You’ve probably read all about helpful traveling tips you should keep in your back pocket at all times. For instance, when taking the NY subway, make sure you’re aware of the secret pedestrian tunnels that take you to other subway stations. Or what about being wary of your fellow campers while setting up your tent?
But some travel tips you find online aren’t worth a thing, to be honest with you guys. You’ll probably disagree with a lot of the points raised in this article, especially if you’re a risk-averse type of traveler who does things by the book.
Below, we’ll describe a few travel myths you’ve heard of countless times before and what you should do instead.
1. Forget About Travel Guidebooks
You might have come across some bloggers who advise ditching the travel guidebook. After all, you’re on vacation—make the most of what you can and just wing it!
Sure, why not just take your RV in any direction and park at the nearest clearing. It’s not like anyone’s watching, right? What could possibly go wrong?
What you should do instead is get your hands on a travel guidebook and read it cover to cover. Reading a 50-page book might sound like a buzzkill, but doing so will open your eyes to sites and wonders that even blogs might not talk about.
Are you looking for a historical site, or maybe you’re jonesing to set up camp in the wilderness? Perhaps you’re down to get drunk with the locals during the biggest festival in town? Whatever travel itch you have, a travel guide can provide the right scratcher by offering you information influencers, bloggers, and even word-of-mouth simply don’t.
2. Learn Local Phrases
This is definitely something you read about. “Oh, you should learn a few phrases to let the locals know you appreciate their culture,” or something like that. There’s no problem with learning how to say “howdy,” and “what’s up, homeslice?” in a foreign language, but if you really want to wow them…
You should learn how to say completely out-of-left-field phrases.
The perfect example would be something like, “I’m a Minnesotan who has no idea how to play the clarinet.” You can be as creative and ridiculous-sounding as you want. Google Translate will probably do a good job for you at messing up your translation.
Trust us; when the locals hear you say something so random, they’ll think that you misspoke or something. That usually gets a total stranger to guffaw at your silliness, but it also opens up an avenue to chit-chat with them.
Who knows—you might even wow someone enough that they become your friend for life and pro-bono tour guide during your vacation! You don’t make friends with “please” and “thank you,” guys.
3. Don’t Use the Airport Currency Exchanger
This is something that has been repeated so many times that we’re sick of hearing it. Admittedly, some airports have the worst exchange rates in the entire country, but there are other places where airport money changers give you the fairest prices.
What you should do is familiarize yourself with the current exchange rate.
Some airports, like in Mexico City and Cairo, will actually pay you more pesos or Egyptian pounds for your US dollars. That’s right—they’ll pay more than the market value for the sweet, sweet Benjamins you keep in your wallet. The demand for US banknotes is pretty high in these places, and airport currency exchangers will pay more than streetside money changers.
However, this might not apply here in the United States. And there are plenty of places that are looking to pull a sneaky on you, which is why you should stay informed. Study the exchange rates before departing for the States or Canada.
4. Roll Up Your Clothes
Rolling up our clothes to make more room in our suitcases is something many of us are guilty of. How bad is freeing up more space by rolling up your three-piece suits and loafers? There’s technically no harm to it, but what you should do is pack light.
Ask yourself: “Do I really want to bring back a ton of dirty laundry, or am I going to take home a few dozen souvenirs?” The only time you actually do need to roll up your clothes is if you take home a humungous elephant statue or something.
5. Record Everything
Do you want your videography to tell a story? If that’s the case, then recording enough footage to fill a dozen 1 TB microSD cards is not the way to do it.
What you should do is prioritize quality over quantity when shooting videos. Unless you’re a travel “guru,” nobody really wants to see what your experience was like getting on a bus, staying silent during the whole ride, and checking in to your hotel room. If you’re recording video for personal use, then be selective of what you record.
But what if you’re reading this article too late? What if you already purchased enough microSD cards to fill an entire suitcase?
Well, we hope you brought enough backup batteries to fill every memory card. And don’t worry about shooting too much video since that isn’t really a thing. After all, you can also use a video cutter to snip out any unflattering footage of yourself if the need arises.
6. Don’t Dine at McDonald’s
This is something that always made us pretty mad. There are countless videos by YouTubers showing off what McDonald’s restaurants in different countries have to offer. Heck, someone from abroad might like to sink their teeth into a McRib, a blueberry pie, or a McLobster (if it ever makes a comeback).
Definitely take the time out to try out local delicacies at a foreign McDonald’s restaurant.
There are all sorts of awesome McDonald’s menu items in different parts of the United States. Sure, we might not have rice and chicken, chicken kebab burgers, or shrimp filets, but you might come across seasonal menu items that you don’t have in your native country.
The point is that McDonald’s makes unique menu items in different countries. While their dishes may not be as tasty as those you find at local restaurants, at least they have something unique to offer. Also, you can always partake in the ole-reliable Big Mac.
7. Connect with Strangers using [Insert App Name Here] App
Um… Do you want to get robbed blind in the middle of a strange town?
We’re not judging people who have used apps that connect backpackers with fellow backpackers, but you’re really putting your trust in someone who knows virtually nothing about you. If you’re afraid of traveling alone, then you should travel with someone you know and trust.
There are countless apps that can help you figure out where to go, what to do, and where to stay for cheap. You don’t have to rely on the kindness of strangers who might have other plans for you. We’re willing to admit that there are happy-go-lucky stories of people who use such apps, but if you really want to stay safe, travel in groups and with people you can rely on.
Final Thoughts
And that’s pretty much there is to some of the known Travel myths out there, and how you should behave instead. There are countless more tips we can cover, but the ones mentioned above should give you a pretty good idea to take everything you read on the internet with a grain of salt (this article included).
