Travel Hacks for Cheap European Bus Travel
I’ve long used buses as a cheap way to get to interesting corners of the European continent. I’ve taken buses to travel more cheaply at the last minute when my favorite train booking platform was no longer able to find a good fare, such as from Barcelona to Paris. And I’ve used buses to get …
The Differences in the Top Osprey Daypacks — And How to Choose the Perfect Smaller Pack for Daily Use
I’m obsessed with lightweight travel and have been using Osprey packs and daypacks for years. I also think they’re very much worth recommending for school, hiking, cycling, outdoor sports, shopping, carrying laptops and gear for work, and more. An older favorite I’ve used for years: The Osprey Daylite Travel daypack. It’s got a full set …
Wheeled Backpacks for Girls: Cute Designs that Will Roll Through the School Year
What are the cutest, funnest backpacks for girls with the convenience of wheels? We’ve put together photos of the designs along with our thoughts on what are the most durable and useful options for middle and high school use (plus one smaller option for younger, elementary-age girls). As we’ve reported on the best rolling backpacks …
The Most Durable Rolling School Backpacks (2022 Recommendations)
We’ve taken a thorough look at the rolling backpack options for teens ages 13 and up (and we have a recommendation for elementary-age kids too). Our main goal was to find the most durable and practical option to recommend for middle and high school use, as well as for short overnight trips. We looked at …
Solutions for Buying Train Tickets for France in Spite of Credit Card Rejections from Ouigo and SNCF Connect
The French train operator’s websites SNCF Connect and Ouigo are notorious for rejecting bank and credit cards from outside of France. Those from Brazil, Eastern Europe, the United States, Australia, and Canada in particular report problems with payments not going through or getting rejected. We’ve been carefully researching the best alternatives for foreigners looking to purchase …
Solved! The Problems with SNCF Connect and Ouigo Websites — and How We Buy French Train Tickets in Spite of Them
If you are blocked by error messages on the SNCF Connect or on Ouigo.com, you’re not alone. The websites and apps have lots of redirects and undergo constant updates that can render them in some cases nearly unusable. In particular, the transition to the new SNCF Connect website has been very rough and disabled a number …
RailEurope vs Trainline: Which Train Booking Platform Is Best for Europe?
We ran dozens of pan-Europe searches on our two favorite train booking platforms, RailEurope (formerly Loco2) and Trainline, and compared the results. The goal: determine which booking experience is smoother and results in better and cheaper routes. We have found that both of these platforms are better than booking directly from mainland Europe’s national train companies. …
How to Get the Best Child and Youth Discounts on European Trains
The value proposition for travelling by train in Europe grows by multiples when it comes to travelling with children. Compared to flying, train operators are quite generous in the age brackets for free travel with babies and toddlers and they offer significant discounts for youth. Also, trains are quite a bit more comfortable, often have …
Older Osprey Daypacks that Are Still Great—and Often Still Available
There are lots of great Osprey Daypacks—that is, the smaller backpacks for everyday use—that appear to no longer be in active production but are still available from some sources (including those we link to in the table below). While in most cases we recommend the newest range of small Osprey Daypacks, and detail the differences …
A Smart Italian Audio Course: My Experience with “Think in Italian”
On my way to learning Italian I’ve tried out many books, apps, and podcasts. This review will focus on the audio-based course Think in Italian, which turned out to be something I wish I had picked up much earlier in my journey. It’s not a perfect course but there is so much about it worth …