Dress Appropriately

The catacombs, located underground, are cool and damp year-round, so no matter what time of year you’re visiting during, be prepared by wearing layers that can keep you warm, as well as closed-toed shoes.

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Book Ahead of Time

The most important thing you can do when visiting the catacombs is buying your tour ticket ahead of time. If you don’t, you’ll have to stand in a long line that can take up to four or five hours to wait in during peak tourist season. So trust us, buy your tickets online. You’ll be glad that you did.

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Be Ready for Stairs

The only way to get into the catacombs is to take a 130-step spiral staircase. If for whatever reason you are not capable of taking the stairs, unfortunately, the catacombs will not be accessible to you.

The post What You Should Know Before Visiting the Parisian Catacombs appeared first on Traveler Dreams.

However, there are also some amazing treks abroad that are off of the beaten track. Instead of doing the Machu Picchu Trek or following some of the Kilimanjaro trails, consider checking out one of these destinations instead.

Camino de Santiago

Known in English as the Way of St. James, this hike is a traditional pilgrimage historically led from the westernmost point in Spain on the Atlantic coast, through the countryside, and to Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The cathedral, located in northwestern Spain, houses a shrine to St. James. However, in modern day, a number of different routes are accessible. Hikers can register as pilgrims and receive a pseudo-passport that gives access to accommodations and a certificate upon completion of the pilgrimage with a passport stamped at each stop along the route.

The Basho Wayfarer

This week-long walk in northern Japan follows in the footsteps of famed wandering poet named Basho. He told the tales of his travels on this path in an epic series of haikus entitled Narrow Road to the Deep North. Tourists and hikers travel from Sendai—once the home of a samurai stronghold—through a ruined fortress and a series of temples before arriving at a lush forest, and ending at a temple called Yamadera. There are plenty of hot springs and accommodations.

Te Araroa

Te Araroa is a 3,000km-long trek across the entirety of New Zealand. It weaves its way through the ring of fire where travelers will see “beaches, volcanoes, mountains, rivers, lakes and valleys”—according to the trail website—and connects with towns and cities as well as the wilderness. There are opportunities to be hosted by locals and experience local cultures and cuisines.

The post 3 International Hiking Trails You Should Know appeared first on Traveler Dreams.

Whether it is planning for a broken leg or getting lost—it is important to account for any scenario. So here are 3 must-have items to bring with you on your trek. Please make sure you know what to do with each item. Even if you have what you need, you also have to know how to use it properly!

Mirror

A mirror seems like a weird thing to bring with you on the trail, but it is actually one of the most important survival items we have at our disposal. In the case of emergency, most search parties will be sent help from the air. However, foliage can make you difficult to spot. With a mirror, you can reflect sunlight or searchlights to signal for help. The signal for SOS is three short flashes, three long flashes, three short flashes. You can also use a mirror to start a fire.

Extra Water

While food is important, water is the key to survival. Humans can only survive for three days without water. Therefore, it is always important to bring extra water. It is recommended you drink two liters of water daily when you are not hiking, but you should drink about a half a liter for every hour you are. If you are on an extended hike, we recommend you bring an extra two liters in case of emergency—it is worth carrying the extra weight. You can also bring Iodine tablets to purify water from a stream.

Fire Starter

Making a fire is one of the most important things to do first in case of an emergency. For one, the smoke and flames will alert anyone in the air or the immediate area to your presence. And of course, it is important to stay warm at night and keep predators away. If you are in an emergency situation, you should not move location! It is important to stay where you are. Today, you can buy wind- and water-proof lighters and fire starters that can save lives.

The post Hiking Safety: 3 Items to Bring In Case of Emergency appeared first on Traveler Dreams.

Dress Appropriately

The catacombs, located underground, are cool and damp year-round, so no matter what time of year you’re visiting during, be prepared by wearing layers that can keep you warm, as well as closed-toed shoes.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by υпɔεяɢяσυпɔ εхρʟσяıпɢ& υявεх (@beyondlimitsurbex)

Book Ahead of Time

The most important thing you can do when visiting the catacombs is buying your tour ticket ahead of time. If you don’t, you’ll have to stand in a long line that can take up to four or five hours to wait in during peak tourist season. So trust us, buy your tickets online. You’ll be glad that you did.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Adriaan Roest (@der_fliegender_hollander)

Be Ready for Stairs

The only way to get into the catacombs is to take a 130-step spiral staircase. If for whatever reason you are not capable of taking the stairs, unfortunately, the catacombs will not be accessible to you.

The post What You Should Know Before Visiting the Parisian Catacombs appeared first on Traveler Dreams.

However, there are also some amazing treks abroad that are off of the beaten track. Instead of doing the Machu Picchu Trek or following some of the Kilimanjaro trails, consider checking out one of these destinations instead.

Camino de Santiago

Known in English as the Way of St. James, this hike is a traditional pilgrimage historically led from the westernmost point in Spain on the Atlantic coast, through the countryside, and to Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The cathedral, located in northwestern Spain, houses a shrine to St. James. However, in modern day, a number of different routes are accessible. Hikers can register as pilgrims and receive a pseudo-passport that gives access to accommodations and a certificate upon completion of the pilgrimage with a passport stamped at each stop along the route.

The Basho Wayfarer

This week-long walk in northern Japan follows in the footsteps of famed wandering poet named Basho. He told the tales of his travels on this path in an epic series of haikus entitled Narrow Road to the Deep North. Tourists and hikers travel from Sendai—once the home of a samurai stronghold—through a ruined fortress and a series of temples before arriving at a lush forest, and ending at a temple called Yamadera. There are plenty of hot springs and accommodations.

Te Araroa

Te Araroa is a 3,000km-long trek across the entirety of New Zealand. It weaves its way through the ring of fire where travelers will see “beaches, volcanoes, mountains, rivers, lakes and valleys”—according to the trail website—and connects with towns and cities as well as the wilderness. There are opportunities to be hosted by locals and experience local cultures and cuisines.

The post 3 International Hiking Trails You Should Know appeared first on Traveler Dreams.

Whether it is planning for a broken leg or getting lost—it is important to account for any scenario. So here are 3 must-have items to bring with you on your trek. Please make sure you know what to do with each item. Even if you have what you need, you also have to know how to use it properly!

Mirror

A mirror seems like a weird thing to bring with you on the trail, but it is actually one of the most important survival items we have at our disposal. In the case of emergency, most search parties will be sent help from the air. However, foliage can make you difficult to spot. With a mirror, you can reflect sunlight or searchlights to signal for help. The signal for SOS is three short flashes, three long flashes, three short flashes. You can also use a mirror to start a fire.

Extra Water

While food is important, water is the key to survival. Humans can only survive for three days without water. Therefore, it is always important to bring extra water. It is recommended you drink two liters of water daily when you are not hiking, but you should drink about a half a liter for every hour you are. If you are on an extended hike, we recommend you bring an extra two liters in case of emergency—it is worth carrying the extra weight. You can also bring Iodine tablets to purify water from a stream.

Fire Starter

Making a fire is one of the most important things to do first in case of an emergency. For one, the smoke and flames will alert anyone in the air or the immediate area to your presence. And of course, it is important to stay warm at night and keep predators away. If you are in an emergency situation, you should not move location! It is important to stay where you are. Today, you can buy wind- and water-proof lighters and fire starters that can save lives.

The post Hiking Safety: 3 Items to Bring In Case of Emergency appeared first on Traveler Dreams.