Updated for 2018! Here’s everything you need to know about Portugal’s toll roads from the new, unmanned Electronic Tolls to the old Via Verde system. Make sure you read this if you’re planning a trip to Portugal in the near future and plan on driving your own vehicle or renting a car while you’re there.
Still feeling the effects of a crazy travel week riding camels in Morocco, sleeping in Bedouin tent villages in the Sahara Desert and hanging out in the chaotic sprawling urban jungle called the Medina of Marrakech, Micki and I were on the mend in Seville and looking for our next family adventure.
When we pulled up a map of the area, it became clear that there was one last place we needed to check out before we left this area of Spain behind us. Only 2 hours south was an iconic landmark that I had heard about since childhood and never really thought I’d ever see it in person. Gibraltar was calling and that meant two things, road trip and monkees!
One of the hardest things to do while on the road is to talk to friends and family back home on a regular basis. They’re generally living their normal lives, going to work and so forth while you’re doing your own thing on the other side of the planet.
Emailing, texting and video chatting all help immensely however what happens to those friends or relatives not plugged into the internet or on the cutting edge of technology? Sure you can send them a postcard and hope they’re doing well however that’s a little one sided and frankly, so 1880.
Let’s kick it up 50 or so years and remember how it was done for almost a hundred years. Most people still have a telephone and here’s a quick rundown of traditional and not so traditional ways to phone internationally.
Luggage, every traveler’s bane and many traveler’s only worldly possession. Do you own it or does it own you?
I take a quick peak at how our luggage has evolved from our simple backpacking days 10 years ago up until we had kids and then the mountain of bags we traveled with right after.
As the kids get older, is there hope on the horizon for us? I hope so….
From it’s mountainous plateau, Avila, Spain is a sight to behold. With gigantic walls nearly a thousand years old, the city is a veritable fortress of churches and convents. It’s also darn cold in February. Avila was the first stop on our road trip from Madrid to Portugal and the city didn’t disappoint. Check out our take on it and wonder aloud with us what we were doing there in sub zero temperatures just one week after leaving the warm tropical beaches of Mexico.
We check out the popular island of Isla Mujeres and spend the day golf carting from one awesome site to another to make it one of the best day trips we’ve ever had as a family.
From Puerta Del Sol to Plaza Mayor, Madrilenos love their squares. What makes these plazas the heartbeat of historical Madrid? We try to find out as we walk around the beautiful Spanish city center and get caught up in the joy of shared togetherness.
With some new friends along for the ride, we had the pleasure of checking out Cenote Dos Ojos just outside of beautiful Akumal, Mexico. Come along with us as we explore this awesome cenote phenomenon of limestone clear pools and underwater caves.