When I travel, I love joining walking tours and ghost walks are a favourite of mine. I love the opportunity to learn about history and culture through a spine tingling tale and, for the most part, the ghost walks I've done have been less spooky and scary and more festive and fun. 

Having survived several ghost walks around the world, I decided I was brave enough to upgrade to a ghost bus! I was feeling courageous and I was ready to try the Dublin Ghostbus Tour. I figured it couldn't be much different from a walking tour. If anything, it would be easier – no more exerting myself with all that walking! I would just have sit back, enjoy the ride, and see the ghostly sites from the comfort of my seat.

Strolling through the grounds of Whistling Gardens early on a sunny autumn day, I was dazzled by the brilliant colors of the cheerful flowers bobbing in the breeze. Leaves of all shapes and sizes rippled from the trees and a hearty selection of wild grasses created velvety swaths, undulating and twinkling in the sun.  

Little did I realize that Whistling Gardens' most extraordinary plant would be a small, scruffy, rabbit-nibbled shrub.

The Tower of London was the first famous tourist attraction I ever set my eyes on. Studying in nearby East Sussex for a semester meant weekly field trips into London for the purpose of visiting galleries, museums, and other historic sites, with plenty of free time on the side. Rolling into London for my very first time, the gloomy and atmospheric Tower loomed in the distance, beckoning me to investigate its secrets and scandals. 

So why did it take me over 12 years to visit?

Inspired by our past success with the $200 Challenge, I was eager to take on a new travel trial. For those new to the concept, the $200 Challenge was built on a simple premise: can two people travel for two days on just $200? The answer was a resounding yes! We've had two very successful trips, in Vermont and in Algonquin Park, and even more planned for the future. It’s been so exciting to prove that wonderful, enriching, luxurious travel can be achieved on a shoestring budget. Chalk one up to great value!

Taking On A New Challenge 

But there’s more to great travel value than money and I am just as passionate about getting the best possible value for my time. I want to enjoy every experience, I never want a to waste a minute (I’m looking at you, long lines!) and I want to squeeze a lot of enjoyment out of a short trip, while never feeling rushed, overwhelmed, or missing out. I want to see beyond the most popular attractions and step a few feet off the beaten path.

The small community of Uxbridge, in Central Counties,  makes for a perfect stop for those driving through southern Ontario.  This picturesque town is pretty, friendly, and filled with amenities (including great cafes and restaurants), but one of its most interesting attractions is the former railway station. 

It's amazing to think of how this community must have once bustled with activity with passengers and cargo trains rolling in and out of town. The York Durham Heritage Railway, opened in 1996, is a tourist train operating between Stouffville, Goodwood, and Uxbridge. 

Uxbridge is just a short drive from Toronto and is an affordable day trip that can be enjoyed by all ages  - and especially history and train enthusiasts. 

201 years ago, Port Dover (or Dover Mills, as it was then known) was at the heart of the action in the war of 1812. Fortunately, modern visitors receive a much warmer welcome than the American troops experienced all those years ago! Today, Port Dover is an affordable, diverse, beautiful place to spend a weekend or even a whole week. The town has a fun, funky, young, vibrant edge to it and, between the sandy beaches, the public art, and the neat shops, it's possible to enjoy a value packed visit without ever feeling a budgetary pinch. 

Welcome to the latest installment in our "Save, Splurge, Steal" interview series.  Getting great value when I travel is always such a fun challenge for me and I love to learn how other people get the best possible experience for their available time and money. I'm asking top travel bloggers to share their expertise and I hope you enjoy their responses as much as I do!

Meet Lindsay of The Traveluster!

Lindsay Lewis-Thom​as has been traveling around the world since she was about two and exploring new countries and cultures is the one thing in life that truly motivates her. She pursued her love of culture academically by studying anthropology and geography at university (double major), attending Semester at Sea (circumnavigating the globe), and earning a masters degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR). In her blog, The Traveluster, she shares her experiences as she travels around the world, diving deep into culture. 

After a long journey and arduous travel, there is nothing like a beautiful hotel to greet you at the end of the day. There’s something so soothing about having your needs anticipated and indulging yourself in a special retreat. This is exactly what I had in mind when we splurged on a stay at the Fairmont Royal York in the heart of Toronto. I’m a huge believer that you can find great value at all points of the price spectrum and, even though the Fairmont is a well-known luxury hotel, I wanted to examine it for value. After all, in the heart of Toronto, there are many beautiful hotels – what makes the Royal York worth the splurge?

It’s not very often I have the opportunity to visit something acknowledged to be the best in the world. I have to admit I wasn't expecting to find anything with that stamp on it in a small city in Michigan. And even more unexpectedly – it’s practically free!

The State Theatre on Front Street, Traverse City, Michigan, is a movie theatre and film festival site whose roots go back nearly 100 years. Citing it's location, architecture, and diversity of spirit, the State Theatre, TheCredits.org (a film industry news site operated by the Motion Picture Association of America) declared it to be the best theatre in the world. 

Over time, this beautiful building has gone through many incarnations, most recently in 2005 when filmmaker Michael Moore threw his support behind the theatre and the Traverse City Film Festival. Today, the State Theatre is the heart of Traverse City, leading the way in keeping the downtown core lively and the arts scene flourishing.