My Travel Tips
I just read through Kevin Kelly’s 50 Years of Travel Tips and it’s a solid list.
I don’t know that I have any tips. People travel differently. My ex loves cruises. I see the appeal but it’s not my preferred type of travel. Neither is sitting on a beach (“earning 20%”) for a week. Although, in this -20º weather, sipping margaritas at a swim-up bar is very enticing.
My preferences (which you can call tips, if you’d like):
E&E (engagement and experience) over R&R (rest and relaxation).
Organize around passions, not destinations. That has been restaurants, bars, coffee, cigars, and photography. Doing so has pushed me to locations I might not have gone otherwise, like the Faroe Islands or a train station on the outskirts of Munich.
Be a tourist. Do all the tourist traps. I’ll take the bus tours. I’ll do the guided tours. Give me the lay of the land. Give me some history. Give me some context.
Take photos. It’s a way to document the trip but it’s also a way for me to be creative. They’re also a way for me to enjoy being a tourist and enjoy my passions.
Airbnb ain’t want it used to be (and as I write this, news of an Airbnb exec joining the American Govt’s DOGE isn’t great). But I like the concept and I’ve had great success with using them in the past. There’s VRBO and other platforms. My rule of thumb has generally been a hotel for short stays and Airbnb for longer ones or where the sleeping arrangements are more complicated. I’ve even done just a room in somebody’s place, if I really need a bed to crash on for a night or two.
Pack light. I’ve done three-week trips with a carry-on. I have no problem hitting up a laundromat. Throw the clothes in, go grab a bite to eat, then come back, throw everything in the dryer, grab another bite to eat. Or hang out and read for awhile. Or find a hotel or Airbnb with a washer and/or dryer.
Skip the souvenirs. I don’t want a house full of knick knacks. Almost all of the souvenirs I’ve brought back for my kids have been lost or broken. The photos and memories are my souvenirs. (That’s not to say I’ve completely avoided souvenirs but they’re few and far between and I lean on artwork to fill my spaces.)
Don’t be afraid to repeat locations. Clearly a privilege of having travelled as much as I have, there’s a charm to visiting the same place more than once. I’ve already learned the lay of the land and can take a more relaxed approach the second (or third or fourth) time around.
Travel should be fun and I recognize that it can be stressful. Flights get delayed. Reservations get cancelled. Travelling with kids is parenting in another location, often with less supports.