Travel Journal

Blog Posts (43)

43 travel guides, practical tips, and destination stories — last updated 2026-08-04.

The Best Apps to Track Countries You've Visited (2026)

Nine apps for tracking where you've been, compared on what they actually record, what they cost, and who each one suits. Tested August 2026.

Sofi2026-08-04

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free travel app

The Best Free Travel Tracker Apps in 2026

Which travel tracker apps are actually free, which are free trials in disguise, and what you give up in each. Tested and compared, August 2026.

Sofi2026-08-04

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travel journal

The Best Travel Journal Apps in 2026

Travel journals vs trackers vs diaries — twelve apps compared on writing tools, maps, and pricing, plus the pairing most long-term travellers use.

Sofi2026-08-04

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google maps timeline

Google Maps Timeline Is Gone. Here's How to Track Your Travel History Now.

Google killed Timeline on the web, deleted years of location history by default, and lost more of it to a bug. Here's what happened, what you can still recover, and where to keep your travel record instead.

Sofi2026-08-04

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track countries visited

How to Track Every Country You've Visited

Five ways to build a record of everywhere you've been — paper, scratch map, spreadsheet, Google Maps, or an app — and how to reconstruct a history you never wrote down.

Sofi2026-08-04

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polarsteps alternative

The Best Polarsteps Alternatives in 2026

Polarsteps is excellent at automatic GPS route tracking, but it isn't the right fit for everyone. Here are seven alternatives, what each does differently, and how to pick.

Sofi2026-08-04

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travel tracker

What Is a Travel Tracker App?

A travel tracker app records the destinations you have visited on a map and turns them into a permanent, measurable record. Here's what they do, how they differ from journals and planners, and how to choose one.

Sofi2026-08-04

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digital nomad

6 Countries Courting Remote Workers in 2026 — and the Day Count Nobody Mentions

Six countries actively recruiting remote workers in 2026, with verified income thresholds — plus the day-counting rules that decide whether the visa actually works for you.

Sofi2026-08-03

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travel hacks

7 Travel Hacks That Sound Fake. We Checked All of Them — Two Are.

Incognito mode, Tuesday bookings, the Google Flights map trick. We fact-checked seven popular travel hacks against the actual research. Four hold up, two don't, one needs updating.

Sofi2026-08-03

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pin traveler

Sharing & Privacy Update

With our new April update you can find your friends with ease, and be more in control of your privacy than ever before

Pin Traveler2026-05-02

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pin traveler

Introducing Animated Trips

Animated Trips turns your routes into motion on the map—3D cars, planes, trains, and more—so you can relive and explore your travels in a vivid new way.

Cem Ersoz2026-04-05

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travel tracking

Three Perks of Tracking Your Trips

Tracking your trips might sound like extra work, but it pays off in ways you wouldn't expect. Here are three genuine perks of keeping a digital record of everywhere you've been.

Cem Ersoz2026-03-30

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pin traveler

Introducing vs. Mode

Full screen pages, liquid glass, a brand new profile page, and more await you!

Cem Ersoz2026-03-08

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food

Food is the New Landmark

For decades, travel itineraries have revolved around landmarks – The Eiffel Tower, The Colosseum, the Grand Canyon. But increasingly, with the rise of experiential travel, people are building trips around something far more sensory: food.

Pin Traveler2026-02-26

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travel apps

Essential Apps We Cannot Travel Without

After years of traveling, these are the apps that have become absolutely essential to our journeys. From planning and navigation to communication and payments, here are the must-have apps for modern travelers.

Cem Ersoz2026-01-20

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travel app

What is the Best Travel Map App in 2026

Looking for the best travel map app in 2026? We compare the top options for tracking your travels, saving places, and planning your next adventure.

Cem Ersoz2026-01-15

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pin traveler

New Profile Sharing Update

We've modernized the sharing UI, and allowed you to share your profile in addition to your map

Cem Ersoz2025-09-18

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pin traveler

Pin Traveler v4

Full screen pages, liquid glass, a brand new profile page, and more await you!

Cem Ersoz2025-09-15

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airline review

Does Turkish Airlines Have Premium Economy

I fly Turkish all the time, mostly between my home hub of SFO and IST to visit family, and although I can't reasonably afford business class I do enjoy the occasional splurge...

Pin Traveler2025-08-14

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airline review

Is It Worth Upgrading Your Singapore Airlines Flight?

I had been swayed by reels showcasing the superior in-flight experiences of long-haul flights, so I decided to upgrade my flight from San Francisco to Singapore...

Duru Sacinti2024-06-16

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pin traveler

May 24 Update Overview

This update took us way longer than expected, because we created more than 40 new place types with accompanying icons! We've also patched some nasty bugs, and built a couple subtle but important enhancements. Pin Traveler Android also just received a huge trips update...

Mehmet Can Alaca2024-05-16

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pin traveler

March 24 Update Overview

I initially wanted to publish this blog post before our march update, but Mehmet Can beat me to it, so it's once again more of a retrospective...

Cem Ersoz2024-03-14

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pin traveler

February 24 Update Overview

We just released a major iOS update (version 3.11.0) on February 10 2024. This is a big update for us, we are introducing new visualizations for your trips, and a new pin type for the first time ever! We've also laid the groundwork for a lot of great things to come later in 2024. Here's the overview:

Cem Ersoz2024-02-11

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christmas destinations

Top Christmas Destinations of 2023

With the holidays approaching fast we're all looking to plan the perfect Christmas Vacation. After a 3 year break since our original Top 6 Christmas Destinations post, we're back with what I hope will be a yearly tradition! Here is our favorite Christmas Destinations for your next Christmas vacation!

Mehmet Can Alaca2023-11-18

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fall travel

Our Top 7 Fall Vacations

As the leaves start to turn and the air becomes crisp, there's no denying that autumn is a season of enchantment. The world transforms into a kaleidoscope of warm colors, making it the perfect time to embark on a memorable vacation

Cem Ersoz2023-09-29

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istanbul

Sights of Old Istanbul Outside of Sultanahmet

Wherever you go in Istanbul, you're bound to run into historic landmarks and beautiful sights. This is my follow-up post to my Guide to Sultanahmet. I've always loved the walk from the historic peninsula

Cem Ersoz2023-08-28

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istanbul

Istanbul 101: Beginner's Guide

Visiting Istanbul offers an immersive journey through centuries of captivating history and vibrant culture, where the East and West seamlessly converge. The city's awe-inspiring architectural marvels, such as the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque...

Cem Ersoz2023-08-25

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istanbul

A Guide to Istanbul's Sultanahmet Square

Born and raised in Istanbul, I've had plenty of opportunities to visit all the iconic historical and cultural landmarks of the city. I had however, never done a full touristic day in Sultanahmet, until last week

Cem Ersoz2023-08-22

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pan american highway

Overlanding the Pan-American Highway

In July, 2022, my fiancée and I set off in our truck to conquer a route that we didn’t even know existed two years prior. It is known as the Pan-American Highway. The trip includes 13-16 countries...

Lorin Vandegrift2023-08-21

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new york

Specialty Coffee in New York City

New York City is enormous by any measure, and as such, it’s home to more than three thousand cafes, and some of the best specialty coffees you can find anywhere in the world. So on my last New York trip, I dragged my (very patient) girlfriend to more than 15 cafes across

Cem Ersoz2023-08-17

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seoul

Five Must Visit Neighborhoods of Seoul

With a metropolitan population of 26 million people, Seoul is the equivalent of multiple cities put into one. The city is so immeasurably vast that even...

Pin Traveler2023-08-14

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florence

4 of the Most Amazing Cafés in Florence

Coffee culture is deeply ingrained in the Italians' daily life and social fabric. The iconic espresso, served in small, strong shots, is the heart of Italian coffee culture. Italians often enjoy their espressos standing at the bar, savoring its rich flavor and quick jolt of energy.

Asli Ersoz2023-08-09

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cartagena

5 Reasons to Visit Cartagena, Colombia

Cartagena is an adorable city on the Caribbean coast of Colombia with live Latin Music everywhere. Some friends and I traveled here on a whim with minimal research, and absolutely fell in love with the history, culture, and nature. Here are 5 reasons why your next trip should be to Cartagena!

Mehmet Can Alaca2023-08-04

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turkish desserts

7 Turkish Desserts that are NOT Baklava

We all know that baklava is great, and Turkey is home to some of the best baklava in the world. But this success means that baklava tends to overshadow the countless other Turkish desserts that are just as delicious. Below are some of the desserts that were my favorite growing up in Turkey.

Cem Ersoz2023-06-24

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san francisco

A Walk Along GGP's JFK Promenade

San Francisco closed JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park to cars during the pandemic to create "JFK Promenade" and recently voted to make the promenade permanent. I cannot express how much I love the promenade. Closing JFK to cars changed my perspective on Golden Gate Park, and I became a GGP fanatic who takes a walk in the park at least 5 times a week, no matter the weather!

Cem Ersoz2023-06-22

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san francisco

6 SF Restaurants I Keep Coming Back To

I absolutely love food, and I always make a point of trying as many new restaurants as possible. Living in San Francisco the last few years, I've been to tons of restaurants all around the city, at every price point. Yet I find myself coming to these 6 restaurants time after time. Here are my most reliable restaurants in SF:

Cem Ersoz2023-06-13

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san francisco

San Francisco Travelers' Guide

I moved to San Francisco in 2016 when I was just getting started at UC Berkeley. Although Berkeley is technically not the same city as San Francisco, I always said I lived in SF because many of my acquaintances back home were not as familiar with Berkeley as a city. But, it is safe to say that I might as well have been living in San Francisco.

Ceylan Ersoy2021-03-01

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london

London Travelers’ Checklist

There is something that I’ve heard many people say about London before I went there for the first time in 2019: You will either fall in love with London, or hate it immeasurably. Well, I sure was hoping I wouldn’t fall into the latter category as I hopped on a plane to London

Ceylan Ersoy2021-02-19

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cesme

Insider Travel Stories: Çeşme, Turkey

In Turkey, when summer arrives, people tend to relocate to their summer houses. It grants them the occasional escape from city life, an opportunity to be near the sea, and the young ones to enjoy themselves to the fullest during their summer vacation

Ceylan Ersoy2021-02-01

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tulum

A Tale of Mexico: Visiting Tulum

As the beginning of March comes around every year, headlines like “Spring Breakers Take Mexico” start occupying online newspapers and numerous photos from the beaches, bars, restaurants start overburdening your social media feeds. You might have found yourself particularly questioning this year: What is this place called Tulum?

Ceylan Ersoy2021-01-25

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christmas destinations

Top 6 Christmas Destinations of 2020

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. And it is always the right time to make a wishlist...

Ceylan Ersoy2020-12-14

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top destinations

Top 10 Travel Spots in the World

We travel a lot, but these are the 10 locations we keep going back to!

Ceylan Ersoy2020-12-03

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food destinations

Top 6 Foodie Destinations

Are you one of those people who travel for culinary experiences? Is the first three things on your travel itinerary new restaurants? Is your Instagram feed full of food pictures?

Ceylan Ersoy2020-12-2

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