Preparations
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How do I get an international driver’s license?
When traveling abroad, it is often tempting to rent a vehicle to be completely free of our travels. In two and a half years of travel, we have rented two or four wheels in many countries: South Africa, Morocco, Turkey, South Korea, New Zealand, Easter Island, Argentina, … Although you will not always be required to have an international driving license, it is a must for any frequent traveler. Good news: no need to go to the town hall or the prefecture, everything is done remotely (by mail). Bad news: the procedure is very slow, taking several months. What is the international driving license for? If you are traveling within…
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How do I get a \”Frequent Traveller\” passport? (+ sample letter)
If you are like us digital nomads or if you are planning to go on a (very long) round-the-world trip, your 32-page passport will fill up quickly. After 2 1/2 years of travel (1 year around the world and 18 months of digital nomadism), this is our case, there are only two pages left on our passport, impossible to leave for a tour with so little space available. It is (almost) only for this reason that we return to France. What isn’t very pleasant is that a passport renewal immobilizes you for 4 to 6 weeks (from the filing of the file, and again, you must have managed to make…
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Travelers & Around the World: 10 Practical Tips
Even if I would have liked not to have had to make a separate article for female travelers (this would imply that men & women are treated the same way everywhere in the world), unfortunately this isn’t yet the case. Here are a few tips for women travelers, whether you are traveling alone or accompanied. You travel alone 1 / Prefer hostels to hotels There are many hostels with dormitories for women only. Not only will it be cheaper (especially when traveling alone), but you will feel safer and make friends more easily. Who knows, in the end, you may travel with a group of friends you meet on your…
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How to Plan and Budget a Trip? Case Study: Egypt
If you are curious to see how we plan and budget our LARGE trips, here is a very concrete case: Egypt. I am in the process of organizing our trip for November 2018 It is a country that I have wanted to visit for a very long time but for which there is very little recent feedback on blogs and forums (the number of tourists has considerably decreased since the Arab Spring). It is therefore the perfect example to show you the tricks to get around this lack of information Basic Info Which month to go? What are the must-see sites? What are the recommended itineraries? This information is widely…
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Total transport budget Round the world 2016 – 2017 – 21 countries crossed in 11 months
As you knew, we have a round-the-world ticket that only includes long haul flights. Most of the trips in Asia and South America are outside the round-the-world ticket. Since transportation is a big budget, we are giving you here the detailed budget so you can have a good idea of the cost, so it may help you, if you have very few destinations, to decide whether or not to buy a round-the-world ticket. The total cost of all transportation (excluding cabs) is estimated at 8000€/person for 21 countries crossed France – South Africa – Qatar (short stay) – India – Nepal – Thailand – Burma – Vietnam – China (Hong…
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Some DIY projects for your world tour
DIY (do-it-yourself) is one of my great passions. It is naturally to DIY that I turn to when I can’t find what I want for the world tour; or when the things I want to buy are too expensive. Here are some projects for you if DIY is also your passion. Passport cover scarf When I first saw her here, I thought I needed one. But the price ($55) discouraged me a bit. I preferred to do it myself for 5€. If the result isn’t perfect inside, the outside is impeccable and that’s what counts. The tutorial for the scarf is available here. Maxi-skirt I loved strolling on the heavenly…
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Around the World or Long Journey: An Opportunity to Konmarize Your Life
I’m not a fan of the Japanese art of living, but I can’t ignore the KonMari phenomenon, a storage method created by Marie Kondo, who shook the planet with her books translated into whatever language. So one night, having nothing to do (I have a lot of free time now), I pressed the “Express Buy” button on Amazon and the book The Magic of Storage came right away on my Kindle. After the (exciting) reading, I have only one regret: not having read it BEFORE I left on my trip around the world. Flashback: I left my job in mid-February 2016 to devote myself fully to the preparation of the…
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Up to 6 days of transit in China? No need for a visa!
On our way back to France after 7 months in Asia, we organize our return to stay a few days in Beijing, China. For several years now, the French have not needed visas if they stay less than 72 hours, a principle that was doubled in December 2017. You can now stay up to 6 days (144 hours). Make sure you know the terms and conditions (not all Chinese airports offer this visa exemption and you must leave from the same airport as the one you arrived at). Here are a few tips for easy enjoyment. Prepare your documents: tickets and hotel reservations At the Chinese immigration, the officer will…
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6 Tips to get the most out of the Travel Travel Guides (Lonely Planet, le Routard) during the Round the World Tour (without wearing them)
Whether you like it or not, traveling with a guide like the Lonely Planet or the Routard can help to unblock certain situations in an emergency, such as avoiding overpaying for a cab for example. How to take advantage of it during your world tour without having to lug 17 pounds of 1kg each in your bag? 1. Download the extract of the Lonely Planet guides on the Kindle app The part I like the most in the Lonely Planet guides is the “itineraries” part. I may hate the “must-see tourist destinations” part, but I must say that these itineraries have been perfectly designed to be feasible, hassle-free and economical;…
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I live with 77 objects: Contents of my Backpack Around the World (for Men)
Note: this is the content of my men’s backpack, for the content of Anh’s women’s backpack, it’s over here. When you go around the world, one of the constraints is the number of objects you take with you. The airlines limit the weight of our luggage (usually between 15 and 20 kg) and we have to fit everything in a bag. If it may seem difficult at first, this forced minimalism is finally a pleasure, almost a liberation. If I were to return to a more sedentary life, I would try to keep this philosophy as I think it contributes to my happiness. These first 6 months of experience show…
