Train travel New Zealand: the Overlander
New Zealand train journeys are a popular option for travellers wanting to see a bit more of the country. The longest of these journeys, and the one that’s most likely to be considered as an alternative to flying or driving, is the Overlander train between Auckland and Wellington. The cost of this trip has tumbled dramatically over the last few years. While it’s still not as cheap as some of the discount airline specials, you don’t need to be fast or lucky to get a train ticket for less than $100. I paid $89 at short notice, and specials go as low as $49. There’s really no need for a New Zealand train tour, booking is cheap and easy. As long as you’re

128 – Planning our round the world 2010 travel
In this short show, we speak about the trials and tribulations of planning and booking our round the world travel for 2010 and beyond. We’re both pretty sick this week, so it’s a short show! You can grab it and others in iTunes. Thanks to your suggestions, we have a good idea of what to look out for as we make our plans for 2010. However, we’re hamstrung by a combination of cash and freedom. The round-the-world ticketing options that we’ve found have either a) been too expensive, b) been too restrictive, or c) not gone where we want t

Travel photo: Canoeing in the Solomon Islands
Children canoeing in the Solomon Islands Travel photo: Canoeing in the Solomon Islands is happily produced by The Indie Travel Podcast, proud winners of Lonely Planet's "Best Podcast 2009" -- Che

Tonga – ‘Eua’s water, wonders, and lack of tourism
Click here to view the embedded video. Interested in Tongan tourism? The island of ‘Eua off Tongatapu is beautiful but very far from the tourist trail. Tonga – ‘Eua’s water, wonders, and lack of tourism is happily produced by The Indie Travel Podcast, proud winners of Lonely Planet's "Best Podcast 2009" -- Check out our free podcast in iTunes

Travel visas for top destinations
Obtaining a visa for the country or countries you wish to travel to is an important aspect of travel, and it’s not always an easy process. Every country has its own visa regulations for visitors, and these can change without much notice. Generally speaking, if you are from a developing or politically unstable country you are more likely to need a visa than if your country of birth is a wealthy Western nation, but again, there are exceptions on both sides. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time without a valid visa can have you banned from visiting that country again, so knowing if you do require a visa and getting your application processed on time is a critical a