republic and Poland. Even with those five countries, there is a lot to explore! Check out the thermal baths in Budapest, the cathedrals and medieval castles of Prague and lose yourself in the trendy streets of Kazimierz. Make your list of where you want to go and give yourself time to get sidetracked too!

Checking In With Home

When we adventure and explore in foreign lands, there are always those loved ones at home who we need to check in with. Make sure your Europe on a shoestring travels don’t cost an absolute bomb in roaming charges. Connect with your family and friends via Facebook and Whatsapp. Try video calling as well to avoid feeling homesick. Make use of free wifi which is often found in hostels. You could also create a mailing list to send weekly emails to, including a few photos you haven’t shared on social media and giving a little more information about what you’ve been up to.

Try one of those postcard sending apps. These let you upload a photo, add a message and send a physical postcard to a loved one. This is a nice thing to do for worrying parents! Don’t forget though, as much as those people matter at home, you’re on an adventure and part of that is meeting new people. Push yourself out your comfort zone and you’ll meet amazing new friends!

Get planning your Europe on a shoestring trip and you’ll look back on the memories you make forever.