Did you know that about 90 million Americans went online to plan a vacation this past year? There are a lot of ways you can use the internet to your advantage when it comes to travel planning. You can use it to find everything from the lowest airline prices, to suggestions of hidden local gems you can check out. Have you ever gotten advice from travel blog sites? We recommend using them, especially for personalize tips on what to see. Here are three tips we picked up from different travel sites.
1. Look for Local Tours
Tours, especially walking tours, are a great way to get a feel for a city once you arrive. Not only will guides fill you in on local history, but they will also be great resources for traveling tips, since they deal with tourists every week. In Europe, walking tours are often free with a recommended tip. In America, you will usually pay a standard fee. In many cities, especially around Halloween, ghost tours can be a fun evening activity. Wear comfortable walking shoes!
2. Better Packing
One travel blog site recommends that, when you are traveling in a group, distribute some of every person’s items into each bag so that if one goes missing, no one is completely out of luck. This is an especially useful idea if you are traveling with, for example, a baby, and one bag is full of all their necessities. Pack only what you will really need, with one or two extra outfits at the most. This will make traveling less stressful for you, lower the likelihood of losing items, and gives you more space for bringing home souvenirs.
3. Take a Hike Away from Tourist Traps
Have you ever been to Montserrat in Spain? It is just a couple hours travel by train from Barcelona, and is an incredibly scenic and interesting location. Journey far up the misty mountainside in a cable car, and walk through monasteries built hundreds of years ago, and the Benedictine abbey. Adventures like this are easy to take if you look beyond the standard tourist options for your travels. Ask local hotel or hostel managers what they would recommend. Search for day trip options and places to hike and explore. You are unlikely to be disappointed.
What have you learned from blogs on travel sites? Let us know in the comments!