Is it any surprise that I've learned a lot from watching YouTube? I've been traveling since before YouTube existed, but as with most things in this world, travel changes with the times. It's more than just who's at war, where the border is, and things like that.
In today's world there are all kinds of amazing things you can learn to help you travel better, and most of them are readily available on YouTube. I watch an amazing young man who independently reviews airlines.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrLe85KbtkqnnSnIVc-KLjA
He's Nonstop Dan and he knows more about most airlines in the world than most of the people who work for airlines. This guy has been flying all over the world since he was 12 years old. He's flown hundreds of thousands of miles on countless airlines. He knows all the ins and outs of credit cards and points. There's a lot to learn about how to get where you're going from him. He tells you about the little things that can make travel better or worse. He'll tell you about pricing, amenities, scheduling, points, and my favorite since my husband and son are tall; legroom on different airlines. I never would have believed it, but it's made a big difference to me in what I'm looking for when I fly. Remember, a horrible flight can really get your vacation off to a dismal start.
Kara and Nate have been traveling full time since 2016. I've watched them grow up on this channel and travel all over the world.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4ijq8Cg-8zQKx8OH12dUSw
This couple not only has traveled to over 100 countries, but they've taken us all on their journey. They're experts in points and sponsors. They traveled in their van through the pandemic. We've seen their friends, family, trials, tribulations, challenges and on and on.
One of the things that these two have done is started internet companies which have flourished.
https://www.dailydrop.com/
https://karaandnate.com/
Daily Drop is a great newsletter and Daily Drop Pro is a great way to find deals on travel. Visit the Kara and Nate website to see all the other things they have to offer. They each have online courses; Nate's is about points and travel deals. Kara's is an excellent video editing course. And there's more, like the interviews with others on Travel Hustle. All are accessible on their website.
If you like to see challenges, they are your vloggers. They've been to both the north and south pole. They've run marathons and done all kinds of crazy challenges all over the world. They are my personal favorite on YouTube.
Drew Binsky is the quintessential travel vlogger. He's been at it for 12 years. He's lived in multiple countries. He's worked in multiple countries. He's been to every country in the world. He's even broken a couple of world records.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0Ize0RLIbGdH5x4wI45G-A
He's been to places that no one else has been to and he learns something everywhere he goes. He tells a great story, he's not judgmental, and he is the true essence of the world traveler. He is by statistic the most popular travel vlogger on YouTube, and when you see him, you'll understand why. I've learned so much about the real world from him it's incredible.
Mark Wiens has been on YouTube for 15 years. In that time he's been all over the world, and tried a lot of different foods. He's somehow mastered eating the Durian Fruit, which is an amazing feat in and of itself. He's an icon on the service, and has more than one channel. He has what is largely a foodie channel which covers the world, and there's also a travel channel that branches out more. He has his Migrationology website and merchandise and currently is fielding a show on Max.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyEd6QBSgat5kkC6svyjudA
https://migrationology.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@MarkAbroad
If food is your passion, he's a great place to watch. He also sets up some tours and has city guides on his website to help you plan your next great trip.
Bald and Bankrupt is Ben Rich from the United Kingdom and he's been on YouTube since 2018. He's wildly popular for a number of reasons. Bald is amazingly friendly and has an uncanny ability to learn languages. He's normally his own translator. He travels in what most of us would call no fly zones a lot of the time, spending a lot of time in India and Russia. Also known for traveling with Venezuelans through the Darian Gap on the route to illegally enter the United States, and for visiting countries like Afghanistan and Syria. He's always on the cutting edge.
https://www.youtube.com/c/baldandbankrupt
He does like to get off the beaten path and occasionally in down right trouble, which eventually led to him be asked to leave Russia and not come back. But, he often travels with other vloggers that I like and he goes to fantastically different places. He is masterful at making his vlogs look as though everything happened by accident, and is a great presenter.
Backpacker Ben. Ben is from the United Kingdom as well and has been making YouTube videos for a mere three years, but as he puts it; he goes places you probably shouldn't go to. He's worked with TrovaTrip group travel and spends a lot of time traveling with Bald and Bankrupt as well as other vloggers and travelers.
Ben is the type who likes to see how the locals live and it gets him into some crazy places. He's quickly become wildly popular and you never know where he (and possibly Bald and Bankrupt) might end up next. Always exciting, mostly because he's a bit dangerous. If you've ever wondered what it's like to take local public transportation in a country; you can find out with Ben.
https://www.youtube.com/c/BackpackerBen
https://trovatrip.com/
The Planet D is one of the oldest vlogs on YouTube, starting in 2006, but inspiring travelers since 2009. These two Canadian adventurers have seen it all. They've been all over the world, and had some amazing adventures. They not only tell you where to go, but they tell you about activities that you'd never imagine. They've followed a Game of Thrones trail, gone houseboating on more than one set of canals and gone on some of the most amazing hikes and road trips I've ever seen.
https://www.youtube.com/ThePlanetD
https://theplanetd.com/
Their travel site will help you choose a destination, plan an itinerary and make it happen. They've been at this a long time, and if there's something they don't know, I'd be very surprised. They also have entertaining vlogs about what it's like to be Canadian and so much more.
Lucas World Travel is Kendra and David Lucas out searching for their forever home. This couple decided in 2019 to leave their home and travel the world in hopes of finding a place that they wanted to call home for the rest of their lives. They do what is called slow travel where they spend a significant amount of time in a location to see what it's like to live there.
https://www.youtube.com/c/lucasworldtravel
What I like about this couple is the information. They break down costs. They tell you what it's like to get around. They tell you what life is like in a location. They talk about medical, cars, food, utilities, and so much more. When they go somewhere, you not only see what there is to do for fun, but what life is really like there. They also give you tips on how to become a digital nomad so you can travel as much as you want to.
And finally, Oskar and Dan. Dan is nonstop Dan, and Oskar is his life partner. They've been together for years and hail from Sweden, although Dan's father lives in New York, so he's dual citizenship. Starting four years ago, they went on a quest to live their best life and travel to 100 countries.
https://www.youtube.com/c/OskarandDan
Oskar and Dan are also now trying to decide where their forever home should be, which makes it a lot of fun to watch their post 100 country life. They have criteria which they rate places on in order to ultimately decide where to call home. It teaches me a lot about places and I like that.
Oskar and Dan, being a couple have made it clear that prejudice shouldn't get in the way. They've visited countries that are legendary for their stance on same sex couples and relationships, and they've had a great time and made friends. They show us that people are people, and most people are not representative of their country's politics.
While most vloggers that I watch lean toward being vegan anyways; Oskar and Dan are devout vegans. This gives a view into what it's like to travel and find places to eat and groceries to buy as vegans.
They give good information and bring their family and friends into the mix for good story telling. They also once in a while organize group trips around the world.
There you have it. There are probably millions of vloggers on YouTube, but being a travel enthusiast; these are some of my personal favorites. I find that watching these guys on YouTube brings a raw, unabashed view of what traveling is like. They tell you things that they pack that help make life easier, they advertise things that I never knew about, but they are geared for travel and not on standard TV. They give insights that you'd not normally get on a travel program. And always remember to look these guys up and also look into their blogs, web pages, social media sites and so on.
In short, the ever growing list of travel vloggers on YouTube are what make my travels more fun and more affordable. I'll bring on another list at some point, because these are not the only vloggers I watch. So, break out the YouTube, get some ideas, learn how to afford them, pack for them, make time for them, and enjoy!
