When it comes to planning and taking a vacation, the delight is in the details. Want to find the best place to stay tonight? There’s an app for that. Want to do a currency conversion quickly? There’s an app for that, too. There’s even an app that lets you take a photo of a menu, then gives it back to you in English within a few seconds! Keep reading to learn about the apps that EVERY traveler should have in their phone.
A screenshot of the ‘travel’ section on my phone.
But first, need to know how to use your phone in a different country? Click this link to decide if using your current data plan, getting a SIM, or just using WiFi is best for you.
Google Maps
Did you know that Google Maps can tell you the best public transit route to almost anywhere AND give you a link for where to purchase tickets? Google Maps can even tell you the hours of the place that you’re going and if it’ll be busy. In other words, Google Maps is your one-stop-shop for just about everything travel.
Pro Tip:
Did you know that you can use Google Maps to navigate offline (watch how-to here)?
Google Translate
If you’re traveling to a country that speaks a different language, download Google Translate. Google Translate even lets users take a photo of a block of text (super helpful when trying to read a menu!) and will translate it to your native language in a few seconds.
Pro Tip:
Download a language within the app so that you will be able to do basic translations while offline.
XE Currency
There are so many currency exchange apps available, but I’ve used several and find that XE Currency Converter is the easiest to use and most up-to-date. The app allows you to keep track of live rates of every currency and works offline.
Pro Tip:
Remember to download the conversion rate of every country you’ll be visiting before you leave and you’ll be good to go.
WhatsApp
Most of the world does not use text message or calling. They use WhatsApp instead to do their texting, video calls, and voice calls. A lot of the time, business cards will have the WhatsApp number on them so you can make reservations or communicate with your hosts via WhatsApp rather than the lengthy process of emailing back and forth.
VisitACity
This is one of my favorite tourist tricks to keep up my sleeve. This free app has preplanned, interchangeable itineraries in most touristic cities around the world. It’s free, but it only works when you have Wi-Fi or data.
SkyScanner
While I typically use Google Flights or other websites on my desktop, SkyScanner is the best app for searching for cheap flights on a phone. Skyscanner allows users to search for one-way or round-trip flights on specific dates like usual. However, it also has an incredible flight comparison map to use if your vacation is flexible. It also has a ‘month view’ that allows you to be flexible on your travel dates to find the best flight deals.
Booking.com
Booking.com and Airbnb are the ONLY accommodation websites that I use. I love Booking.com because users can search for anything from 5-star hotels to hostels. There is a map feature that allows users to search for places in a neighborhood of their choice, and the filters are abundant and accurate. You can book right on the site and have open communication with the property you book through their chat feature.
Other Apps Every Traveler Should Have
I use WhatsApp and Google Maps so much that they live on my home screen!
Other apps to consider are:
HitList- Find cheap flights but without control over dates
Airbnb – Find houses, apartments, and rooms
Couchsurfing – Meet locals and (possibly) stay with them for free
Hotel Tonight – Last-minute hotels for cheap
TripIt – Organize your travel itinerary
LoungeBuddy – Get paid access to lounges in the airport you’re in
Detour – Free guided audio tours in 17 cities around the world
Comment below: What other apps do you keep for traveling?
A lot of people come to me and ask how I quit my job to travel. Even more come to me asking how they can travel as much as I do. Here’s what I have to say to the ‘quit your job, see the world’ types: Just because I did, doesn’t mean I want you to quit your job to travel. In fact, don’t.
You may daydream about walking out of your office for the last time or spending countless leisurely days on beaches in places you can’t pronounce. We all do, it’s called retirement.
However, retirement on its own is completely unfulfilling, and you don’t have to quit your job to achieve your travel goals.
If I don’t want you to quit your job to travel, what DO I want? I want a world full of inspired, educated people. People like you, who can find a balance between and experiencing the world firsthand.
My first ‘I just quit my job’ beer!
I’m going to cover a few things in this post:
Why I Quit My Job to Travel Full-Time
Why You Shouldn’t Quit Your Job
What You SHOULD Do Instead
Why I Quit My Job to Travel Full-Time
I’ve known since college that I didn’t want to spend time in corporate America. In fact, I even knew that I wanted to visit every country and slow travel long-term. I just didn’t know how to avoid the corporate world while being responsible about my finances.
With that in mind, I finished school and got a job. I put myself on a weird, intense budget so that I could pay off my debt and start saving as quickly as possible. In fact, I paid off $55k+ of debt in 3 years – and visited 20 countries in that time (read about the budget/debt/travel here)!
After some time in the traditional workforce, I began to create my exit strategy. Well, I tried to be strategic. However, quitting came as more of an entrepreneurial seizure than a tactical move, but that’s a different story.
My point is – I always knew I’d be an entrepreneur and long-term traveler. I knew my travel goals and knew that I had to quit working for others to truly be myself. If your travel goals aren’t the same as mine, that’s ok. You may not have to quit your job to travel the way that you want to.
Working from a national park via a 4G Hotspot
Why You Shouldn’t Quit Your Job
Honestly, I can’t think of a single reason.
That’s because YOU have to.
If you want to travel long-term
If you want to take some extended time to travel while keeping your job (or a job), I have a few ideas for you:
Take a sabbatical
Take a leave of absence
Get a new job and push out your start date so you have time to travel in-between (I did this between my first and second job and it was great!)
Take a job in education abroad so you can spend your summers & breaks seeing a new part of the world
See if your current job will let you go remote
If you do feel that you should quit your job to travel, let me be the first to tell you: it isn’t all rainbows and beaches.
Traveling, especially as an entrepreneur, is stressful. Your next paycheck might be iffy. You might learn that you hate working outdoors. Perhaps you learn that moving around is exhausting for you.
The bottom line is, don’t quit your job to travel if you don’t have a fallback. Being broke and stuck halfway around the world isn’t glamorous, it’s gross.
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What You Should Do Instead
Okay, so maybe I haven’t painted a beautiful picture of traveling. But I want you to be serious about WHY you’re traveling. Not only that, but if you want to quit your job, you probably have some stuff to work out. It’s ok, we all do.
I just want to be crystal clear that just because I quit my job to travel, and just because I teach people how to travel well,does not mean that I only want people to travel exactly how I do.
So, consider the following:
Think about what you want to do, not where you want to go. Can you accomplish that in your allotted PTO?
What is your purpose for traveling?
Do you have a purpose in life beyond your job? A surprising amount of people quit and then just start drinking around the world until they run out of money
Consider your values. Do you need to quit your job to live a life better aligned with who you are?
If you simply want to travel more – do it. There’s an avenue for you. If you hate your job – figure out a different place to work. If you want to quit your job and travel the world – figure out a way to do that, too! But don’t do it because everyone else is.
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Don’t Quit Your Job To Travel
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So you’re stuck at home. Working from home or being off work is a challenge, and yes, self-quarantine sucks. The good news is, you’ll also have a bunch of extra time to accomplish something or try something new!
Interested in using the self-quarantine to be better? Keep reading.
Become a self-quarantine QUEEN. (Add this to your Pinterest board!)
Hear me out on this: Don’t spend your whole self-quarantine watching Netflix . Let’s do some quick math:
You save a lot of time working from home. If you’re working remotely while self-quarantining, this is how much extra time you’ll have each day:
1 hour to get ready
2 hours of commuting
1 hour lunch break stuck in/around the office
That’s 4 hours a day or 20 hours a week that you can use to be more productive at home, or choosing to be more adventurous. And let’s be honest: is anyone working from home actually working 40 hours a week?
Then, let’s say you catch two hours of Netflix per night. You now have 14 hours, plus the 20 that you saved by not going to an office. That’s 34 hours that you can use to do something you’re proud of. It also means nearly 70 hours in the next two weeks. Minimum.
Remember, self-quarantining just means staying away from others. Feel free to get outside!
What could you accomplish in 70 hours?
You no longer have an excuse that you ‘don’t have time’ to do something. Now is that time.
You could make money, finally put the time into a passion project that you’ve been meaning to, or simply get your ducks in a row. Here are my favorite ideas that I’d love to see people do during self-quarantine:
“Travel” During Quarantine
*Edit* I created this course, and it’s been SO fun to see what people come up with – plan your dream trip in just a few minutes, and take the trip when this is all over.
Take Care of Your Financial Health During Self-Quarantine
Get your financial ducks in a row – Your financial advisor is likely taking calls rather than meeting people in their office. Call them and have a conversation about optimizing your 401(k), opening a ROTH IRA, paying off your student loans, or what you’ll do with your tax return.
Do your taxes – Yes, just get them over with. You can access every document you need on the internet, so just do it. Boom, extra dollars.
Declutter – Take the time to go through your closet, shed, basement, or whatever storage you have. Figure out what you can sell at Plato’s Closet, Facebook Marketplace, or otherwise. If the economy or lack of work is kicking your butt, you might be able to make some extra money this way.
Create a travel budget – Start planning how you’ll save money for your next trip
Cancel your subscriptions – Time to get rid of HelloFresh if you’re not eating it. Do you really need FabFitFun and Ipsy? Nope. The money you save on those two per year is enough to take a long weekend away or make an extra student loan payment!
What’s something you’ve never done solo? Time to step outside your comfort zone!
Take Care of Your Physical & Mental Health During Self-Quarantine
Catch up with old friends – Everyone has extra time right now, so start setting up FaceTime dates.
Do RAKs – Random Acts of Kindness are super beneficial to your mental health as well as others’. Some ideas include: make a meal for your neighbors, clean up a local park, or donate some soap/TP/hand sanitizer/food to people who weren’t able to get to the store on time or couldn’t afford to stock up.
Take the Minimalism Challenge – When is a better time to do a challenge than when you’re stuck at home? This one only takes a weekend!
Create a Mighty Life List – Don’t know what it is? Even better. Check it out here!
Exercise – Yes, you can do it at home. Follow Yoga With Adrienne on Youtube. Look up some exercises. Go out in the backyard and do something weird. Give the neighbors something to whisper about.
Journal – This is a weird experience. Release some thoughts/energy by being creative. You could also paint something, sing something, or create in other ways.
Pick up your instrument – I haven’t played my ukulele in months. These Italians are doing it, and they’ve created a quarantine street band phenomenon!
Camping counts as social distancing!
Expand Your Mind During Self-Quarantine
GO OUTSIDE – The self-quarantine is about social distancing, not staying inside. Go for a walk. Check out the bike path. Fly a kite. Mow the lawn. Visit your local parks.
Read for at least an hour before turning on the TV, and limit yourself to one hour at a time. Check out this booklist for suggestions.
Learn a new skill like knitting infinity scarves or how to do a headstand.
Go buy a puzzle or two.
Go Camping – Again, you just have to maintain 6ft of distance from people. Easy to do while in the forest. Or, pitch a tent in your backyard!
Do a virtual museum visit. These 12 museums are opening their online doors for FREE!
Take a course online through Udemy or Teachable. There are a million courses out there. Learn about social media. Take a short course about coding. Learn how to do the Tango.
Keep 6ft of distance between you and anyone you encounter
Other Ideas for Things To Do During Self-Quarantine
FINISH a home improvement project – Key word here is finish. We all have a million projects we’ve started. Now you finally have the time. Lawn projects count, too.
Do a photoshoot – Grab a friend and a camera phone and drive somewhere – now is the perfect time because other people won’t be in the back of your photos!
Try a new recipe – Quiche is easier than you might think. Protein balls are super fun to make. Always wanted to learn how to make grandma’s chili? Now you have the time AND the canned goods to do it.
Start a blog – It’s like banging your head against the wall, but it’s fun. Or start a niche Instagram. Build a Shopify store. Do something online. Start your passion project.
Create a course – Share a skill and make money doing it.
What’s that thing you’ve said you don’t have time for? Go do it. Now, you have time.
Do a photo shoot – there won’t be folks in the back of your photos!
Here’s the Takeaway:
You no longer have the excuse of not having ‘time’ to do something. This is your time. Even if you’re working from home, you’ll suddenly have lunch breaks and no commute. You’ll be two steps away from a new hobby, income stream, or simply relaxing.
I’d venture that we are going to see some incredible things come from the self-quarantine. What will you accomplish?
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that the COVID-19, or the Coronavirus is causing global panic. Whether or not you travel, there are a few things that I’d like you to hear, and I’ll share my experience as well.
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Here is my uncensored, one-sided, Corona-related conversation:
COVID-19 is not a racial issue. Please stop sending me ‘lol Chinese people’ memes. It’s Sinophobic (racism against Chinese people and their culture). You can read this post’s caption by another blogger for more information on Sinophobia and why nobody should tolerate the racism the virus is drumming up.
Please stop sharing Italian jokes with each other. See the above bullet.
Please stop making Corona jokes every time someone coughs. It’s not clever. Making cough jokes is not funny to those where a cough could be life-threatening.
Please check in on your immunocompromised friends. Lupus, MS, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Type-1 Diabetes are some of the most popular diseases that weaken immune systems. It’s probably super stressful for these folks, so see how they’re doing. Maybe bring them some girl scout cookies. Everyone loves girl scout cookies.
Please wash your hands.
Please do not buy up every mask and soap that you can find. Other people need soap and TP and bread, too.
A friendly reminder to also put lotion on your hands. They’ll get really dry from all that washing.
Please stop using all of these single-use plastics in the name of safety. I’ve seen single-use communion containers on IG, plastic being used to ship masks to everyone and their mom… just like… wash your stuff. I’m not a doctor, but maybe don’t shake hands with everyone or watch church on TV this week?
Please keep living your life. Just be better about being clean, and nicer to people and the environment.
Oh also, I’m not a doctor. If everyone else gets to get hot and bothered and pretend to be internet experts about COVID-19, then that’s my peace.
If you’re still reading, then you probably want me to get to the part where I tell you how my life and plans have been impacted by Coronavirus. Here you go:
Seeking Sunsets in Taghazout, Morocco
My COVID-19 Travel Experience (Or Lack Of)
I was planning to spend March in Italy. I was going to fly down on the 8th, go to a conference in Sicily, and take a few sponsored tours. Then, the plan was to go to Malta for a few days. The rest of the month was going to be spent exploring Rome, Florence, and Bologna with my aunt.
As it became increasingly clear that Italy was (1.) testing a lot of people (2.) getting back a lot of positive tests and (3.) beginning large-scale quarantines, I started to rethink my travels.
Wait, that sounds selfish. Let me also note that immunocompromised people can get sick from coming in to contact with carriers who may never show symptoms. Therefore, widespread, unnecessary travel is probably not all that moral at the moment.
I’ll also say that yes, it has the same symptoms as the common flu. So maybe widespread, unnecessary travel is always immoral if that’s the case. Again, I’m not a doctor. I’m just trying to do the right thing.
So, even if this is all hype and we’re freaking out over a flu strain, I had to face the fact that Italy was getting shut down. My conference was canceled, my family canceled their trips, and I was left to decide if I should go to Italy or not.
I chose not to travel, because politics.
I didn’t want to get stuck in Italy
Quarantine doesn’t sound like fun, and who knows what the future of traveling out of Italy will look like
I don’t want to add stamps to my passport that could cause me issues in the future
Where I Stand Now
Right now, I’m staying in Germany. I’m going to wait a couple of weeks before making plans. I’ll get a boatload of work done that I wouldn’t have if I’d traveled all month. I also won’t have a bunch of Italy content, but oh well.
I’ve joined a gym, signed up for a bunch of free events on Facebook, and am trying to do things that will allow me to meet people.
My hope is that I’ll be able to spend some time in Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan this spring. My main priority right now is simply to wait before making future travel plans. The worst-case scenario is I’ll stay in the Schengen Zone until my visa runs up. Then, I’d head back to the states in late May. Not a bad worst-case, huh?
Thoughts?
I’ve turned the comments off on this post because (again) I’m not a doctor, and I’ve said some bold things. I’d much rather have a conversation via email than an agitated comments section. Feel free to shoot me a message and we can talk!
I quit drinking after Christmas and have been sober since. In hindsight, the decision to quit drinking was somewhere between ‘Sober January’ and ‘I’m not an alcoholic’. Here are the 3 things I learned during my first 8 weeks of sobriety.
At a country music concert in Dallas
You see – my family LOVES beer. My uncle has brewed it on and off. Nobody in my circles find shame in having a drink with lunch, especially on a birthday, or when the grandkids are in town, or any other small reason for celebration. Beer is tied to connection, joy, and loosely to heritage in my family. I realized that it’s been a decade since the last time I went more than a couple weeks without a drink, so I decided to do a little experiment on myself.
Here’s what I learned after quitting alcohol:
It’s Not That Hard
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little concerned. Everyone on both sides of my family drinks. Some drink to excess, some drink more often than others. Part of me was doing a temperature check to make sure that I could stop if I wanted to.
So, I guess that means I’m not an alcoholic.
Having a lunch date with my grammy
Nothing Happened When I Quit Drinking
I went sober right before I moved away from Dallas. In the first couple of weeks of sobriety, I went to visit family and friends for a few weeks and embarked on a nomadic lifestyle. I wanted to be more present in my relationships as they changed, and I succeeded.
I kind of figured that people would push me to drink. You know, the ‘just one, for me’ argument. Really, nobody cared that I quit drinking. My friends still drank. I didn’t.
My sprite intake has skyrocketed.
Nobody asked me to drive for them, or joked about it.
Nobody asked if I was pregnant.
Nobody even asked if I was an alcoholic or had a problem.
Not even my doctor.
My skin didn’t suddenly get better. I didn’t lose weight, I didn’t start to get more of a ‘natural glow’. I feel like all those ‘go sober, alcohol is so 1920s’ websites were lying to me.
I didn’t start sleeping better. In fact, for about 6 weeks I slept like shit. Maybe that’s the only difference I really saw. Red wine is a great soporific.
One other thing that happened – emotions. I felt my move. I felt my goodbyes. A personality trait of mine is that I joke to hide discomfort, but when I was alone in my apartment some nights, I emoted better than I have in a long time. Maybe it was the lack of alcohol, maybe it was the move, but that leads me to the last thing I learned:
Having a sunset drink in Morocco with friends. Peep the Lifestraw bottle.
I’m Glad I Did It.
At the end of the day, sober is better. There, I said
it.
I’m not going to be sober forever. But, I’ll say that there’s no single thing that alcohol makes better.
Drinking makes dancing in a crowded room a little less uncomfortable, but I went to concerts and bars and drank water. Or sprite.
Alcohol at the end of an ‘I need a drink’ type of day doesn’t
make the day any better, and escaping those days with a little buzz doesn’t
make me a stronger person.
Sobriety didn’t make the goodbyes and the ‘see you laters’ any better or worse. It didn’t make my mornings any better, or my workouts more impactful. I haven’t lost weight.
I don’t miss alcohol. To be honest, I thought I would, and it worried me that I might be thinking about it. After the first couple of weeks, I was used to ‘starting with water’ and since nobody really cared, I wasn’t explaining my sobriety to anyone and it was easy to forget about it.
Bonus Lesson Learned: I’ll Drink Again.
That said, I’ll go back. I’m going to Germany next week, and I’ll head to Italy the week after that. I’d be robbing myself culturally if I didn’t indulge – or that’s what I tell myself.
If anything, my ‘drinking days’ are behind me. That said, I’ll still drink, but I think it took living in the sun to see that dancing in the rain isn’t as romantic as I thought it was.
I’ve lived in Dallas for a full year now, and I’ve hosted my parents, my brother, and several friends for weekends in the Big D. I’m going to tell you how I’d spend my ideal weekend in Dallas so that you can plan your trip to Dallas like a local!
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Dallas gets around 100 days that reach 100 degrees per year, so it’s likely that your weekend in Dallas will be perfect for spending time outdoors and on patios.
My brother and I at the Truckyard – an outdoor bar & food truck round-up in Dallas
For young people, Dallas culture is pools, brunch, and White Claw. Dallas is NOT cowboys (except for Dem Boys), horses, and accents. In fact, it’s the 7th largest metro area in the US and behaves as any other city would.
So, let’s say you’re my guest. Here’s how we’d spend a weekend in Dallas together:
Friday:
Welcome to the Big D. If you’re my guest, I’ll get you from the airport. However, the train straight to downtown only takes 40 minutes and costs $2. At 5 pm on a Friday, you’re better off taking the train because traffic is outrageous here. What is a 20-minute car ride on Sunday is 45 minutes or more on a Friday during rush hour.
6PM, Friday:
I’m going to take you to Deep Ellum to fill our bellies with the best tacos in Texas. Ruins has over 200 types of Mezcal and 200 types of Tequila behind the bar, so margaritas are a requirement. The pobre guey taco is the best bean and cheese taco you’ll ever eat. Depending on our appetites, they have a dessert waffle made of churro dough and top it off with cotija ice cream – I’ve made the trek over there several times just for the dessert!
We’ll go home, relax, and get ready to go out.
10PM, Friday:
We’ll head over to British Beverage Co (BBC) in uptown for live cover band music and dancing until the bars close.
Some people will choose to go back to Deep Ellum because it’s only a $7 uber ride and there’s a dueling piano bar, a salsa bar, and others that are a blast, but this is MY ideal weekend in Dallas, so we’re going to dance our faces off at BBC.
2AM, Saturday:
Home.
The Dallas Farmer’s Market is a neighborhood featured around a 7-day indoor market. The outdoor portion with fresh fares is open on weekends.
Saturday:
Get a Morning Blast juice or coffee from Brewed & Pressed, and walk around downtown. Our downtown area is dead on the weekends, so you can scoot or walk to the giant eyeball, see the museums, and enjoy Klyde Warren Park before brunch.
12PM, Saturday:
Dallas culture is brunch, so try to make a reservation a few days before. In my world, we’ll walk to brunch at the Common Table. Get the mimosa pitchers, it’s a better deal than most. Note: Dallas does not to ‘bottomless’ mimosas.
Other popular spots are BreadWinners in Uptown, STIRR in Deep Ellum, and Oddfellows in Bishop Arts District. If you go to Oddfellows, get the apple cider mimosa.
2PM, Saturday:
Nice n toasty, we’ll post up at my apartment’s pool for a few hours. Don’t forget the white claw!
If you don’t drink or it isn’t pool season:
If you don’t have a pool or people to hang out with, there are plenty of other ways to spend a Saturday in Dallas. Pecan Lodge is a famous barbeque joint that opens at 11. I recommend getting in line no later than 10:30 AM.
Dad found the giant eyeball installation in downtown Dallas!
If you’ll be outdoors, consider shopping your way through the local spots in Bishop Arts. Deep Ellum is fun to walk around and shop in. To truly be like a local, go for a walk, rollerblade, or bike ride on the Katy Trail.
There are plenty of professional sports and live music in Dallas as well. I use the Gametime app to see what music and sports venues have going on.
5PM, Saturday:
Time to relax and have dinner. I recommend ordering in i Fratelli Pizza or if you feel like going out to a nice dinner, check out Sixty Vines. If you’re coming off a pool day, walk to Katy Trail Icehouse for dinner and a summer beer.
If you’re going out, I recommend checking out Kung Fu in Uptown or heading out in Deep Ellum.
Sunday:
Again, weekend mornings in Dallas are so perfect to enjoy walking around and checking out the neighborhoods, the Katy Trail bike path or our myriad parks and museums. While brunch is still big on Sundays, if you have to fly or drive home, you should check out the Pecan Lodge instead of boozy brunch. The doors open at 11 but definitely get in line by 10:30.
Dallas has plenty of outdoor spaces to enjoy before your flight. The Arboretum is beautiful and often has events on Sundays.
I braved my fear of cows and took the photo op to ride a Texas Longhorn at the Forth Worth Stockyards!
If you’re looking for a relaxed lunch in the city, go to Katy Trail Icehouse or the Truckyard. Get there before 12 or 1, because there will be a line out the door most Sunday afternoons. It’s not uncommon to see people with their carry-ons, making one last stop before heading to the airport. An uber from here to the airport will cost about $25.
So there you have it.
A weekend in Dallas is a weekend of summer beers, pools, and just enough history to let you feel like you’ve done something productive.
Have you been to Dallas? Head over to my Instagram and let me know what your favorite thing to do!
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See Dallas Like A Local!A Perfect Weekend in Dallas
If you’re interested in visiting Morocco for a week, you’re likely curious about what to budget.
Here’s my break down for my budget for a week in Morocco as a short-term resident, and a second example for someone spending a week in Morocco as a tourist:
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Budget for a Working Week in Morocco:
In-Airport Expenses:
Sim Card: $30 Cash Machine: $3 fees Snacks: $3 Worried about the arrival process? Check out this arrival guide video for everything you need to know about arriving in the Marrakech Airport.
Settling In Expenses:
First grocery run at the souk: $12 A face cream that I forgot at home: $5 Bus ride to Marrakesh bus stop: $3 Bus ride to Agadir: $11 Taxi ride to coliving in Taghazout: $15
Seeking Sunsets in Taghazout, Morocco
Accommodation:
$25/night including an office at a coworking space
Extras:
Barbeque dinner: $9
Total spent in week 1: $62
Budget for a Week-Long Holiday in Morocco:
Everything Essential is Invisible – wall in Taghazout, Morocco
In-Airport Expenses:
Sim Card: $30 Cash Machine: $3 fees Snacks: $3 Worried about the arrival process? Check out this arrival guide.
Accommodation:
Hostel: $7-10/night per person Riad: $35-200/night per room Hotel: $50-200/night per room I recommend using Booking.com to reserve hotels in Morocco.
Typical Moroccan lunch. This was served on my terrace by the owners of my coworking apartment.
Food:
Breakfasts: Unsure, typically included with accommodation Lunch: $5-10 Dinner: $7-13 Drinks: Sprite is about $.35 in any kiosk, beer is $1-3 if you can find it Snacks: $1-3 for grab-and-go snacks
Transportation:
Buses in the city are no more than $3 Intercity buses are $10-25 Intercity shuttles are $15-40 Taxi in the city: $5-10 Taxi between cities: $90-150
Extras:
Camel rides: $10-30 Surfing days: $25-50 Walking tours: $10-25 Shopping: Varies. A small rug might cost $50, a lamp or hookah might cost $20-100. Food is very inexpensive.
Streets in my village in Morocco
Total to tourist cost for a week in Morocco as a tourist: $500-1000
This number is contingent on how much you choose to spend, eat, and do in Morocco. Don’t be afraid to haggle for taxi prices – it’s customary here outside of the airport. You can also haggle in the markets, but typically anything in a shop or that has a sticker price is firm.
Are you wondering what it will be like when you arrive in Marrakech? Will the airport have WiFi? How do I avoid getting ripped off on my SIM card? What about ground transport?
You’re in luck because I’m going to tell you step-by-step how to arrive in Marrakech and set yourself up for a great holiday in Morocco.
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Read on to discover everything you need to know about arriving at the Marrakech Manara airport, including getting money, a SIM card, customs, and finding your ground transport.
I arrived at the Marrakech airport on a Tuesday morning after an overnight flight from Chicago to Lisbon followed by a quick 1.5-hour flight from Lisbon to Marrakech. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Marrakech airport was super easy to navigate and was able to do everything I needed to within half an hour.
Read on or check out this video to see just how easy getting through the Marrakech airport was!
I created this guide for my brother because he’s meeting me here in 3 weeks.
Deplaning
Our flight from Portugal landed out on the tarmac. Everyone walked down the steps and across the tarmac and into the building. All the signs were printed in both English and Arabic. All the signs also had clear symbols marking how to get to important things like customs or the bathroom, so you don’t need to speak Arabic to manage the airport.
Getting Through Customs
The video above does not have any footage of customs because it is illegal in most countries to have phones out during the customs process. However, it was as easy as showing my passport, them stamping it, and I walked through. Ours was the only plane arriving at that time, so the line took maybe 5 minutes.
Baggage Claim
The baggage claim is right on the other side of the customs check. Our bags arrived shortly after we did; it was a seamless airport experience.
SIM Card
This step is optional if you do not want the internet on your phone during your time in Morocco. This post will help you to understand what your options are when traveling with an American cell phone abroad.
I got ripped off and paid $30 for 3 gigs of data, so my advice is this:
Do not use the INWI brand of SIM right when you get through customs. Instead, get your bags and cash first, then use a provider in the arrivals area after baggage check.
I recommend going through the baggage scanner area before buying a SIM. The company Orange is to the left when you walk through. Their data cost about $15 for 6 gigs – more than enough to get you through a couple of weeks providing that you do not stream data.
Customs 2 – Baggage Scanner
You’ll have to put any carry-ons or checked baggage through the bag scanner. This will take about a minute.
Getting Money From the ATM or Exchange
The ATM is right on the other side of the baggage scanner. They will accept foreign VISA and Mastercard and the fee is about $3. You can get up to 2000 Moroccan Dirhams, which is about $200 right now. Most places will only accept cash, so I recommend pulling out the full amount. If you brought money to exchange, do that at the exchange next to the baggage claim while waiting for your checked bags. If you are exchanging money, you can do it before or after the baggage scanner.
Finding Ground Transport
To find local transit, walk out of the front door of the airport and follow the two signs to the bus. If you are taking a taxi, the taxis are right across the pickup lane. It took about 3 minutes to walk across the Hertz lot to get to the local bus. I asked the driver if he was going to the intercity bus station and he said yes. Then, I paid him 70 Dirhams (set price). He even told me which stop to get off at when we got to the closest one to the intercity bus station.
The baggage claim office is at the end of the row of baggage belts, and the people running the office speak English, French, and Arabic. Go see them if your bag does not arrive.
Most people in tourism including the bus drivers will speak French and English as well as Berber and Arabic, should you need to ask any questions.
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Other questions about what it is like to arrive in Marrakech, Morocco? Leave a comment below or reach out to me on Instagram!
My aunt asked me at the Christmas dinner table, “Are you scared of anything, Samantha?”. The answer? Absolutely. But am I nervous about traveling alone? Not so much. Here’s why:
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Perhaps she meant about the people on the road.
Perhaps she meant about lifting off of having a home base.
Maybe she meant all the unknowns that come with nomadic life.
Here’s the thing: yeah, I’m a little scared of all of it. But I’m not going to let it hold me back.
The least of my worries:
I’ve been in SO many uncomfortable situations while traveling alone, but they all had a reason, and they all made me a better person and traveler. Here’s a few stories:
I’ve seen people in the US ask someone a question in English, and get super frustrated that the recipient doesn’t understand, so they speak English louder with hopes that they’ll find a mutual understanding. How terrifying to have a stranger yelling at you. However, while this is intimidating, both parties want to understand each other.
I got nervous about leaving my hostel alone on my first day in Beirut, but the truth was that I needed socks, so I ventured out on to the streets in search of the dollar store.
Sure, I got nervous in Budapest about going to a club alone, but it was that or not see one of the most famous bars in the world, so off I went. In the end, I had a weird night of eating carrots (apparently that was a thing at this party?) and drinking a LOT of water with new friends.
Next week, I’ll show up in Morocco as a solo traveler with the intention to stay for a month. I’m nervous to show up in Morocco alone and not really know the language. Come to think of it, I’m not entirely sure what the language there is. However, based on experience, I know it’s all going to work out.
An example of when I was nervous while traveling – 4,000 feet above the Grand Canyon, December 2019
No such thing as ‘home’
I haven’t lived anywhere for more than two years since I graduated high school. What the transient lifestyle has taught me is that people are home. Even if you’re reading this and you’ve lived in the same place or been around the same people for a long time, hear me out:
Home will be with the beautiful people I meet around the world. Home will be my mom’s house, home will be seeing my brother for weeks at a time, and home will be the WiFi Tribe I fall in to.
Home will not be my big, beautiful bed. Home will not be a closet, a garage, and the things that I’ve surrounded myself with. Home will be me. I will always be home.
Hitchhiking in Cyprus – not traveling alone, but still fun!
The Point:
Assume the best. I can only create a reality in which I am so well supported that there is no alternative. It’s the only possibility when working through being nervous about traveling alone.
So, Are You Scared of ANYTHING?
Yeah. So I go vet it out and the question marks become bold exclamation points. I get to be a digital nomad. I get to bring these stories to YOU and make it easier for you to get over the nerves of traveling.
However, I hope that the nerves, the unknowns, and the trepidation never goes away. I hope that I still feel small when I stand beside the ocean and that the waves of equanimity change me everywhere I go. I want to have a heightened awareness every time I step into a new place; we never step in the same river twice.
I’ll eventually do a ‘What’s In My Travel Wallet’ post, but for now, know that besides my passport, this is the most valuable thing I keep in my pocket.
(Photo by Wyatt Smith)
How Does it ‘Save Money’?
To dig into that, you have to first understand the benefits of the card.
Benefits:
$300 of travel credit per year
Travel insurance included
Lounge access via Priority Pass Membership
One free year of LyftPink
$60 of DoorDash credits/year
DashPass Membership
$100 every four years for Global Entry or TSA Precheck
50,000 point sign up bonus after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months
No foreign transaction fees
3x points on travel and dining
How I have used them to save money:
Anything travel-related up to $300 comes right off of the credit card statement before I ever get billed. In my mind, that brings the ‘cost’ of the card down to $150 because I spend at least $300 in travel most months. This leaves me to justify only the last $150.
I could get a very expensive travel insurance package, but the benefits that my card comes with supplement my Allianz travel insurance so well that I save about $450/year on additional travel insurance. Chase refunded me all the additional expenses that I incurred by getting stuck in Hong Kong last year, thus justifying about $70 more of itself.
I mean, DoorDash credits = $60 of free food. What’s not to love?
My Global Entry was automatically credited back to my card – I didn’t have to seek reimbursements. This benefit (the ability to skip customs when entering the US) was $100 two years ago, but let’s call it $25 since it only is eligible every four years.
I get lounge access in most airports. This means free food, drink, napping space, and sometimes even showers. Considering the amount of time I spend laying over in airports, this could pay for the full cost of the card. I took 33 flights last year. If I stopped for a $10 food or beer (probably a conservative estimate on what airport food costs) in only half of those, the benefit would be about $115.
I’d have spent up to 3% of every single purchase I made abroad in transaction fees, but this card charges 0 transaction fees.
And I got a boatload of points on travel and dining, thus contributing to free flights
By my math, using this card instead of any other has saved me at least $950, and subtracting the cost of the card itself, has saved me $500 this year.
But what if you don’t travel as often as I do? This leads me to…
Is There A ‘Lite Version’?
Yup. It’s called the Chase Sapphire Preferred. I had it for a few years and loved it. No lounge access, no travel credits back, no Global Entry credit, but it has a great sign-up bonus and accumulates a lot of points on travel and dining. It has a better sign up bonus than the Reserve (75,000 points after $4,000 spent). Very worth it, in my opinion.
Do you use Chase, or have another card you use to travel? Let me know below, I’m always excited to hear about other options!
