Delphi, Greece – Visiting the Greek Centre of the World

I’m starting to get spoilt on my European travels, another day another UNESCO world heritage site, I think that makes 6 this week. Delphi, though, has answered all my expectations about Greece. This is exactly the sort of thing I wanted to...

Things to See in Chisinau, Moldova; A walking tour

While Moldova is famously the poorest country in Europe, there’s little evidence of that in its Capital, Chisinau. Huge shopping malls, parks with wifi and plug sockets, range rovers at every corner, the disparity between the wealthy elite...

Backpacking in Bulgaria; What to See in Sophia

I said my goodbyes to Romania, with 4 bottles of cognac in my bag, and made my way on the night bus to Sophia, Bulgaria. I didn’t really know what to expect to be honest, after the surprising beauty of Bucharest and the grittiness of Chisin...

How Much Does It Cost to Travel in France?

My European odyssey is about half way done now, and it’s been unreal. I’m currently in Croatia (Split to be precise) and it’s bloody gorgeous. I’ve been getting a lot of emails recently asking how much does it cost to backpack around Europe...

Backpacking in Moldova: Wine Tours and Monasteries, day trips from Chisanau

Officially Europe’s poorest country, and one where your dollars stretch further than most, Moldova is a perfect spot to travel on a budget. And with its famous wine, the bustling capital Chisanau and the cave monasteries just an hour away,...

Visiting the Nerubayske Catacombs in Odessa, Ukraine

The main sight in Odessa, Ukraine is without doubt the catacombs just outside the city. My lonely planet guide (Europe on a shoestring) had not only missed out on these catacombs, but also the whole bloody city, so I’m here to save the day....

Backpacking in Odessa, on the Black Sea Coast: Top 6 Things to see in Odessa

After organizing a press trip to Chernobyl and waiting for the Government to sort out my permits I had a few days to burn. Kiev was cool but I was getting weary from all that city life, so I made a beeline towards the Black Sea coast in the...

Top 5 things to See in Kiev, Ukraine

I’m always excited to visit a new capital city, but I was even more delighted to visit this bad boy because one of my good friends Ian from BorderlessTravels was joining me for the next 3 weeks. First up, let me say these are in order of t...

Luxury Couchsurfing Experience in Minks, Belarus

I’ve been extolling the virtues of couchsurfing a lot recently both here and at Aspiring Backpacker, but this one really takes the cake. There are effectively no hostels in Belarus, no backpacking scene, very few (if any) travelers so findi...

A Visit to Nyasvizh; Day Trip from Minsk, Belarus

I’m loving backpacking in Belarus so far, it’s certainly the cheapest European country I’ve ever been too, the sun is shining and I seem to be going to UNESCO world heritage sites every day. Today it’s a trip to Nyasvizh, another easy day t...

Traveling in Belarus; Things to See in Minsk

After forking out $225 for a 10 day visa I was determined to give Belarus a serious sightseeing and cultural effort, after all, I certainly paid for it! Belarus is Russia’s little brother, and of all the former soviet states it’s the one th...

Fairytale Buildings at Trakai Castle, Lithuania

A great day trip from Vilnius is to Trakai, only about 20km away. When I new I was coming to the Baltics (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) I was expecting some pretty impressive castles, I mean the type that Rapunzel throws her hair from, the...