Independent travel
The Ultimate Resource for the Independent Traveler
Go and See. It is not the same when you are physically there vs AI and surfing the web and social media endlessly on the digital hamster wheel
What is BootsnAll?
BootsnAll has been helping independent travelers since 1998. Not trips to Las Vegas on Disney Excursions. Planning advice and wisdom for people who want to figure out the trip themselves and cultivate a travel experience that is not pre-packaged.
Explore destinations worldwide
Train travel across Europe
Plan your RTW journey
Protect your adventure
10 Places the US Dollar Goes Furthest in 2026
Where is the USD strong from a travel perspective in 2026 vs 10 years ago?
Five Reasons to Take a Career Break
You’re stuck in the 9-5, fighting the cube wars day after day but you want more. Here Jennifer Miller shows us there’s no reason you can’t have it! Read on for five excellent reasons to hang up your dress shirt and take a year (or more) to redefine your life through a career break.
Updated Jun 30, 2015
Top 10 Reasons to Take a Career Break… and Travel
If you are sitting in your cubicle daydreaming about escaping and traveling the world, then read these 10 reasons why you should put down your briefcase and pick up a backpack.
Updated Jan 18, 2018
Tirana Travel Guide
Tirana in 2026 is a capital in the middle of an argument, with four months of protest marches out of Skanderbeg Square and record numbers of visitors landing at its airport. It's still cheap, with 40-lek city buses and dorm beds from about $9, and Berat, Shkodër and the Dajti cable car are all easy to reach without a car.
Algiers Travel Guide
Algiers in 2026 is a Mediterranean capital that still sees few foreign tourists. You'll need a consulate visa and a wad of euros or dollars, but in return you get a lived-in Casbah with no touts, a 50-dinar metro and a bay you'll mostly share with Algerians.
Common questions travelers ask us
A round-the-world (RTW) trip is a multi-destination journey that crosses at least two continents and typically lasts anywhere from a few weeks to a lifestyle trip that is 12 months or longer. You can book through AirTreks or airline alliances (Star Alliance or OneWorld) or buy tickets independently. Most first-time RTW travelers spend $20,000–$100,000 all-in for a year of travel. It depends on where, comfort level and speed.
Most popular long-term travel destinations are safe for experienced independent travelers who take reasonable precautions. The practical risks are petty theft, scams targeting travelers, and road accidents, not the dramatic scenarios people picture before their first trip. A handful of regions are a different story: active conflict zones and areas of ongoing unrest, like parts of the Middle East, Sudan, or Ukraine, are not places for casual travel right now. Those situations shift, so check your government's current travel advisory (the US State Department, the UK's FCDO, or Australia's Smartraveller) before you commit to a route, and buy travel insurance that actually covers the places you're going.
Budget $18,000–$28,000 for a solo traveler doing 10–12 months across Southeast Asia and South America. Western Europe runs $30,000–$45,000 for the same duration. Figures include flights, accommodation, food, activities, and a safety buffer.
Travelers move through places on their own terms with respect to local cultures, make their own choices, and tend to stay longer in fewer places. See our Manifesto links to fully understand. We describe tourists as folks who follow pre-packaged itineraries, and expect the local culture to bend to them. Oftentimes, a person on a trip may be both at different times, depending on context. The distinction matters because as we start to understand the difference, how we show up and engage can radically change.