WELCOME TO BURNESSIE TRAVELS

HI! i’m charlie

I’m in my late 30s, an expert in solo travel, and I’ve recently returned from a career break in which I took a year out from my corporate job to go on my third backpacking trip.

18+ years of solo travel.
3 long term backpacking trips.
A wealth of recommendations, practical tips, advice and travel guides to share with you.

WHO AM I?

Hi! I’m Charlie, the blogger and photographer behind Burnessie Travels. Welcome to my corner of the internet!

I’m in my late thirties and have just returned back to London from a year long career break in which I swapped corporate life to backpack across South Asia and Latin America.

I’ve been travelling solo for over 18 years, doing everything from city breaks to long haul holidays and road trips by myself, along with three long term solo backpacking trips.

I love to encourage people to try solo travel out, and should you need any convincing to take a little career break to travel in your thirties, I’d be very happy to act as your enabler.

BROWSE BLOGS ABOUT TAKING A CAREER BREAK

WHAT YOU CAN FIND HERE

Burnessie Travels has dozens of free-to-use travel guides for destinations across Europe, Asia and the Americas, and is ever growing as I write up my most recently explored countries. I share my tried and tested recommendations for the places I’ve visited, with a focus on good value and great food to enjoy on your travels.

Alongside detailed travel guides I share two decades of knowledge and advice about solo travel, blogs about taking a career break and practical tips to help plan your next trip, whether it’s an Italian city break or a dip into the world of backpacking.

HEAD TO MY FULL TRAVEL GUIDE ARCHIVE

WHAT KIND OF TRAVELLER AM I?

I’m a big believer in taking advice and recommendations from people who travel in a similar way to you do, be it budget, style or shared interests. I’ve made the mistake of taking advice from single guys in their mid twenties and shock horror, I did not enjoy the destination in the same way they did, because we were after completely different vibes on our travels.

How I travel:

  • Mid budget on holidays, mid-to-flashpacker when backpacking.
  • On holidays I opt for Air BnBs and budget to mid-range hotels depending on the destination.
  • When backpacking I mostly stay in hostels dorms, but I’ll spring for a private room when the budget allows (or the sanity is slipping…) I love a boutique hostel that costs a bit more than the basic option.
  • Quality, good value food is a priority in my travels but don’t expect any fine dining – that’s not my vibe!
  • I save up my Avios points to fly business class but I’ll also suffer through an overnight bus journey when I need to – balance is the name of the game.
  • I have a speciality coffee habit, and I enjoy a drink so good coffee culture, rooftop bars and chill wine bars feature heavily in my travel guides, as well as affecting my budget accordingly.
  • I love to scuba dive, enjoy wildlife photography and I love to learn about history and textiles, so destinations that match these interests are becoming more of a priority to me.

Burnessie Travels has a wealth of blogs on starting out in solo travel, resources to help you to take a sabbatical or career break and practical tips that will help take the stress out of planning your next trip.

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