Welcome to Hop, Skip and Away

This site was originally started as a way for a small group of friends and family members to share experiences and travel tips. We were mostly focused on inexpensive travel that allowed us more contact with the people whose countries we were visiting. I first experienced traveling in Europe on my own when I was 18 and armed with a Eurail pass and a handful of travelers' checks. Since then, my husband and I have been fortunate enough to have traveled to 9 different European countries and from coast to coast in Canada (as well as the US).

It is our hope to invite people from all over the world to share their travel experiences and travel tips.

This is a website designed for the traveler who believes the focal point of any trip is the journey, and not necessarily the destination. Many sites exist to help the traveler with booking rooms at 4 and 5 star hotels, or guided tours that cram 30 of your closest best strangers into 14 countries in 12 days. Our site was inspired by stories from people who not only visited interesting and beautiful cities, but who took the time to really rub elbows with the locals. Our own travels have focused on staying as local as possible, and experiencing the culture with as little American bias as possible.

What I love about international travel is that it asks me to think differently. I learn to explore everyday life from different perspectives. It asks me to contemplate different political and social systems, and as a result I challenge my own impressions about how things work. It has broadened my mind, made me more appreciative of other cultures while also gaining a greater appreciation of my own culture.

For those who travel for these reasons and enjoy the hands on aspect we'd love to hear from you. Please don't be shy! The success of this site relies on the sharing of information and helping others discover the joy of hands on travel!

Please let me know what we can do to make this site fun, informative and a polite exchange of ideas and travel related stories.

Sincerely,
Elaine Boorstein-Matthes