Hear about a road trip through Central America as the Amateur Traveler talks about traveling overland through Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala in search of volcanoes, tropical birds, colonial cities, crater lakes, Mayan ruins, and a few new countries added to his map.

This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

Why should you visit Central America?

This multi-country journey combines some of the region’s best experiences into one trip: cloud forests in Costa Rica, volcanic landscapes in Nicaragua, changing fortunes in El Salvador, the Mayan ruins of Copán in Honduras, and the lakeside villages and colonial cities of Guatemala. Along the way, Chris finds colorful markets, Scarlet Macaws, crater lakes, beautiful colonial architecture, and more volcanoes than he expected.

In this episode.

Chris shares stories from a 15-day small-group trip that began in San José, Costa Rica, and ended in Antigua, Guatemala. The trip was designed to pick up three new countries for him: Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador, while also revisiting Costa Rica and Guatemala.

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https://amateurtraveler.com/central-america-road-trip/

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Hear about visiting the hidden gems of London, England, as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jonty Crane from Jonty Travels about this city he once called home.

This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel ⁠here⁠.

Why visit London?

London is one of the world's great cities, and it can easily fill a week, if not two, exploring the city. Everyone has heard of Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Tower of London, Tate Modern, Changing of the Guard, British Museum, and the London Eye, but there are so many more sights that are arguably as interesting and less busy.

Jonty lived in the UK for the first 29 years of his life, worked in London for 5 years, and visited London almost every year for 15 years after moving to New Zealand.

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https://amateurtraveler.com/hidden-gems-of-london/

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Hear about travel to Slovenia as Chris talks with travel writer Sam Baldwin about an active, slightly off-the-beaten-path itinerary through one of Europe’s most underrated countries.

This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel here.

Sam has been visiting Slovenia since 2007, lived there for five years, and recommends a road trip that combines Ljubljana, alpine lakes, mountain scenery, rivers, wine country, and a few unusual cultural experiences. His experiences of living, working, and exploring the wildlife and wild places of this stunning country are told in his travel memoir book, Dormice & Moonshine: Falling for Slovenia.

Why should you go to Slovenia?

Sam describes Slovenia as beautiful, safe, compact, and surprisingly diverse. In a short drive, you can go from alpine scenery to Mediterranean-influenced landscapes, from lakes and mountains to wine regions and warm rivers. He also emphasizes that Slovenia feels much more Central European than many travelers expect.

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-slovenia/

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Hear about travel to Dublin, Ireland, as the Amateur Traveler talks to tour guide Garvan Rushe from DublinTourGuide.ie about the capital and largest city of Ireland.

This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel here.

Why should you go to Dublin?

Garvan describes Dublin as approachable and human in scale, a capital that feels more like a town than a sprawling metropolis. Visitors often find a sense of connection here, whether or not they have Irish ancestry. The city’s story reflects its complex past: British rule for over 700 years followed by independence only about a century ago, leaving visible traces in architecture, monuments, and institutions.

Practical Orientation

• Stay on the south side of the River Liffey for convenience and quieter nights.
• Avoid lodging in Temple Bar if you want sleep, though it is worth visiting for nightlife.
• Dublin’s small size makes it easy to explore on foot or via guided walking tours.
• If arriving on a red-eye from North America, ease into sightseeing with a shorter itinerary.

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-dublin-ireland-2/

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Hear about travel to Northern France (and a day in Flanders) as the Amateur Traveler talks to Craig Anderson about his trip into the historic towns and sites of the Pas-de-Calais region.

Why should you go to Northern France?

Craig describes an itinerary that includes the Hundred Years' War, the Napoleonic Wars, WWI, and WWII history, historic monasteries, gothic cathedrals, chalk cliffs, and wonderful old walled towns.

Craig’s Recommended Northern France / Flanders Itinerary

Overview:

Base yourself in northern France (Craig used Boulogne-sur-Mer) with a rental car, explore outward in loops, and start by pairing the trip with nearby Belgian WWI sites. 

Day 1 — Ypres & Flanders Fields (Belgium)

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-northern-france/

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Hear about travel to Puebla, Mexico as the Amateur Traveler talks to Scott Thompson from Livit Immersion Center about his adopted home in this historic colonial city in central Mexico.

Why should you go to Puebla?

Scott says, "Puebla's kind of an outlier. It's the one big city that nobody's ever heard of. So there's not a lot of tourist industry. The international tourist industry, especially. The city is a world heritage city, and it's recognized by UNESCO since 1987. So it's full of history and architecture and culture and food. There's 2,600 historic buildings and monuments in the city center."

Scott Thompson’s Recommended Itinerary for Visiting Puebla, Mexico

Day 1: Get Oriented in Historic Puebla

https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-puebla-mexico/

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Hear about travel to Bern, Switzerland, as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jack Baumann from Guidester and the Europe Travel 101 Podcast about a city he fell in love with early in his travels.

Why should you visit Bern?

Jack says, "I would say Bern epitomizes the blend mixture of natural beauty, culture, and history that Switzerland is known for. It's on the river Aare, it's surrounded by the Bern oberland, so you can get from the city center to a mountain in about 15 minutes. On a clear day, you can see the Alps."

Jack’s Recommended 7-Day Itinerary for Bern, SwitzerlandDays 1–2: Historic Bern (UNESCO Old Town)

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-bern-switzerland/

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Hear about travel to Sardinia as the Amateur Traveler talks to Shannon O'Brien from shannon-obrien.com about her visit to this island corner of Italy.

Why should you go to Sardinia?

Shannon says, "It's Italian, but it's a very different vibe as well from mainland Italy. There's insanely beautiful beaches. Some argue some of the most beautiful beaches of the world. The water is crystal blue; it looks like Windex. The white sand beaches. The interior of the island has these huge mountains that kind of bleed into the ocean. Winding coastal roads up and down both sides of the island with insane views. It exceeded my expectations for sure." Shannon’s Recommended Sardinia Itinerary (West Coast Focus, 7–10 Days):

Start: Cagliari (1–2 nights)

• Fly into Cagliari, Sardinia’s capital.
• Explore the Castello district, including Saint Remy Bastion and Cagliari Cathedral.
• Wander cobblestone streets, historic fortifications, and viewpoints.
• Shannon recommends keeping this short; it’s a gateway, not the main event.

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-sardinia/

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Hear about travel to Christmas Markets in Europe as the Amateur Traveler talks to Justin Barnes of JustinAndCrystal.com about his visit to markets in 32 different cities across 12 countries.

Justin's Core Itinerary Philosophy

• Visit 3–5 destinations total, ideally within 4 hours of each other by train.
• Base yourself in larger cities and use day trips to nearby towns when possible.
• Travel by train with light luggage (backpack style) and stay near train stations or old towns.
• Aim for early–mid December, before the final pre-Christmas weekend crowds and before many markets close around Dec 23–24 

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https://amateurtraveler.com/christmas-markets-in-europe/

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Hear about travel to the Zambezi Valley in Zimbabwe as the Amateur Traveler talks to Rael Zieve from Keep Travelling Africa about one of his favorite African itineraries.

Why should you visit the Zambezi Valley? 

Rael says, "Just the landscapes are quite amazing. I think you should go because the landscapes change. There are still people who live very humbly along the river banks, living out of their mud huts in very medieval conditions, and that type of thing. Even today in the 21st century."

Rael’s Recommended Zambezi Valley Itinerary (9 Nights Total)

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-the-zambezi-valley/

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Hear about travel to Tunis, Tunisia, as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jeff Ohlfs about his recent visit to this arid Arab country in North Africa.

Why should you go to Tunis?

Jeff says, "I don't think a lot of people think too much about traveling to Tunisia. It's an incredible country, friendly people. It's an Arab country. And all that goes with it, and it's reasonably inexpensive, and it's just right there off the boot of Italy."

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-tunis-tunisia/

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