Hello. Charlie and Kristina here, the founders of MapTrotting and all-around curious travellers. We’re chuffed that you’re sniffing around our travel site.
Since meeting each other way back in 2009, we’ve transformed ourselves from stressed and depressed 9 to 5 types into travel-centric explorers.
At the same time, the little travel blog we began to document our frequent weekends away has evolved into the shiny travel website you are staring at right now.
It’s been an exciting few years and the adventure is far from over, in fact, it’s only just begun!
You can ‘Travel More’!
Whether you’re in a 9 to 5 job or are planning a big life change, we believe that everyone can travel more.
From superb city breaks to epic vacations, here at MapTrotting we are all about getting out there and seeing as much of our amazing planet as possible.
Let us take you by the hand and show you how you can get the most out of any trip you take, regardless of the length.
We’re coming to you with 5+ years of travel experience and want to share all the travel hacks, tips and skills we’ve learnt along the way.
Joining the hundreds of other curious travellers who enjoy our email newsletters is a great start.
Drop your details below and we’ll send you our best tips and articles plus a FREE travel planning guidebook to say thanks…
Who is MapTrotting?
I (Charlie) was born and raised in the UK, often being dragged around the country on family holidays whether I liked it or not and regardless of the often terrible weather. I’m pretty sure that’s where my love of travelling began, somewhere in a damp tent in Wales.
Kristina was born and raised on the opposite side of the Iron Curtain in Lithuania, at that time part of the USSR. To travel anywhere was pretty restricted when she was growing up. She lived in Italy for a few months as part of her college studies in 2002 and that’s where her passion for travel was born.
Ironically, we first met in a Tourist Information Centre in London in 2009. We were soon spending many happy hours together exploring London and far beyond. We’d take long weekend breaks to escape the city whenever we could.
5 years after the first meeting we got married in 2014 on a beach on the beautiful island of Kaua’i, Hawai’i. That was our first major trip together and we had a fantastic 3-week island hopping honeymoon in paradise which was over way too soon.
Shortly after returning to London, we decided to save hard for a two week trip to Cuba around a year later. Whilst sitting on Playa Pilar beach in Cuba, a glass of rum in one hand and a cigar in the other, we decided something finally had to change.
That evening in May 2015 we turned to each other and agreed we needed to quit London life and put travel at the centre of our lives. By the following February, we’d sold all our stuff and were jetting off to Southeast Asia for an 8-month odyssey with no set plans.
In late 2016 we returned to Europe, flat broke and set up a base on the sunny little island Malta where we now both work full time as copywriters.
Want to Travel More?
Drop your details in the box below to join hundreds of other curious travellers. We’ll send you our best tips and articles plus a FREE travel planning guidebook to say thanks.
Some Frequently Asked Questions
Why MapTrotting?
The original hobby blog was called Little Trot, where Kristina would write about our days out and weekend trips away. Charlie is obsessed with maps so when we were looking to launch it as a full-time travel blog we combined the two for MapTrotting. Now we are always trotting across the map.
How do You Save Money for Travel?
It’s a little bit geeky but we both love spreadsheets. And having one where we forecast our travel savings really helps us have that visual motivation. It wasn’t an easy start but since we made a decision to focus our lives around travel, we’ve got better and better at saving.
While saving for our epic 8-month quest around Southeast Asia, we came up with several ways to help us with the finances. You can even read about our tried and tested gravy tin method.
It also helped to have a good savings account which gave us 5% interest plus a decent travel credit card for when we finally hit the road.
What’s Your Quirkiest Travel Highlight?
Charlie once ate some horse cock in Kazakhstan. It wasn’t tasty, just a bit chewy.
How Do You Choose Your Travel Destinations?
It varies depending on where we are based at that moment. Because we currently live on a tiny rock called Malta, we search for destinations that are easy to reach from the island. Places like Sicily, Istanbul, Prague and Ostrava in the Czech Republic or our home countries England and Lithuania.
Mostly we look at affordability and what interests us the most. To keep the blog fresh, we like finding things that are a little bit of the radar. It could be quirky cafes, local street food, unusual buildings or hidden beaches. Venturing into local areas outside the touristy bits is what we love the most.
Which Place Did You Like the Most?
For me (Kristina) it has to be Istanbul. I’ve been dreaming of visiting this ancient city for years and we finally did it in 2017. Exploring the food scene here was one of the many highlights of our trip.
Istanbul is friendly, easy to get around and breathtaking. It’s exactly what we love in our travels: a never-ending maze of fascinating and unexpected gems.
Where Should You Go Next?
New to the site? Best to start with the aptly named Start Here page then. It’s packed full of handy travel tips and advice.
If you’d like to know what kit, websites and other stuff we use to help us travel then check out the Travel Resources page.
For the latest posts from our travels check out our Travel Blog page.
Happy travels!
Charlie & Kristina.
Nice bog…
Thanks 🙂
Hey Annie, this is so bizarre! Your comment made me smile so much, so glad you stumbled upon my blog 🙂 I’ll have a look through my archives to see the pictures I took on the beach, it was such a beautiful day; there’s something so amazing about horses in the sea, it was such a captivating moment 🙂
For once I was the other side of the lens and delighted to find photos of us on your blog tonight!!!! Thank you so much for capturing my moment that took my breath away. You caught us on Holkham Beach with our horses and thank you so much for posting the photos. If you have any more I’d love to see them. It lovely to know someone else enjoyed it too. I can’t tell you how much your blog made us smile ????
Hi Kristina – your painting images with a lens. We all get to enjoy the canvas outtakes. Quite exquisite. Thank you so very much for sharing your talents.
AnnMarie
newbie blogger, lousy photographer
Kristina,
I really like reading your blog, but still I was wondering why you stopped visiting film is love, was there a change in my photography that you did not like or did I upset you in any way? I always appreciated your opinion on my photos.
Have an awesome start into 2014 and trot on. 😉
Jannik
Of course you didn’t upset me! 🙂 and I still pop in to see your photos! Sorry for not leaving a comment, it’s been a busy year 🙂 I’ll get better at it! 🙂
http://photographyofnia.com/2012/02/22/i-am-honored-by-your-awards-thank-you/
Dear Kristina, you are one of my nominated bloggers for the Hug Award.
Thank you, with my love, nia
Thank you Nia for the nomination! I am well flattered to be on your list 😀
Thanks!
I love your photos! I am from Washington DC but I am currently living in Oxford, England. I am planning a trip to London for next weekend. Any must-sees that you recommend? I’m trying to get a true London experience.
Hey, thank you for your comment and for stopping by 🙂 There are thousands of things to see and even more things to do in London 🙂 It really depends on your interests 🙂 Check this: visitlondon.com 🙂 it should be helpful 🙂 Have a nice weekend 🙂
Hi Kristina,
I have gone through some of blogs like ‘Ladywell Park’, ‘A walk in Hilly Fields Park’ and lots more are really beautiful. Looking forward to check your new adventure works, I couldn’t stop myself to subscribe your blogging. Glad to find your site.
Cheers!
Rajkishore
Hey thank you, I am glad you like it! 🙂 I remember checking out your blog! It’s very interesting 🙂 See you around 🙂
Nice blog 🙂
Thanks 😀
You are so sweet Nia 😀 Thank you for your lovely comments and for reading and liking my little blog 🙂 You inspired me to start my photography blog, so I should be thankful to you! 🙂 I hope I get to see Istanbul some time soon, it’s on my places to visit list 🙂 And if I go there or you come to London, we definitely gonna meet 😀
I pray for this… Love and hugs, nia
Once again I am here dear Kristina, but I want to say “Thank you”… You are such a nice blogger friends, and you are one of them who I wish to meet in this real world… I pray for this. In London or in Istanbul… Thank you for being a nice reader and follower… You are always so nice with these points… Awards can’t be enough for you… 🙂 and Thank you for sharing with us beautiful moments, beautiful places through your photographs… You are great with your camera. But more than this with your heart. Blessing and Happiness, with my love, nia
Hey, thank you Jimi, that’s an honour! 🙂 A challenge! Great! I am going to check it out! 😀
Hey Kristina,
i finally added you blog to my blogroll.
And I’d like if you would challenge me. 😉
http://filmislove.org/2011/12/04/the-1361250′-challenge-you-decide-what-i-do/
Jimi
Thank you! Glad you like it and thanks for stopping by! 😀
What wonderful pictures! Thank you for sharing them!
Hello Annette 🙂 Thank you for your lovely comment 🙂 Yes, London has a lot to offer for photographers 🙂 It’s something I like doing, I always liked taking pictures and I thought I might as well share them with other bloggers 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and I will see you around 😀
Hello Kristina I love your Bridewell Palace and Twilight posts, it does not matter to me what camera you have, your photos are interesting! I’ve only spent a short time in London, but I can see you are finding heaps of scenes to photograph and share! From a fellow ‘new blogger’, keep it up!
Thank you so much, Nia for all your lovely comments and for welcoming me into the world of photography. I am excited myself, because it’s so easy to just be lazy and sit at home all weekend, but since I have this blog, it will give me more energy to trot a lot more. I love taking pictures and sharing them with people, espeacially because there is so much to see and take pictures of! 😀
You are welcome dear Kristina! With you camera, I am sure everything would be much more exciting and enjoyable. I know, because of my own experiences… I am excited always and what will be next… And the same feelings are now for you too, I wonder what will be next photographs of her… 🙂
Have a nice weekend and enjoyable times with your camera,
with my love, nia
I wished to be your Santa 🙂
I am so glad to see your new Blog, you are such a nice soul and I loved your new blog. Especially to see your photographical eye, fascinated me. It is not a problem what camera you use… There are so many photographers with an amazing cameras but some their photographs don’t say anything… On the other hand, there are so amazing photographers that fascinating all of us, even with a simple camera… The main point is to have a nice photographical eye… The compositioni the light and shadow, these are important. So, dear Kristina, you did great start with this blog and I have met once again with you now, because I saw your photographical eye… I watched your London photographs and also the first post too, they are all so nice. Good Luck for your photographical world, you make me excited now for your next photographs… Thank you, Blessing and Happiness, with my love, nia