This week’s travel video is on travel related credit cards. It’s a subject I’ve brought up a lot on this blog but since I haven’t in awhile, I thought reposting this video from Youtube would be helpful for many of you. Here is a basic primer on the subject: (Want more travel videos? I now update my YouTube channel each week with a new video. Subscribe here and get free videos!) I’ve also written in depth about the subject here [...]

Two months ago, Erin told us about how she readjusted to life after spending two years traveling the world. This month, continuing our reader story series, Dan shares his story about how he readjusts to life back home after spending enormous amounts of time on the road. What makes Dan’s story a little different is that he doesn’t permanently return – he comes home, works, then goes out and travels more. Dan, tell everyone about yourself. I’m English, and my [...]

Do you read this site via RSS like Google Reader? Then I have an important message for you that requires urgent action. On July 1st, Google will be shutting Google Reader down. That means you won’t have easy access to all the great travel tips and stories featured on this blog but here are two easy things you can do so you don’t miss any posts: 1. Find another feed reader and add this: http://feeds.feedburner.com/MattsTravelSite You can use Feedly, which [...]

Earlier this week, I talked about European train passes and whether or not they were worth the money. As part of the continuing train series, in this week’s video, I highlight my night train from Madrid to Paris, a long twelve hour ride on an old Renfe (Spanish) train. (Quick note to Renfe: upgrade your trains!) Here’s the journey: (Want more travel videos? I now update my YouTube channel each week with a new video. Subscribe here and get free [...]

Every two years, I use a train pass to ride the rails of Europe in an effort to answer the most important question travelers have on the subject: do these passes actually save you money or are they a giant waste of time? Back in 2011, I found that rail passes were worth the cost if you took lots of high speed, long distance, or overnight trains and were traveling last minute. This year Rail Europe again gave me a [...]

Many years have passed since the last time I wrote about the travel companies I use and a lot has changed in those years. Now, there’s a ton of travel apps, new search sites, and resources available to help plan your trip. And while many of the companies I use have stayed the same, many have changed as has some of the gear I take with me. One of the most frequently asked questions I get is: “Matt, who do [...]

My first time in Madrid was a failure. I got sick and only ended up making it out for half a day before retreating back into bed, cursing a cold that kept me from experiencing one of Europe’s great cities. On my train trip through Europe last month, I entered Madrid tired from an overnight train but in wonderful health, and I set out to right a wrong. Madrid would be explored, dissected, drank, and eaten through. A couple of [...]

Did you ever read Eat, Pray, Love? Did you like it? I didn’t — and when I saw the movie on a flight, I wanted to throw a shoe at the screen. I’m not really a “chick flick” movie guy (exceptions: Love Actually and The Notebook, two great movies). But then my friend Torre DeRoche published her love story, Love with a Chance of Drowning, about meeting the man of her dreams and sailing across the Pacific despite an intense [...]

It’s the end of the month so that means it is time to answer your questions. This month I got a ton of questions and, since I’m trying not to make the videos three hours long, I only answered a few but plan on getting to the rest in June. I’m really getting into video and am going to start doing weekly travel videos – not only answering your questions but giving travel tips and highlighting destinations around the world. [...]

I can count on one hand all the places I visited before I was 23. Travel wasn’t part of my upbringing. It wasn’t something my family did outside of the occasional road trip to visit my grandmother in Florida. In college, I skipped studying abroad because I was afraid I might miss something. I went to Montreal twice because when you’re under 21 and can’t afford Spring Break in Cancun, Montreal is the closest place to go when you live [...]