Travel rules are not written in stone—some of what people used to consider absolute no-nos have changed over the years. Acceptable biases have evolved as people worldwide have become more open to travel to many different parts of the globe. Users on a widely known Internet forum gave examples of travel beliefs that go against the grain. Do you agree?
1. Do Your Research
For some reason, using Instagram to research your next vacation went out of fashion, and travelers reacted badly to the idea. It is unknown why the idea of checking out travel Instagrams with great photos became unfashionable. Still, members of the forum supported people who wanted to do that. After all, these hotspots became “Instagrammable” for a reason.
2. Tourist Trap
The term tourist trap is used too often, according to posters, and used for the wrong reasons. Only some things that are popular tourist destinations are tourist traps. Historical sites known for their beauty and history do not fall under this definition.
Some examples, The Tower of London, Giants Causeway, the cliffs of Moher, and Edinburgh Castle, should be known by something other than that dismissive name. An English person named some sites that should be called tourist traps, like Madame Tussauds, the London Dungeon, the London Eye, and Times Square. These sites exist to draw tourists and get them to spend money, nothing more, and thus are tourist traps.
3. We’ll Always Have Paris
Another controversial travel belief is that the cities of Paris and Milan are great. Too many people look down on these great cities, and we are still determining why they do. Maybe it is their popularity? Paris is The City of Light with so much history and beautiful museums.
The Duomo in Milan is one of the most gorgeous buildings an individual who commented has ever seen. Yet, strangely, some Italians are the ones who have insulted the Duomo, and perhaps they are tired of it.
4. History Isn’t Everything
Sometimes people must realize that history isn’t the only thing to recommend a city or country. What needs to be remembered in the adoration of history is newer achievements. For example, a fan of some less popular parts of the world noted that Dubai, Shenzen, and Shanghai contain modern marvels that deserve to be seen.
Funnily, responses to this post indicated that this poster openly praised China and Dubai. However, these two places are not favored and only mention the countries by initial as if merely mentioning their names would draw ire.
5. Jet Lag
An exciting recommendation that travel mavens would look down upon was getting on one of those hop-on/hop-off tour buses. After you arrive and if you are jet lagged, drop off your luggage in the room and take a bus to relax and see the city. Taking a sightseeing bus isn’t taxing and can give you some perspective on the city, showing you its beauty and places you might want to visit.
6. Sleep It Off
Generally, the wisdom about combatting jet lag is to stay awake as long as possible and that falling asleep soon after arriving is not a good idea. The suggestion was to take a short nap of about two hours when you get off a long flight after no sleep. Afterward, you will feel refreshed and be able to start exploring the city. Then you won’t have any problem getting to sleep at the end of the day and avoid jet lag for the most part.
7. It’s Not a Dry Heat
Talk about controversial takes! Someone finally came out and said the hot and humid weather was not good. They stated that people believe that hot weather is superior because so many people who live in cold climates want some relief from the snow and idolize the heat because they don’t have to live in humid climates long term.
8. Au Contraire
There’s a flip side to every statement. A resident of Alaska had to counter the last argument because Alaskans live in the cold for most of the year. While a climate like the one in Alaska gives people spectacular scenery, people who live there hate the cold after many years of dealing with it.
9. Consider the Consequences
A former resident of Athens cautioned that trying to take such American customs like tipping abroad can cause problems. He also mentioned that the local customs like haggling are there for a reason, and not participating can have terrible consequences once you leave.
Once people start tipping, local businesses see the advantage and expect tips that local people may need help paying. Restaurants might start catering to tourists rather than locals, and that can create problems.
10. It’s a City, Not Actual Brussels Sprouts
For some reason, Brussels is not considered a favored travel destination. A forum member proudly declared their love of the city of Brussels and explained why. They said the beer was terrific.
They named Cantillon, Delirium Cafe, and Moeder as examples. This member also praised the museums like the Musical Instruments Museum and Atomium. For sightseeing, they recommended Grand Place as being stunningly beautiful. He said, “I would return to Brussels in a heartbeat.”
This thread inspired this post. Â
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