From destination choices to travel habits, these opinions stand out for being less popular but just as interesting. A user asked the forum, “What’s your unpopular traveling opinion?” Here are the top responses.
YOU ARE STILL A TOURIST
“No matter how hard you try to pretend you’re not, you’re still just a tourist.”
TOURIST DESTINATION
“I’ve had a recent change of heart about this, but there is nothing wrong with visiting tourist destinations or using tourism infrastructure.
I used to pride myself in going to ‘off-the-beaten-path’ places and sort of ‘roughing it.’ But as I’ve gotten older, I don’t feel the need to impress anyone. There’s a reason tourist destinations are popular.”
8 WEEKS
“More geared towards this forum, but it is possible to visit and enjoy a place without spending eight weeks there.”
TRAVELING IS NOT FOR EVERYONE
“I love to travel, but we must stop telling everyone they need to travel. Some people do not like traveling because of the cost, fear, avoidance of discomfort, or other mental health/physical reasons.
Traveling is like dancing. The people who love to dance want everyone to dance and try to pull them onto the dance floor. But it annoys people who dislike dancing, so stop it.”
SLEEP MORE
“Sleep more on vacation, not less.”
VACATION IS DIFFERENT FOR EVERYONE
“As someone who’s traveled extensively, what it means to travel and vacation is different for everyone. I don’t get the shaming that goes on.
If people want to go to a resort and relax, that’s travel for them. If people want to go up in the mountains, that’s travel for them. If people want to hit only the tourist cities, that’s travel for them.
If people want to take a train, a bus, or two taxis to the most remote town in Germany where no locals speak English, that’s travel for them. I can’t stand it when people look down on people for their travel choices.”
POOR-COUNTRY
“No matter how rich/important you are in your country and how many times you have traveled, if your passport is from a poor country (mine included), immigration people will treat you like poor.”
LOCAL WINES
“Local wines always taste better in the country you buy them in and seem to miss when you bring them home.”
IT IS OKAY TO CHECK A BAG
“It’s fine to check a bag. You win nothing if you can make it for a month with a single change of underwear and your phone cable.”
DO WHATEVER YOU FEEL LIKE DOING
“It’s okay to get a Starbucks coffee or eat a cheeseburger if that’s what you want.”
THREE NIGHTS
“I prefer staying in a city for three nights; it can get boring, and I like seeing 2 to 3 cities a few nights each rather than one city in a whole week.
Megacities like Bangkok, London, and New York are different since you never run out of things to see and do. I still think three nights can be good in a city like that.”
OKAY TO VISIT THE SAME PLACE AGAIN
“It’s perfectly fine to visit the same place repeatedly, even if there’s a huge part of the world you’ve not visited yet.”
FOOD
“It’s okay not to like the food of the country you’re visiting. Eating the same cuisine for over a week can get old.”
PLAN
“Having a detailed itinerary and many pre-booked tickets makes for a better trip for everyone.
When you ‘go with the flow’ and plan nothing, one person often has a less-than-ideal trip because they’re constantly researching directions, opening times, ticket prices, etc. That’s not fair to that one person.”
GERMAN TRAINS
“German trains are not always on time.”
IT DOESN’T MAKE YOU BETTER THAN OTHERS
“I have the same opinion many people have about reading; traveling needn’t make you better than others. Also, for many, it’s a privilege. I often see condescending remarks like ‘Go climb a mountain, read a book, etc.’”
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This article was originally published on Mrs. Daaku Studio.