About Matt Long
Who am I? I am a typical Gen-Xer and recovering cubicle-dweller who has a passion for all things travel. My site brings a unique perspective that is hard to find online. I am not a backpacker, nor am I...
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Visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Sites
11 April 2013 11:55 PM | 15 Comments -
20 Things Every Smart Traveler Should Know
11 March 2013 11:55 PM | 33 Comments -
Five Foods You Must Eat in Europe
12 November 2012 8:10 PM | 23 Comments -
Five Reasons to Stop Dreaming and Travel Now
16 April 2012 11:55 PM | 45 Comments -
So What’s Reykjavik Really Like?
28 February 2012 11:55 PM | 30 Comments
As Seen In:
Top Travel Tips Archive
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The Truth about Travel Packages: Gimmick or Best Deal?
Posted on September 27, 2012 | 7 CommentsThe following is a sponsored post, but as always all thoughts, words and opinions are entirely my own. I recently found myself doing something I love—vacation planning. While exciting, this process can be fraught with confusion and frustration for many. We have more options available... -
Five Ways I’ve Improved My Travel Experience
Posted on July 2, 2012 | 15 CommentsAs I get older and travel more I keep finding new ways to fine-tune the experience to make it more efficient and ultimately fun. Being a good traveler is an evolution and absolutely no one does it perfectly, but here are some ways I’ve improved... -
A Few Things That Make Me Smile When I Travel
Posted on June 13, 2012 | 8 CommentsTake away the museums, monuments and famous sites and the travel experience can have certain similarities no matter where you go in the world. It is these constants that give those of us who travel a certain level of comfort and predictability, all too important... -
It’s a McDonald’s World – Why They Matter When You Travel
Posted on May 1, 2012 | 59 CommentsSome people get very fussy and pretentious when they travel, particularly when food is involved. I agree that discovering new and interesting experiences, including food, is a huge part of the adventure, but there’s also the very important pop culture element. I love exploring grocery... -
New Free e-Book – Top 25 Travel Apps
Posted on March 5, 2012 | No CommentsWhen I first started blogging, I wrote a brief e-book about how to save money while you travel. As both LandLopers and I have grown over time, it became apparent that it was time to retire my first book and to provide another free book... -
Four Fun Ways to Splurge on a Trip
Posted on December 14, 2011 | 8 CommentsA lot of people try to save money while on vacation, which is great. Even if you’re trying to keep to your budget though, there are still some fun ways you can splurge on yourself and add a little more enjoyment to your vacation. Here... -
Easy as 123 – My ABCs of Travel
Posted on December 12, 2011 | 8 CommentsI was recently invited by Ben from Adventures with Ben to participate in “My Travel ABC’s” – an alphabetized summary of my travels. Here’s my take on this interesting travel round robin. A: Age you went on your first international trip: Does Canada count?... -
Five Things You Should Do on Every Trip
Posted on November 14, 2011 | 29 CommentsThere are countless articles on how to see New York in a day or the best restaurants in Paris, and they‘re generally very helpful. Regardless of where or how you travel though, there are a few things that everyone should do when they visit a... -
Four Ways To Beat the Staycation and Travel This Summer
Posted on May 19, 2011 | 1 CommentI hate the term Staycation, a lot. I understand that the economy is bad and I understand that there is more stress and pressure on the average person than at any other time in recent years. But rather than shy away from even brief getaways,... -
Do This, Not That – Travel Edition
Posted on May 18, 2011 | 17 CommentsWhatever our background and wherever we travel, we are all constantly confronted with decisions that can have a significant impact on our trip, both in our enjoyment as well as how much we spend. Here are some typical travel crossroads and how you should proceed... -
Three Travel Experiences to Keep You Healthy
Posted on May 15, 2011 | 5 CommentsI’ve written about the health benefits of travel, but it’s also important to be proactive in order to have a healthy trip. It can be easy to become lazy, eat poorly and in general turn into a mobile couch potato, but it’s much easier to... -
A Look at the Real Benefits of Travel
Posted on May 10, 2011 | 21 CommentsTaking a vacation is a big commitment for most people. The expense as well as the time required are both major investments that consumers don’t take lightly. Unlike most other investments though, the return on travel can be hard to quantify, but is nonetheless considerable.... -
When Service Matters: Choosing the Right Hotel
Posted on May 2, 2011 | 7 CommentsIn my spare time I read a lot about travel. Not only do I enjoy it, but I’m always looking for tip and tricks to enhance my travel experience and to make it more affordable. At the Travel and Adventure Show in Washington, DC, I... -
Travel Spring Cleaning
Posted on April 26, 2011 | 2 CommentsFor many of us, spring is finally here. Gone is the long, cold winter and in its place are blooming flowers and warm sunny weather. It’s also a good time to do some spring cleaning and get your travel life in good, working order. Dust... -
Talking Travel with The Lost Girls
Posted on April 14, 2011 | 4 CommentsI recently had the opportunity to sit down with The Lost Girls at the Washington, DC Travel and Adventure Show. The Lost Girls, Jennifer Baggett, Holly Corbett and Amanda Pressner, left their jobs for a year to travel around the world. During that year they... -
Five Easy Ways to Save Money on a Trip
Posted on April 5, 2011 | 16 CommentsFor any traveler, planning a low cost trip can be a challenge, but certainly not impossible. So many times though we spend countless hours finding the cheapest airfare and affordable hotels, only to arrive in our destination and suddenly lose complete control over our budgets.... -
Tumult in the Middle East and What it Means for Travelers
Posted on March 23, 2011 | 5 CommentsThe world has been a tumultuous place recently. Uprisings, protests, earthquakes and nuclear meltdowns have all made the headlines lately. Then, just yesterday, a bomb exploded near the Central Bus Station in downtown Jerusalem; the first such bombing in more than seven years. It’s not... -
Travel as a Responsibility
Posted on March 16, 2011 | 8 CommentsAs I sit here in my comfortable house with my comfortable life, I can’t help but reflect on the shocking images streaming in from Japan. The incredible loss of life and destruction is on a level simply incomprehensible to most of us. I also can’t... -
Perspectives from The Travel Detective – Interview with Peter Greenberg
Posted on March 15, 2011 | 2 CommentsThe recent Washington, D.C. Travel and Adventure Show attracted enthusiasts and experts from around the world to talk about the best travel has to offer. No discussion of travel tips and trends would be complete though without hearing from the award winning travel expert, Peter... -
Confessions of a Travel Technology Addict
Posted on March 14, 2011 | 9 CommentsIt started simply with just a camera and a cell phone. But then, seemingly over night, it grew into an avalanche of technology, camcorders, phones, laptops and iPads, each with their own accompanying cord. Before I knew it, my entire carry on bag was filled... -
Five Tricks to Turn Business Travel into Personal Travel
Posted on March 8, 2011 | 3 CommentsWhether you are a road warrior or you only travel for work sparingly, there are ways in which to make business travel fun. Rather than let boring work related activities get you down, there are ways to take advantage of it and enjoy some sightseeing... -
Five Ways to Screw up Your Vacation
Posted on March 2, 2011 | 23 CommentsMost of us only get a two or three weeks of vacation a year, so when it comes to planning that long awaited escape, it’s important to get as much out of the experience as possible. There are a few simple steps you can take... -
Five Tips to Travel More and Make the Most Out of Limited Time Off
Posted on February 7, 2011 | 15 CommentsReading through travel magazines or even blogs, it seems that everyone else is always traveling to some exotic, far-flung locale. Such a lifestyle though is not possible for the vast majority of us. Like most people, I have a limited number of vacation days each... -
Top 10 Ways to Score a Free Flight Upgrade
Posted on February 1, 2011 | 4 CommentsToday I am very pleased to share with everyone a fantastic guest post by Amy Chan, Director of Marketing for Kiwi Collection, the world’s largest luxury hotel reviewer. She and her team travel extensively, flying hundreds of thousands of miles every year. She was good... -
Travel Rules – Take Candy from Strangers
Posted on January 27, 2011 | 6 CommentsThere are a lot of great rules of the road when it comes to traveling. These rules, best practices really, not only keep the tourist safe but greatly heighten the entire travel experience. One of the most important though is to ignore what your parents... -
Top 7 Ways to Score Free Hotel Upgrades
Posted on January 26, 2011 | 14 CommentsToday I am very pleased and honored to share with everyone a great guest post by Amy Chan, Director of Marketing for Kiwi Collection. She was gracious enough to offer some great insider tips on how to get the best upgrade possible at hotels. Hotel... -
How to Be the Worst Tourist in the World
Posted on December 7, 2010 | 11 CommentsIn the latest installation of my horrible traveler series I am examining how one should act when visiting a foreign country. At any given time, hundreds of thousands of people, if not more, are traveling the world on holiday, exploring new places and learning about... -
Traveling as a Couple – Opportunities and Pitfalls
Posted on December 6, 2010 | 9 CommentsWhen Scott and I travel, we do so as a couple. We don’t go with large groups or even friends. Usually, it’s just the two of us thirty-something guys on the road by ourselves. There are a lot of pros and cons to this style... -
Travel Smarts: How to Stay Healthy on The Road
Posted on November 15, 2010 | 4 CommentsMaybe it’s because I’m getting older, but it is increasingly important to stay healthy when I travel. Gone are the days of being able to hike all day without feeling the pain the next day, but here are a few ways to stay healthy while... -
Budget Travel Rant – Round Two
Posted on August 9, 2010 | 4 CommentsLast week I began my travel rant mini-series with a look at airlines and their horrible and somewhat deceptive use of fees. This bane of travelers everywhere though isn’t just the imprimatur of the airline industry. Recognizing the potential financial windfall, hotels have entered into... -
Health Benefits of Travel
Posted on July 20, 2010 | 10 CommentsA quick review of travel advice from the major media outlets will show a frightening image of travel health risks, ash cloud delays and even terrorism. It’s no surprise that most people have significant reservations about leaving home for a trip to a new place.... -
Travel and Politics – Why it Matters
Posted on July 7, 2010 | 7 CommentsMention politics in a conversation and one is either met with yawns of boredom or the beginning of a contentious debate. Yet understanding politics and the ramifications of political decisions is absolutely vital for any traveler. While it is not necessary for a tourist to... -
Don’t Be a Touron
Posted on June 29, 2010 | 48 CommentsI have noticed quite a few articles by fellow travel types discussing the differences between a traveler and a tourist, whether or not one is better than the other and so forth. Ultimately this is a discussion of pure semantics and I don’t think it... -
Warning: There is No Such Thing as a Dream Trip
Posted on May 20, 2010 | 10 CommentsAlmost everyone imagines their dream trip. Disney World, Paris, or a cruise around the world, the ultimate trip is the daydream of most people. However, few people ever realize their dream or, for that matter, even try to fulfill their dreams. I first started thinking... -
Five Travel Lessons My Dog Taught Me
Posted on May 12, 2010 | 34 CommentsI am the proud parent of three dogs: Moya, Cody and Preston. Over the years I have observed their behavior and how they interact with the rest of the world. I soon realized that they have many lessons to share, especially for the traveling sort.... -
Five Travel Tips No One Ever Told You
Posted on March 22, 2010 | 7 CommentsTraveling is all about the details. While the following tips may seem small, they can make your trip a much more pleasant experience. 1. Lip balm and mints. If you’re flying anywhere, then you are going to battle dehydration due to the low humidity levels... -
Visiting the Imperial War Museum in London
Posted on March 20, 2010 | 2 CommentsThe Imperial War Museum Tucked away in a SE London neighborhood off Lambeth Road is the Imperial War Museum. Although it has a fairly intimidating name, this museum is easy to get to and thoroughly enjoyable. The Imperial War Museum, to be technical, is...
