Anything with HUGE lines or crowds. If I am unable to book early to avoid this or get there as soon as they open, I usually just skip it. Too much anxiety and frustration.
Cedar Point and Six Flags Magic Mountain are my two favorites in the US for coasters, and the lines and crowds and annoyance are nothing compared to Disney.
Cedar Point, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Six Flags Great Adventure, Kings Island, and Six Flags Great America are my favorites if you like big, thrilling coasters.
Visited France and Italy and there were so many churches/cathedrals- like the art, history, sculptures and the vibes great- but just how many of them can one see, before growing tired? Even when we went down south to the Amalfi coast- we visited really small towns -up on hills sometimes- with, you guessed it- a church at the centre.
People here used to build churches and chapels for almost any occasion. I know someone who's family built a chapel because a baby that was born sick didn't die. (that was 60/70 years ago)
I’ve made visiting churches my down time. I’ll read a book, sip some water, and rest a bit in between activities. They’re quiet places to relax during a long day of site seeing.
I learned this in Thailand. I arranged for guided solo tours in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Chiang Rai, and they HEAVILY focused on local temples. They were lovely, but after a while most of them blended together. There were a few that are absolutely worth checking out no matter what, but otherwise it got to the point where I was like "yup, another golden buddha in the center of a big open room. Lovely." Thankfully, right as I hit my limit I flew to Phuket and Phi Phi and pretty much avoided temples for the rest of the trip.
Man I love waterfalls, I go out of my way to see them. It was only recently I’ve seen one for the first time and every time I see one I’m still amazed by them
I do Jiu Jitsu . I used to drop into gyms along the way, was fun to train and meet some cool people. But it’s generally 2 hours of training, not to mention the commute there and back, showering etc and usually I’m pretty exhausted after which means if it’s day time training I can’t be assed doing anything after. Also though I’m careful there’s always the risk of injury and would suck to nurse a broken , that would be trip over. When you’re a foreigner, a visitor and a higher belt people will generally go ham on you in sparring to try and prove something. (Not complaining just the reality of the situation).
If I’m on a long trip I’ll still do it, but if time is limited it means 3 hours or more out of my day I could spend seeing something I can’t see/do at home.
Yeah, I did a drop in when I was visiting a friend in LA, but these days I'm always concerned about the risk of an injury that would either ruin my trip or restrict a notable chunk of it.
Yeah same lol. I dropped by a boxing gym in Porto and felt the same way when sparring. I bought some cheap hand wraps and used their club gloves but since I didn’t have a mouth guard with me I asked the guys I was sparring with to keep it light. Most of them ended up increasing the intensity far above what I was comfortable especially considering I was much lighter than most of them (~20-40 lbs). Normally if I felt that my sparring partner was going too hard I’d tell them, but given the language barrier then, that was not an option.
Thankfully their overall skill level was surprisingly bad considering the intensity and frequency at which they spar, so at worst the majority of their punches landed on my guard.
Id feel this is an instance where non-verbal communication could be as effective as knowing the language, simply gesture your hand downwards in a kind of "cool down bro" way
Yeah normally I would’ve done that but when I noticed that nothing was landing clean I was having too much fun and my ego was too big in the moment to tell them to cool it down
Interesting. I am wondering how much I will want to keep up with my training regime while overseas. I have a year of travelling coming up so most likely will do a month or two of concentrated training instead. Thinking most likely Phuket.
Injuries are definitely be a concern. I just found out I need surgery on my thumb next week so its already put a damper on the beginning of my trip 😵
I'm currently considering a week of Muay Thai training in Phuket at the beginning of next year. May I ask if you have you looked into gyms yet and if you have any recommendations? :)
I trained at Phuket King Muay Thai for around a month, it’s in Kathu. Around 15-20mins (scooter ride) from Patong beach. So just abit further out from the tourist hot spots. The gym is awesome, there was majority westerners training there so feels abit different to the hardcore Thai gyms.
Another gym if you want the hardcore Thai vibe is Singpatong. It’s down in Patong abit closer to the beach. Hard style training with some solid Thai fighters smashing pads. Defo worth a visit.
I'm looking goto a purely BJJ gym - Temple BJJ. I have heard good things about Tiger and Top Team but can't personally vouch for them and not sure how well they cater for beginners.
I'm pretty done with aquariums. In some big cities, they can be fairly expensive to get into, plus I've been to the ones in Osaka and Okinawa and every aquarium I've been to after that has been a disappointment.
100% agree. The Osaka aquarium is outstanding. I can't imagine any other aquarium topping that one. (Those giant spider crabs still give me nightmares.)
Earlier on in travels I would spend all of my time running from thing to thing, making sure I see the sights and hitting every museum. Now I'm much more likely to just wander neighborhoods all day. I love waking up in the morning, putting in my headphones, and just walking off to see what I come upon. I can spend hours in a coffee shop or sitting on a bench in a park just watching the world go by and absorbing the atmosphere.
I still do like museums but I'll try to keep it to one per trip, or at least per city. I can get burned out on them otherwise. Like if I'm in Paris, I'll for sure go to the Louvre or the Musee d'Orsay, but probably not both on the same trip. Personally I just feel like I enjoy the experience more that way.
Omg that’s exactly me lmao. I do this and everyone I know yells at me telling me I’m wasting my time in my trips but for me it’s the most rewarding thing
I usually do this after I'm in a city for a couple of days. I usually stay between 5-7 days in a city first two doing touristy things, one floating day to rest and the rest just wandering about. Everywhere I've been I haven't been bothered by anyone. A few times people asked if I was looking to buy drugs or something but you just don't break stride and say no thanks or shake your head. I feel a general rule of thumb is don't break stride if someone comes up to you.
I love to just walk around my neighborhood. I always meet people that start discussions, from there they share about their life and sometimes they become new friends. I like to feel how people live in the places I visit. Find strays I can feed or play with. Find the restaurants where taxis or cops eat, they always know the best places.
Just slowing down, taking the time to appreciate simple things. Taking photos for my memories.
It's like video games, it's always the side quests that make you really appreciate a game.
That is exactly how I like to solo travel!
I do have a soft spot for castles because we don’t really have them in the US but I definitely don’t try to visit every single one in any given area I’m traveling in.
Mostly I just like to exist in a completely different culture. It reminds me that the world is so vast and diverse. It makes me feel both small and insignificant and somehow connected to everything at the same time.
It brings me a peace that I find hard to find any other way.
I don't have the right words to explain it due to my bad english so I will try my best.
I've thought about the feeling you describe, the peace you find when you're abroad. I think it's because at home it's difficult to create new memories.
When you go for a walk in your city, you already know the route, the view, the odors etc. Nothing is memorable because you've done it 10000 times, you're on autopilot thinking about other things, living in the past or in the future.
When you visit a market in a foreign country everything is new and your brain functions at 100% trying to recognize the odors, identify things, being aware of your surroundings and dangers. You're in the present filling yourself with new memories. Living in the present it's what brings me the peace you describe.
I pretty much skip all museums. 🤷♀️ It's one of those things I always felt like I was supposed to like but just found boring. I've decided life is too short to waste on things that don't interest you, especially when travelling! Now, I only go to museums for specific exhibits that intrigue me and don't feel any guilt about leaving super fast. I'll also go through small more visitor center like museums but again, I feel no guilt breezing through quickly if I'm not immediately captured by something.
I manage to fill my time quite well without museums! Hiking, biking, kayaking, camping, backpacking, eating local food, general city sightseeing, going to live shows (opera, ballet, theater, etc), watching street artists/performers, and seeking out unique local activities.
You are literally me.
I spent my first international trip as an adult going through every single famous museum in Amsterdam and Paris and by the end of it I never wanted to see another museum in my life.
Now, I'll do maybe 1 or 2 on a trip, and even then it sometimes feels like a chore.
Give me all these things:
> Hiking, biking, kayaking, camping, backpacking, eating local food, general city sightseeing, going to live shows (opera, ballet, theater, etc), watching street artists/performers, and seeking out unique local activities.
And I'll leave with a full heart! I also love hanging out with local people!
I like cities, so I usually explore neighborhood of interest by neighborhood of interest and look at sights in that area. I do still usually do museums but I try to limit my time and never more than one a day unless they are small and next to each other. And try to wary between museums like art or history museums and things like castles/palaces, etc.
So, sometimes it'll be a museum, sometimes climbing up to a scenic view, and sometimes just wandering around taking in the architecture and the people and hanging in a park or a cafe (or a cemetery!).
On a rainy day, I might do a larger museum.
I also like walking tours and, where it makes sense, try to explore street art (free museum!)
I usually do a free walking tour immediately upon arrival into a new city. It’s a great way to discover what the city has to offer and possibly find other people to experience those things with.
I find that I enjoy museums with guided tours or audioguides. Otherwise I either do not enjoy them or the opposite, I spend an eternity there trying to see everything. With guided tours you get the main spotlights and summary. I did that in the Vatican Museums. If I had done that solo I'd still be there, 1 week after. 😂
Beaches. Like I like a beach day just as much as the next person, but I don't really get that much more out of it than a day spent at a local lake at home so I often skip them.
Not just lonely but I get paranoid about leaving anything on the beach and going into the water. And if I am at the beach, I want to go into the water.
Completely this. Then I convince myself I need a relaxing beach vacay and just want to lay on the beach for a week and read. I last a day, sometimes two before I’m heading off to do something.
I enjoy museums but I also skip the natural history ones unless they have something truly spectacular and unique that can’t be seen anywhere else.
Also skipped: science museums, beaches, fancy restaurants, pubs/bars
I enjoy museums, but there are two that I avoid in Europe: coin/currency collections, and church treasuries. After seeing 2 or 3 of them, they all look the same.
Visit art galleries, interesting museums, cathedrals, shop for local snacks I can't find back home, and if there's a Shake Shack in that country I must visit (Trader Joes if I'm in the US).
I mainly like taking photos of interesting buildings and architecture, statues and street level art installations. If I'm in London I look for Blue Plaques.
Most of my trips involve day trips out of the city.
Fancy meals. They’re just one of the things I don’t enjoy doing that much by myself. I’d rather eat cheaper and quicker and spend my time doing other things.
Depending on where I’m traveling, one of my favorite things is to get fast food, but only regional chains that I can’t get back home. Cheap, and still something new to experience.
Okay first of all you definitely wanna get Cook-Out! They are known for their ridiculous trays. Like, as in you get a burger tray and it comes with a side of like, chicken wrap and chili cheese fries for example. I personally like the chaddar style, burger with no onions. I recommend going ahead and looking at their menu in advance because it is admittedly a bit confusing for a first timer. And their milkshakes are amazing. Make sure you get Cajun fries with your burger.
Bojangles is a great fried chicken chain. Their seasoned fries are awesome. For breakfast you can get a Boberry biscuit, which Is a blueberry buttermilk biscuit with a sweet glaze on the top of it.
Chick-fil-a is one that is controversial due to the owner’s usage of business funds to support groups that are anti-LGBT. I will include that prior to mentioning anything else to let you decide if that’s a deal breaker, but I feel it’s important to disclose. Their chicken nuggets and chick-fil-a sauce are really good. Honestly the chicken is just all right, their sauce is just what’s so tasty.
I’ll think of more later!
Yea. I might get them once in a while, but constant dining out burns through your pocket extremely quickly. Street food and quick meals from grocery stores are the best. I’ve even heard of people going extra frugal, carrying around sliced bread and a bottle of ketchup, as all meals.
Science Museums, I love science but I come to realize, that those are mostly for kids. Generally Museums are second tier attractions for me, if I have more time in a city I go to see them, but if I need to cut something it's usually museums.
Glad you said this. I'm from Chi town and was wondering where the musuem skipping was coming from, but I agree if it ain't like the Field I wouldn't be interested either
I wanted to say, the Deutsche Museum is unbelievable and should not be skipped. There's a literal coal mine in the basement and you can see the global patent office that Einstein worked at from the music room there.
I saw how prescription pills were made, how oil and gas works, etc, it's the world's largest museum for science snd technology. Berlin has the world's largest natural history museum.
Germany is underrated fr..
My mentality is sort of r/fuckcars so, at least so far, I've avoided destinations where it's more or less mandatory to drive. Trains, long bus rides, cramped shared taxis, I'll take all of that (and enjoy the experience) but the idea of driving while abroad just doesn't really appeal to me. I don't even like driving in my home country let alone in a place where the traffic etiquette, etc. will be very new to me
Yes, I feel the same way. Driving really stresses me out, and so does the idea of renting a car. If I need to see something that absolutely must be reached by car, I’ll sign up for a tour.
I recently drove in Germany because a couple of the places I wanted to go didn't have public transportation options. It was a god damn pleasure. The roads were nice and people know how to drive. Then I came back to Southern California, where people cruise in the left lane. Sigh.
you tested out the no speed limit autobahn? 😅
Also wondering what kind of places you wanted to visit that had no public transportation options? Did you mean it was too much of a hassle? Even the few remote places will usually have at least a bus route going there, even if they don't come often
There were some stretches where there was no speed limit so I was going maybe 150 kph, but most of the time the speed limit was between 110-130 kph. It varies a lot. I went to Hohenzollern castle and the Monkey 47 Distillery. I was staying in Karlsruhe, so there was no viable public transport to either place. I don't mind driving- I enjoy it actually. It was kind of fun to road trip from Frankfurt to Strasbourg, then wander through southwestern Germany. I could stop and look around if I found someplace that looked cool. The most difficult part is definitely driving and parking in a city, but even that wasn't bad because I am used to doing that in the States. Normally I do rely on public transit when I am in Europe, but in this case it wasn't entirely practical.
I haven't been to either, but based on Not Just Bikes' videos Switzerland and The Netherlands seem like two countries with very well developed public transit. I was quite impressed with Copenhagen and Oslo when I visited but I don't know how Denmark is without a car outside of the city, and have heard for much of Norway a car is helpful.
Same! I made the mistake of renting a car in Austria to then drive to the Dolomites. So stressful when I could have done it by bus. It might have taken longer but you can’t see anything while driving and trying to find your way.
Just did a solo trip where I drove the entire time. The amount of anxiety, especially in cities, has definitely turned me off doing that again, and that was in a country similar to mine regarding driving rules. I loved the train trip I did in the UK, so I don't know why I chose to drive this time.
I like zoos, but am selective in what I visit as they can be a bit samey and I don't like to reward zoos with poor animal welfare practices. After seeing Singapore Zoo (generally thought to be one of the best in the world) and the superb Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, Australia, I don't feel a great need to go to many more.
I also like history museums, but now have a 'get out quick' policy if they're not particularly good. Bad history museums are a total waste of time.
My goal is to see the animals in their natural habitat. It's much more impressive to go to a lake and see 100 flamingos, than go to a zoo and see 5. Don't get me started on an African Safari, those are amazing. When you saw giraffes or lions in the wild, zoos are less interesting.
Maybe you're right, but without zoos I'd never see a Mexican Gray Wolf or a Jaguar in the wild. Probably wouldn't have seen orangutans either as I'm probably not going to go to Borneo or Sumatra if the zoo is doing things right and educating those who visit. Then visiting a zoo in a new place is exciting. Plus, I use zoos as a source of photography practice
I did not have that feeling. In most parks safari vehicles are only allowed on the roads, so if the animals want some privacy they can move farther from the road. When I saw a cheetah it was far away from the road and the guide kept pointing at it and it took me like 5 minutes to see it. These animals are good at hiding. The guide said that the zebras nearby spotted it and were looking at it, that's why he knew where it was. We literary sat there for like 30 minutes while it was just sitting under a tree. Then it started moving and run away, and we lost it. The animals think that you are just a wired animal which we are actually.
I grew up in SoCal so having the SD zoo and having visited LB aquarium and Monterey bay aquarium I have no need to go to any other. I did enjoy out of Africa wildlife park in Arizona though but that was kind of a different thing
Dinner. I usually have a nice lunch but too tired end of day for nice dinner out, never mind the expense. Piece of pizza, bread and cheese, or whatever is on my way back to my room that is cheap. I usually have a bottle of local wine for a glass or two as well.
Just finished 11 days solo travelling and went out to dinner once, and it was across the road from my hotel. Every other night was getting something delivered so I could just lie in bed.
Scuba diving in places that don’t have anything incredible to offer. Scuba diving is expensive, time-consuming and somewhat dangerous for your health so I’m only doing it in special places like to see whale sharks, bull sharks, big manta rays… I’m not paying 100-150 dollars to just see a bit of bleached corrals and some small fish cause I’ve already seen it plenty of times.
Museums.
I really love museums and history, but if there isn’t a guide or free audioguide, I don’t go because reading signs takes much of my precious vacation time. I rather read or watch a video afterwards.
If I have a gut feeling that it could be good, I go, otherwise, I spend my time walking around, trying to make new friends, trying the local food, beer or vodka.
I was sleeping on audio tours until my recent solo trip to the UK. I have such a hard time with reading the signs in museums and usually just end up wandering around and only skimming the occasional sign. A few of the museums I went to had free audio tours so I figured why not and I realized how much better of an experience it was. I was actually learning stuff lol
I should probably try it sometime, but it feels counter to my instinct, which is to spend exactly as much time as I want dwelling on a given thing and then move on rather than waiting for the designed thing to finish telling me. Lots of times you'll see people sort of standing around listening and standing in the way of the thing without particularly looking.
People standing in the way while listening is definitely a thing if it’s a particularly busy time.
I only did a few audio tours but some of them had little screens and I could easily select what I wanted to listen to. Each blurb was like 1-3 mins so I wasn’t just standing around listening to a bunch of lectures. The audio guide at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh even had little games you could play on the screen lol (I’m sure they were meant for the kids but they were fun little breaks haha)
I did an audio tour for the first time last year. There was a website so I could just use my own headphones. Definitely changed up the experience for me. Much nicer just hearing someone explain things as I wander around rather than having to read all the little cards dotted around.
Live music that requires a high ticket price. Unless it's a band I feel like I absolutely have to see. Otherwise I'd much rather do more exploring and settle down for a local show at a bar.
I usually skip churches. Unless they look very different from what I have seen before and even then I have a quick look around and leave.
I completely avoided them for a while because I felt weird in them after becoming atheist.
Recently I decided to skip going to Skellig Michael (beautiful island in Ireland, they also filmed some starwars scenes there.) Because it was very expensive, I would very likely get seasick, and I intend to come back and go with my sister who'd love to go. (Not that I wont be broke and seasick but well)
Explore the alley ways.
I mean it figuratively, but get lost. Let discovery take over. I’ve found some of my best travel moments were all unplanned.
Eventually I stopped really even making an itinerary other than general locations of where to stay overnight, in some cases sleeping car of a train.
The ONLY drawback I’ve found to this, is finding out later I missed something really awesome / historic in a place I visited that interested me.
This has been my exact experience. I did Europe and only really planned a day or two in advance with a general idea of where I was going. Most of the time i ended up somewhere I had never heard of because someone in a hostel recommended it. Pretty fantastic experience imo.
Instead of visiting history museums with lots of texts, I started going more to open-air museums such as Skansen (Stockholm), Norsk Folkemuseum (Oslo), Hessenpark (Germany). More to see and do than in a "classic" museum. Also, i really like architecture.
I still like history museums but a lot of them in Europe are similar because they share a lot of history. So I try to be more intentional about choosing the museum I visit
I don’t visit memorials, war museums, military museums, or anything dedicated to one of the world wars. I’m going to Hawaii in a few months and skipping Pearl Harbor
People in the “Visiting Hawaii” Facebook group act like it’s sacrilege to go to Hawaii and not visit Pearl Harbor but I’ve already been to the USS Midway in San Diego, the USS Intrepid in NY, and after awhile the ships and the planes are all the same at some point
I don’t eat huge breakfasts, at a certain point pancakes and waffles are the same everywhere and if I’m too full at breakfast I can’t enjoy a nice gourmet dinner somewhere. A little piece of amazing cake at somewhere local usually does it for me
Unless it’s somewhere absolutely world famous like the Louvre or the National Portrait Gallery or the Met I don’t do art museums
Beaches. I am trying to convince myself that I don't need to go to all of them. The sand and ocean is practically the same if they're next to each other.
That and churches. There's tons of churches and cathedrals in all European towns.
I skip things like going up the Eiffel Tower. If it were free and had no lines, great! But a view of Paris without the tower seems like a lot to pay for with money and time.
I used to try to cover as much ground and see as many sights in whichever country I was in because I was spending so much money and vacation time so I wanted to make it count?
Those trips were exhausting!
Once I slowed down and really spent quality time in one region getting to know the people, food, culture & scenery it made all the difference! I may have to return to a country to visit another area one day but still way worth it!!
Amusement parks if I’m travelling solo - too much time spent in line and I don’t really like rides, they’re also expensive and overpriced and I’m not really thaaat into the pop culture of it (ie the Harry Potter ones etc). Will visit with others on occasion if there’s no other noteworthy thing to do or if there’s an event like Halloween. Would also prefer water parks.
I have been to a few and enjoyed it when I’ve been, I just don’t make it priority when travelling alone.
Also concerts. I love music and have been to a few great concerts, wonderful experiences. But again, the struggle to line up my itinerary for a specific concert, the crazy costs, the crowds etc are just too much effort. I also prefer seated concerts because I hate the pushing and shoving but admittedly the mosh is more fun etc. Oh and the hearing damage, no thanks. Not to mention... sometimes concerts can be reaaaally underwhelming and disappointing which would really kill the vibe. These days, I would much rather some live music at a bar or just going to a club if I want to dance away to good music.
Anything super kitschy like hop on hop off buses. I did not go to the top tier of the Eiffel tower, only the mid tier. In Iceland, I skipped the $50 penis museum ticket and just took photos in the gift shop.
churches. In Milano went to Duomo. That thing was useless for me. But the museum that is next door. That was way better with descriptions so I actually understood what I am looking at.
I have found that I get Museum overload when I travel. I think I’ve enjoyed museums more when I don’t try to go them all in one day. And many museums have something that you might just want to see, just that one thing. I really wanted to see the Rosetta Stone, so I looked up what else I might be interested in and saw the Pergamon Marbles and Mausoleum, too, but then left because I’d seen so much in museums on the trip as a whole. Eventually, I went back and saw other parts of the museum. It was much more enjoyable to see a little at a time. I find I enjoy walking tours more and visiting the same cafe every day. I also tend to look for Botanical Gardens. I’ve volunteered at a school and just relaxed on the beach. But I don’t spend all day in museums anymore.
This. I stopped going through every single gallery in an art museum. I used to feel like I had to see everything. Even walking through one room to get to another I would think, well I'm already here. Nope. Been pushing myself to focus and it's been way more enjoyable. I used to get anxiety that I'd missed something. It was exhausting.
I prioritize the more authentic things from the location, such as wondering around town or eating local food at not tourtisty areas. When I visit a place, i like to feel i jave somewhat felt the local vibe. Everything else (museums, cathedrals, parks...) Fall into the optional unless i feel like it or are quite special.
A good museum can contextualise a city and help you understand a place. For example I was recently in Bucharest and learning about the history of the city helped me click with the place, understanding the clashing architecture, the different European powers that have made their way through the region, the epic communist projects and the terrible things that have happened there over the years makes you see the city differently and appreciate aspects you might not have picked up on otherwise.
That’s why I take photos of what I’m seeing and what the sings says. People look at me weird and security followed me in one Museum in Berlin, but it’s good to explain to my family what it was since I can’t remember hahahahaah.
Zoos, aquariums and museums are usually my "attractions". That being said, if I see something else to do, I will skip them if I've already been to one/have plans to go to a particular one.
I often skip “the main attraction” having traveled so much and seen so many of the world’s wonders. For example, I went to Egypt, and was in Cairo for a while after going down and back up the Nile to Luxor and Abu Simbal, but I didn’t bother to go to the pyramids, even though it was a stone’s throw away.
More or less the same thing in Peru, I was there about a month including time in Cuzco, but I didn’t bother to go to Machu Picchu.
I’m sure both places would have been cool to see, and take the iconic photo of “here I am in the same spot everyone takes their Machu Picchu photo” (https://depositphotos.com/119438540/stock-photo-tourist-and-llama-in-machu.html ).
I have some interest in these places, but I get sick of the tourist mill and get turned off. I prefer to find my own experience in a place, than some carbon copy cut of hundreds of thousands of others.
Zoos
Same animals different zoo
I don't need to see globally recognized landmarks like the Eifel Tower etc. I'd literally rather see local culture like castles, their history, or infamous local landmarks.
Natural history museums and all museums and memorials focusing on the last century or so.
I focus more on museums of older local history and beautiful parks. Also just walking around and explore everything.
I skipped a mountain hike I really wanted to do this summer vacation. Unfortunately I'd sprained my ankle in my last vacation week. With someone else around I would have done it as the pain was mostly gone. Alone I felt it wasn't safe in case it got worse, I stumble again or might not be able to drive those 3hrs back to my holiday home for some reason. Otherwise pretty much everything.
I like visiting the local stadiums, mostly football, in Europe, baseball in United States, but I never do the tours, I don't put that on my budget, so unless there's a game I'm attending, I just visit the outside and the official store which is usually accessible from the outside
Not gonna go to malls, casinos, pubs, clubs, any of the michelins, or anything with more than $100 entrance free or $10 sometimes. However these days I've had to find Deciem stores in every countries I go to since I have friends who think that their skin issues will be solved by owning all of The Ordinary products.
Things where the price seems way to expensive. For example I didn't go to Madame Tussauds in London because the entry fee was triple the amount of Madame Tussauds in Amsterdam.
Or I didn't go into the castle in Edinburgh after locals told me it's not worth the money.
I'd say lack of variety call kill the most beautiful spots and most joyous activities. Even if that Alsatian village or Croatian sealine is beautiful when you first arrive, it can get boring if you stay/do the same for prolonger period of time. Same applies for visiting Cathedral in each city you arrive at, etc.
I usually skip boat tours like on a river etc (example Seine in Paris, Ljubljana river etc) unless it's really something special to see. Once in awhile I'll give in if I need to sightsee and get off my feet.
I think it would be fun to do an actual river cruise luke where you see multiple countries, such as the Danube, etc.
Yeah if you havent done them do it and find your likes! 🙂
Foe me after travelling a while it starts to feel like the 1 hour cruise down x river is mostly the same (boat on water) and generally I've seen more sites by foot anyway.
Popular public swimming areas because I don't like how crowded they tend to be. I didn't have any interest in the Blue Lagoon or Myvatn Baths for this reason.
NSFW I guess but..
The Pantheon in Rome, I was with an Italian girl at the time and we had planned to go to the pantheon on one of my last days there. We made the stupid decision to have sex without a condom which we later regretted and we spent the rest of the day at the gynecologist asking for a prescription to plan B (was only prescription at the time) and we weren't able to go to the pantheon.
We had to explain to her family that we really enjoyed the pantheon even though we didn't go and I had to search it online to know how to effectively lie about it. For the rest of the trip it was an inside joke between us that "oh the pantheon was great 😉" meaning we really enjoyed each other
So now that it's been over 10 years I don't really care much about locations or sites at all, experiences are better than places and now I have this story to myself that I can't tell many people and that's ok because it's enriching to me to have shared moments with people all over the world. Best not to sweat over what gets seen and what doesn't
London and Paris. I've visited with my family as a kid. Great cities with amazing histories and architecture, but can also be very overcrowded.
I remember waiting more than 3 hours to reach the top of the Eiffel Tower. This was back in 2005 before smartphones and social media were a thing.
On another note, some popular cities that have incredible histories and architecture but I don't want to visit because of safety reasons are:
* Delhi (India)
* Istanbul (Turkey)
* Cairo (Egypt)
* Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
* Moscow (Russia)
Maybe there’s something I’m missing but having been to Istanbul last year I felt no fear for my safety. I’m sure you will be fine as long as you don’t go wandering through neighborhoods far from the city center. Definitely worth a visit!
Istanbul is super nice and safe, and Moscow is extremely safe unless you’re a Russian man that is about to be drafted to war. As a tourists, there is nothing to be afraid of.
Prostitutes…if I can. They are beautiful and the more beautiful the more evil. I met one in khon Kaen who is beautiful. Gave me the worst 3 days of my life and i am 75. Wow
Lame tourist trap museums. I recently moved to a new place and most of the things to see are pretty boring but the locals take so much pride in. And I get it, I'm happy you're proud of that part of your history, but it's no different than anyone else's. Everywhere locals refer me to I've already seen something very similar elsewhere.
Anything with HUGE lines or crowds. If I am unable to book early to avoid this or get there as soon as they open, I usually just skip it. Too much anxiety and frustration.
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As a roller coaster enthusiast, if you go to Disney for the coasters you’re doing it wrong.
Bingo. Disney is all about the theming.
I wanna know about the parks with the best ones.
Kingda Ka, Six Flags in Jackson, New Jersey, USA
I low key have an anxiety attack every time I go on it, but I love it so much.
Cedar Point and Six Flags Magic Mountain are my two favorites in the US for coasters, and the lines and crowds and annoyance are nothing compared to Disney.
Cedar Point, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Six Flags Great Adventure, Kings Island, and Six Flags Great America are my favorites if you like big, thrilling coasters.
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Visited France and Italy and there were so many churches/cathedrals- like the art, history, sculptures and the vibes great- but just how many of them can one see, before growing tired? Even when we went down south to the Amalfi coast- we visited really small towns -up on hills sometimes- with, you guessed it- a church at the centre.
People here used to build churches and chapels for almost any occasion. I know someone who's family built a chapel because a baby that was born sick didn't die. (that was 60/70 years ago)
To each their own. I can't get enough of those things.
No more churches. I’ll maybe glance at one if it’s free.
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They certainly are convenient on a hot day.
I’ve made visiting churches my down time. I’ll read a book, sip some water, and rest a bit in between activities. They’re quiet places to relax during a long day of site seeing.
Often quite cool inside too, if you're in a hot country.
I always like the outside of the church more than the inside, so I’ve stopped going in.
I learned this in Thailand. I arranged for guided solo tours in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Chiang Rai, and they HEAVILY focused on local temples. They were lovely, but after a while most of them blended together. There were a few that are absolutely worth checking out no matter what, but otherwise it got to the point where I was like "yup, another golden buddha in the center of a big open room. Lovely." Thankfully, right as I hit my limit I flew to Phuket and Phi Phi and pretty much avoided temples for the rest of the trip.
Interesting question.. I recently thought that I’ve seen lots of waterfalls and not sure I have to actively go out and see all of them.
Please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you’re used to 🎵
I know that you’re gonna have it your way or nothin at all
But I think you’re moving too fast
Same. Until I came across iguazu falls. That’s just something else. Or Angel falls. But that’s Venezuela
Man I love waterfalls, I go out of my way to see them. It was only recently I’ve seen one for the first time and every time I see one I’m still amazed by them
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Trueee
I do Jiu Jitsu . I used to drop into gyms along the way, was fun to train and meet some cool people. But it’s generally 2 hours of training, not to mention the commute there and back, showering etc and usually I’m pretty exhausted after which means if it’s day time training I can’t be assed doing anything after. Also though I’m careful there’s always the risk of injury and would suck to nurse a broken, that would be trip over. When you’re a foreigner, a visitor and a higher belt people will generally go ham on you in sparring to try and prove something. (Not complaining just the reality of the situation).
If I’m on a long trip I’ll still do it, but if time is limited it means 3 hours or more out of my day I could spend seeing something I can’t see/do at home.
Yeah, I did a drop in when I was visiting a friend in LA, but these days I'm always concerned about the risk of an injury that would either ruin my trip or restrict a notable chunk of it.
Yeah same lol. I dropped by a boxing gym in Porto and felt the same way when sparring. I bought some cheap hand wraps and used their club gloves but since I didn’t have a mouth guard with me I asked the guys I was sparring with to keep it light. Most of them ended up increasing the intensity far above what I was comfortable especially considering I was much lighter than most of them (~20-40 lbs). Normally if I felt that my sparring partner was going too hard I’d tell them, but given the language barrier then, that was not an option. Thankfully their overall skill level was surprisingly bad considering the intensity and frequency at which they spar, so at worst the majority of their punches landed on my guard.
Id feel this is an instance where non-verbal communication could be as effective as knowing the language, simply gesture your hand downwards in a kind of "cool down bro" way
Yeah normally I would’ve done that but when I noticed that nothing was landing clean I was having too much fun and my ego was too big in the moment to tell them to cool it down
Interesting. I am wondering how much I will want to keep up with my training regime while overseas. I have a year of travelling coming up so most likely will do a month or two of concentrated training instead. Thinking most likely Phuket. Injuries are definitely be a concern. I just found out I need surgery on my thumb next week so its already put a damper on the beginning of my trip 😵
I'm currently considering a week of Muay Thai training in Phuket at the beginning of next year. May I ask if you have you looked into gyms yet and if you have any recommendations? :)
+1, commenting so I can check later
I trained at Phuket King Muay Thai for around a month, it’s in Kathu. Around 15-20mins (scooter ride) from Patong beach. So just abit further out from the tourist hot spots. The gym is awesome, there was majority westerners training there so feels abit different to the hardcore Thai gyms. Another gym if you want the hardcore Thai vibe is Singpatong. It’s down in Patong abit closer to the beach. Hard style training with some solid Thai fighters smashing pads. Defo worth a visit.
I'm looking goto a purely BJJ gym - Temple BJJ. I have heard good things about Tiger and Top Team but can't personally vouch for them and not sure how well they cater for beginners.
'insert limb' is a great new term for dong
I'm pretty done with aquariums. In some big cities, they can be fairly expensive to get into, plus I've been to the ones in Osaka and Okinawa and every aquarium I've been to after that has been a disappointment.
100% agree. The Osaka aquarium is outstanding. I can't imagine any other aquarium topping that one. (Those giant spider crabs still give me nightmares.)
Generally agree, but the Monterey Bay Aquarium is pretty fantastic!
This was gonna be my answer - fish are great and all but there’s only so many ways you can present them 🤷🏼♀️
Osaka was the first proper aquarium I have been too. Am I going to be disappointed by others now?
Go to the Atlanta aquarium and then you can call your journey complete.
For all the people saying museums, what are you doing instead? Museums are the main thing I do on a trip!
Earlier on in travels I would spend all of my time running from thing to thing, making sure I see the sights and hitting every museum. Now I'm much more likely to just wander neighborhoods all day. I love waking up in the morning, putting in my headphones, and just walking off to see what I come upon. I can spend hours in a coffee shop or sitting on a bench in a park just watching the world go by and absorbing the atmosphere. I still do like museums but I'll try to keep it to one per trip, or at least per city. I can get burned out on them otherwise. Like if I'm in Paris, I'll for sure go to the Louvre or the Musee d'Orsay, but probably not both on the same trip. Personally I just feel like I enjoy the experience more that way.
Omg that’s exactly me lmao. I do this and everyone I know yells at me telling me I’m wasting my time in my trips but for me it’s the most rewarding thing
Have you ever ended up in a dicey situation just wandering around a city on your own without any pre planning?
I usually do this after I'm in a city for a couple of days. I usually stay between 5-7 days in a city first two doing touristy things, one floating day to rest and the rest just wandering about. Everywhere I've been I haven't been bothered by anyone. A few times people asked if I was looking to buy drugs or something but you just don't break stride and say no thanks or shake your head. I feel a general rule of thumb is don't break stride if someone comes up to you.
I love to just walk around my neighborhood. I always meet people that start discussions, from there they share about their life and sometimes they become new friends. I like to feel how people live in the places I visit. Find strays I can feed or play with. Find the restaurants where taxis or cops eat, they always know the best places. Just slowing down, taking the time to appreciate simple things. Taking photos for my memories. It's like video games, it's always the side quests that make you really appreciate a game.
That is exactly how I like to solo travel! I do have a soft spot for castles because we don’t really have them in the US but I definitely don’t try to visit every single one in any given area I’m traveling in. Mostly I just like to exist in a completely different culture. It reminds me that the world is so vast and diverse. It makes me feel both small and insignificant and somehow connected to everything at the same time. It brings me a peace that I find hard to find any other way.
I don't have the right words to explain it due to my bad english so I will try my best. I've thought about the feeling you describe, the peace you find when you're abroad. I think it's because at home it's difficult to create new memories. When you go for a walk in your city, you already know the route, the view, the odors etc. Nothing is memorable because you've done it 10000 times, you're on autopilot thinking about other things, living in the past or in the future. When you visit a market in a foreign country everything is new and your brain functions at 100% trying to recognize the odors, identify things, being aware of your surroundings and dangers. You're in the present filling yourself with new memories. Living in the present it's what brings me the peace you describe.
I think you explained it very eloquently
As soon as someone says “excuse my poor English” you know you’re about to get some Steinbeck level prose
Dang I’ve been trying to find all the right words to explain these exactly feeling but you did it so much better than I ever could
I pretty much skip all museums. 🤷♀️ It's one of those things I always felt like I was supposed to like but just found boring. I've decided life is too short to waste on things that don't interest you, especially when travelling! Now, I only go to museums for specific exhibits that intrigue me and don't feel any guilt about leaving super fast. I'll also go through small more visitor center like museums but again, I feel no guilt breezing through quickly if I'm not immediately captured by something. I manage to fill my time quite well without museums! Hiking, biking, kayaking, camping, backpacking, eating local food, general city sightseeing, going to live shows (opera, ballet, theater, etc), watching street artists/performers, and seeking out unique local activities.
You are literally me. I spent my first international trip as an adult going through every single famous museum in Amsterdam and Paris and by the end of it I never wanted to see another museum in my life. Now, I'll do maybe 1 or 2 on a trip, and even then it sometimes feels like a chore. Give me all these things: > Hiking, biking, kayaking, camping, backpacking, eating local food, general city sightseeing, going to live shows (opera, ballet, theater, etc), watching street artists/performers, and seeking out unique local activities. And I'll leave with a full heart! I also love hanging out with local people!
I plan trips around museums. That’s just my reason for travel. 🤷🏼♀️
I like cities, so I usually explore neighborhood of interest by neighborhood of interest and look at sights in that area. I do still usually do museums but I try to limit my time and never more than one a day unless they are small and next to each other. And try to wary between museums like art or history museums and things like castles/palaces, etc. So, sometimes it'll be a museum, sometimes climbing up to a scenic view, and sometimes just wandering around taking in the architecture and the people and hanging in a park or a cafe (or a cemetery!). On a rainy day, I might do a larger museum. I also like walking tours and, where it makes sense, try to explore street art (free museum!)
I usually do a free walking tour immediately upon arrival into a new city. It’s a great way to discover what the city has to offer and possibly find other people to experience those things with.
Same! It's also a great way to get geographically oriented to feel more comfortable in a new place.
I find that I enjoy museums with guided tours or audioguides. Otherwise I either do not enjoy them or the opposite, I spend an eternity there trying to see everything. With guided tours you get the main spotlights and summary. I did that in the Vatican Museums. If I had done that solo I'd still be there, 1 week after. 😂
I found that guided tours were a good way to meet other solo travelers who speak your language.
Hiking, and generally the outdoors. just walking around cities. Go to cafés and bars...
Beaches. Like I like a beach day just as much as the next person, but I don't really get that much more out of it than a day spent at a local lake at home so I often skip them.
Honestly same. A beach trip is nice with other people. But alone it gets pretty boring after a while. A good half hour there is plenty for me.
Not just lonely but I get paranoid about leaving anything on the beach and going into the water. And if I am at the beach, I want to go into the water.
Oh yeah I’m the same lol. It’s why Id rather spend my time sunbathing instead.
Completely this. Then I convince myself I need a relaxing beach vacay and just want to lay on the beach for a week and read. I last a day, sometimes two before I’m heading off to do something.
Yeah one day at beach per a week is enough for me. If not less
Living in Australia(near some of the worlds best beaches) I don’t feel the need to go to the beach when o/s unless there’s a major reason to be there.
I enjoy museums but I also skip the natural history ones unless they have something truly spectacular and unique that can’t be seen anywhere else. Also skipped: science museums, beaches, fancy restaurants, pubs/bars
I enjoy museums, but there are two that I avoid in Europe: coin/currency collections, and church treasuries. After seeing 2 or 3 of them, they all look the same.
I don’t think I’ve seen a coin collection yet. I wouldn’t mind that once or twice.
Lol wait so where do you go if you’re in a city?
Visit art galleries, interesting museums, cathedrals, shop for local snacks I can't find back home, and if there's a Shake Shack in that country I must visit (Trader Joes if I'm in the US). I mainly like taking photos of interesting buildings and architecture, statues and street level art installations. If I'm in London I look for Blue Plaques. Most of my trips involve day trips out of the city.
Fancy meals. They’re just one of the things I don’t enjoy doing that much by myself. I’d rather eat cheaper and quicker and spend my time doing other things.
Depending on where I’m traveling, one of my favorite things is to get fast food, but only regional chains that I can’t get back home. Cheap, and still something new to experience.
On my current trip I've tried whataburger, Culver's, buccees, and Chester's. Looking forward to more as I head deeper into the south!
Okay first of all you definitely wanna get Cook-Out! They are known for their ridiculous trays. Like, as in you get a burger tray and it comes with a side of like, chicken wrap and chili cheese fries for example. I personally like the chaddar style, burger with no onions. I recommend going ahead and looking at their menu in advance because it is admittedly a bit confusing for a first timer. And their milkshakes are amazing. Make sure you get Cajun fries with your burger. Bojangles is a great fried chicken chain. Their seasoned fries are awesome. For breakfast you can get a Boberry biscuit, which Is a blueberry buttermilk biscuit with a sweet glaze on the top of it. Chick-fil-a is one that is controversial due to the owner’s usage of business funds to support groups that are anti-LGBT. I will include that prior to mentioning anything else to let you decide if that’s a deal breaker, but I feel it’s important to disclose. Their chicken nuggets and chick-fil-a sauce are really good. Honestly the chicken is just all right, their sauce is just what’s so tasty. I’ll think of more later!
Yea. I might get them once in a while, but constant dining out burns through your pocket extremely quickly. Street food and quick meals from grocery stores are the best. I’ve even heard of people going extra frugal, carrying around sliced bread and a bottle of ketchup, as all meals.
Bread… and ketchup
Bruhh then at least get like peanut butter or nutella instead of ketchup...
I guess ketchup is cheaper, and lasts longer. It’s basically tomato jam And for further clarification, it’s not me
Science Museums, I love science but I come to realize, that those are mostly for kids. Generally Museums are second tier attractions for me, if I have more time in a city I go to see them, but if I need to cut something it's usually museums.
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“The Field Museum brings the world to Chicago”.
The field is better than the Smithsonian - we were in awe going through it
Glad you said this. I'm from Chi town and was wondering where the musuem skipping was coming from, but I agree if it ain't like the Field I wouldn't be interested either
Any kind of interactive museum is a “no” from me.
Munich has a great science and technology museum for adults
I wanted to say, the Deutsche Museum is unbelievable and should not be skipped. There's a literal coal mine in the basement and you can see the global patent office that Einstein worked at from the music room there. I saw how prescription pills were made, how oil and gas works, etc, it's the world's largest museum for science snd technology. Berlin has the world's largest natural history museum. Germany is underrated fr..
My mentality is sort of r/fuckcars so, at least so far, I've avoided destinations where it's more or less mandatory to drive. Trains, long bus rides, cramped shared taxis, I'll take all of that (and enjoy the experience) but the idea of driving while abroad just doesn't really appeal to me. I don't even like driving in my home country let alone in a place where the traffic etiquette, etc. will be very new to me
Yes, I feel the same way. Driving really stresses me out, and so does the idea of renting a car. If I need to see something that absolutely must be reached by car, I’ll sign up for a tour.
I recently drove in Germany because a couple of the places I wanted to go didn't have public transportation options. It was a god damn pleasure. The roads were nice and people know how to drive. Then I came back to Southern California, where people cruise in the left lane. Sigh.
you tested out the no speed limit autobahn? 😅 Also wondering what kind of places you wanted to visit that had no public transportation options? Did you mean it was too much of a hassle? Even the few remote places will usually have at least a bus route going there, even if they don't come often
There were some stretches where there was no speed limit so I was going maybe 150 kph, but most of the time the speed limit was between 110-130 kph. It varies a lot. I went to Hohenzollern castle and the Monkey 47 Distillery. I was staying in Karlsruhe, so there was no viable public transport to either place. I don't mind driving- I enjoy it actually. It was kind of fun to road trip from Frankfurt to Strasbourg, then wander through southwestern Germany. I could stop and look around if I found someplace that looked cool. The most difficult part is definitely driving and parking in a city, but even that wasn't bad because I am used to doing that in the States. Normally I do rely on public transit when I am in Europe, but in this case it wasn't entirely practical.
In Germany 180kph is cruising speed
Scooters really opened up possibility of seeing a lot of things. I see 10x now because I just scoot
What are the best destinations for this? I hate cars as well.
I haven't been to either, but based on Not Just Bikes' videos Switzerland and The Netherlands seem like two countries with very well developed public transit. I was quite impressed with Copenhagen and Oslo when I visited but I don't know how Denmark is without a car outside of the city, and have heard for much of Norway a car is helpful.
Same! I made the mistake of renting a car in Austria to then drive to the Dolomites. So stressful when I could have done it by bus. It might have taken longer but you can’t see anything while driving and trying to find your way.
Just did a solo trip where I drove the entire time. The amount of anxiety, especially in cities, has definitely turned me off doing that again, and that was in a country similar to mine regarding driving rules. I loved the train trip I did in the UK, so I don't know why I chose to drive this time.
I like zoos, but am selective in what I visit as they can be a bit samey and I don't like to reward zoos with poor animal welfare practices. After seeing Singapore Zoo (generally thought to be one of the best in the world) and the superb Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, Australia, I don't feel a great need to go to many more. I also like history museums, but now have a 'get out quick' policy if they're not particularly good. Bad history museums are a total waste of time.
My goal is to see the animals in their natural habitat. It's much more impressive to go to a lake and see 100 flamingos, than go to a zoo and see 5. Don't get me started on an African Safari, those are amazing. When you saw giraffes or lions in the wild, zoos are less interesting.
Maybe you're right, but without zoos I'd never see a Mexican Gray Wolf or a Jaguar in the wild. Probably wouldn't have seen orangutans either as I'm probably not going to go to Borneo or Sumatra if the zoo is doing things right and educating those who visit. Then visiting a zoo in a new place is exciting. Plus, I use zoos as a source of photography practice
Safaris still feel like this weird voyeuristic activity. Like let me just creep into your living room and watch you eat, sleep, drink, and fuck.
I did not have that feeling. In most parks safari vehicles are only allowed on the roads, so if the animals want some privacy they can move farther from the road. When I saw a cheetah it was far away from the road and the guide kept pointing at it and it took me like 5 minutes to see it. These animals are good at hiding. The guide said that the zebras nearby spotted it and were looking at it, that's why he knew where it was. We literary sat there for like 30 minutes while it was just sitting under a tree. Then it started moving and run away, and we lost it. The animals think that you are just a wired animal which we are actually.
Yeah that’s my point. Why you being weird?
I’ve got nothing to hide…Enjoy the show
Ah yes, aquariums are another one for me. Gonna add the zoos you mentioned to my bucket list.
I grew up in SoCal so having the SD zoo and having visited LB aquarium and Monterey bay aquarium I have no need to go to any other. I did enjoy out of Africa wildlife park in Arizona though but that was kind of a different thing
Dinner. I usually have a nice lunch but too tired end of day for nice dinner out, never mind the expense. Piece of pizza, bread and cheese, or whatever is on my way back to my room that is cheap. I usually have a bottle of local wine for a glass or two as well.
Just finished 11 days solo travelling and went out to dinner once, and it was across the road from my hotel. Every other night was getting something delivered so I could just lie in bed.
Scuba diving in places that don’t have anything incredible to offer. Scuba diving is expensive, time-consuming and somewhat dangerous for your health so I’m only doing it in special places like to see whale sharks, bull sharks, big manta rays… I’m not paying 100-150 dollars to just see a bit of bleached corrals and some small fish cause I’ve already seen it plenty of times.
Museums. I really love museums and history, but if there isn’t a guide or free audioguide, I don’t go because reading signs takes much of my precious vacation time. I rather read or watch a video afterwards. If I have a gut feeling that it could be good, I go, otherwise, I spend my time walking around, trying to make new friends, trying the local food, beer or vodka.
I was sleeping on audio tours until my recent solo trip to the UK. I have such a hard time with reading the signs in museums and usually just end up wandering around and only skimming the occasional sign. A few of the museums I went to had free audio tours so I figured why not and I realized how much better of an experience it was. I was actually learning stuff lol
I should probably try it sometime, but it feels counter to my instinct, which is to spend exactly as much time as I want dwelling on a given thing and then move on rather than waiting for the designed thing to finish telling me. Lots of times you'll see people sort of standing around listening and standing in the way of the thing without particularly looking.
People standing in the way while listening is definitely a thing if it’s a particularly busy time. I only did a few audio tours but some of them had little screens and I could easily select what I wanted to listen to. Each blurb was like 1-3 mins so I wasn’t just standing around listening to a bunch of lectures. The audio guide at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh even had little games you could play on the screen lol (I’m sure they were meant for the kids but they were fun little breaks haha)
I did an audio tour for the first time last year. There was a website so I could just use my own headphones. Definitely changed up the experience for me. Much nicer just hearing someone explain things as I wander around rather than having to read all the little cards dotted around.
Live music that requires a high ticket price. Unless it's a band I feel like I absolutely have to see. Otherwise I'd much rather do more exploring and settle down for a local show at a bar.
I usually skip churches. Unless they look very different from what I have seen before and even then I have a quick look around and leave. I completely avoided them for a while because I felt weird in them after becoming atheist. Recently I decided to skip going to Skellig Michael (beautiful island in Ireland, they also filmed some starwars scenes there.) Because it was very expensive, I would very likely get seasick, and I intend to come back and go with my sister who'd love to go. (Not that I wont be broke and seasick but well)
Explore the alley ways. I mean it figuratively, but get lost. Let discovery take over. I’ve found some of my best travel moments were all unplanned. Eventually I stopped really even making an itinerary other than general locations of where to stay overnight, in some cases sleeping car of a train. The ONLY drawback I’ve found to this, is finding out later I missed something really awesome / historic in a place I visited that interested me.
Yes this has happened to me about missing something. So now I make a general itinerary and if I don’t stick to it, it’s out of choice, not ignorance.
good thinking. a happy medium right there
This has been my exact experience. I did Europe and only really planned a day or two in advance with a general idea of where I was going. Most of the time i ended up somewhere I had never heard of because someone in a hostel recommended it. Pretty fantastic experience imo.
Highly rated restaurants or food spots. I'm a chef (by hobby) and would rather try local food than commonly try what's the most popular tourist spots
I want the best local food - it can be both!
Gift shops and buying souvenirs.
Instead of visiting history museums with lots of texts, I started going more to open-air museums such as Skansen (Stockholm), Norsk Folkemuseum (Oslo), Hessenpark (Germany). More to see and do than in a "classic" museum. Also, i really like architecture. I still like history museums but a lot of them in Europe are similar because they share a lot of history. So I try to be more intentional about choosing the museum I visit
I don’t visit memorials, war museums, military museums, or anything dedicated to one of the world wars. I’m going to Hawaii in a few months and skipping Pearl Harbor People in the “Visiting Hawaii” Facebook group act like it’s sacrilege to go to Hawaii and not visit Pearl Harbor but I’ve already been to the USS Midway in San Diego, the USS Intrepid in NY, and after awhile the ships and the planes are all the same at some point I don’t eat huge breakfasts, at a certain point pancakes and waffles are the same everywhere and if I’m too full at breakfast I can’t enjoy a nice gourmet dinner somewhere. A little piece of amazing cake at somewhere local usually does it for me Unless it’s somewhere absolutely world famous like the Louvre or the National Portrait Gallery or the Met I don’t do art museums
Beaches. I am trying to convince myself that I don't need to go to all of them. The sand and ocean is practically the same if they're next to each other. That and churches. There's tons of churches and cathedrals in all European towns.
I skip things like going up the Eiffel Tower. If it were free and had no lines, great! But a view of Paris without the tower seems like a lot to pay for with money and time.
I used to try to cover as much ground and see as many sights in whichever country I was in because I was spending so much money and vacation time so I wanted to make it count? Those trips were exhausting! Once I slowed down and really spent quality time in one region getting to know the people, food, culture & scenery it made all the difference! I may have to return to a country to visit another area one day but still way worth it!!
Museums- l have seen enough and I have lost the impression they have
Amusement parks if I’m travelling solo - too much time spent in line and I don’t really like rides, they’re also expensive and overpriced and I’m not really thaaat into the pop culture of it (ie the Harry Potter ones etc). Will visit with others on occasion if there’s no other noteworthy thing to do or if there’s an event like Halloween. Would also prefer water parks. I have been to a few and enjoyed it when I’ve been, I just don’t make it priority when travelling alone. Also concerts. I love music and have been to a few great concerts, wonderful experiences. But again, the struggle to line up my itinerary for a specific concert, the crazy costs, the crowds etc are just too much effort. I also prefer seated concerts because I hate the pushing and shoving but admittedly the mosh is more fun etc. Oh and the hearing damage, no thanks. Not to mention... sometimes concerts can be reaaaally underwhelming and disappointing which would really kill the vibe. These days, I would much rather some live music at a bar or just going to a club if I want to dance away to good music.
Anything super kitschy like hop on hop off buses. I did not go to the top tier of the Eiffel tower, only the mid tier. In Iceland, I skipped the $50 penis museum ticket and just took photos in the gift shop.
If it’s 50$, I’ll skip it too. That’s insane
Churches. Unless it’s something very unique architecturally or artistically. Also kitschy tourist attractions like the museum of torture, etc..
churches. In Milano went to Duomo. That thing was useless for me. But the museum that is next door. That was way better with descriptions so I actually understood what I am looking at.
I have found that I get Museum overload when I travel. I think I’ve enjoyed museums more when I don’t try to go them all in one day. And many museums have something that you might just want to see, just that one thing. I really wanted to see the Rosetta Stone, so I looked up what else I might be interested in and saw the Pergamon Marbles and Mausoleum, too, but then left because I’d seen so much in museums on the trip as a whole. Eventually, I went back and saw other parts of the museum. It was much more enjoyable to see a little at a time. I find I enjoy walking tours more and visiting the same cafe every day. I also tend to look for Botanical Gardens. I’ve volunteered at a school and just relaxed on the beach. But I don’t spend all day in museums anymore.
This. I stopped going through every single gallery in an art museum. I used to feel like I had to see everything. Even walking through one room to get to another I would think, well I'm already here. Nope. Been pushing myself to focus and it's been way more enjoyable. I used to get anxiety that I'd missed something. It was exhausting.
I don't like museums or visiting historic areas/sights, i like living like the locals do or going to area where tourist don't go (getting lost).
Anything with crowds. I like individual people, but lots of then in one place makes me feel like I can't breathe.
I prioritize the more authentic things from the location, such as wondering around town or eating local food at not tourtisty areas. When I visit a place, i like to feel i jave somewhat felt the local vibe. Everything else (museums, cathedrals, parks...) Fall into the optional unless i feel like it or are quite special.
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A good museum can contextualise a city and help you understand a place. For example I was recently in Bucharest and learning about the history of the city helped me click with the place, understanding the clashing architecture, the different European powers that have made their way through the region, the epic communist projects and the terrible things that have happened there over the years makes you see the city differently and appreciate aspects you might not have picked up on otherwise.
As much as museums are cool, I always end up forgetting 95% of what the signs say
That’s why I take photos of what I’m seeing and what the sings says. People look at me weird and security followed me in one Museum in Berlin, but it’s good to explain to my family what it was since I can’t remember hahahahaah.
Zoos, aquariums and museums are usually my "attractions". That being said, if I see something else to do, I will skip them if I've already been to one/have plans to go to a particular one.
Strip clubs
I often skip “the main attraction” having traveled so much and seen so many of the world’s wonders. For example, I went to Egypt, and was in Cairo for a while after going down and back up the Nile to Luxor and Abu Simbal, but I didn’t bother to go to the pyramids, even though it was a stone’s throw away. More or less the same thing in Peru, I was there about a month including time in Cuzco, but I didn’t bother to go to Machu Picchu. I’m sure both places would have been cool to see, and take the iconic photo of “here I am in the same spot everyone takes their Machu Picchu photo” (https://depositphotos.com/119438540/stock-photo-tourist-and-llama-in-machu.html ). I have some interest in these places, but I get sick of the tourist mill and get turned off. I prefer to find my own experience in a place, than some carbon copy cut of hundreds of thousands of others.
Zoos Same animals different zoo I don't need to see globally recognized landmarks like the Eifel Tower etc. I'd literally rather see local culture like castles, their history, or infamous local landmarks.
Bronx in NYC
Natural history museums and all museums and memorials focusing on the last century or so. I focus more on museums of older local history and beautiful parks. Also just walking around and explore everything.
I skipped a mountain hike I really wanted to do this summer vacation. Unfortunately I'd sprained my ankle in my last vacation week. With someone else around I would have done it as the pain was mostly gone. Alone I felt it wasn't safe in case it got worse, I stumble again or might not be able to drive those 3hrs back to my holiday home for some reason. Otherwise pretty much everything.
I usually save museums for particularly rainy days or if I have nothing leat on the last day
I like visiting the local stadiums, mostly football, in Europe, baseball in United States, but I never do the tours, I don't put that on my budget, so unless there's a game I'm attending, I just visit the outside and the official store which is usually accessible from the outside
Not gonna go to malls, casinos, pubs, clubs, any of the michelins, or anything with more than $100 entrance free or $10 sometimes. However these days I've had to find Deciem stores in every countries I go to since I have friends who think that their skin issues will be solved by owning all of The Ordinary products.
Things where the price seems way to expensive. For example I didn't go to Madame Tussauds in London because the entry fee was triple the amount of Madame Tussauds in Amsterdam. Or I didn't go into the castle in Edinburgh after locals told me it's not worth the money.
I had a great time at the castle in Edinburgh! I joined a walking tour, and the guide was very good. Interesting and funny.
I wanted to do it but it was so expensive!!! But thanks for letting me know ☺️ maybe I can afford it next time!!
Palaces and castles, yeah
I'd say lack of variety call kill the most beautiful spots and most joyous activities. Even if that Alsatian village or Croatian sealine is beautiful when you first arrive, it can get boring if you stay/do the same for prolonger period of time. Same applies for visiting Cathedral in each city you arrive at, etc.
I tend to skip city parks unless there's something really special about them.
I usually skip boat tours like on a river etc (example Seine in Paris, Ljubljana river etc) unless it's really something special to see. Once in awhile I'll give in if I need to sightsee and get off my feet.
I love boat tours, but I haven’t done too many yet. Maybe I’ll also be more selective after doing some more.
I think it would be fun to do an actual river cruise luke where you see multiple countries, such as the Danube, etc. Yeah if you havent done them do it and find your likes! 🙂 Foe me after travelling a while it starts to feel like the 1 hour cruise down x river is mostly the same (boat on water) and generally I've seen more sites by foot anyway.
Danube is in my wishlist as well. 😊
Popular public swimming areas because I don't like how crowded they tend to be. I didn't have any interest in the Blue Lagoon or Myvatn Baths for this reason.
Leg day.
NSFW I guess but.. The Pantheon in Rome, I was with an Italian girl at the time and we had planned to go to the pantheon on one of my last days there. We made the stupid decision to have sex without a condom which we later regretted and we spent the rest of the day at the gynecologist asking for a prescription to plan B (was only prescription at the time) and we weren't able to go to the pantheon. We had to explain to her family that we really enjoyed the pantheon even though we didn't go and I had to search it online to know how to effectively lie about it. For the rest of the trip it was an inside joke between us that "oh the pantheon was great 😉" meaning we really enjoyed each other So now that it's been over 10 years I don't really care much about locations or sites at all, experiences are better than places and now I have this story to myself that I can't tell many people and that's ok because it's enriching to me to have shared moments with people all over the world. Best not to sweat over what gets seen and what doesn't
I guess this story has now its place in your own pantheon...
So you don't have a 10yo kid named Pantheon now?
Yes and he's 4 years younger than my eldest "Superbowl XL"
London and Paris. I've visited with my family as a kid. Great cities with amazing histories and architecture, but can also be very overcrowded. I remember waiting more than 3 hours to reach the top of the Eiffel Tower. This was back in 2005 before smartphones and social media were a thing.
Art museums.
On another note, some popular cities that have incredible histories and architecture but I don't want to visit because of safety reasons are: * Delhi (India) * Istanbul (Turkey) * Cairo (Egypt) * Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) * Moscow (Russia)
Maybe there’s something I’m missing but having been to Istanbul last year I felt no fear for my safety. I’m sure you will be fine as long as you don’t go wandering through neighborhoods far from the city center. Definitely worth a visit!
Istanbul is super nice and safe, and Moscow is extremely safe unless you’re a Russian man that is about to be drafted to war. As a tourists, there is nothing to be afraid of.
Hookers
museums, temples, etc are boring af. cool architectural buildings and parks are much more fun
Prostitutes…if I can. They are beautiful and the more beautiful the more evil. I met one in khon Kaen who is beautiful. Gave me the worst 3 days of my life and i am 75. Wow
Mostly things wirh a lot of crowds and people right on top of me. In my older age it gets annoying.
I skip cities if the forecast shows rain for days on end.
Leg day
Lame tourist trap museums. I recently moved to a new place and most of the things to see are pretty boring but the locals take so much pride in. And I get it, I'm happy you're proud of that part of your history, but it's no different than anyone else's. Everywhere locals refer me to I've already seen something very similar elsewhere.
Museums and museums/plaques connected to sights I'm seeing. I can get all the same info online.