At 22, Andrew Tyree visited Barcelona on a trip to Europe and became so enamored by the food, culture and language, he moved to Spain three months later! After living abroad for five years, he returned to the United States, where he began organizing group vacations to Spain for friends and laying down the foundation for a successful travel company.
Today, Coast to Costa offers curated group experiences in Spain, Mexico and Cuba, bringing people together to enjoy new cultures through the eyes of a local.
We are excited to collaborate with Coast to Costa on a Shoestring Adventure in Baja wine country this December. Check out our interview below to learn more about Andrew, then visit to the Coast To Coast website to book your next international adventure!
Shoestring Warrior: Andrew Tyree
Hometown:
Redlands, El Monte, Culver City, Madird and SF. I moved a lot!
Current Location:
Los Angeles
Profession:
Travel
What are your passions outside of work?
I love going to concerts and eating with my wife Natalie and hanging out with our new dog, Reggie.
How would you describe your level of camping experience?
Somewhere between beginner and intermediate
Tell us about yourself!
I am originally from southern California, I moved to Spain and Italy for 5 years. When I moved back, I ended up in SF, where I worked in a restaurant and began putting together group vacations to Spain for friends.
When did you discover your passion for travel?
When I was 22, I went to visit my sister in London for a week. I was super excited to see London but during the week we went to Barcelona and I was BLOWN AWAY! I very quickly became enamored with the food, the laid back culture and trying to communicate in Spanish. When we came back, I moved to Spain 3 months later!
What is Coast to Costa? What inspired you to curate local experiences for travelers?
Coast to Costa is our business where we curate group travel experiences in Spain, Mexico and Cuba. We bring people together to travel and enjoy new cultures while being led around by our local friends in the countries!
What do you hope travelers will gain from your trips?
Most to the time, the travelers create a culture within a culture. Traveling with our groups allows people to experience new things with new people. We always stay in shared houses, so at the end of the night, the group usually stays up talking about and digesting what they have seen/heard/experienced during the day. I hope that people gain perspective and have a great time in the process.
How do you balance running your business across the globe, while working a job in Los Angeles?
Good question! I have been working on Coast to Costa for over four years now all the while working full time at night as a server in Gracias Madre in West Hollywood. It has been very difficult but now that Coast to Costa is taking off, I am taking more time off at the restaurant and now only work very part time! My wife Natalie works in fashion and helps me out tremendously!
Do you have any advice for Shoestring Warriors who want to travel the world, but may have never left the country?
Come with us to Baja! It’s a great opportunity to do some camping with Shoestring AND some foreign travel to Mexico. It’s such a short drive away and allows you to “dip your toe” into traveling abroad. It’s going to be an awesome trip!
What is your favorite piece of luggage when traveling?
My lovely wife bought me a Hershell backpack that I never leave home without. I have books and my work notebooks constantly on me, even here in LA and then when I travel abroad, I pack it full for the week. Pack light, right?
If you could take a Coast to Costa trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I am putting together a trip to Peru right now that I am stoked about. We will be hiking for 4 days to Machu Pichu, camping, cooking by a campfire… I am very happy to leave the city for a bit and get into the great outdoors!
What upcoming Coast to Costa trip(s) are you most excited about?
I am excited about the Shoestring trip so that my hand can be held while learning to camp better! Life skills, you know? Peru is going to be great for the chance to “get away from it all”. We are also doing a surf and outdoor activity trip to Cuba in late March with The Adventure Handbook. The next few months are going to be AWESOME!
Follow Andrew’s adventures on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook!
