Matthew Kepnes, author of the Nomadic Matt travel blog, has recently published a new ebook, The Ultimate Guide to Travel Hacking, in which he demonstrates ways to “hack” your way to free or discounted international airline tickets.

We sat down with him recently to discuss his new book and glean some tips on finding cheaper tickets.

So, what, exactly is “travel hacking”?

A travel hacker is a person who uses loyalty rewards systems to gain hundreds of thousands of miles per year without traveling. It’s the art of using the airline or hotel programs to your favor by taking advantage of the loopholes and cracks in their program.

Travel hacking has saved me a ton of money from free hotel rooms to free flights. I’ve stayed at W hotels around the country for free, Hilton hotels, a week at a Courtyard Marriott in Hong Kong for free. With flights, I’ve flown first class to London, Hong Kong, and more with them. I have a lot of examples of using points for free travel.

When did you realize you were a travel hacker?

When I started spending Friday nights looking for flight deals and points.

Right… that’s pretty hardcore. You say you can remove money from the equation by using points. But don’t you really need money to rack up points?

Yes, but no more than you normally spend anyways. I use my everyday spending to meet the minimum spending requirements for the credit card bonuses. I time my sign-ups with big purchases. But there are a lot of ways to “fake” spending from using Amazon payments to Vanilla Reload cards. I explain it in detail in my book, but you can use these methods to fake the spending requirements.

Plus, airlines always have contest, promotions, and deals that allow you to earn miles.

This all sounds great, but won’t taking out more credit cards affect your credit score?

There is always a temporary ding in your credit whenever someone makes an inquiry, but the ding is only temporary and is gone after a few months. Having a lot of credit cards can help your credit score because it increases your debt to credit ratio. So, if you have $100,000 in available credit, but are only using 5% of that, that increases your score. I have a credit score of 791 despite constantly opening new cards.

I wouldn’t go open a bunch of new cards right before you apply for a mortgage, but if you aren’t doing that, why not use your credit score to your advantage?

Are there ways to be a travel hacker without using credit cards?

There are a few things you can do besides signing up for lots of credit cards: airlines have online shopping portals where you can earn up to 20 miles per dollar spent (on average, it’s 3-4) instead of just one when shopping in person; sign up for airline newsletters to watch for special promotions; and take part in every survey or contest, since companies give away miles a lot.

Have you ever taken a crazy mileage run?

I was going to take an overnight flight to Hawaii and then come right back, but Hurricane Sandy happened and cancelled that plan. I fly enough each year I don’t really need a “top up” for miles. I usually plan it out so I’m right over the wire for the highest level I need.

Can non-Americans “hack” their trip?

Yes, but it’s a lot harder. Canada is a good market and the UK is starting to have some really good deals and bonuses, but outside those two, there’s not a lot for people. What makes these countries good are the huge sign-up bonuses the credit cards offer, but you don’t get that in other countries because of tighter credit laws.

What’s the single most important piece of advice you’d offer to a reader in the process of booking a flight for an upcoming trip to Europe?

When it comes to booking flights to Europe on miles, I’d travel off-peak, because you can get rewards for as little as 40,000 miles. Plus, when you travel in the off season, every move on the ground is cheaper. It’s win-win.

Thanks for the tips, Matt.

Readers, what do you think? Is “travel hacking” for you? Do you use these methods to regularly score free or discounted flights to Europe? Do you recommend a particular loyalty program? Please leave a comment below.

The post Tips for hacking your way to free airline tickets from Nomadic Matt appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

When we last chatted with Tim back in June at the Travel Blog Exchange conference in Keystone, CO, he was hard at work wrapping up the latest edition of his book, The World’s Cheapest Destinations. We had plenty of questions for him then – as we do now – and love his perceptive, er, perspective on travel. We think you will, too.

Question 1: We’ve been fans of yours for years and appreciate you participating in our Q&A series. Can you first let our readers know a little about you and what led you into such an expansive travel writing career?

Like a lot of your readers, I took off on a round-the-world “trip of a lifetime” and had trouble stopping. My first trip was 20 years ago though, with my now-wife, and we circled the globe two more times, teaching English along the way and in my case, getting some toes in the door with editors as a travel writer.

I kept at it as a part-time writer for many years before finally quitting my day job and becoming a full-time travel writer and publisher last decade. I added a site here, a blog there until one day I woke up and realized I was a real business owner.

Question 2: Congrats on the success of “The World’s Cheapest Destinations.” It must be fascinating to see how budget travel has evolved since its first edition. What have been the biggest changes since the book’s initial publication?

The first edition came out 10 years ago and I’m quite embarrassed now when I look at it. The book is a lot better and meatier now.

The main changes in the world of travel though all stem from one trend: far more travelers. Every place is more crowded with tourists than it used to be, except for a few holdouts like North Korea, and while you can still quite easily get off the beaten path if you want, the flood of images on the web means there are fewer unknowns out there. Everything is easier and more organized.

There’s also 100 times more information about 100 times more places than a decade ago, which overall is probably a good thing. The world is wealthier overall, which is also a good thing, even if it does mean prices have inched up in some of our favorite places.

On the negative side, it saddens me to see four travelers sitting silently around a table, all exchanging messages with friends back home and posting status updates. Sometimes that goes on for a half hour, nobody talking to the person right across from them. There’s less experiencing, more sharing. Less reflection, more blabbering. Get the photo, upload, move on.

People seem unable to let go and just be in the moment, in the place, without immediately connecting to the home they supposedly left behind.

Question 3: Let’s talk Europe. You cover a lot of ground in this book and we’re interested in the trends you see shaping up across the continent. What destinations do you think should be on a Cheapo’s radar these days? Why?

My big destination change this time was removing Turkey and adding Slovakia. Turkey’s still great and I’m heading there later this year, but it’s definitely gotten more expensive as the economy has taken off and more cruise ships dock there—especially Istanbul. A decent value still, but not a great one for backpackers.

In Slovakia you can still feel way ahead of the curve. It’s beautiful Olde Europe with castles and historic architecture, plus surprisingly good wine in addition to the good beer, but it gets a tiny fraction of the visitors of the Czech Republic or Hungary. The main drawback is, because there aren’t many backpackers, there aren’t a lot of hostels and cheap day trip tours.

Although I’ve had Bulgaria in the book from the start, I was relying on third-party info and interviews. I finally made it there this past year and was blown away. It’s as cheap as some places in Asia and Latin America, with incredible scenery and excellent food. I’m itching to go back again and do some longer hiking trips, staying in mountain huts that are priced like hostels.

Cheapness depends a lot on exchange rates too, of course. Hungary felt less expensive this time I visited than it did four years ago, almost entirely because the dollar was stronger.

Question 4: What’s the next big trip for you and how are you doing it on the cheap?

I took my family to southeast Asia last summer, moving around as backpackers for three weeks, and it wasn’t hard to do it on the cheap there. Our budget was $150 a day and for that we really lived it up in Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

Nice hotels, three daily restaurant meals, frequent massages, etc. In the near future though I’m doing a lot of writing trips for articles, things where it’s not all on my dime. I’m doing a biking trip in Portugal in May though and am curious to see how prices there are looking during the ongoing crisis.

In the summer I’m moving back to Guanajuato, Mexico with my family though for two years and will be doing most of my travel the second half of the year there and in other spots in Latin America. I find Mexico quite affordable if you are in the interior rather than at the vacation resort areas.

I’ll probably get to Ecuador, which is another place you don’t have to try very hard to travel on the cheap. And oddly enough, they even use the U.S. dollar.

Sounds fantastic. Thanks for stopping by, Tim, and good luck with all your upcoming travels!

The post 4 Cheapo Questions for Tim Leffel of Perceptive Travel appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

So I did. Pastry chef, blogger, and author David Lebovitz just launched a new iPhone application last week called “Paris Pastry Shops” that includes 300 of his hand-picked favorite places in Paris to indulge in sweets.

Lebovitz, a favorite resource among expats, tourists and locals, took a few minutes to discuss how to find the right pastries at the right price in the City of Light.

If you found a €2 coin and had a sweet craving, where would you go?

I would probably go to a really good bakery and get a croissant such as the ones listed in the app, like Blé Sucré (Square Trousseau 7, rue Antoine Vollon). Generally you can get one for €1.05, and that’s a really good deal.

What’s the worst way to waste money on pastries or chocolate?

I think people shouldn’t necessarily assume price goes with quality. There are a lot of neighborhood bakeries that make very good pastries but that are not famous and are not Ladurée or Pierre Hermé (which are good, but you can do very well in neighborhood bakeries spending a fraction of the money for exceptional quality).

In the app we tried to include things that were not necessarily well known but were places for people who are a little more adventurous and looking for bargains.

Why an app for the iPhone?

I started a guidebook several years ago and I spoke with several of my publishers who said guidebooks are going out of favor. I figured a lot of people come to France for pastries and chocolates and ice cream, so this was a natural fit.

When smart phones became more prolific, it seemed like the perfect format for this sort of application. It can be updated and readers can add their own favorites and share things. The price of the app is also lower. Plus you can include hundreds and hundreds of photos, so even if you’re not going to Paris you can still enjoy the pastries.

Are there any sweets you don’t like?

I don’t like desserts that are heavily sweetened. I like caramel that’s slightly burnt, lemony things, bitter chocolates. I search for things that are more balanced, things that have a sweet edge.

What’s your favorite splurge?

I would go to Fouquet and get a big box of the chocolate covered spice wafers called “croquantes.” They are addictive and exceptional. I’d get a big tin of those and eat them all by myself.

Favorite neighborhood for sweets?

There’s a high concentration of very good places in the 6th because there are lots of tourists and lots of money there. But I think if you explore the 11th there are lots of good places, like Blé Sucré. I think that this part of Paris is a lot more interesting.

Farthest you’ll travel for a sweet?

I won’t take three Metro lines. Generally two is my maximum. If I have to change more than two Metros I won’t bother.

Do you ever get sick of pastries or chocolate?

Not really. I actually like to taste a lot of things. It’s hard for me to eat a whole pastry. It’s more interesting to try bites of different things. I like bite-sized pastries. I kind of graze, so I’ll sit around and eat little bits and bites of things, instead of an entire cake, which is good for my waistline.

For more information on his new app, check out David’s blog at www.davidlebovitz.com

The post Paris: David Lebovitz reviews Paris’ best pastry shops appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

We had the pleasure of getting to know Sam when our paths crossed in London last year, during which time he told us the fun and interesting story behind the company he runs with his brother, Peter.

We’re big fans of Travellerspoint and the service they provide to help travelers from around the world share useful tips and advice. Interested in learning more? Read on, Cheapos…

1. Please tell us the story behind Travellerspoint. How did it get started?

We first discussed Travellerspoint over an MSN chat session in the middle of 2002, while I was living in the Netherlands and Peter, my brother and co-founder, was living in Australia.

The idea originally was to create a “find lost travel friends” site, as we had both traveled and met people, just to lose contact with those same people soon after ways parted. Three months later, we launched Travellerspoint with that function, a basic travel diary and a travel log function.

Throughout the years we’ve added forums, blogs, mapping, a wiki travel guide and a pretty advanced budget accommodation booking system as we moved along and our ideas developed or new possibilities came along. A few years after launching we all of a sudden realized that the focus had changed to that of a travel community, with great members keen to help each other out with advice and share their experiences.

From then on our focus has been to keep developing complementing services to make it easy for travelers to share experiences with one another, whatever stage of their trip they might be on.

2. Are there any recent travel trends or topical themes you’ve noticed within the TP community?

I often notice waves of posts around a topic, but I’m not really sure if I can blame it on a trend, or just some Google algorithm that all of a sudden sends a lot of traffic looking for information about overstaying their Schengen visa, or visiting the US with a criminal record!

Broadly it seems to me that there are a lot more people asking about traveling to Europe this year than last though. Lately it also seems that “everyone” is visiting Machu Picchu. There are also trends that are very indicative of our times, for example traveling with a laptop seems to be more and more accepted than it was just a few years ago.

One thing that I’m definitely noticing is that no matter how many sites are currently being started trying to help take the hassle out of trip planning, there is just no substitute for personalized advice and interacting with other travelers, whether it’s on travel specific sites like Travellerspoint and Bootsnall, or broader sites like Facebook.

3. How often do you travel, what is your favorite destination to visit and where are you heading to next?

If I define traveling as leaving home for a minimum of one night, I probably travel about 10-20 times a year. Most of it isn’t particularly glamorous though; just short trips for work to conferences, meetings and the like.

I also try and get back to the Netherlands at least four or five times a year to visit friends, and like most Norwegian residents, a year isn’t really complete without at least three or four cabin trips. This year I’m particularly excited about visiting South Africa for the first time in June, and especially as it’s for the World Cup, the greatest sporting event in the world.

What’s also fun about the trip is that I only know one of the guys that I’m traveling with through TP. We’ve met a few times in the past few years so aren’t quite strangers anymore, but it all started with him posting on our forums.

I’m also looking forward to visiting China later this year, even if it is for a conference.

Still, if I had to pick my favorite destination, it would be Australia. I studied and worked there for a while, and there’s something about the combination of the people, country and lifestyle that makes it a fantastic destination. Luckily my parents and brothers live there, so I have both the excuse of visiting for personal reasons and work reasons, even if it is a long trip with a toddler in tow.

4. What is the best travel advice you’ve ever received?

Oh, there’s been so much throughout the years! But last year, for example, my wife and I were looking for a place in Malaysia to spend a relaxing 10 days with a three-year old on the way back from Australia. I asked on the TP forums and got some great tips, one of which led to a lovely stay on Redang Island at a place that was exactly what we were looking for on that particular trip.

I love how you can ask open ended questions like that and get good advice, based on a specific situation that might be totally different next time when I’m travelling alone or travelling for work.

Bonus question: We came across this wonderful photo of you traveling at a very young age. Please tell us more about this and your other early travel experiences.

Ah yes, part of my collection of early childhood photos from the Solomon Islands, where I grew up. The main reason for uploading those photos was this “unofficial history of Travellerspoint” blog post.

In seriousness, I was about a month old when my parents left the comforts of the Netherlands to head to the Solomon Islands, by way of PNG (where that photo is taken). For my first six years, we lived on an island called Rennell, which isn’t very well known, but Gary Arndt of Everything Everywhere has it listed as one of his favourite articles.

After that, we moved to Honiara which is on Guadalcanal, a name that rings a few bells with people due to its part in the second World War. We lived in the Solomons till I was nearly 13, so I have lots of memories from growing up there, but for me it was pretty much just “home.”

We traveled going back and forth to the Netherlands and US every three to four years, usually trips of between two and six months. I really remember those trips well; all the luxury that surrounds you, escalators, fast food, supermarkets that are stocked, etc.

Once in Singapore we were staying at a hotel with a McDonald’s on the ground floor and Peter and I would just endlessly take the elevator from the hotel room down to McDonald’s–such luxury! Living in the Netherlands, travelling just is one of those things everyone does, every year, so it wasn’t hard to keep the travel bug alive from then on.

Thanks for your time, Sam! And keep the photos coming!

The post 4 Cheapo Questions for Sam Daams of Travellerspoint.com appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Michael, along with Jim Benning, founded the highly regarded website World Hum in 2001 with the stated goal of publishing “the best travel stories on the Internet.” Their plan seems to have worked out well, as World Hum has gobbled up numerous awards and accolades over the years, and is a 2010 Webby honoree for best copy / writing.

World Hum is now part of Travel Channel Media and continues producing excellent travel narratives from its network of talented contributing writers. We’re big fans of World Hum and we think you should be, too.

1. Please tell us about World Hum’s early days and what led you to start the site with Jim Benning.

Jim and I became friends in college. We shared a love of travel and took similar early career paths. I started out writing for newspapers, and moved into magazine editing. Jim wrote for newspapers, and then for magazines.

We lamented that few publications featured the kinds of travel stories we like to read and write, stories that we weren’t seeing – and still don’t see much — in most travel publications and websites. Stories about how travel can change you, how travel can change the way you see the world. Stories full of voice and terrific writing. Salon.com’s late, great Wanderlust section was a big inspiration. Don George, the editor of the section, really showed some of the possibilities of publishing high-quality travel writing online.

So, in 2001, we embraced the possibilities of the Internet. We scrounged up $35 to buy a domain and created a crudely designed but, we like to think, lovable site. We focused primarily on finding and featuring strong travel essays. In fact, there wasn’t much on World Hum besides text. Hard to imagine a travel publication without images, but that’s pretty much what we were. It was truly a labor of love, with me and Jim working on the site during early mornings and late nights and during weekends, and writers from all over the world sending in what turned out to be the backbone of the site – great travel stories.

2. What do you think are the most visible trends in the travel writing industry since World Hum’s inception?

The biggest trend: The explosive rise of travel blogs and travel bloggers, particularly in the last year or two. When World Hum launched, I could find only a handful of travel blogs. Now there are thousands. And it’s a vibrant, engaged community, fueled in part by the explosive rise of social media.

I think the next few years are going to be very interesting, as travel bloggers experiment with new approaches and new ways to make money.

3. How often do you travel and where are you heading to next?

I don’t travel much as I used to these days, which is good and bad. The good: I like spending time with at home my family – I have two boys under two years old. The bad: I have an international travel itch that I need to scratch.

My next few trips: Baltimore, Dover, New York, and Chicago.

4. What’s the best travel advice you’ve ever received?

Say yes. You don’t have to be like that guy who said yes to everything for a year, but it’s good to be curious and willing to try new and different things.

Bonus question: What are your top 3 picks for summer reading this year?

I’ll start devouring Carl Hiaasen’s “Star Island” the day it comes out in July. I’m also looking forward to reading “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot and “Grounded: A Down to Earth Journey Around the World” by Seth Stevenson.

Thanks for taking the time to chat, Michael. And best of luck to WorldHum at the Webbys in June!

The post 4 Cheapo Questions For Michael Yessis From World Hum appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

We’ve been big fans of Mike’s website for a long time, both for its thoughtful articles and talented writing, as well as its eye-catching photography and snazzy design.

But enough about us! Read on to learn a little more about Mike and the story behind Vagabondish.

1. Can you tell us about yourself and your website, Vagabondish.com?

As a web geek with a real passion for travel, I needed a way to chronicle my travels online. Naturally, a blog was the way to go. So, three years ago this month (October 2006), Vagabondish.com was born.

It was nothing more than a personal playground at the time – a place to post travel-related photos, articles, advice and links that I enjoyed. I had no intention at the time of making it a full-time gig. Three years on, we’re still posting great travel tips, news and advice, but with a fantastic crew of writers, regular contributors and avid readers.

2. What’s the best travel advice you’ve ever received?

Well, there are two bits really. Both could well be applied to life as a whole, but served me well as motivation to follow my passion for travel. The first is paraphrased from Tim Ferriss:

“The traffic lights of life are never going to all be green.”

The “location independent” lifestyle niche has grown tremendously in the past three years and really exploded in the past twelve months. More and more “wage slaves” and corporate 9-to-5’ers are wondering if a life of perpetual travel is possible. Many question whether it’s a viable long-term lifestyle path.

The fact is: if you’re passionate about travel and seeing the world, do it! Like deciding to buy a house or have a child, there’s never going to be a perfect time when all the planets align just right for you to take the plunge.

… and also from Tim:

“People will choose unhappiness over uncertainty.”

It’s sad, but often true. I’ve corresponded with literally thousands of travelers – many are perpetual vagabonds with no real place to call “home” – during my years as editor of Vagabondish. Not a single one has ever expressed regret for leaving their previous trappings – work, house, fiancé, etc. – behind. Not one.

Incidentally, it’s part of the reason that this post – Just Dive In! How to Travel (and Live) Without Regret – was one of our all-time reader favorites.

3. Tell us about your favorite place to stay in Europe. Where is it and what made it special?

My favorite stays have always been with locals. Earlier this year, I scored a fantastic private loft space with a couple in Berlin’s Mitte borough via Craigslist. The entire 10-night stay cost less than two nights at a mid-range hotel. And of course, the best way to interact with locals and get an authentic taste of your surroundings is to live with them.

4. When and where is your next trip, and how are you doing it on the cheap?

My girlfriend and I are headed to Key West for the New Year’s celebration. We’ll be staying with family and a few friends to keep it on the cheap.

This of course isn’t always a possibility. But I’ve realized just how easy it is to make new friendships online. If you know you’ll be traveling to a specific destination, check out Couchsurfing and even Twitter (use http://search.twitter.com and search for folks Twittering about your destination). Even if you can’t find someone to host you, you’ll no doubt make the acquaintance of great, knowledgeable and friendly locals who are often much obliged to share a drink and show you around their hometown.

Now get ready for the “speed round”:

Favorite airport – Right here in Providence, Rhode Island. It’s small, but it’s home.

Aisle or window – Always the window.

Chicken, fish, meat or veggie – Gotta be fish! If it’s from the sea, it’s for me.

1 item you can’t travel without – Laptop. C’mon, I’m a travel website editor.

Most under-rated landmark in Europe – Glendalough in County Wicklow, Ireland. It’s staggeringly beautiful – a quintessential Irish landscape.

Thanks for chatting with us, Mike! And keep up the good work with Vagabondish!

The post “4 Cheapo Questions” for Mike Richard of Vagabondish.com appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

We’re big fans of “TBEX,” signing up shortly following its launch earlier in the year, and have enjoyed watching it rapidly grow and thrive. For all of our Cheapo bloggers out there, we highly recommend visiting TBEX and consider becoming a member as well (don’t worry, it’s free.)

1. G’day Kim and welcome to our “4 Cheapo Questions” series. First off, let’s cover some basics. TravelBlogExchange.com is fairly new. Can you please tell our fellow Cheapos a little about what the site is and why you decided to launch it?

Travel Blog Exchange is a really fun site for travel bloggers (you couldn’t see that one coming from the title, could you?) to network with each other in groups, member-only chats and by posting blog entries and photos. It also importantly provides a platform for the members to show off their blogs, as well as connect through the site with relevant PR Reps and Travel Industry folks. It’s kind of a travel expo online. Debbie Dubrow and I from deliciousbaby.com are co-hosting a TBEX ’09 Meetup in Chicago this July, so we can all hobnob and learn from one another in person (or via livestream for those far away). We’ve got some pretty fabulous speakers lined up to share on topics that are pretty important to travel bloggers.

2. You also co-founded the travel site GoGalavanting.com – such a busy bee! – please tell us a little about its mission and how it’s useful for travelers.

You’ve got that right, I often get teased about never sleeping…which is a little bit true. Gogalavanting.com is an online travel magazine for women and is a site to highlight the an indie-woman’s way of traveling. We’ve got destination essays and travel tips from about forty contributors around the world. We focus on strong but casual narratives that don’t skimp on budget-friendly, practical advice and links to locations and resources. I think guys secretly read us too though.

We’ve also launched Galavanting TV, but even though the destination guides and travel tip 101 videos are hosted by GoGalavanting editors, we don’t focus on women-only things like the online magazine does. It’s pretty much just for everyone who loves travel and can’t get enough…but doesn’t have a trust fund. We try and be as honest as possible and really capture the essence of a place and the experience it invokes. Oh and funny — we’re also pretty freaking hilarious…I think.

3. What’s the best travel advice you’ve ever received?

Hmmm, the best travel advice I ever received would have to be from a guy named Mark before I went on my first trip abroad at the age of fourteen. He drilled into me the importance of one small, well-packed bag. I thought he was overstating the many ways that resisting the urge to over-pack would make my life and trip much easier, but I shed my teenage rebellion and followed his advice. When a few friends on the trip were nearly in tears trying to catch trains and lugging things around, I thanked Mark, and still follow his advice today. I’m the lightest packer around and would much rather make a trip to the drug store on the other end, than throw my back out lugging everything I own.

4. What do you think is the easiest way to save money while traveling abroad?

Rule number one is to not get suckered into things like traveler’s checks. Use a credit card with no international exchange fees (yes, there are a few out there) for most transactions and draw cash out from your ATM card. Second rule is don’t get suckered into buying a souvenir for every single person back home. A great photo of you having fun abroad (or holding up a sign with their name in front of a famous landmark) will often be a great gift.

Bonus Round Question! Where’s your next trip?

We’re actually headed to a ton of different places this year for Galavanting TV (and will write about them too of course…). Next week is Puerto Rico, next month Italy, then on to Belgium, Paris Morocco, Egypt and Jordan in June. Can’t wait!

Wow – sounds like you sure are quite a galavantor, Kim! Have a wonderful trip and thanks for joining us on EuroCheapo!

The post 4 Cheapo Questions For Kim Mance From TravelBlogExchange.com appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

(Editor’s note: not all interviewees need to be named Sean. But we suppose it helps.)

1. Can you please tell our fellow Cheapos a little about yourself and the mission of BootnAll?

G’Day Pete. I co-founded BootsnAll back in late 1998 with 2 travelling friends, Chris Heidrich (An Aussie) and Nick O’Neill (A POM). We loved independent travel and the folks that you meet on the road. We decided to start BootsnAll in an effort to keep the feelin’ alive of travellin’, even when you ain’t. So if you participate on our community section on BootsnAll, you’ll feel the vibe as if you were travelling.

Our Mission: Inspire, Educate, and Cultivate an organic community of independent travelers. Putting this into regular words, we love connecting travelers with expert information and with each other.

2. What’s the best budget travel advice you’ve ever received?

“Let go, of the side of the river”. There are a lot of unknowns when you are traveling, especially on a budget. Letting go of what you are used to and most comfortable with can let you have experiences that you never thought of or would have tried if you just held on to the side of the river. Make sense?

3. It sure does! And speaking of “letting go of the side of the river,” what do you think is the next “up and coming” European destination for budget travelers and why?

I’d say that anything that used to be under the Soviet Rule is up and coming. Economies have grown and folks like Easyjet bringing hoards of visitors to previously unvisited cities has opened up the bloc. So up and coming for me would be the places in eastern europe, that easyjet/ryanair does NOT have flights to as of yet. I reckon those places will have “come” at some point in the near future when the low cost folks open up the floodgates.

4. When and where is your next trip, and how are you doing it on the cheap?

I am doing a 4+ month backpacking trip with my lovely girlfriend from March – July 2009. We have a 1 way ticket to New Zealand and are planning on coming back to the US of A via Australia, Bali, and some parts of Asia. Half the fun is deciding on the way so that might not be the route

How are we doing it on the cheap? – Airmiles to get there and around, staying at hostels and budget hotels for sure. We may hitch through parts of NZ and Oz as well. As I get older, I can’t say I am as cheap as I once was, though I am always looking for ways to stay within my budget.

* Bonus round! Other than a passport, money and clothes, what’s the most useful thing you pack every time you travel?

Netbook. I’m super stoked about these. We did a feature on the best netbooks for travelling and we are bringing one with us on this trip. Small, light, cheap and you can do almost anything you can on a traditional laptop.

Many thanks for your time, Sean. And have a tremendous trip over the next few months – don’t forget to send us a couple postcards!

The post 4 Cheapo Questions For Sean Keener From Bootsnall.com appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.