In the beginning we share what we learnt through the planning stages of this epic trip, include information and links on what's important, hints, tips and suggestions.
When the truly fun stuff starts, that's when we will include travel information, photos, dog travel tips, travel costs, a whole lot of opinion and information on as many UNESCO sites as we can visit.
The logistics
Roughly 35 countries, a mix of long- and short-term holiday rentals, 18 months+ portion of Europe and the UK in a purchased motorhome (RV), at least 2 years in the USA and Canada in a purchased motorhome (RV) and many, many trains, ferries and hire cars.
Being Australian meant we had to research and navigate Schengen rules (see the webpage contents tabs) while in Europe, so we have included the Schengen link for all things Schengen including a Schengen calculator to help you plan your own travels.
How we travel
The majority of our previous 10+ years of travel has been fast travel, staying 2 to 5 nights in a location and then moving on. While in a location, we constantly explore and see as much as we can squeeze in and try to use a mix of public transport and hire cars to navigate our way around. Trains and buses in non-English speaking countries are always an exhilarating experience. We also take advantage of events happening in the locations that we visit e.g. seeing Imagine Dragons in Lithuania, Hawaiian Super Bowl, Blue Man show Germany, theatre productions in New York and of course, any local festivals that might be nearby.
We are both huge foodies and really dig into the local cuisine, but you won't see any food pictures here. However, we both love a beer so craft brewery reviews might be experiences we occasionally share with you in our updates.
This trip will be a combination of slow, medium and fast travel, with stays between 2 days, 1 week and up to a month. We are in no rush and plan to soak up as much as possible, but we also need to navigate Schengen rules, so some visits will only require a brief stop and others time to immerse and relax, but all the while being considerate of our 4-legged fur child because, while she complains far less than a furless child, she does still get tired.
How we stay in touch
During our 2024 trip to Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, and Türkiye, we decided to dip our toes into the world of eSIMs. After plenty of research, we chose Airalo as our trial provider, knowing we could switch to another if it didn’t meet our needs. We opted for their 5GB Global plan, covering 136 countries with data, calls, and texts included, priced at $80. Installation and activation were reasonably straightforward as we departed Australia and much easier when reloading data.
While Airalo provided a substitute phone number with this option, it wasn’t as seamless for tasks like two-step authentication—something to keep in mind if cybersecurity is a priority. For our usage, we burned through about 1GB of data weekly, primarily for navigation while driving, alternatively relying on Wi-Fi wherever possible.
In Türkiye, we had to supplement with a local eSIM, which offered 1GB for 7 days at just $7.50—a fantastic alternative to Australia’s $5-per-day roaming fees. It worked like a charm.
For our next adventure, we've chosen Airalo’s 20GB, 365-day data-only eSIM, which cost $93 after discounts. It’s a step up in value, and we’re excited to see how it holds up across our upcoming travels. Pro tip: always check the country you are travelling to is covered.