Comedian Louis CK gives us a number of reasons to appreciate technology and the entire video is hilarious. Skip ahead to 2 minutes and 40 seconds in the video to laugh about how we all complain about air travel.
Mostly, I have to agree. Flying through the air is pretty amazing…but I’ll still complain anyway.
Nomadic Matt makes $3,000 a month with his travel websites. His eBook, How To Make Money With Your Travel Blog teaches you how he does it. The book is straightforward and informative for travel blogging beginners and veterans alike. I decided to review the book for Matt and will send a copy to the first person to comment on this post.
Making money with your travel blog sounds like a great idea but few travelers understand how to leverage multiple sites (yes, you need more than one), search engine optimization (SEO), and how to get connected with their peers. How To Make Money With Your Travel Blog brings you from the ground up and leaves it up to you on how far you want to go.
The eBook is short, only about 30 pages, but is dense with information. You’ll learn how to create a travel blog with monetization in mind and for those of you with travel blogs, uncover some mistakes you’ve already made.
Many of the general ideas covered in the eBook may be old news to some of you, but the sections on SEO and increasing traffic offer more than generic advice. There are specific examples in each section that teach travel bloggers how to implement the key elements to creating a successful travel blogs and making money from them.
What makes the eBook How To Make Money With Your Travel Blog so compelling is that Matt is actually doing it and he spells it right out for you. The advice is sound and simple and attainable, provided you put in lots of work and don’t expect immediate results – two points Matt makes very clearly.
How To Make Money With Your Travel Blog is available for download for $27.
You can follow Matt’s blog at Nomadic Matt and his Twitter feed, @nomadicmatt. I’ve also posted advice on how to build a successful travel blog and keep your travel blog going for further reading.
One of the potential topics to post on your blog when you haven’t traveled in forever is an imaginary trip to a place you haven’t been yet. Priyank from Final Transit and I decided to exchange travelogues to two cities we haven’t been to but the other has to compare our perceptions and expectations with reality. You can read his first 24 hours in Manila and later this month he’ll dissect my trip to St. Petersburg. Here is Part 2 of my imaginary trip.
St. Petersburg, Russia is a widespread city that has European flavor that still has a chilly wind even in the middle of June. Vibrant, with an air of distinction, getting around town isn’t easy and you’ll end up paying a lot for just about everything. Having only 48 hours in the city I’ve decided to forgo the cost of a hotel or hostel and sleep at the airport. Once I cleared customs my first stop was to the Russian Academy of Arts.
I was disappointed by the art gallery, not for the art but for the poor selection of a first stop. The most impressive part of the gallery, outside of the giant sphinx outside. The metro stops are far apart in the city so there is plenty of opportunity to look lost and confused, which you will in a city that feels like it’s getting by you.
While wondering around I made my way into a small shop (generally the worst looking restaurants have the best tasting food) and decided to pick up a local favorite, “blin“. A blend between a French crepe and Turkish borek, the soft dough can be stuffed with meat, potatoes, or sweeter items like jam. Looking out over the Neva River I hopped on the first ferry I could find to get to a more active part of town.
First Impressions
I’ve found St. Petersburg to be intimidating without being engaging. The city is active and while everyone appears busy it doesn’t seem that they wouldn’t mind a conversation. Historical towns can be tough to navigate and it’s easy to twist a 48 hour vacation into a history class and miss out on the culture right in front of you. Distinctly Russian, I can’t help but feel that St. Petersburg has a strong Western European influence which steals some of the mystique.
To find out more I’d have to dig deeper and skip the museums and get a taste of St. Petersburg, which oddly enough tastes like vodka.
[photos by: wili_hybrid, lisso, Jouni Lehti, edbrambley]
Many of the quiet ways to beat shady taxi drivers I mentioned in Part 1 take place before you ever meet the driver. The hardest part of not getting ripped off by a dishonest cab driver is when you are actually sitting behind them. I once read that being silent hides your ignorance and the less you say the more you convey.
As long as you are conveying the right things you can get a strong message across that you won’t be hustled easily.
Be Cheap Not Stupid
Go with whatever ‘official’ taxis there are and don’t try to save by going in an unmarked vehicle or one that doesn’t feel right (as I almost did in India). In many parts of the world there are official or government cars. These official vehicles might be a bit more expensive but aside from fixed prices you’ll also be safer.
Lose The Sympathy
I can’t tell you how many sob stories I’ve heard from some drivers, in particular the older ones. They try to make you feel sorry for them in hopes that you’ll leave a big tip or be OK with a drive that’s an hour longer than it should be. Be heartless and convey it by not responding much. (Don’t engage in conversation!)
Scope The Meter
Just because a meter is off doesn’t mean that it doesn’t work. Ask the driver to turn it on and if there is a problem with it confirm the average price you researched before the ride. Based on your prior research if working meters are common don’t get in a cab without one.
Mind Your Manners
Don’t Let Your Guard Down
I know I’ve made taking a taxi sound like a horrific experience but it never has to be. None of these quiet ways will work if you don’t stick with them. Like anyone else trying to scam or hustle you out of some money a shady taxi driver will work all of the angle he or she thinks will work. Stay quiet and be firm and learn to blend in. A few minutes of Googling, a straight face, and a tight lip will go a long way to keeping your fare fair.
[photos by: Who.is.Bill.Posters?, lumierefl]
Artun Travel has published a guest post by me on 5 cruise mistakes you don’t want to regret. I hope you’ll visit their blog to read it and leave a comment or two if you’ve ever made one of those cruise mistakes.
Let me know if you’re looking for a guest post for your travel blog. If you think my writing would be a good fit for your blog contact me and I’ll work with you to make it happen.
It’s easy to get scammed by shady taxi drivers who know that you are from out of town, may not know the local customs, and have extra cash to be cheated out of. Not all taxi drivers are going to cheat you but there are a few quiet ways to be your own travel insurance against it.
Being prepared is the best way to take away most of the leverage shady taxi drivers have to rip you off and you can outwit most without uttering a word.
Research The Local Customs
Taxi culture in Turkey is different than in South Africa than in Argentina, etc. It’s important to know the specifics. Otherwise you’ll just have to take the taxi driver’s word and expect that their actions are the norm. Spend a few minutes Google hacking your next trip the local tipping, meter, and baggage customs.
Know The Average Fare
There are a number of travel blogs that will tell you approximately how much it should cost you to get from the airport to your hostel, between major sites, and any other local hot spots. You don’t want to trust the taxi driver, the only thing you should rely on them is to drive. Find out everything else yourself before you get in the cab. Calculate international cab fares with World Taximeter, do a blog search, or get on Twitter and ask me, I’ll help you find out.
Be Vague About Where You’re Going
Start with the area of town you are going to and get more specific with your final destination as you get closer. It’s more difficult for a driver to wander around when you can see the signs to the part of town you want to go to.
Don’t Engage in Conversation
Almost universally taxi drivers will try to chat with you, especially if you look very foreign. While they might just be curious, the more you talk the more you give away about how clueless you are. I was once ripped off by a driver in a large city I had visited many times because I unwittingly gave away that I was unfamiliar with a part of town.
Have Correct Change
You should always have small bills on you whenever you travel separate from your larger ones. Your socks are a good place to hide your big denominations since opening a fat wallet with a bunch of bills just makes you a more tempting target. Besides, taxi drivers never have correct change, ever.
It’s All Quiet
Good body language and communicating non-verbally will help you bargain when you don’t know the local language. The more you research beforehand the more confident you’ll be directing traffic from the back seat. Tomorrow in Part 2 I’ll share a few ways to be firm, confident, and not get ripped off while being quiet at the same time.
[photos by: Who.is.Bill.Posters?, jk5854]
Hi, I'm Anil. foXnoMad is where I combine travel and tech to help you travel smarter. I'm on a journey to every country in the world and you're invited to join the adventure! Read More 
