Neither of us claim to be great chefs. My go-to dish at home is pulled pork or something with eggs. Believe me both options are not the greatest and pulled pork is delicious, but mediocre pulled pork is easy to make. And I could very well be the king of mediocre pulled pork.
Preparing dishes when camping provides a whole other difficulty. You do not have the luxury of your kitchen on hand. You need to use what is available to you to prepare a meal that is worthy of tasting well.
We really love to go camping, but as with at home the cooking portion of the experience is something we do not particularly look forward to. Making a campfire is enjoyable, but besides that I do not get much enjoyment out of making food.
That is why we opt for easy to make camping dishes. Things that will be prepared in minutes and not take much time out of our camping experience. A lot of these do not have great nutritional value, besides the freeze dried food, so it is always a good idea to pack some snacks like protein bars, beef jerky, trail mix, and fruit and vegetables.
These snacks, along with our recommended easy to prepare camping dishes, will provide you with the fuel to get through your camping experience.
Easy to Prepare Camping Dishes
Easy is our favorite word when camping, especially when it comes down to food preparation.
For this list, we tried to focus on foods that will not spoil. Therefore, you do not need to rely on a cooler keeping your food from going bad. This will help by reducing the amount you would need to carry when you go camping and also reduce the amount of food that could attract wildlife to your campsite.
We also focus on dishes that are the easiest to prepare rather than focusing on things that would require a significant amount of time to prepare and taking the time out of your day. Every once in a while it is fun to really spend some time preparing the best campfire meal, but you do not always have that luxury when camping. Carrying around a cooler and making sure your food is not going to spoil can be stressful. That is why we prefer foods like these when camping.
Camping Food Checklist
Hobo Meals
Look, I am not trying to be insensitive calling this a hobo meal. I do not know what it is normally called, but this was my favorite campfire meal growing up.
These require the most preparation time in comparison to everything else on this list. What you would need would be a variety of produce like carrots, potatoes, onions, peppers, and anything else you would want to throw into an aluminum packet with oil inside. Make sure that the vegetable are chopped and into fairly small pieces so that they cook quickly. You can add salt, pepper, and any other spices that you may have on hand.
With a campfire started, you need to wait until you get some good coals and then you place your aluminum sacks of vegetables onto the coals to cook. You turn it part way through and take it out to check if the vegetables are cooked. Obviously you will need to have something to protect your hands when taking the packages out.
You can add meat to these packages if you have some or anything else you would want to throw into these packets. It really makes for a delicious and fun to make meal preparation.
Canned Foods
Canned foods can be great when you are camping. There are so many to choose from and they wont spoil on you. You can get specific flavors or foods for each person you are camping with. They only require to be heated up so you would need to make a campfire and have a mess kit with you or to have a portable stove to help heat it up. They taste fine and have little preparation time.
However, canned foods can be heavy. They have the additional water weight that you will need to carry around if you are not driving right to your campsite. That means you will be lugging that extra weight of the can and the water weight with you everywhere you go. That is why we pack meals like instant noodles or freeze dried food.
Instant Noodles
We love instant noodles. Simply boil water and pour into your noodles. It does not get much easier than that. The best part of these are that they provide the fuel you need to get through a day and they are lightweight because you are not carrying around that water weight that is in canned foods.
All you need is to be camping near a water source, have a way to get the water to your campsite, and boil the water to kill any bacteria and to cook your noodles. We like to use our portable stove to boil our water for instant noodles.
Freeze Dried Meals
These are great to pack because they are light and easy to prepare. There are also so many varieties to choose from and they will not spoil during your trip.
It is as easy as choosing the flavors you want, packing them, boiling water on the camp site, and adding it to the package. In minutes you have a full meal to eat with minimal preparation and headache.
You do not need to carry around water anywhere because you can grab some from a water source nearby and boil it using a portable stove that we discussed in an earlier post.
With most of these packages you simply add the boiled water to the package and stir. In minutes you have a nutritious and pretty good tasting meal. With so many different packages to choose from, there is a flavor for everyone in your party.
Flavors include: beef stroganoff with noodles, lasagna with meat sauce, chicken teriyaki with rice, noodles and chicken, beef stew, granola with milk and blueberries, and so many more.
Snacks
As described earlier in this post, it is always important to pack some snacks that will provide some nutritional value that you may be missing in an instant noodle package. We always pack things like protein bars or other types of bars with some nutritional value to them. We also have a package of trail mix to go along with those.
Beef jerky is always good to have with you as it will not spoil during your camping trip and will provide a source of protein. Also, if you pack a small cooler with some fruit and vegetables like carrots and apples this will keep you going through the day and provide much-needed vitamins during your camping trip.
It is always important to eat healthy, so keep in mind snacks that will provide you with the nutritional value required on your camping trip.
Conclusion
We hope that this post helps provide you with some ideas on how you can make easy meals for your camping experience this coming season. We tried to focus on meals that are easy to prepare, lightweight and easy to carry, and that also taste good.
The freeze dried meals really cover all of this and even provide some nutritional value to them as well. However, we love a pot of instant noodles from time-to-time as well. It all depends what you are looking to eat, how long you are camping for, and how much you are willing to carry. With these meals that we suggested, we kept the water weight that you would be carrying down as much as possible so you would need to be camping somewhere close to a water source to provide you with the water necessary to prepare these meals.
If you are only camping for one or two nights, you may be able to pack a cooler full of hamburgers and hot dogs. If there is a town nearby you may be able to make some trips into town to enjoy their restaurants or pick up some food daily from the grocery store. This would be an easy way to prepare some delicious food night in and night out.
However, you will not always have this luxury when you go camping. This is where the list above comes in.
What do you pack when you go camping? We would love to hear from you in the comment section below.
Have a comment or something to add to this article? Leave a comment below or send us a response by contacting us.
Free Online Resources to Start Your Digital Nomad Lives
Research, plan, and book your travels with this guide to saving you time and money on your next trip.
Every traveler needs a travel blog to document their journey and start building their portfolio of writing, photography, and videos. This is the jack of all trades guide to creating your travel blog to start traveling the world while earning money.
Supplementing your travel blog with imagery is the best way to capture your readers’ attention. With this guide, you will be well on your way to take incredible photos and capturing those special travel moments.
Every week we interview a couple who is living, or is striving to live, the digital nomad lifestyle. Tune in to our Travel Couple Podcast weekly to get advice from the best!
Lisbon, Portugal was the last stop on our four country trip that also included South Africa, Morocco, and Spain. It was also the longest we spent in a single city since beginning our trip in Cape Town, South Africa. We were ready to wander the streets of Lisbon for three days.
Lisbon’s cobble stone streets, gorgeous architecture, street cars, street art, and delicious foods stole our hearts. We were amazed by what this city has to offer and were pleasantly surprised by what we were able to see during our short stay.
Not only does the city itself hold a lot of attractions for visitors, but no more than an hour train ride away are several day trip cities from Lisbon that will amaze you just as much as the capital itself.
All of this made for the perfect destination to end our four country trip.
3 Days In Lisbon
Lisbon, Portugal Itinerary
Day One
Flew from Barcelona, Spain to Lisbon, Portugal.
Visited Castelo de S. Jorge and had dinner.
Day Two
Wandered around Alfama and the public squares.
Visited Santa Justa Lift, Carmo Convent, and Lisbon Cathedral.
Day Three
Visited Jerónimos Monastery.
Went across the Ponte 25 de Abril to visit the National Sanctuary of Christ the King.
This was the first place we visited when arriving in Lisbon. We only really had time for one thing to do and then dinner before the sun set and it always seems that we seek out the attraction that provides the best view of the city first. São Jorge Castle did not disappoint.
It is a Moorish castle that dates back to Medieval times and is situated on a hilltop in Lisbon showing off incredible views of the city and surrounding Alfama area, the oldest area of the city. You can wander around the castle grounds, climb up towers, and walk along the castle’s walls.
Opened in the early twentieth century, the Santa Justa elevator is a historic lift that connects the lower level of the streets to an upper level of buildings. It is located further up the main street of Lisbon that extends from the Praça do Comércio.
Using the lift comes at a small cost of about 5 euros or 6 euros for a full day metro pass that includes a lift pass. It was interesting to ascend the lift and the metal staircase to the top and to view the city of Lisbon from yet another viewpoint.
Lisbon Cathedral
Opened in the twelfth century, this cathedral is iconic to the city as its oldest church. It is definitely a place you need to visit when in Lisbon and also very affordable at free entry. You cannot go wrong with visiting this gorgeous cathedral not far from the main street of Lisbon.
Construction began on this monastery in the early 16th century. It has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It really is a wonder to look at. The architecture on the outside is enough to make you amazed at what you are seeing. You can visit the inside of the church to see its beauty.
You can then continue on to the monastery and view all of the different quarters, corridors, squares, and so much more that this structure will throw your way. This was one of our favorite things we did when in Lisbon and would recommend it to anybody. We took a couple of hours to visit this entire monastery.
It is located near Belém Tower which can be paired for a full day itinerary. Unfortunately we ran out of time with a late start at the monastery and did not have enough time to visit the tower.
Praça do Comércio is the main square at the waterfront in Lisbon which holds different vendors, restaurants, cafes, and opens up into a popular street that stretches north which also holds much of the same. Separating the two is the Arco da Rua Augusta that was built after the eighteenth century earthquake that destroyed much of the city to commemorate the event.
Rossio Square ends the popular street from Praça do Comércio and opens up into a square filled with restaurants with the train station on one end and the initial stop of the 28 tram on the other. This is where a lot of festivities were held for the April 25th celebration when we were in Lisbon.
A tower near the Jerónimos Monastery. It was constructed in the early 16th century and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site as it played a role in the Age of Discovery when Portugal was involved in maritime exploration at the time.
It would have been great to enter this tower, but we ran out of time as the Jerónimos Monastery took a lengthy period of time to visit it all.
Carmo Convent
Constructed in the fifteenth century, this is a former Catholic convent that was destroyed by an earthquake in the eighteenth century. It is now a museum with remnants of artifacts and the structure that still stands. It would have been good to enter this place to wander around, but it was not in our budget and we had already seen a lot of it from outside and up top the Santa Justa elevator.
Across the Ponte 25 de Abril, the bridge commemorating the 25th of April revolution, lays the National Sanctuary of Christ the King. It is a Catholic monument and shrine dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ evidently inspired by the Christ the Redeemer Statue in Brazil.
We showed up after hours and could not enter unfortunately, but made a point of getting a cab to drive us across the bridge to see the area for ourselves. Really it is not worth it if you are not going during opening hours.
Museums
There are numerous museums that we missed out on, though museums are not really what we look for when visiting a city. If you are interested in adding one of these to your itinerary, check out: MNAA National Museum of Ancient Art holds art in an old palace, National Azulejo Museum which holds ceramic collections in a church, Calouste Gulbenkian Museum which holds an oil magnate’s art collection, and the National Coach Museum holds historical carriages.
Where to Eat in Lisbon
Fábrica da Nata – Pastéis de Nata
If you are in Portugal, then you need to try the egg tarts. These pastries are enough to blow your mind. They are wonderfully made in this shop right before your eyes. They are flaky, custardy, and are slightly charred on the top to add to the flavor. There is no pastry better when you are in Portugal.
This shop is located right by the Lisbon train station basically next to the Hard Rock Cafe, further north from the Santa Justa elevator.
Confeitaria Nacional
This is another pastry shop with a great setting. Definitely a place that you can order a coffee and some baked goods and just relax for a while in the morning or after a long walk.
This place is located right near São Jorge Castle.
Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau
This place serves one thing very well. Cheesy codfish cakes. They are wonderfully handcrafted before your eyes and fried to perfection. They are a must taste when you are in Lisbon.
The shop is conveniently located near the Santa Justa elevator.
Pois Café
We enjoyed this place to eat breakfast so much that we visited twice. It is a lovely little communal cafe vibe with healthy options for eating including eggs, bagels, and salads. Definitely a good place to go for a health conscious traveler.
It is conveniently located right by Lisbon Cathedral so you can start your day off right with a healthy breakfast and touring the cathedral before moving on to your next attraction.
Eating Around Alfama and Praça do Comércio
If you are wandering around these two areas you are abound to find many different food spots. Though these are the more touristy areas, the food is still good but it comes at a price. We did sit down at our first restaurant in Alfama where we tried the infamous octopus there. Something that you have to try when in Portugal. We also treated ourselves to sangria among other popular foods and drinks.
Where to Shop in Lisbon
Alfama
If you are after some souvenirs to take home with you, then wandering the old city streets of Alfama will provide you with many opportunities to pop into souvenir shops to see what they have for sale.
This main square at the waterfront is also a great place to wander as it is lined with shops and restaurants and also opens up into the main street of Lisbon which houses much of the same. This is definitely a good starting point for any walking tour in Lisbon.
How to Get Around Lisbon
Walking
You will miss so much that Lisbon has to offer if you do not walk around the city as much as possible. Using the tram to get around is also acceptable and fairly inexpensive. We always recommend that you walk around as much as possible in different areas of the city to really soak in the atmosphere and enjoy the little gems that you find along the way.
Tram
This is also a great way to get around the city, especially in the hilly areas of Lisbon. These historical street cars are a joy to ride around in. Tram number 28 is the wooden car that takes you around the most popular destinations within the city and you will be waiting in a long lineup to get on. And yes, we did wait in that lineup to get on it.
It took about 30 minutes of waiting and about 3 euros each to get on. We rode out the entire journey on the tram. Purchase your tickets and board at the first stop at Ponto Inicial Trem 28 further north east of the Santa Justa elevator. There is some more great information about tram 28 here.
Uber
Uber was what we took when we had to get from one place to another in a hurry. We took a few Ubers during our time in the city, but mostly to get back home to our apartment at night or to get to the airport when we left.
We did have a problem with one Uber in Sintra when we booked one, he showed up and said that he could not take us so he had to cancel, and then said he could take us for double what Uber had said in cash. Of course we did not fall for this and we ended up taking a lovely vintage car ride down to the train station instead.
Unfortunately with this being one of our first experiences with Uber, our next time trying to book a ride on the app was difficult as nobody would accept our ride. Finally when we got a driver, he told us that we had a low rating and he only picked us up because he was in the area. Turns out that the cancelled ride worked against our rating and it would prove difficult to get rides until we got that rating up.
Train
We took trains during our day trips to both Cascais and Sintra. They were affordable and we did not have to book them in advance. We simply just showed up and booked our tickets with ease. After our experiences in Spain, we could not have asked for a better experience taking trains in Portugal.
How to Get to Lisbon
Since it is the capital city of Portugal, there are many ways to arrive in Lisbon. We chose to fly from Barcelona, but we could have just as easily taken a bus or train. However, our time was limited already and did not want to limit it anymore by taking a method of transportation that would take more time out of our schedule.
We love to use Rome2Rio to find out the best way to get from one destination to another.
As with most places on our four country trip, we decided to stay in an AirBnB. We had a lovely ground floor apartment to stay in the city and it was all to ourselves. We were located in the heart of the city nearby Alfama and the São Jorge Castle.
We would definitely recommend that you stay within walking distance of Praça do Comércio or Alfama as we did to enjoy the night environment of these areas and to be able to walk back to your accommodation afterwards with no problems.
If we returned, we would find a place closer to the city center and to Praça do Comércio, as our AirBnB was a little bit further away from these places. Check out these hostels for your stay in Lisbon.
Best Time to Visit Lisbon
We visited near the end of April and it was perfect! It was still a fairly low season for tourism and the weather was just getting better with more sun coming each and every day.
We were also able to celebrate April 25th with Lisbon as it is Freedom Day there. This marked the 1974 military coup in Lisbon that overthrew the Estado Novo regime. There was a lot to enjoy in the public squares including music and festivities.
Conclusion
Lisbon treated us well. After a hectic week in Spain where nothing seemed to be going our way, we finally had a good few days just relaxing in one place.
We would definitely return to this city if given the chance in the future. Though we accomplished so much here, there still seems like so much we missed and wish we would have seen.
We wish we could have enjoyed more of the nightlife and fado music. That is one part of the culture that we truly feel that we missed out on completely.
Camping season is upon us where we live in Ontario. The snow is gone and the weather is getting warmer. We are preparing ourselves and planning our next camping trip. This means that we also need to think about what we need to pack for our trip.
It is not just camping that we can do here in Canada, but portaging. This involves backpacking and carrying a canoe to get across bodies of water to a campsite. It is a mix of hiking, backpacking, and canoeing. This means that you need to pack as light as possible, but bring enough to sustain yourself for as long as you will be gone. Enter the proper backpacking cooking gear that you need to bring with you on these trips.
Portable Cooking Equipment
When planning your next backpacking, hiking, camping, and/or portaging trip, you need to consider the size of what you are carrying. It needs to be small and as light as possible. Though it needs to carry everything you would need for as long as you will be gone.
Cooking equipment is one of those things that are a necessity. It is also one of those things that can really take up space and add weight to your backpack. Finding the right gear is incredibly important.
You will be looking for something that is portable and lightweight. Something that does not need electricity to run because there just is not any electricity in the wilderness. You are also looking for something that will work for you.
Mess Kit
We would love to cook on cast iron all day when we are camping. Unfortunately backpacking does not provide us the luxury of carrying around a heavy cast iron pan. All of our other gear is heavy enough.
That is why we pack an aluminum mess kit. This is a kit filled with various cooking tools and utensils that are portable and will fit in nicely with the rest of your lightweight belongings.
You will want something that you are not going to spend a lot of money on with an aluminum cooking equipment that will be used to cook over a campfire. These will get beaten and missed during your hiking or camping. They will potentially get left behind and forgotten about. At this price point, you wont even bat an eye.
So if you are one to enjoy cooking on a campfire and you want something lightweight and portable, we would suggest this mess kit.
This kit is lightweight and it packs together easily for simple storage and transport. It is the perfect thing to pack if you are wanting to cook over a fire with something, but not willing to lug around heavy cast iron pans.
This kit includes:
8 oz. cup
7 inch frying pan
16 oz. pot with lid
Deep dish plate
Portable Cooking Kit
We love cooking over a campfire. It is one of our favorite things to do. However, carrying around all of the pots and pans can take up a lot of space. It is also a lot of effort to make a campfire whenever you need to cook something to eat.
In addition to that, sometimes you are not able to make a campfire. Whether it is because of the weather or because the summer has been to dry and campfires are banned, you need to have another plan. This is why we have a portable cooking kit with us that will allow us to eat whenever and wherever.
It also takes up almost no space and includes everything you need.
This portable cooking kit weighs a little over one pound and has everything you would possible need to cook in a portable little package. The only other thing you would need to purchase would be a small propane canister that the portable stove will screw on to.
This kit includes:
Stainless steel spork and knife
Mini stove with ignition
Aluminum pot
Aluminum pan
Pan cover
Two bowls
Soup spoon
Rice ladle
Sponge
Carabiner
Nylon bag
Food to Prepare
If you are needing to carry things for a long period of time you likely do not want to be lugging massive quantities that are going to add weight to your backpack. You want to pack as light as possible. Typically for a camping trip you may be able to get away with packing a cooler full of food that you would be able to keep cool for a day or two.
However, when you are backpacking you do not have that luxury. There is no space for a cooler on a backpacking, hiking, or portaging trip. You already have a pack full of clothes, equipment, a tent, and cooking gear. You do not need food that is really going to weigh you down.
Though it is an option, you likely do not want to pack a significant amount of canned food because cans are heavy and so is the liquid inside the cans. Keeping unnecessary water weight down as much as possible will help your back. It is good to have water with you at all times, but when it comes to cooking you want to be able to find a water source to use for your cooking instead of carrying your water with you everywhere.
So, what lightweight options do we have for your food that you can prepare while camping.
Instant Noodles
These are perfect for any camping trip. Lightweight and portable. Simply boil some water and add them to your noodles and you have a perfect snack to keep you going.
Beef Jerky
Looking for a source of meat or protein? Beef jerky takes all of the water out of the meat which means no water weight that you are carrying around and you have all the taste and protein from the meat to keep you going without spoiling.
Snacks
Snacks are always good to have on hand. Things like trail mix or protein bars are great to have in your backpack at all times in order to keep you going without having to stop and boil some water to get some extra fuel into your system.
Freeze Dried Meals
If you want some meals that are easy to carry, filling, and require little to no preparation time. Then these are the meals that you want. Most require just simple boiling water and pouring it on top. Plus they still taste good and will not spoil during your trip.
Conclusion
Being prepared for your next backpacking, hiking, camping, or portaging trip has never been easier. We have you covered with what you need for your food.
Now if you are also looking for a way to have a coffee anywhere you go, we wrote a post about the best travel coffee maker. We also have a post for the best water filter bottles so you do not need to pack any water which will really weigh you down.
Something else you may want to pick up before you start your camping trip is a container to pick up some water. This can be beneficial if you require water for your food, for drinking water, for your coffee, and for putting out the campfire when you are done. It is also nice to have if your campsite is a little bit far from a water source.
You do not want to be carrying around a giant pot in order to be able to get water to your campsite. A portable container is the best option for you and your backpacking trip.
What do you cook when you are camping? We would love to hear from you in the comment section below.
Have a comment or something to add to this article? Leave a comment below or send us a response by contacting us.
Free Online Resources to Start Your Digital Nomad Lives
Research, plan, and book your travels with this guide to saving you time and money on your next trip.
Every traveler needs a travel blog to document their journey and start building their portfolio of writing, photography, and videos. This is the jack of all trades guide to creating your travel blog to start traveling the world while earning money.
Supplementing your travel blog with imagery is the best way to capture your readers’ attention. With this guide, you will be well on your way to take incredible photos and capturing those special travel moments.
Every week we interview a couple who is living, or is striving to live, the digital nomad lifestyle. Tune in to our Travel Couple Podcast weekly to get advice from the best!
Barcelona was the best way to wrap up a Spain trip that had not been going as we had hoped. We began this trip in Ronda for a day, before not being able to get a train out of the city to Madrid and having to stay almost a day in Malaga, then grabbed a night bus to Madrid where we spent a little longer than a day, missed out train and had to pay double to get to Valencia where we arrived with an even shorter amount of time than we already had, and finally took a train to Barcelona.
Nothing seemed to be going our way in Spain, but we were excited for Barcelona to be different. And it was. It provided enough to keep us occupied, in awe, and intrigued. There was so much to see in this city and it remains at the top of the list of places we would return to.
We had a list of things we wanted to accomplish with 36 hours in Barcelona and were prepared to make the most of our time in the last Spanish city of our trip through Spain.
36 Hours in Barcelona
Itinerary
Arrived in Barcelona.
Visited Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya and Montjuïc to view the city.
Started the next day at La Sagrada Familia before getting lunch and taking a taxi to Park Güell.
Visited Güell Palace, Cathedral of Barcelona, and Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar.
Walked La Rambla, Casa Batlló, Casa Milà, Casa Amatller.
What to See in Barcelona in 36 Hours
What We Did
Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya
We began our trip to the National Museum of Catalan Art. We did not enter the museum, but wandered around it to see the wonderful views from the top of the many stairs to the entrance way. From this point you can see into the city and find the Agbar Tower, La Sagrada Familia, and Tibidabo. So many beautiful structures and a preview of what we would visit throughout the next 36 hours in Barcelona.
It is a beautiful place to walk around and enjoy an afternoon in the plaza that surrounds it, the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc, and continuing on to Montjuïc to see more of Barcelona from the coast to the city and into the Montjuïc Castle itself.
This is a hill in Barcelona that begins with the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya and extends to the Montjuïc Castle. We started our trip with this one hour walk in the afternoon and enjoyed the views that it has to offer of the coast and the city. Montjuïc Castle is an old military fortress from the 17th century that you can tour if you make it before close like we did not.
With construction started in the late 19th century, this Roman Catholic Church is iconic. Though it is constantly undergoing construction with cranes surrounding it, it is still a must-see in Barcelona. Designed by architect Antoni Gaudi, it is a gorgeous testament to his prowess.
Walking around the exterior is mesmerizing. Entering into this church that plays with light, color, and space like no other is a definite if you were to ever consider any other attraction in the city. Though admission is on the expensive side at about 17 euros and to ascend to the tour at 32 euros, it may be the best use of admission money in Barcelona.
Make sure that you that you book tickets in advance as even in April when we were visiting just before the high tourist season was approaching, it was packed.
Another one of Antoni Gaudi’s wonders wrapped into a park. With panoramic views and buildings covered in mosaics, this park is a great place to enjoy an afternoon while visiting the Gaudi museum within its walls.
Remember how we mentioned that you should purchase your tickets for La Sagrada Familia in advance? You should do the same for Park Güell. We showed up on the day of to enter and it turns out that they were completely sold out and we were not able to get in.
Still there is a great pathway around the entire park that you can walk and peer into anyways which still provides a lot of wonderful looks into more of Gaudi’s artistic vision. General admission tickets are 10 euros.
Just a five minute walk from one another, these two buildings are also designed by Antoni Gaudi. Casa Batlló is a unique architectural design almost looking like it was constructed of bone. Though refurbished several times it is a great place to take a photo from the outside during the daytime and at night when it is lit up. It is now the home of a museum.
Casa Milà was built in the early twentieth century and shows off a wonderful design on the outside. Also another place that looks incredible both in the daytime and at night. You can find it home to different art museums.
We actually skipped entering these two buildings as admission starts at a whopping 25 euros.
Casa Amatller
Opened in the early 20th century, this is a beautiful floral decorated building that you will likely recognize that is close in proximity to Casa Batlló and Casa Milà. It also exhibits art and you can purchase expensive tickets to tour the building similar to Casa Batlló and Casa Milà. However, we were happy to take lots of pictures outside of it in the day and at night when it is wonderfully illuminated.
Another wonderful example of Gothic architecture in the city, the Cathedral of Barcelona is beautiful inside and out. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Barcelona. Construction began in the thirteenth century of this wonderfully designed church. Add it to the list of things to see if you love this style of architecture.
This place is a mansion designed by Antoni Gaudí for Eusebi Güell who was an industrial tycoon. It was built in the later part of the 19th century and holds a small admission fee to enter to take a step back in time and see the gorgeous arrangement and design of the interior. We chose to pay this admission and were not disappointed by the beauty of the interior.
A beautiful church built in the 14th century that you are able to enter and see the wonderful interior. This building is a simplistically designed Gothic Church from the Medieval times that offers so much for your eyes.
We really felt like we got to do almost everything that we had wanted to accomplish while in Barcelona. This place was the next on our list though and we just did not have enough time to get it done.
This is the massive mountain that towers over Barcelona with the Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and an amusement park. It seems like the perfect place to spend an entire day, as it is a little bit away from the city center.
Ciutadella Park
A large and beautiful green space within the city if you are looking for a place to relax in the sun. It has the Barcelona Zoo on one side of it and the Arco de Triunfo de Barcelona that was built by Josep Vilaseca i Casanovas as the main access gate to the 1888 Barcelona World Fair.
Palau de la Música Catalana
This is a concert hall in the city that is a beautiful architectural piece and is a great place to see a musical or concert performance if you happen to be interested in spending some of your budget on this.
Camp Nou
We would have loved to see an FC Barcelona game. This is their home stadium that is a little bit outside of the city center. Definitely take advantage of seeing one of these games and soak in the atmosphere of game day if you have a chance.
Casa Vicens Gaudí
If you are going to Park Guell, try to add this to your itinerary for the day. This was the first house that was designed by Antoni Gaudi that is now turned into a museum.
Picasso Museum
Thousands of pieces of Picasso’s art displayed in this museum makes it one of the most extensive collections of the artist and one of the most interesting museums that the city has to offer.
We actually did not keep track of the different places that we ate while in Barcelona and cannot recall the places we ate. When you walk around places for hours on end you tend to find some hidden tapas restaurants or patisserie places that you pop in to to grab a bite to eat. That is what we did at least.
La Rambla is a main tourist shopping strip lined with trees that stretches from the coast through the Gothic Quarter into the city center. An entrance to the Mercado de La Boqueria where you can find a public market with local foods from La Rambla. This strip makes for a lovely walk on a beautiful sunny day.
Arenas de Barcelona
This was the first place we visited when we arrived in Barcelona. It is a former bullring turned into a shopping mall with an elevator to a top viewing platform. It was a good place to go for typical shopping mall perusing. It is where we visited Orange to get our SIM cards charged up for our time in Barcelona.
We did take the elevator to the top for a small admission, but you could skip this and get a better view at the National Museum of Catalan Art, though you would miss the view of looking at the museum which is quite spectacular.
How to Get Around Barcelona
Walking
We walked nearly everywhere we went in Barcelona. It was the perfect walking city to find hidden gems and to wonder at the beautiful architecture that the city has to treat your eyes. We definitely recommend taking a taxi to a certain area if you are in a rush and just walking the rest of the time before moving on to the next area. We went to the Gothic Quarter and walked around to our content before moving on to another area like La Rambla and continued to walk around to our heart’s content.
We used a train to get from Valencia to Barcelona. Trains in Spain are certainly not inexpensive. However, our train from Valencia to Barcelona did come in below 100 euros each one way.
Barcelona also has an airport that is not far from the city. We used this airport to fly out of the city at the end of our trip.
Buses run to Barcelona through various cities in Spain. We love to use Rome2Rio to find out the best way to get from one destination to another.
We stayed just a fifteen minute walk down the street from La Sagrada Familia in an AirBnB. Our host was extremely kind and welcoming. However, if we did return back to Barcelona we would stay closer to the city center. It was a little bit out of the way and a fairly quiet walk home at night away from the main crowds of the city.
We always prefer to stay somewhere within walking distance to a major tourist attraction of the city. However, fifteen minutes down the street of La Sagrada Familia was a little bit too far considering it was in the direction of a quiet and dark living area.
Best Time to Visit Barcelona
We visited Spain in the middle to end of April. It seemed like the perfect time to go as the weather was becoming more enjoyable and the busy tourist season had not yet begun. This would last another month lasting from April to the beginning of June before the high season approaches. Another good time to visit would be late September when the high season comes to a close to early November before it begins to get cold again.
Barcelona stole our hearts. It was a perfect way to end our not so successful Spain tour. From the moment we arrived in Spain it seemed like things were not going our way. As luck would have it, the final city on our trip really made our attitudes swing in the right direction.
From the moment we looked out at the city from Montjuïc to the time we spent wandering the streets of La Rambla, Barcelona never ceased to amaze us. It remains one of the few cities we would definitely visit again to spend more time getting to know it better.
This is the problem with traveling fast. You really do not get to spend the time you may want in a place. Though you do get to see a lot of cities, sometimes it is nice to just sit back and enjoy a city without being in a rush. That is what we did at our next destination in Lisbon, Portugal.
Free Online Resources to Start Your Digital Nomad Lives
Research, plan, and book your travels with this guide to saving you time and money on your next trip.
Every traveler needs a travel blog to document their journey and start building their portfolio of writing, photography, and videos. This is the jack of all trades guide to creating your travel blog to start traveling the world while earning money.
Supplementing your travel blog with imagery is the best way to capture your readers’ attention. With this guide, you will be well on your way to take incredible photos and capturing those special travel moments.
Every week we interview a couple who is living, or is striving to live, the digital nomad lifestyle. Tune in to our Travel Couple Podcast weekly to get advice from the best!
We are coffee lovers. There is no doubt about it. Every day we have at least one coffee to get the day going. This does not change when we are on the road. However, depending where you are it can be difficult to get that cup of coffee in the morning or overly priced that it just does not fit in the budget.
Enter the portable travel coffee maker. They are easy to use and slip right into your backpack barely taking any space. It is the best way to save money when on the road by not needing to purchase a coffee from a cafe every morning, it saves time, and still allows you to sample the local coffee beans.
Portable Travel Coffee Maker
Whether you are looking to make backpacking coffee, making coffee when camping, or want something handy to take with you to work, having something portable that you can slip into your bag is important. Obviously you need something that is not reliant on electricity because you never know when and where you will be making your coffee when traveling.
You also want something that is built to last due to the nature of travel and how much your bag is likely to get thrown around. However, you do not want it to be heavy so that it becomes a burden to carry around in your bag. This is why we recommend these travel coffee makers below. They are so incredible to have with you to save time, save money, and they are so versatile.
Saves Time
Imagine waking up in the morning and the first thing you need to do is find the nearest cafe to get your cup of coffee. First you need to locate a cafe, walk there, order, and go. This can take at least an hour out of your valuable day when traveling. If you love to wake up for those sunrises, it can be even less likely that you are going to be able to get your cup of coffee until after the sunrise photo shoot.
Imagine you had a portable travel coffee maker wherever you went with you and you could make a coffee in minutes. You can even take it with you to your sunrise spot and enjoy your cup while staring at the sunrise with your significant other. There is nothing like saving time when you are traveling.
Do not get us wrong, sometimes it can be great to go to the local cafe and enjoy their coffee while sitting and enjoying the environment. However, it is always good to have another option when you are in a rush.
Saves Money
Making a trip to a cafe every day when you are traveling is an easy way to skyrocket your budget depending where you are traveling. If you are camping and you need to make a trip into town just to get your coffee fix you are out the time and the money spent getting into town and the cost of the coffee. If you happen to be in a city filled with cafes, you are only out the cost of the coffee. However, coffee is becoming increasingly expensive.
Sure it might be $5 here and $5 there, but this adds up and is deceiving how much this will add up to your travel budget. Even at home we try to cut back our money spent on going out to grab coffees. We now have Nespresso machines at home to give us our morning fix and even they are fairly pricey per capsule, but it is still cheaper than purchasing a coffee at a cafe.
Do not get us wrong, we still love to visit local cafes and support the coffee market in that sense. Businesses need to charge the prices that they charge to stay in business and cover things like business insurance, rent, and employee wages. We totally get that and are not complaining about the cost of coffee. We just know that if we can save some of our budget from being spent everyday on coffee, we will definitely do it.
Versatile
Whether you are looking to make backpacking coffee or making coffee when camping, these portable coffee makers are game changers. It has never been easier to make a good cup of coffee when you are backpacking. They fit nicely into any backpack and you can take them with you wherever you go throughout your travels to make a cold or hot coffee as you see fit.
Making coffee when camping can prove to be a headache at times. With no electricity available and not wanting to pack something massive just to make coffee, these portable coffee makers are the perfect solution. Whether you boil water over a campfire or you want your coffee cold, these provide the best way to wake up in the morning at your campsite.
Best Portable Espresso Maker
Obviously a Nespresso machine is just not the thing you want to pack in your luggage the next time you travel. You want something portable that does not rely on electricity. Something you know you would have no problem slipping into your backpack because it will hardly take up any space.
Enter the best portable espresso maker.
This thing packs a punch in a small body. With more pound-force per square inch, it can make a powerful espresso by simply adding your water and pushing in on the button which pushes the water through the espresso beans and into your cup that is screwed out on the bottom of this contraption.
If you own a Nespresso machine back home and want to bring the taste of the capsules with you, this portable espresso maker can brew these capsules with the purchase of an adapter.
Best Travel Coffee Maker
If you are not into espressos because you want more volume to drink, then this portable french press coffee maker is for you. It is as simple as any french press. Add your coffee grinds to the insulated thermos, pour in your water, stir, insert the press and push down, flip the cap open, and you now have your french press coffee ready to drink straight from the thermos.
There really is no better design for a portable coffee maker when you are on the road than this.
This thing is built to last, spill-free, and reusable. That is the best part. You can enjoy your coffee while being environmentally-friendly by reusing the same mesh filter again and again.
Best Portable Coffee Grinder
If you are purchasing local coffee beans that are not ground up, then you may need to pack a portable coffee grinder. Something that would be small and lightweight that will last some wear and tear on your travels.
The alternative to packing your coffee grinder would be to purchase already ground coffee, though this would not be as fresh, or packing your own already ground coffee to take with you, again not as fresh.
So if you are a real coffee connoisseur, then you will likely want to grind your own coffee beans just before brewing to preserve that flavor and get the freshest cup of coffee that you can make. This is where this portable coffee grinder comes into play.
With this you can easily measure your portions and adjust the coarseness of your grinds. It really does not get better than this as far as a coffee grinder that you can take anywhere is concerned.
All-in-One Portable Travel Coffee Maker
Maybe you are not interested in an espresso or a french press portable coffee maker. Perhaps you are just looking for the most portable all-in-one option to get coffee into you. The most convenient option would be to have a contraption that can grind, brew, and contain your beverage.
That would be this one that features all of these things in a compact design. Simply choose your desired coarseness of your ground coffee beans, grind your coffee beans, add it to the included filter, pour your water over it, and voila you have your coffee ready to drink. The design even includes two cups to share with somebody you are with.
Conclusion
If coffee is as important to you as it is to us, then you know it is just as important to get that caffeine fix when you are on the road. Having something with you that can fit in your bag and make you that morning cup can really help save you time and money when you are traveling.
It is also a convenient way to enjoy your coffee in the mornings and throughout the day as you need them. Pack it for your next backpacking adventure or when you plan your next camping trip.
Is coffee important to you when you are on the road? How do you get your cup? We would love to hear from you in the comment section below.
Have a comment or something to add to this article? Leave a comment below or send us a response by contacting us.
Free Online Resources to Start Your Digital Nomad Lives
Research, plan, and book your travels with this guide to saving you time and money on your next trip.
Every traveler needs a travel blog to document their journey and start building their portfolio of writing, photography, and videos. This is the jack of all trades guide to creating your travel blog to start traveling the world while earning money.
Supplementing your travel blog with imagery is the best way to capture your readers’ attention. With this guide, you will be well on your way to take incredible photos and capturing those special travel moments.
Every week we interview a couple who is living, or is striving to live, the digital nomad lifestyle. Tune in to our Travel Couple Podcast weekly to get advice from the best!
To be quite honest with you, we did not get the time that we wanted to have in Valencia. It was already a short trip of one day, but after our difficult time getting out of Madrid we arrived late in Valencia and in a bad mood. Still, we made the most of our one day in Valencia.
Is Valencia worth visiting? It makes a really good stopover city from our experience. It was sandwiched in between Madrid and Barcelona in our itinerary and the time that we spent there was enjoyable. From touring cathedrals to wandering the streets of the city.
One Day in Valencia
Itinerary
Arrived in Valencia.
Went out for dinner.
Wandered the streets of Valencia.
What to See in Valencia in One Day
What We Did
Valencia Cathedral
A 13th century Gothic style cathedral with a tower that you can pay a couple of dollars to climb to the top to see incredible views of the city. It is more than one hundred steps up a narrow winding staircase to the top where you will find the massive bell and views in all directions of the city.
Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias and L’Oceanogràfic
State of the art modern architectural buildings that house the City of Arts and Sciences entertainment and an aquarium. Great for any family visiting the city. Though it is not our type of attraction when touring a city, we definitely wanted to show up at night to see the wonderful architecture which contrasts with much of the medieval buildings that the city is so known for.
It is also a great area for shopping and touring different arts and science centers like Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia (performing arts center), Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe (Science Museum), Hemisfèric (IMAX and 3D Theater), and L’Umbracle (sculpture park) among many others.
Valencia City Hall
On our tour at night we stopped by the wonderfully lit up Valencia City Hall for some photos. It holds a lovely place to sit down and enjoy the surroundings on any day.
Torre del Micalet
We walked the over hundred of steps to the top of this bell tower to see the views it has to offer. Well worth the couple of dollar entry fee and workout that it provides to get to the top. The bell is really loud. It is also centrally located with views of the many plazas around it.
An incredible Medieval building with rich history that provides a wonderful place to wander around for anyone visiting the city. It really is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Valencia and we were really disappointed that we missed out on this.
Playa de la Malvarrosa
If the beach is your scene (it was not for us in April weather), then this beach is not far from the city center and offers a great place to relax for a morning, afternoon, or full day if that is what you are looking for.
Torres de Serranos
Built in the fourteenth century, it was a tower that was among eleven other gates to the city. Add it to the list if you are looking for Medieval architecture which Valencia is so known for. Torres de Quart would be a good addition if Torres de Serranos strikes your fancy.
Bullring of Valencia
A bullring with a museum and guided tours. Though if this is at the top of your list, you may want to go to Ronda where the bullfighting was said to have originated from.
Basílica de la Mare de Déu dels Desamparats
Another cathedral to add to your list to visit in the city center. Really this city is littered (in the best way possible) with incredible medieval architecture.
Where to Eat in Valencia
What We Did
To be honest, in our haze and poor attitude we did not take note of exactly where we ate in Valencia. But we did have this delicious paella dish and local beer.
What We Missed
The Central Market of Valencia
Whether you are cooking from your rental unit, you want some fresh food, or are looking for a meal, the Central Market of Valencia is the go-to place. We showed up way too late to get in as it is an early morning to early afternoon establishment, so make sure you show up early.
El Carmen and Ruzafa
The old part of the city with lots of cafes and places to party at night. Really the place you want to be to enjoy a night out in an incredible environment.
Where to Shop in Valencia
Mercado de Colón
This was a transformed modernist market that houses shops and dining areas. It is the place you should go for your shopping and dining experience.
How to Get Around Valencia
Taxi
We did hail one taxi to take us around the coastal area of the city to see a little bit more before we went back to our AirBnB. Our driver was extremely generous in showing us different buildings that we could get out and take some photos of before calling it a night. Taxis are great for last minute sightseeing if necessary.
Walking
Like most of our travels, we walked the majority of our time in the city. It was an excellent city to walk around and enjoy the different areas of the city. We stumbled across many beautiful buildings and photo shoot spots which made our stay in Valencia pleasant. As with all of our travel guides, we really suggest you take your time in a city to walk around as much as possible. Even if it means that you are going to miss some areas because you do not have time for them. Walking will reveal the hidden gems of any city that you would miss otherwise.
How to Get to Valencia
We took a train from Madrid to get to Valencia. The train cost us a little more than $100 USD each. Since we missed the first train, this doubled our cost and really put us in poor spirits by the time we arrived in the city. Not to mention we were late for checking into our AirBnB which put our host in a bad mood which eventually left us with our only negative review on AirBnB.
We stayed at an AirBnB while in Valencia in the central part of the city which is where it seems the best place to stay is. Walking distance from all of the different cathedrals that you can visit while in the city. Anywhere in the central part of the city will provide a great location to start any walking tour you have planned of the city.
To be quite honest, the AirBnB linked above that we stayed at was in a pretty good location, but it was not the cleanliest place and our host did not like us very much. This made our one night stay not so enjoyable. Still, it did provide a roof over our heads and a private room in an apartment unit filled with other travelers for the one night which is all we really need.
Best Time to Visit Valencia
We visited Valencia in April and it was great. The weather was getting warmer and there still was not massive amounts of tourists flocking to the different areas of the city. From what we understand anytime between March and June, as well as in the fall will bring a good combination of good weather and still part of the off season where there will not be a lot of tourists in your way.
Conclusion
I feel under different circumstances we would have enjoyed Valencia more. However, we were already in a bad mood by the time we arrived in the city and had less time to enjoy the city than we wanted. Still what we were able to do provided some enjoyment and we made the most of our time in the city.
Like I had said earlier in this post, the city is a good stopover between Madrid and Barcelona if you are interested in seeing what the city has to offer. The cathedrals are gorgeous and it is a lovely city to walk around. However, it does pale in comparison to Madrid and Barcelona.
Free Online Resources to Start Your Digital Nomad Lives
Research, plan, and book your travels with this guide to saving you time and money on your next trip.
Every traveler needs a travel blog to document their journey and start building their portfolio of writing, photography, and videos. This is the jack of all trades guide to creating your travel blog to start traveling the world while earning money.
Supplementing your travel blog with imagery is the best way to capture your readers’ attention. With this guide, you will be well on your way to take incredible photos and capturing those special travel moments.
Every week we interview a couple who is living, or is striving to live, the digital nomad lifestyle. Tune in to our Travel Couple Podcast weekly to get advice from the best!
We started our Travel Couple Podcast back in 2017. After a long time thinking of our concept and how we were going to execute it, we came to the fun part of shopping for equipment.
There is a wide range of pricing when looking at podcast equipment. Podcasting equipment can really become expensive in a hurry. When you are first starting out and it is just a hobby or you are testing the podcasting waters, spending hundreds of dollars on a microphone can really hurt your pocket. Let alone the hosting plan, headphones, computer, and other things you will need to get started with your podcast.
That is why we came up with this idea for a post. This is a culmination of podcasting equipment on a budget that is necessary, with some things that are nice-to-haves sprinkled throughout. We try to look at equipment that is both on a budget and will provide good quality. Some things on this list are even free!
Let us jump in by going through everything you need for your podcast, as well as the nice-to-haves that we mentioned earlier.
Podcast Hosting
Every podcast needs somewhere to live online. If you have a website already, that is great. However, if you upload your audio to your website then it will slow down to a crawl when loading. This will in turn hurt your user experience causing people to leave without your page fully loading or even hurt your search engine optimization.
Therefore, uploading your audio to a host just as a website is also hosted will help save you space and provide you with other tools to get your podcast online and to analyze the statistics that come with it.
Laptop
You will need a laptop to plug your microphone into and to record your conversation with your audience. Your computer just needs to be powerful enough to run your editing and recording software. Most of you will already have something you can use for this which is great.
Microphone
You will want a condenser microphone and most likely USB to save some money on purchasing other equipment to get your microphone connected to your computer. Getting the right microphone at the right price is key to your budget as they can quickly get expensive.
Pop Filter
A pop filter is a good accessory to increase your sound quality by reducing the bass pop of the “B” and “P” sounds where your mouth pushes out a quick burst of air. An inexpensive way to really help your sound quality.
Boom Microphone Arm (Nice-to-have)
This would help you if you wanted to sit hands-free and adjust while recording for a lengthy period of time. They attach to your desk and you attach your microphone and pop filter to it and do not have to worry about your microphone set up while recording.
Headphones
You will want some good headphones where the sound wont bleed into your microphone recording causing an echo. This is also something that you could possibly use your headphones from your smart phone, but will likely eventually want to invest in something else.
Editing and Recording Software
Getting the right editing and recording software is key to make your podcast sound like it has been professionally put together and really appeal to your audience.
Call Recording Software
Having the right call recording software will save the headaches should you be interviewing someone to be on your show. I have had a lot of problems with this part of the podcast process.
Best Podcast Hosting on a Budget
Podcast hosting allows you to publish your podcast online without taking up space on your website, if you already have one, that can really slow your website down. It also offers several other services, but this is the main one.
We already covered the best podcast hosting in a previous post with great detail after comparing 10 companies and their hosting plans, what is included, and their terms and conditions regarding your content.
However, we will provide you with the obvious choice for the most budget-friendly podcast hosting company to choose. That would be Anchor.
Anchor is a free podcast host, editor, and recorder all-in-one. You really cannot beat it if you are looking for a free host for your podcast, though it would be beneficial to you to understand their terms and conditions before signing up (as you should with anything). Fortunately we did this for you in our post on the best podcast hosting linked above.
For a host that is reliable at an affordable price, we recommend the industry leader Libsyn. They have been hosting podcasts for more than thirteen years now and it is where we host our Travel Couple Podcast. We have nothing but good things to say about this company and would not hesitate to recommend them to you for your podcast hosting if you want to take your podcast more seriously.
If you want to sign up with Libsyn and receive the current month plus the next month for free use promo code:
mike
We receive a small commission if you use this code which helps us continue to post this content, as well as provide you some value with a couple of free months. Make sure to use it on the 2nd of the month to maximize the free earnings you will receive.
Another host that we recommended included an all-in-one podcast hosting, website hosting, and website creation with Podcast Websites (Follow our link and use code HOSTME for $10 off per month for life on your plan). Not necessarily a budget plan, but it has everything you need at an affordable price and if you want to take your podcast seriously.
Though a website is not a necessity as your podcast host should come with a simple one page website, it is something you will want to invest in later for sure.
Best Podcasting Microphones on a Budget
When choosing a microphone you need to know which type of microphone is best for podcasting. There are two main types of microphones including:
Condenser
Dynamic
The type of microphone that you are looking for is the condenser microphones. This is because they are much more sensitive to sound and that is what we want for the highest quality. They are also more sensitive in general so you need to take good care of them. Whereas dynamic microphones are less sensitive to sound and can handle more abuse which is why they would be used for instruments.
Next, we need to think about how we will hook up that microphone to your computer to record. There are two ways of doing this. Either we can purchase a USB microphone that will plug directly into your computer and you can use a software to record or you can purchase an XLR microphone that will plug into a mixer or preamp that you will also need to purchase.
Because this post is about following a budget and trying to be as minimalist as possible, we are going to opt for the USB microphone. The difference being control on a hardware level (you can still have control on a software level) and minute differences in sound quality.
Best USB Mic for Podcasting
Let us take a look at three different levels of a budget for podcasting microphones without exceeding $100 USD. Like with most things, the more you pay the better the quality. However, you will eventually reach a point where the quality raises by a diminishing amount as the price raises higher and higher.
With that being said…
Audio-Technica ATR2500-USB Cardioid Condenser USB Microphone
We us an Audio-Technica for our podcast recordings. It is not the same one, but we are extremely happy with our microphone. This one would be a great addition for any budget podcaster, though definitely on the more expensive end of the budget end. However, anything higher in cost than this microphone and you are starting to get into that territory of the quality raising by a diminishing amount relative to the cost. This is why we would recommend this one for the higher end of the budget podcast equipment.
The microphone also features a plug-in for your headphones and volume control so that there is no delay between your speaking and what is being heard in the headphones. Not a necessity by any means, but more so a nice-to-have.
Blue Snowball iCE Condenser Microphone, Cardioid
A cool design mixed with a nice price point for something that still puts out good audio quality. This is definitely the perfect USB microphone for any budget podcaster entering the space. It is a trustworthy name that provides a great product.
Fifine Metal Condenser USB Microphone
At the lowest price point while still providing sufficient audio quality would be this choice. Though we have never tested this microphone out for ourselves so we cannot exactly speak to the audio quality, the reviews are overwhelmingly positive for the low price point that it offers. There is nothing wrong with starting out with inexpensive before upgrading later in your podcasting journey.
Along with your microphone, you will want to make sure that it comes with a USB cable to plug the microphone into the computer. A stand would be nice to have, but not a necessity as you can always hold the microphone if need be. One more thing that would definitely be good to have would be a pop filter. A pop filter will help improve your audio quality by decreasing the explosive bass that comes from sounds that start with a “P” or “B”. These sounds allow more air to come through that cause this explosive bass sound to be captured by your microphone. However, a proper pop filter will help keep this from happening and they are not expensive.
A nice-to-have to go along with your microphone set up is a boom stand that will allow you to adjust your microphone while you are recording should you be recording for a lengthy period of time. These are inexpensive and good to attach to your desk. However, they would not be good for traveling with.
Best Podcast Equipment Packages on a Budget
If you do not like the idea of purchasing everything one-by-one, you can opt for an all-in-one podcast studio package. It is still a fairly inexpensive way to enter into the podcast world, but just know that you are getting a very basic set up that wont have the best sound quality and only include one microphone input.
Best Podcast Headset on a Budget
You probably have a headphone set that you can use like the ones that came with your smart phone or another pair that you have laying around. These will do just fine and will save you a few bucks as well. Eventually you may want to upgrade to a better quality over the head type headphone set that will really make you fee like a real podcaster. However, at this stage it is not necessary.
With that being said, if you do not already have some headphones that you can use for podcasting, we have two options for you.
Sony MDRZX110NC Over-Ear Noise Cancelling Headphones
These are fairly basic entry level over-ear noise cancelling headphones that are on the market, but on a budget these are the best that you can get. A good name with a compact design that still allows you to take them on the road with you. You can get them with a mic as well should your good microphone break and you need to resort to a lesser quality microphone in a pinch.
TaoTronics Active Noise Cancelling Headphones
For a more portable piece of podcasting equipment to take with you on the road, these will act as noise-cancelling ear buds that will fit nicely into your bag. Nothing fancy about them other than they provide good sound quality, eliminate noise, and a built-in microphone should your good microphone break while traveling with it and if you find yourself in a pinch.
Best Podcast Recording and Editing Software on a Budget
Obviously recording your podcast is important, but editing your podcast is just as important to get it feeling polished and professional to your listeners. Editing out background noise or reducing the gaps in between sentences can really help make your podcast listenable. Adding in an intro and outro to your podcast can really add that touch that makes it unique to yourself.
To do this requires you to invest in some recording and editing software. Luckily there are some free options available! Audacity is a free open source software that is really incredible and easy to use. It is what we edit and record our intros and outros on. I used it well before podcasting and will continue to use it for my audio needs.
If you have a MAC then you probably know that you have GarageBand available to you for free. That is also a useful tool for recording and editing your podcast.
Best Call Recording Software on a Budget
If your podcast involves you interviewing somebody that is not in the same location as you, then you need some more software to be able to call them and record that call.
Traditionally we used Skype for this. It is free and somewhat reliable (though there is the odd issue). We also used a recording software that worked with Skype called Pamela, but have since moved on from it because it is no longer compatible with Skype’s newest upgrade (still salty about that). It was good because it recorded in WAV form which captured high quality sound that allowed you to edit afterwards, whereas recording in MP3 loses some of that quality as it is compressed to make the file smaller.
Now, we still use Skype but we use a software called MP3 Skype Recorder. It is inexpensive and provides fairly good audio quality. However, you can also use Zencastr which we have used in the past for free. It provides up to 8 hours of free recording per month and up to two guests. The audio quality is a little bit better than using MP3 Skype Recorder, but I still had some troubles with using it as I sometimes do with Skype.
Ultimately the best option is to interview somebody in the same location as you so that you can make sure they have a proper microphone to speak in to and you get the best recording possible. However, these are the best options on a budget to do interviews.
Best Laptop for Podcasting on a Budget
For what you will be doing with your podcast, your laptop is not going to need to be super powerful. We have talked about purchasing a USB microphone so we know that your laptop will need to have at least one USB port. We have also talked about software, so we know that our laptop will need to be powerful enough to meet their minimum requirements.
Audacity recommends 4GB or RAM and 2GHz processor speed. By no means a big ask. Zencastr recommends you to use Google Chrome, have 20GB+ of available disc space, and 4GB+ of RAM. This pretty much eliminates you purchasing a notebook. Skype requires you to have 512MB of RAM and a processor speed of 1GHz. Also not a lot to ask for. Besides this you should be running a fairly recent Windows operating system of at least 7.
When looking at all of this, you have a lot of options to choose from. We are basically looking at a computer with more than 20GB of hard drive space (for Zencastr alone), at least 4GB of RAM, and a processor speed of 1GHz.
You may have a laptop brand that you trust, so you will likely be able to find something with that brand to fit these requirements. We enjoy our HP laptops. We are Windows people through and through that do not believe in the overpricing of MAC laptops. HPs have served us fine in the past and continue to serve us well moving forward.
HP Stream 14″ HD Laptop
If you are looking for something to get in inexpensively and to serve the purpose of getting by, this would be the laptop for you. It has everything you need and it is extremely portable should you be taking your podcast on the road. Be patient with it if you are going to load it up with audio files. It would be better to purchase a hard drive separately to store your massive files so that you do not slow this laptop down.
With the minimum requirement of 4GB of RAM and 64GB of hard drive space, it will get you by with your podcast recording and editing.
HP 17.3″ Laptop
If you are looking for a laptop to serve more of a purpose other than just getting by, then you should look for an upgraded version of the bare minimum. With this HP laptop, you are looking at a bigger everything. That includes size and weight if you want to travel with your podcasting equipment.
It has a better processer and speed, 8GB of RAM and 1TB of hard drive space. Still, I would recommend a portable hard drive to back up your
Regardless of the size of hard drive space that your laptop offers I would recommend a portable hard drive to back up your files at all times. I have had my computer fail on me in the past and have lost some interviews that I wish I had not. Do not let this happen to you and keep your files safe.
Conclusion
As you have probably noticed with this post, there is a lot you will need to get organized for your podcast and some things that will set you back some money. However, we hope that this list helps organize yourself and provides you with a guide of the best podcasting equipment on a budget.
Podcasting is really rewarding and is one of the best things that I have ever started. It has helped me improve my speaking, add a skill set of interviewing to my arsenal, meet incredible people and introduce them to my audience, and just enjoy what I do online so much more.
We hope that you will feel the same about your podcasting journey.
Looking to get started with your podcast, we really recommend that you get your podcast started off right and hold yourself accountable. This book by John Lee Dumas of Entrepreneurs on Fire really helps you do just that to make sure your podcast is the best it can be and that you continue your podcasting journey.
We would love to know what podcasting equipment you are using and what you think of it. Leave a comment below!
Have a comment or something to add to this article? Leave a comment below or send us a response by contacting us.
Free Online Resources to Start Your Digital Nomad Lives
Research, plan, and book your travels with this guide to saving you time and money on your next trip.
Every traveler needs a travel blog to document their journey and start building their portfolio of writing, photography, and videos. This is the jack of all trades guide to creating your travel blog to start traveling the world while earning money.
Supplementing your travel blog with imagery is the best way to capture your readers’ attention. With this guide, you will be well on your way to take incredible photos and capturing those special travel moments.
Every week we interview a couple who is living, or is striving to live, the digital nomad lifestyle. Tune in to our Travel Couple Podcast weekly to get advice from the best!
Have you ever visited a place you were so looking forward to, but everything seems to be working against you? That is how we felt when we spent one day in Madrid, Spain. Even before we got to the city things were against us. From the moment we were leaving to Madrid to the moment we were about to leave Madrid, it was one bad thing after another.
Still the city was beautiful and we had such an amazing AirBnB host that was accommodating to our circumstances. Those circumstances began when we were leaving Ronda after a day. We arrived at the train station in Ronda on the day of our departure thinking we would be able to book a train to Madrid no problem. Turns out they were all sold out.
We found a bus that would take us to Malaga where we would spend half a day and then we would take a night bus to Madrid. Not a horrible solution. And Malaga was a really nice unplanned stop in our Spain trip. However, this really limited our already limited time in Madrid.
We arrived in the city before the sun even rose. With our AirBnB host still sleeping, we searched for a place that was open other than the bus terminal that we could have some coffee. The place that showed up was the Chocolatería San Ginés. A Chocolateria founded in 1894 and open 24 hours a day. It was the best and most unexpected way to start our trip in Madrid.
Finally, the sun rose and we were ready to meet up with our AirBnB host. She let us in before she left for work and we quickly found the bed and took a quick nap before we set out into the city. The rest of the day was spent wandering the city as much as we could.
Here is what we did with our one day in Madrid, Spain.
One Day in Madrid
Itinerary
Arrived in Madrid before sunset and relaxed at the 24/7 Chocolatería San Ginés.
Checked into our AirBnB and started our walking tour at El Retiro Park.
Continued our walking tour through Gran Vía and got lunch in the Universidad area.
Visited Templo de Debod and enjoyed the crowds at Puerta del Sol.
Went to Botin for dinner.
What to See in Madrid in One Day
What We Did
El Retiro Park and Palacio de Cristal
This is the largest park in the city filled with fountains, a pond, and lovely green spaces. The Palacio de Cristal is situated in the park and is a glass building built in 1887 with free admission and sometimes the home of some exhibitions.
From the park we walked the Gran Vía which is one of the most historic streets in the city filled with lovely architecture. From the north end of El Retiro Park you will see Puerta de Alcalá the massive monument that begins the stretch of street to walk down. The Cybele Palace is also located right there where the seat of the local government is.
The Temple of Debod is an ancient Egyptian temple that was dismantled and later rebuilt in Madrid. It is a really interesting place to visit. We visited right at sunset which made for a stunning scene. Unfortunately they were just letting the last people into it and we decided not to wait in the long line up to get in.
We did not make it to the Royal Palace, the main residence of the Spanish royal family in Madrid that began construction in 1735. You can buy tickets to tour the various rooms filled with art and antiques. It receives a lot of great reviews and looks gorgeous to tour if you are interested in the art, antiques, and architecture of the 18th century.
Catedral de la Almudena
While you are at the Royal Palace of Madrid, you may as well visit this cathedral just next door to marvel at the stunning architecture of the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madrid.
Museo Nacional del Prado would be the museum you need to visit if you are interested in art. Largely considered to have the finest collection of European art from the 12th century. Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía is the next museum you would visit for 20th century artwork, followed by Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum with more art from the 13th to 20th centuries. If historical artifacts are more your style of museum then you should visit the National Archaelogical Museum.
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
It would have been amazing to see a Real Madrid FC game take place to just soak in that atmosphere of a soccer game.
Real Jardín Botánico
It seems like a botanical garden always finds its way onto our list of things we missed in various cities. It really is not something high on our list of attractions to visit especially when we have such limited time in a city. That being said, just because it is not for us does not mean that it is not for you.
This place saved us on the night of our arrival. We did not want to spend hours in a bus terminal waiting for our AirBnB host to wake up so we found this place, open 24/7! Chocolate, churros, and coffee. Do you need anything else? It is also a historic place having been founded in 1894. A definite must-visit for all chocolate and churros lovers.
Talk about history. This restaurant is the oldest in the world! Opened in 1725, they have some excellent wine, cheese, and meats for any fine dining lover in a restaurant that looks historic from the small spaces to the old stone oven that they use. This place is pricey, but a great experience in of itself.
Universidad Area
If you want some interesting choices to eat in a great environment, then you need to visit the Universidad area along the historical Gran Vía street. Here you can find some great bars and restaurants to eat at. We visited one for lunch. There are lots of choices so we suggest to walk there and tour around to find the right atmosphere for yourself.
This market was originally build in 1916 and was later saved in the 2000s by private investors. You can visit during its open hours to order tapas and various foods. This is the place you want to go for lunch to see the lovely architecture and the tapas culture.
Where to Shop in Madrid
Puerta del Sol
Puerta del Sol is a massive square and one of the busiest places in the city of Madrid. There are lots of shopping areas around this square and a perfect place to tour around if you were looking to shop while in the city.
El Rastro
If you are visiting on a Sunday then you will want to visit this outdoor market filled with music and various gifts to purchase. While you are there you can visit the surrounding area for tapas restaurants and bars.
How to Get Around Madrid
Taxi
Taxis in Spain are reliable and fairly inexpensive. We only used one to speed up the traveling from Temple Debod to Botin for dinner. We also used a taxi when we were trying to leave the city, but more on that in the conclusion.
Walking
We walked nearly the whole time we were in Madrid. It is such a beautiful city to just get out and stroll around. From the moment we left the rented apartment to the time we came back for the night, it was a feast for the eyes. We always recommend just walking around a city as much as you can. Not only is it healthy for you, but it is also the best way to find hidden gems and to really soak in the city.
How to Get to Madrid
We took an overnight bus from Malaga to get to Madrid. Since Madrid is a major city in Spain, there is no lack of ways to arrive in the city. There is an airport, train stations, and bus stations coming from the surrounding areas.
We stayed in an AirBnB in a fairly nice area with a good location. However, would we return we would definitely seek out a spot closer to the Universidad area where there is the historic Gran Vía street or towards the central Puerta del Sol plaza where you could enjoy the night for much longer if that is what you are interested in.
Throughout our tour of the city we really did not find an area that we did not like. The place we stayed was in the top floor of a two floor apartment, it was cramped with it being the attic of a slanted roof, but it served the purpose of a place to stay. At $60 USD per night, we may have been better off finding something a bit better in a different area.
Best Time to Visit Madrid
We visited in April and thought it was a great time to see the city. It was not yet overrun with crowds of tourists and we felt we had a lot of space within the city. The only place where we felt crowded was in Puerta del Sol where there is a large square with lots of shops and is actually the busiest place in the city. Even with that being crowded, most of the people were local and not tourists it seemed.
It is also a great time to visit the city because the temperatures are still perfect for a stroll through the city, not too cold and not too hot. This makes it a great time to visit perhaps March to May and then again in the Spring say September to November.
Conclusion
We really did enjoy Madrid. It is just that the city did not enjoy us. Getting there was a pain for us. Then when we were leaving the city, the worst happened. Since we could not book a train out of Ronda on the day of, we decided this time that we would book a train in advance. This means that we had a deadline to meet on the day of our departure.
When we were leaving our AirBnB, we were told by our host to leave the keys on the counter of the kitchen. Well, I did that and took half of our bags to the bottom of the stairwell and went back for the others that were still in the apartment. Turns out though that when you close a door in Madrid, it locks automatically. With the keys and half of our luggage still in the apartment…
Cue the panic. We could not get into the apartment, the keys were on the counter, and our luggage just on the other side of the door and the train leaving in an hour. I hoped on the AirBnB website to chat with our host about the situation. She let us come to her work and grab her keys to open the door. Unfortunately her work was about twenty minutes away by taxi. Going there, coming back, and then getting to the trains station took about an hour and a half and we were late for our train ride to Valencia.
Did I mention that trains are pricey in Spain and we were out almost $200 USD for this mistake. So, Madrid was an experience for us. Maybe one day we will return and get some closure to this great city and spend more time to get to know it better. For now, this is our memory of Madrid.
We would love to hear about your experience while in Madrid or to answer any questions you may have about your future trip. Leave a comment below!
Have a comment or something to add to this article? Leave a comment below or send us a response by contacting us.
Free Online Resources to Start Your Digital Nomad Lives
Research, plan, and book your travels with this guide to saving you time and money on your next trip.
Every traveler needs a travel blog to document their journey and start building their portfolio of writing, photography, and videos. This is the jack of all trades guide to creating your travel blog to start traveling the world while earning money.
Supplementing your travel blog with imagery is the best way to capture your readers’ attention. With this guide, you will be well on your way to take incredible photos and capturing those special travel moments.
Every week we interview a couple who is living, or is striving to live, the digital nomad lifestyle. Tune in to our Travel Couple Podcast weekly to get advice from the best!
In creating this post, we read several others that compare multiple hosts and present their recommended choices. Most of the time the recommended choices happen to be the podcast hosts that provide affiliate programs so that person recommending them can earn a commission. My least favorite post I saw, which also is on the first page of Google searches for this topic, recommends five hosts of a list of twenty that they talk about. It just so happens that those five hosts that are “recommended” are the hosts that provide affiliate links whereas the others do not.
Always beware of posts like this and ask why they are recommending the podcast hosting companies. There may be an underlying factor as to why they are recommending them. Is it wrong to be an affiliate? No. Affiliate marketing is a great way for honest bloggers to make some income on their work. In this post we also have affiliate links, but only for the companies that we stand behind.
We painstakingly went through each company’s plans and their terms and conditions to choose the best hosts. At the end of this article, we recommend three hosts for three different purposes. Only one of which we have an affiliate link for. The other two are good hosts, whether we have an affiliate link for them or not.
Every week we interview a couple who is living, or is striving to live, the digital nomad lifestyle. Tune in to our Travel Couple Podcast weekly to get advice from the best!
We started the Travel Couple Podcast a little more than a year ago now. However, the idea of starting a podcast grew throughout the year until I finally had an idea that I wanted to act on.
I began listening to podcasts in 2015 as I was introduced to a few different podcasts that I could enjoy while commuting or working when I had a chance. This changed everything for me. It opened up a new world I had never known existed. One day, I thought, I would release my own podcast.
I just did not know what that podcast would be about. A couple of years later and lots of thinking, I finally had my idea. I would interview couples who are living a travel lifestyle and have them share their stories with my audience. I thought it would be all uphill from that point on.
The truth is, running a podcast is hard work. If you are going down this route you should realize what you are getting yourself into. Having a good outline of the type of show, consistency, and topics to be discussed on the show is extremely important.
PLEASE NOTE: We were not paid by any of these companies to put this post together. This post came out of a necessity to provide qualitative information on choosing the right podcast hosting company. I have read multiple posts in the past that include their top hosting platforms only to find that their “top” hosting platforms were just the ones that offered affiliate links. This leaves many other quality hosting companies off the table. It is our goal to include all companies whether or not we make a commission of them.
We do include affiliate links to some of these companies. We would greatly appreciate it, if you found this post helpful, if you followed these links when making your podcast hosting purchase. These help us release posts like this on an ongoing basis.
Once you have that outline of your show and you are ready to get started in this world of podcasting, you are ready to find podcast hosting. Not someone who is going to host your podcast, that is you, but a place for your podcast to live online. Much like a host that stores your website data on their servers, a podcast host stores your podcast data on their servers.
You use a host for your podcast for a couple of reasons. If you were to upload your audio files for your podcast to your website, it would really make your website load time plummet as visitors would have to wait for a massive file size to load along with your website. This creates a negative user experience which in turn will make your website fall in search engine rankings. Using a host will help alleviate this by storing your audio on a separate server which you can use to embed your podcast audio onto your website.
Using a host provides you with an RSS feed which is used to link your podcast audio to podcast players like Apple’s Podcast app, Spotify, and Google Play among others. Once linked to these different players, every time you add an episode onto your host and that episode becomes live, the podcast players will update automatically without you having to submit each show to each player manually.
Choosing the right podcast host that fits for you is crucial. Choosing a host was more difficult than I had originally imagined. You really want to make sure that you get the right host because it becomes increasingly difficult to change the more and more that you continue to release episodes. You also do not want to get started with a podcast host who may be going out of business in the near future which will find you scrambling to download all of the episodes you released and finding a new host.
It is always best to do your research before making any big decisions, but we thought we would provide you with our research on the subject, what we chose for our podcast hosting, and what we think are the best podcast hosting places to check out for your podcast.
We wont get into any podcast hosting companies that we speculate will be going out of business and you should stay away from. We want to keep this post focused on the best podcast hosting rather than podcast hosting that you should steer clear from.
Choosing the right hosting for you begins with deciding how much storage space you will need for your podcast per month. This is because most hosts charge you by the amount you are uploading onto their servers on any given month. You are not charged for the total amount of storage space for your podcast. Just what you are uploading each month.
For example, our podcast releases a weekly episode that is 30-45 minutes in length. This equates to about about 30-50mb per episode as an mp3. That means I would need a podcast plan that would cover me for 250mb for those months that I upload five times.
Doing this calculation is a good start to deciding which host you will be choosing and which plan works best for your podcast.
You should also consider what is offered besides the podcast hosting itself. For example, some podcast hosting companies offer statistics for you to track your shows success or they provide a website to go along with your podcast. In any case, these bonuses that go along with your plan set apart one company from another when making your decision. However, do not base your decision on something you do not need. For example, if you need podcast hosting and basic stats, but do not need a website then do not base your decision between two companies on the fact that one of the companies offers a website with their plan.
You should also really read into the Terms and Conditions of each of the companies and their plans. Especially if you are choosing to go for a free plan. Free plans usually mean that it can only be used for “personal use”. What is personal use? Well they do not really spell it out, but they do say that if your podcast is deemed to be used commercially then they have the right to shut down your podcast. This means your podcast is gone. Forever. And you can never host with that company again.
Commercial use can be interpreted as anyone who wants to build and grow their podcast to reach an audience. This is, I would say, almost every podcaster out there. Be sure you read the fine print before hopping on a free plan. We will talk about these plans within each podcast hosting company in the continued post.
The Best Podcast Hosting Infographic Explained
We want to break down what we did with this infographic above and why we chose to include what we did in this section of the post.
What you will see in this infographic are the hosting company names in the left column, followed by the year they were established, whether or not they have a free personal plan, whether or not they have a free commercial plan, and how much a plan would cost for four hours a month of audio.
Let us jump in to explain why we chose these categories:
Hosting Since
When we asked podcasters what they look for in a hosting company, a lot of them responded with reliability. To us, reliability means that the customer service is responsive, the hosting company does what it says it does, and the company is not going to go out of business any time soon.
A lot of these have to do with qualitative data that would not quite fit on an infographic. We could research a bunch of reviews based on each company and try to get that into a quantitative figure, but reviews can be hearsay and not be substantiated. Therefore, we chose not to go down that path with this comparison.
Instead we chose to find the date in which these companies were founded and began hosting podcasts. This number helps determine the reliability of the business, whether they are more likely to stay in business, and their experience within the business, as well as their reliability within the market.
The idea being with this is that hosting companies that have been around for more years have more experience, are less likely to go under, and your podcast is likely most safe with them.
Free Personal Use Plan
A free plan can be great to choose when looking for a hosting company. It can also be the worst decision that you make. However, if you have no intention to use your podcast for a business, to monetize it, and you are okay with these companies adding information / ads to your podcast at any time, then a free personal use plan for your podcast is your best choice.
However, for the majority of people entering podcasting, you likely are wanting your podcast to be heard by the masses, grow in popularity, and eventually monetized. In this case you should not opt for a personal use plan as your podcast could be shut down if found to be used for anything but personal use.
We break this down further in the continued post as to what each company’s personal use plan involves, but for this infographic we provide a check if the company does provide a free personal use plan or an “X” if the company does not provide a free personal use plan.
4 Hours / Month Cost
We wanted to provide what each hosting company provides for a podcast show that uploads four hours worth of MP3 audio per month. Why did we choose four hours?
We figure that if you want to stay consistent and keep your listeners coming back for more, at minimum you should be uploading once per month. Now each industry will be different and everyone will have their own views on this, but this is our view.
Your show, if released weekly, should be anywhere from 30 minutes on the low end to 1 hour in length. Again, our opinion and your may differ. However, this is where we came with the figure of four hours per month of uploads as each month can have anywhere from four to five uploads per month.
We also choose the lowest cost of this plan. For example, some hosts offer an annual plan rather than a monthly plan. Each plan is the same, but if you pay annually you are provided with a discount.
In this sense we looked at each company and what they offer for their hosting plans at this rate. We also continue with this plan for the basis of the next two categories and whether or not they are included in the plan.
Basic Stats
Even if you are a beginner podcaster, having basic stats for your podcast is extremely helpful to let you know how your podcast is growing. I would include it as something that is important to have if you are taking your podcast seriously.
When deciding whether a hosting company provided basic stats, we based it off of the previous column of a plan that covers a 4 hours / month podcast. If the hosting company provides basic stats for that plan, they receive a check mark and if not they receive an “X” in this column.
Website Included
Though this is not exactly a necessity for a podcaster as I believe you should have your own separate website from your podcast for security and safekeeping reasons, there are some companies that offer a website with certain plans and we wanted to share that should you decide you want a website included with your podcast hosting.
For hosting companies that provide a website with their 4 hour / month plan, they receive a check mark and if not they receive an “X” in this column.
With deciding on including these categories, we had to choose to leave some categories out. However, we feel these are the most important categories to include on this infographic to help you choose the hosting company for your podcast, especially if you are a beginner.
Podcast Hosting Comparison by Company
To continue from our infographic, we want to break down the information even further to provide exactly what each hosting company provides for you with the plan chosen in the infographic and things you need to watch out for with each plan.
We chose Libsyn to host our podcast. Why? Because it was recommended to us and it seemed like the best host at the time. Is it? Maybe. It is fine for us, but we had not done a whole lot of research on other hosting companies before this post.
Their plan that was chosen for this example is $15.00 per month, the same one that we are under. It includes 250mb of monthly storage, RSS feed, media player, their publishing software with WordPress integration, a podcast page, app listing, directory listing, and basic stats. They have now introduced monetization for podcasters with a certain amount of downloads.
From their Terms and Conditions, we have found that all of your content is owned exclusively by you which is what you want whenever looking for any podcast hosting company. However, Libsyn reserves the right to terminate or suspend your podcast for any reason at any time. You will also need written approval to use third party ad networks to monetize your podcast. What exactly this would mean should you want to monetize your podcast is unclear.
The benefits of Libsyn are that it is reliable having been in business for more than 13 years, they support tens of thousands of podcasts, and they have a great track record. They have also introduced an easy way to help podcasters monetize their podcast. The down sides are that the interface is pretty outdated. Though it is fairly easy to maneuver, it could use some updating. If these are the only downsides we have to point out then it is doing pretty good.
If you want to sign up with Libsyn and receive the current month plus the next month for free use promo code:
mike
We receive a small commission if you use this code which helps us continue to post this content, as well as provide you some value with a couple of free months. Make sure to use it on the 2nd of the month to maximize the free earnings you will receive.
I have seen Podbean growing in popularity in different groups that I am apart of. They are slightly less expensive than Libsyn and provide unlimited uploads. They even have a FREE option. That is right, FREE! But how free is free? Well in Podbean’s case, free is only for a personal plan. What is personal? We assume this means that it is only for you and you are not using it for clients, but this is not defined anywhere.
In addition to this not being defined, if Podbean deems your podcast on your personal plan to be commercial they have the right to delete your podcast. It will no longer exist and you cannot ever host with Podbean again. This free plan also comes with 100gb bandwidth which means if your podcast grows in popularity you will eventually have to upgrade, if your podcast has not been deleted. The good thing is that the upgrade is to just $9.00 per month.
If you choose a personal plan, we did find this from their Terms and Conditions that was worrying: “You agree to allow the Podbean or its agents to insert additional text, audio, video and other format multimedia advertisements to your file(s).” Ultimately you are giving Podbean a lot of power over your own podcast if you go with their personal plan.
Along with many other podcast hosting companies, we also found the statement that Podbean can cancel your account if they find you are in violation of their terms.
What we have found online about Blubrry is that their WordPress integration is quite possibly the best in business. They seem to be right next to Libsyn in the time they began hosting podcasts and their reliability. Though a similar plan is $20 per month with professional statistics coming in at an extra $5 per month. The plan includes a free WordPress site (YOURDOMAINNAME.wordpress.com).
Similar to other podcast hosting companies, we found that they can also terminate your podcast at anytime for any reason.
One thing we did find interesting was that they stated you retain the rights of your content, but they included this statement with it:
“The term of this Agreement for Content Producers is 120 days following the date of the last submission of your content to the Website.”
From our interpretation of this, you retain the rights of your content unless you have 120 days of inactivity in uploading podcasts. This is very worrying if this is the case.
Spreaker has a $0 personal plan that includes 5 hour storage, but only 15 minute per episode limit. This means we had to go to the $18.00 per month plan after passing over the $6.00 per month plan that only covered up to 45 minutes per episode. These per episode limits can really stifle choosing them as a podcast host. However, the $18.00 per month plan does include advanced statistics, RSS feeds, and podcast monetization.
These plans are labelled as personal use plans and not business. Business plans start at $100.00 per month, which we assume are for people reselling these plans to clients. Unfortunately these plans are not defined anywhere for us to find.
Whereas other podcast hosting companies state they can terminate your podcast for any reason at any time, Spreaker defines the circumstances to which they can terminate your podcast and they are not unreasonable circumstances.
Pinecast has a $5.00 per month unlimited podcast upload and unlimited shoes with a podcast homepage, basic statistics, and a tip jar that listeners can provide you tips.
However, episode sizes are capped at 64mb each which would likely be just over an hour per episode in MP3 format. You are provided with an additional 64mb of storage over the initial 64mb per episode in each month.
Having these capped episode sizes worries me when choosing a host. What worries me the most about Pinecast is that there is no Terms and Conditions or Privacy Policy anywhere to be seen on their website or through a Google search. Even trying to find it by adding it to their URL does not show it.
There is no way that I would ever sign up for a podcast host without knowing the terms and conditions to which I am agreeing to. A blank contract to which they can decide what to do with your content at any time is terrifying to think about.
Buzzsprout does have a free plan, but it is not sustainable by any means with two hours of uploads per month and it is only hosted for 90 days. Their plan at $18.00 per month provides six hours of uploads each month, unlimited storage, basic statistics, custom embed players, and a basic website.
It also includes 250gb of bandwidth per month which means once you podcast becomes more popular, you will need to upgrade to their $79 per month plan for more bandwidth. They say at 250gb your show would have 20,000 to 40,000 downloads per month depending on the episode length.
Along with other podcast hosting companies, they also reserve the right to delete your account at any time and any reason. They also state that your content will be forfeited.
We did not find anything about ownership of content in their Terms and Conditions, but we did find this worrying statement: “By submitting an Episode, you waive the right to make any claim against Higher Pixels or any of its respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, successors, assigns, employees, agents, directors, officers or shareholders related to the Episode, including, but not limited to, unfair competition, intellectual property infringement, invasion of privacy, negligence, breach of implied contract or breach of confidentiality, and you further waive all moral rights, so-called “droits morales” and any right of attribution you may have in any materials uploaded or sent to us by you.”
Think of Anchor as the YouTube of podcasts. It is free to upload audio and you get access to their advertising channels, you choose which brands you want advertised on your content, and you can add a button to allow listeners to donate. You also are provided with an easy edit and record right through Anchor.
The Terms and Conditions are clear to understand and they make it clear that you own your content. However, with how much YouTube has been under fire by creators, it is not hard to imagine that the same thing could eventually happen to Anchor. The company just sold to Spotify so be on the lookout for changes to the platform. Good or bad.
Audioboom’s plans start at $9.99 for 5 episodes per month, advanced statistics, 10,000 plays per month, distribution to various podcast players, and embed players. They ask you to contact them to set up an account that suits your needs and agree to an advertisement agreement if you have more than 10,000 plays per month.
This is interesting as they are likely trying to know what podcasts they can use to help monetize, thus helping the creator earn some money but also a way for them to earn some profit as well.
Any host that limits the amount of episodes per month or plays per month I stay away from though. I stick to the limit by storage and not the number of episodes.
There was one statement in their Terms and Conditions that was interesting. Most hosting companies get the right to use your content in order to distribute it online for you. However, Audioboom also stats that you give them the right to: “use, copy, adapt, amend, publish, transmit, display and make the whole or any part of it available in any form, by any media, whether on a commercial or non-commercial basis.” There is also no statement as to who owns the content you publish.
Simplecast provides a lot at $13.50 per month if prepaid annually. This includes unlimited storage space and uploads, distribution on podcast players, analytics, show website that is not a custom domain, and RSS feed. The most appealing to all of this is the unlimited storage space and uploads.
In addition to this, their Terms and Conditions state clearly that the content is owned entirely by you and they state clearly what the conditions are that they can terminate or suspend your show.
A major downside to Simplecast is that they do not have a contact email to reach out to them, rather they have a forum-like support system.
Podcast Websites is the host you choose should you want an all-in-one solution that includes a podcast and WordPress website combination. Where some podcast hosts limit the amount of web pages or posts you can include on your website, Podcast Websites includes themes and unlimited pages, posts, and podcast episodes.
At $77.00 per month when paid annually, it really does include everything. So much that we will just provide you a link with everything that is included. It is co-owned by John Lee Dumas, a popular podcaster himself so obviously it is a tool that has been created by a podcaster for podcasters. They also provide a free one-on-one call to help you understand their plan.
As for their Terms and Conditions, they are some of the most easy to read among all podcast hosts, as well as the most kind. If they terminate your podcast due to a breach of their Terms and Conditions, they provide you a zip file of your content. Something that no other podcast host company offers.
Backtrack’s plans start at $39.00 per month for unlimited storage, episodes, and bandwidth, as well as statistics, RSS feed, and an embedded player.
They do state in their Terms and Conditions that you own the right to your content. They also state the conditions as to which they could terminate your podcast. However, one such condition really worries me, as they could terminate your podcast over, “emergency maintenance”. Something I assume they are covering themselves should something happen.
Our Choice for Best Podcast Hosting
What we learned about doing this post is that your decision to purchase a plan with any podcast host company should not be based on price, but more so the plan that suits your publishing consistency and the terms and conditions of the companies.
In this case, every host serves a different purpose. What you find to be the best host for your podcast may not be the same for another person. However, we really feel there are two great choices for podcast hosting.
The first one being a full-service podcast host company that also provides a full WordPress website and is co-owned by John Lee Dumas, a popular podcaster himself who knows a thing or two about podcasting.
If you are convinced to continue with Podcast Websites for your hosting needs, follow our link above and use code HOSTME for $10 off per month for life on your plan.
If you are serious about getting your podcast out there, having the stats to help you analyze your show, and having a WordPress website to go along with your show, then the price of this plan to get going should not scare you.
Their terms and conditions are some of the most kind out there. If they decide to terminate your podcast for a breach of their terms they will provide you with a zip file of all of your content. This is not normal for any other podcast hosting company.
Their terms and conditions are extremely clear and make sense to anyone, whereas other companies’ terms and conditions require multiple reads to truly understand.
However, should you only want a podcast hosting company to provide the necessities at a fair price, then you would be looking elsewhere.
Libsyn
Libsyn has been the longest in business, it remains recommended by many top podcasters in the industry, and though we could recommend a couple others on this list that would be similar to that of Libsyn (Blubrry), this is what we can recommend for a reliable podcasting host.
And finally, if you are looking for a free podcasting platform to get yourself started and are willing to take a chance considering what we have discussed above, then perhaps this one would be best for you.
If you want to sign up with Libsyn and receive the current month plus the next month for free use promo code:
mike
We receive a small commission if you use this code which helps us continue to post this content, as well as provide you some value with a couple of free months. Make sure to use it on the 2nd of the month to maximize the free earnings you will receive.
Anchor
If you would like a couple other podcast hosting companies from our list that we would also recommend besides these, we would stand by any of these:
We hope that this helped you make your decision towards choosing the best podcast hosting. If there are any other podcast hosts that you would like us to talk about and add to this list, please let us know. Also, if you have any feedback or comments you would want to add about any of these mentioned in the article, leave a comment in the comment section.
If you are looking for more information on getting your podcast launched, we recommend this book by John Lee Dumas of Entrepreneurs on Fire. He helps you take your podcast from idea to launch in 50 days while keeping you accountable through various exercises.
We would love to know who you host your podcast through and what your thoughts are on their services. Leave a comment below!
Have a comment or something to add to this article? Leave a comment below or send us a response by contacting us.
Free Online Resources to Start Your Digital Nomad Lives
Research, plan, and book your travels with this guide to saving you time and money on your next trip.
Every traveler needs a travel blog to document their journey and start building their portfolio of writing, photography, and videos. This is the jack of all trades guide to creating your travel blog to start traveling the world while earning money.
Supplementing your travel blog with imagery is the best way to capture your readers’ attention. With this guide, you will be well on your way to take incredible photos and capturing those special travel moments.
Every week we interview a couple who is living, or is striving to live, the digital nomad lifestyle. Tune in to our Travel Couple Podcast weekly to get advice from the best!
Málaga was an unplanned stop while in Spain. We had known nothing about it before arriving and did not know what we were going to do for our less one day in Málaga. It turns out that the South-Eastern coastal city is a lovely small town home to Pablo Picasso’s birthplace.
We arrived in Spain from Morocco via a ferry and spent one night in Ronda. From Ronda we were meant to travel to Madrid. Unfortunately we were unable to book a train from Ronda to Madrid on the day of our departure. The train was completely booked. Something we had not known would happen during a low season in the country, especially compared to booking trains in Morocco.
We were stuck with not knowing how we would get to Madrid. We found a bus station in Ronda and asked the best route. The one that was suggested to us was to take a bus from Ronda to Málaga, spend the day there, and take a night bus from Málaga to Madrid.
But what would there be to do while in Málaga? Well, more than enough to fill our short amount of time while in the city. Unfortunately we were lugging our bags around with us the whole time which made for a difficult time to visit and get around to as many places as we could. We still had a great time in the city and accomplished a lot.
The bus dropped us off right by the Roman Theater, a great place to start our walking tour of the city and to see as much as we could. Right around here there is a tourist information booth that you can grab a map of the city and talk to the nice people at the booth about what you can accomplish during your stay in Málaga. This was especially helpful for us as we could ask them what we could do while walking with our luggage and in the short amount of time that we had.
In this guide of Málaga, we are only covering things to do within the city of Málaga and not things outside of the city or surrounding area. This is because this is a one day guide to Málaga and we focus on things you can add to your list to visit while in the city.
One Day in Málaga
Breakdown
Arrived in Málaga in the early afternoon from Ronda via bus.
Started our walking tour of the city at Teatro Romano.
Visited the Fundación Picasso.
Walked around the pedestrian areas of the city.
Took a taxi tour of the city.
Finished by having a meal at a tapas bar.
Everything we did while in the city is covered in this red shape:
At a closer look of where we were walking:
Things to Do in Málaga, Spain
What We Did
Alcazaba
Alcazaba is a Medieval Moorish palace on a hilltop with views of the sea. It is free to walk to the top and is placed right behind the Roman Theater and museum. We did see it, but avoided a walk up to the top because of our luggage that we had to carry. It would have been nice to see the views of the sea from the top…
Roman Theater
This Roman Theater is free to enter and includes a lovely museum full of educational materials and artifacts from an age long ago. We really enjoyed walking around this area and seeing the theater occupied by tired people taking a rest.
Fundación Picasso
We really enjoyed Picasso’s birthplace residence. It was a lovely walk through what the artist’s upbringing was like and included an audio tour of the various artifacts, drawings, and paintings that were left behind in this historic building. We had a choice between this and the Picasso Museum and we chose this place because it was recommended to us by the tourist center. I think it was the right one to go to.
The entrance fee and self-guided audio tour is four euros, but it is free after a specific time on Sundays and at various days throughout the year. You can find more information about planning your visit here.
Port of Málaga
If you are just looking for a place to walk around, the Port of Málaga is a lovely area to enjoy the sea and locals that are out on a stroll.
Various Cathedrals, Palaces, and Buildings
As with any city that we visit, we recommend that you do as much walking as possible to really enjoy and appreciate the environment, find hidden gems, and get a good feel of where you are. The architecture is incredible in this city and you will need to walk to see these places as the city is very pedestrian friendly. Places like Palacio Episcopal and the Cathedral of Malaga are places that are only found by walking through the city.
We chose to tour Pablo Picasso’s birthplace residence and to skip the museum. I think we made the right choice, though the museum is home to hundreds of his works that were donated and would make a great place to check out should you be a big Picasso fan.
Castillo Gibralfaro
This castle is located on a hill and is an easy hike to the top with a small entrance fee. Unfortunately hills were off of our list of things to do while in Málaga because we were lugging around our luggage for the day, but this definitely would have made our list of things to do in the city.
Carmen Thyssen Museum
If art is the main reason that you are visiting Spain, then this museum is the home of 19th century Spanish paintings and would be a great place to add to your tour of Málaga.
Museo de Málaga
Málaga has a lot of museums to offer anyone visiting. If you enjoy spending your time seeing the various museums while you travel, then this museum combines two previous museums including the Museo Provincial de Bellas Artesand and Museo Arqueológico in two separate sections.
La Concepción Historical-Botanical Gardens
A little further outside of the city to the north is a lovely botanical garden that dates back to 1855 if you are interested in this type of attraction when you are traveling.
Playa de La Malagueta and La Malagueta
If you are a beach-goer, the this is the beach you want to visit when in the city. It is located close to the city center and also includes a nice shopping and beachfront area that you can relax at enjoying a meal or drink at a bar.
Plaza de toros de La Malagueta
A bullring with memorabilia that you can visit while touring the city. It includes a museum, one of many in the city, that you can also visit to learn more about the
Where to Eat in Málaga
What We Did
Tapas Restaurants and Gelato Shops
What we did while in Málaga was just walk around and find places that we wanted to try. We visited a gelato shop while walking by and Taberna La Malagueña in Plaza del Obispo by Palacio Episcopal. Here we enjoyed the remaining moments at night before we had to board our bus to Madrid. We ordered some sangria and tapas while watching a soccer game with the locals. It was a great plaza to enjoy with lovely architecture and a peaceful surrounding. We could not have asked for a better place to visit.
We also visited Calle de Bruselas on the way to Fundación Picasso, located pretty much right next to it. There are a few different tapas restaurants to choose from in this plaza and each have their different specials that they offer.
There are so many tapas restaurants to choose from, especially in this area of the city that we covered in this guide. Menus are posted outside of the restaurant so you know exactly what you can order and for how much.
What We Missed
Mercado Central de Atarazanas
This is an old school market that is full of local shops and tapas bars. This would be an excellent place to wander at lunch to grab a bite to eat. Make sure you plan this earlier in your day as it closes a few hours after noon during the weekdays. We were disappointed that we found out about it at the time it was closed.
Where to Shop in Málaga
Walk the Streets
If you start at the Roman Theater and start walking around the surrounding area, you will find lots of tapas bars, gelato shops, and souvenir shops in the surrounding area. It is the perfect place to begin your tour of the city when on foot as a lot of the streets are blocked off for pedestrians only. Plaza de la Merced is a great place to aim for during your walking tour to see what is available for shopping.
We were disappointed that this old school market was closed by the time we knew about it. During the weekdays it closes shortly after noon, so make sure you plan to visit this place early to enjoy the local shopping and possibly tapas bars.
How to Get Around Málaga
Taxi
While in the city, we took advantage of driving around in a taxi to get from place to place in order to see as much of the city as possible. The taxis we used were great and reliable. They are fairly expensive compared to other countries.
Walking
Walking around the city really lets you appreciate the different areas, cobble stone streets, lovely architecture, and to be able to just soak in the city. We always recommend taking your time in a city to walk around and enjoy your time there. Unfortunately time and carrying our luggage around was not on our side with our one day in Málaga, so we did opt to use a taxi at times.
There is a train station in Málaga, so getting a train is an option from some cities. However, we were coming from Ronda and we would have had to transfer. In this case, we chose to take a direct bus from Ronda to Málaga.
Bus
We booked a bus from Ronda to Málaga on the day of our departure. The bus took a little less than two hours and it brought us to a great place to begin our walk around the city. Buses are reliable and efficient throughout Spain and we were extremely pleased with the bus system.
We actually did not stay a night in the city. After arriving in the early afternoon, we spent our time wondering around the city until we caught our night bus to Madrid in the early morning. This saved us the cost and time spent checking in to a place, but we did have to carry around our luggage. Not ideal, but we were still happy to be able to see as much of Málaga as we could.
Conclusion
Málaga was a great host for us during our one day in the city. It is such a lovely place to walk around and to soak in the atmosphere. Though it is a city that a lot of tourists visit, you can still find places to avoid the crowds and to enjoy some sangria.
We luckily went during a low season and were able to stroll around with our luggage in tow and to see as much of the city as we could with our one day. It was an unplanned stop for us during our trip in Spain, but we are always interested in seeing more of a country even if it means we need to move fast.
Málaga is a great city to see fast, though we would have enjoyed a couple more days in the city and the surrounding area.
Free Online Resources to Start Your Digital Nomad Lives
Research, plan, and book your travels with this guide to saving you time and money on your next trip.
Every traveler needs a travel blog to document their journey and start building their portfolio of writing, photography, and videos. This is the jack of all trades guide to creating your travel blog to start traveling the world while earning money.
Supplementing your travel blog with imagery is the best way to capture your readers’ attention. With this guide, you will be well on your way to take incredible photos and capturing those special travel moments.
Every week we interview a couple who is living, or is striving to live, the digital nomad lifestyle. Tune in to our Travel Couple Podcast weekly to get advice from the best!
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