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Castle Hunters

Welcome to Wanderers Compass Travel Blog

A Travel Blog for the Independent Traveler

Within all of us lies a Wanderer. There is a beautiful, fascinating world out there awaiting our exploration. The wonder it brings is limitless. Wanderers Compass Travel Blog will awaken the Wanderer in you through storytelling, photography, destination info, and travel tips from our decades of experience. Whether your first trip or your 100th, no matter your budget. Wanderers Compass will provide the inspiration and tools you need to create your own independent, authentic, life-changing travel adventures.

Wanderers Compass Travel Blog

“I am not the same, having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.”

Mary Anne Radmacher

About our travel style and blog

We are two ordinary people with families and jobs. As a result, we need to make every moment count when traveling. Once off that plane, we hit the ground running. We plan every detail of our trips and often do all the driving. That allows us to go off the beaten path, which is a great way to gain authentic cultural experiences. We encourage you to turn down that single-lane dirt road, wander the tiniest villages, grab a brew at the local pub, sample the local cuisine, and walk down that ancient alley. When we explore beyond our comfort zone, extraordinary adventures occur. As a result, we make memories that are cherished for a lifetime.

As you get to know us, you will discover we have a passion for castles. We have visited 350 castles, and the list keeps growing. Our Castle Hunters page is dedicated to our castle adventures. It is a place to learn more about these magnificent structures.

Launching Wanderers Compass Travel Blog is a dream come true, and we are happy to have you join us on this journey. Our first priority is to make the blog the best experience it can be for our readers. As our content grows, please check back often and subscribe to our travel community. Subscribers receive quarterly newsletters via email to update you on our new articles and happenings at Wanderers Compass.

Resources for all

Though we emphasize independent travel, we want this site to be a resource for all travelers. Our Country Travels Guides and Blog Posts provide a wealth of information to assist in your travel planning.

Above all, we will encourage you to be a respectful and responsible global citizen that travels with confidence, determination, a kind heart, and open eyes. Come join us on our adventures as we explore this incredible world’s wonders.

Feedback is always welcome. Please click here to go to the Contact Us page to share your thoughts and suggestions for the blog.

May you Wander in Wonder and Live the Extraordinary.

A Proud Veteran Owned Blog

Wanderers Compass Travel Blog, Welcome to Wanderers Compass Travel Blog
Manarola, Cinque Terra, Italy

Our Travel Stats

CountriesFlight Miles FlownContinentsStates/U.S. Territories
501,8461,628652

Successful trip planning is often about finding the best websites to help with all your travel needs. We have learned, at times the hard way, which websites and travel gear to rely on. If you are looking for the best sites for booking hotels, experiences, travel insurance, shopping for travel gear, and more check out the link below.

Top Travel Planning & Shopping Websites

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Squaremouth.com

Our favorite travel insurance site!

If you are booking a trip, don’t forget to get travel insurance within 14 days of your first booking. We could not be stronger advocates of being well-insured. Not just for the little stuff but the big stuff like medical emergencies. We never leave home without it. Over the years, we have used many sites but have now found our go-to place. Squaremouth.com does a fantastic job; it has a user-friendly interface, they use top-rated and reputable insurance carriers, and most policies cover Covid medical issues and cancellations. They also mediate on your behalf if you have problems with your policy.

To empower you as a consumer, we suggest you read our blog post on the importance of travel insurance and how to get the best coverage from top-rated companies for an affordable price.

MedjetAssist

Medical transport back home from anywhere in the world

They are the premier global air medical transport. One caveat to travel insurance is that medical evacuation usually gets you to the closest facility to care for you. Medjet gets you back to the U.S. to the hospital of your choice once you are stable enough to fly. They cover Covid-related transports as well.

Medjet carries its own policies. The policy is only for transport and no other aspects of travel insurance. They have individual trip policies starting at $99 and annual policies for around $300. Most of their policies limit the age to 74 and younger. Prices are not based on age below that.

To learn more about how Medical Evacuation membership with Medjet Assist works, check out our blog post for a more detailed review.

Expedia.com 

Hotels, home rentals, BNBs, flights, and other transportation & tours 

Expedia is a US-based company whose mission is to power global travel for everyone and everywhere. Whether planning a family vacation, booking for business, or organizing the trip of a lifetime, they are a fantastic resource. Wanderers Compass focuses on independent travel, and using sites like Expedia makes that possible. Every aspect of travel you would need, from airfare, accommodations, rental car, and cruises, to activities to do at your destination, can be booked on Expedia.  

Booking.com

Hotels, Home rentals, BNBs, Flights, and other Transportation & Tours 

Booking.com connects millions of travelers to memorable experiences, various transportation options, and incredible places to stay – from homes to hotels and much more. It is one of the world’s largest travel marketplaces for established brands and entrepreneurs of all sizes.

We always start with Expedia to check prices, but it sometimes says it is sold out. We then try Booking.com, and we find it lists plenty of rooms. It could be they are a Europe-based company. Try both before booking accommodations.

Vacation Rental By Owner (VRBO)

Are you traveling with a family or having an extended stay at your destination?

With over 2 million bookable vacation rentals, VRBO connects homeowners with families and vacationers looking for something more than a hotel for their trip. The VRBO community offers families or groups various rental property types such as condos, cabins, lake rentals, beach houses, etc.

VRBO is under the Expedia group ownership now, which many were worried about, but it hasn’t panned out to be a concern. It is a massive network that has access to all forms of lodging should issues arise. Joelle has used VRBO for many years with her family with no problems.

Viator

As the leading marketplace for travel experiences, Viator believes that making memories is what travel is all about. And with 300,000+ experiences to explore—everything from simple tours to extreme adventures (and all the niche, interesting stuff in between)—making memories that will last a lifetime has never been easier.

With industry-leading flexibility and last-minute availability, it’s never too late to make any day extraordinary. This one site has it all and has experiences throughout the world. We use them often during our travels, especially for food tours. We especially take the time to read the reviews provided.

Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor, the world’s largest travel guidance platform, helps hundreds of millions of people each month become better travelers, from planning to booking to taking a trip. Travelers worldwide use the Tripadvisor site and App to discover where to stay, what to do, and where to eat based on guidance from those who have been there before.

With more than 1 billion reviews and opinions from nearly 8 million businesses, travelers turn to Tripadvisor to find deals on accommodations, book experiences, reserve tables at popular restaurants, and discover great places to see nearby. We use them for guidance and research on every trip; it is a valuable app for the independent traveler.

Welcome Pick-ups
(Airport and sightseeing service)

A global leader in ground transportation for travelers. They help hundreds of companies around the world enhance their services and boost their revenue with our 5-star ride experiences and hassle-free automation

Founded in 2015 in Athens, Greece, Welcome Pick-ups goes above and beyond the standard transfer service as the first company to deliver a holistic, in-destination travel experience. From the moment a traveler arrives at a new destination until they return home, Welcome accommodates all their travel needs (transfers, travel products, things to do, information) as the easiest, friendliest, and most personalized solution.

Rail Europe

Discover Europe by Train

Rail Europe sells train and bus tickets for travel across Europe. They cover 24 countries, 105 rail operations, and 20,000 stations. They are the official rail and bus operations agents in the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Rail Europe continues to add coverage all the time.

It is a fast, easy, and economical way to purchase European train and bus tickets. Eurail passes are also available to buy through their site.

Amazon.com

An excellent source for travel essentials and guides

We now have our own Amazon Storefront with all our favorite travel accessories and gear in one place. Check out our travel store at the link below.

Amazon is one of the most comprehensive online shopping sources in the world. On behalf of their customers, teams worldwide provide lower prices, better selection, and rapid delivery. They offer a vast inventory, and their 1.7 million small and medium businesses worldwide selling on Amazon.com provide extensive options to customers.

We buy most of our travel books, accessories, and luggage from Amazon. We have ordered up to two days before travel and get what we need.

Travelpro Luggage

Thoughtfully Designed | Meticulously Constructed | Quality Guaranteed.

We have used this luggage for years, left briefly to try others, and returned to Travelpro. Travelpro luggage is carried by crews from over 90 airlines worldwide.

Travelpro takes the time to learn what travelers want and need, then builds it. The key factor for us is that it must be lightweight upfront and resistant to rough handling. Their luggage is the best, and we could not recommend it enough. It is our go-to luggage.

This article contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

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