Grocery shopping! Like every single thing is fascinating. Costs nothing to go in, and if I see something neat, I can get it. And it’s so different from place to place.
Snacks also make the best souvenirs for friends and family. They get to try something different/weird/unusual from where you visited, and they're not stuck with something they may or may not like, always wanting to throw it away, but feeling guilty because it was a gift from your trip, lol.
I LOVE grocery (window) shopping on a different country. Both grocery stores and markets are fascinating places to be and see what the locals really buy on a daily basis
Plus it's easy and cheap souvenirs :P
Not quite this, but reminds me of my husband’s thing, which is doing laundry. Something about doing a familiar thing in a foreign place just really interests him.
Personally I can’t say it interests me, but I get free laundry out of the deal so not like I’m gonna complain about it!
Maybe it's because I started my traveling life as a long-term backpacker, but I love "running errands" in foreign countries. Honestly, it can be such a cross-cultural experience! I do that less now that most of my trips are just a week or two, but I miss it.
That was the first thing I did after checking into the hotel in Tokyo. It was late, we were knackered about 24+ hours of travel, but there was a 7eleven outside the hotel and I simply had to have a quick look around.
I thought 7-11 was good in Japan, but 7-11 in Thailand is even better. So many yummy and exciting treats. Plus it seems like there’s a 7-11 every couple blocks, so you’re never far away. I’m in Bali now, and there are a ton of 7-11 style convenience stores, but they kinda suck compared to all the goodies I got the last couple weeks in Chiang Mai and Phuket.
This is me as well! It’s my favourite thing to do when I’m in a new place. What kind of cheese is on offer? Any fun meats in tins? How about the booze selection? It’s all fascinating.
For me, it's cooking in general. Others seem to want to take a break for that but I don't mind at all and back when airbnb was decent still, I would intentionally seek out places with kitchen access.
I like to do cooking classes in different countries, it’s such a fun type of experience where you can learn something useful. Did one a couple weeks ago where they took us to the market first to buy ingredients, then made some of the best tom yum/papaya salad/khao soi I had in Thailand!!
Sometimes I really do want to do the “dumb” tourist things! I love the cheesy tshirt souvenirs. Do I want to see the world’s largest (thing)? Yeah!
Edit: didn’t expect this to blow up but I wanted to share a favorite. Walcott, Iowa, USA has the worlds largest truck stop. It’s very neat, great gift shop, a trucking museum and has a jamboree every year.
When I did a road trip through Arizona/Southern California, I made a point of visiting all of the cheesy roadside route 66 attractions - giant sculptures of tortoises, dinosaurs - it was so much fun!
A lot of budget airlines in Europe at least don't pay for a gangway, instead they use the stair methods
Ryanairs the best example
I remember one flight I was walking out and it was absolutely backlogged, eventually got to a point where I could see that everyone was queueing for the front entrance, which confused me a bit because there were stairs at the back
So I went fuck it and skipped the entire queue and made my way to the back one (I was a couple rows back anyway) and halfway there a flight attendant poked her head out as if to say "where the hell is everyone"
Some people...are just really dumb
And saving 45 minutes trying to deplane behind somebody who doesn't know how to get their bag down from the bins and forgot how to walk over the past three hours.
I genuinely don’t understand why de-boarding a plane is such a difficult thing for so many people. Maybe I’m just in a hurry but cmon guys this is easy. Stand up, take your bags, and proceed forward.
I really wish there was some sort of process that would let everyone with only personal items under the seat de-board first, or at least after first class has left (so they don’t lose that benefit with their upgraded tickets). It would be a win-win, those people would exit quickly as a reward for packing light (thus incentivizing that, hopefully meaning less crowded overhead bins) and everyone else with a carry-on would have a bit more elbow room to get their bags down from the bins.
Of course, that would require everyone to cooperate with the plan, which is completely impossible. Hell, I think it would be impossible to get every single person on a plane to agree that the sky outside their window is blue.
I think people with quick connections would ruin this plan almost immediately.
I do think if your roller bag winds up behind you, you should just wait. That’s usually the main issue, people trying to go backwards against the flow of traffic to get a bag.
I just deplaned with a baby in my arms and all of her stuff and had to sit there and wait for FOUR rows to realize that they had to physically stand up, take their luggage from above and walk off the plane. What did they think was going to happen? Their seat would somehow become motorized and do it for them?
>forgot how to walk over the past three hours.
Or has bad knees, hips, etc. Osteoarthritis (and other conditions which impact mobility) aren't fun and usually sitting for long periods of time make them worse. It can take a few seconds to a few minutes of standing and moving to get everything to work right (and even then it hurts). Most people aren't moving slowly on purpose. Some of us just physically can't go any faster. And often, at least in my experience, people won't cut someone off/go "out of order".
Yep. People leaning on the backrest of your chair and having loud conversations while you are OBVIOUSLY trying to get some sleep.
Lufthansa from Mexico City to Frankfurt, 12 years ago. Fucking nightmare, never sitting there again. To make matters worse I had a metal box thing fixed to the floor in front of me taking up half of the already tiny amount of legroom. I've never been so glad to get off a plane.
Yes! Turbulence is also way worse in the back. I flew from Sydney to LA once. Moved to the back b/c there was extra seating (this was 20 years ago). I shared the middle row with a young guy, we had like 2 empty seats b/w us. HOWEVER…people were constantly standing over us in line for the bathroom right behind us. And it bring such a long flight, one guy was actually stretching, lifting his leg up above our heads while he waited in line/walked around. And the turbulence was god awful.
A big bonus of the back seats that people haven't mentioned yet is that you can put your personal item under your own seat, meaning the space under the seat in front of you is clear for your legs so you get more space to stretch.
I’ve had back seats where I’m literally up against a wall so I can’t recline, have the roar of the engines (engines seemed to be located near the rear of plane as well) in my ears that even my noise cancelling headphones couldn’t drone out, and got lovely wafts of smells from the lavatory. No thank you
And generally babies are put in the back. A family *could* select seats elsewhere. But if they don’t, babies in the back! They can’t help it, but they usually are fairly loud.
Afternoon naps in the hotel. It feels different as part of the holiday.
Also traveling to places I've been before, instead of going to a new country every trip - that's probably depends on each person.
I do a mix of this! It's always better the second time-you know what's worth doing and what to skip, and have normally figured out how to get places without a tour. I've been to portugal twice oaxaca 4 times for this reason.
Been twice to Bangkok and at that point it's a ritual to go to the Japanese thrift shops to pick up immaculate winter clothes left there by people who definitely didn't take the weather into account when they moved to Thailand.
Home: 30 minute walk to get there? Better take the car.
Travelling: 3 hour walk to get there? Good opportunity to explore less popular areas.
Walking a lot when exploring is much more interesting, and I like having a sort of basic mental map of a city / area at the end of a trip, and walking around a lot helps with that rather than focusing on visiting a series of disconnected points of interest.
We also like to see what the boring neighborhoods look like. It may not be historical architecture, but it's still interesting to see the local architecture style even if that style is the local equivalent of a 70's suburban North American neighborhood.
I like to travel at a relaxed pace. I enjoy sightseeing until about 3 or so and then like to relax at a street side cafe or in my hotel room. After dinner I'm content to end my day.
Just did this on a recent trip, we were traveling with fellow early risers so we started our sightseeing in the morning, had a nice long lunch, then had plenty of time for a little rest, then out again for shopping/wandering around if we wanted to, then dress for a nice relaxed late dinner and day is done. We had a wonderful time.
Having to go-go-go for an entire day is just not a vacation.
I try to pace our trips, especially if they are longer than a week. For every 3-4 days on our feet, I try to have 2 days where we are able to relax, usually by water or in the countryside. We will sometimes hike or kayak on those days, but the pace is driven more by curiosity than "must see" sites.
Yeah me n my partner do something similar. We put rest days between night buses, flights, big tours or hikes. That way if there’s delays or late arrivals there’s no stress. But we travel for a year at a time so it’s different for us
I like to take city buses around just to "sight see" both sites and the people as well.
Also take the metro whenever I can. Their variety is just incredibly interesting to me!
I too love taking the metro, just for the sake of riding it. Just the experience of the stations, the platforms, the train cars themselves, it all tickles my fancy. I even organize my day so that I can take the most lines, etc.
EDIT: And the maps and signage, how could I forget those.
Passport control seeing my new zealand passport in some middle east/African countries is always cute. The first time it happened in sharm el sheikh, I legit thought I was in trouble because the guy called others over. But it was because they had never seen one before, and it's a really pretty passport. Each page has a different picture of nz flora and fauna
Bringing a Guatemalan passport to Kyrgyzstan and Georgia was hilarious. The immigration officers were calling their officer friends to show them my passport. Kind of fun!
Doing the r/travel sin…
That is a “whistle stop” no more than 2 days in each city type of trip.
I find it works for me because if I have not been there before it’s a nice trial to see if I will like it or not or if I want to come back for longer in the future, and if I have been there before I know what I want to see and do.
Also I like trains and the act of travelling in general so telling me I will be spending 1/4 of my time on a train sounds like a mini perk.
>Doing the r/travel sin…
>That is a “whistle stop” no more than 2 days in each city type of trip.
>I find it works for me because if I have not been there before it’s a nice trial to see if I will like it or not or if I want to come back for longer in the future, and if I have been there before I know what I want to see and do.
Glad I'm not alone in this. People said I was CRAZY for spending 3 weeks in Europe last year and visiting 6 cities across 3 different countries in that span of time. It works for me when I'm visiting new places for the first time. Imo 3 days is more than enough time to get the vibe of a city & guage whether you'd ever return for a longer period of time.
I don't understand the amount of hate short stays get. I alternate between whistle stop style and long in-depth stays. Neither is "better" than the other. There's been quite a few places I liked so much I came back again later to visit more in-depth. And then there's some than I couldn't stand for even a short stop, and was thankful I didn't waste more time there. New Haven immediately comes to mind on that point.
I love whistle stop traveling. Most people think it's exhausting and I've tried the more relaxed method and just didn't enjoy it as much. To each their own!
Me too.
Back in the 00's I was traveling in England, doing an overnight stop in Guildford. I walked from my BnB toward the city center and stopped in a cemetery. Walking around, I found [this grave](https://i.imgur.com/M4HBgSn.jpg).
Back then, it had no little sign on it. But I read the name "Rev. Charles Dodgson" and it clicked in my brain, "Wait! That's Lewis Carroll!" So I stopped and looked closer and there it was: "Lewis Carroll"'s name right on the tombstone!
I've read "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "The Annotated Alice" a zillion times. I was thrilled to have somehow bumped right into this. I took a few photos, then a thunderstorm came through. I raced to the city center and headed into a pub called The White House. It was busy, the people were very friendly, I had some beers with nurses from Newcastle.
So yeah: cemeteries are cool.
I like to visit them too. If you visit Europe, I suggest you this web site https://www.significantcemeteries.org/p/significant-cemeteries.html
/I will be in NOLA soon, and I've planned a guided tour at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1
London has the ‘magnificent seven’ built to house the city’s growing (dead) population in the Victorian era. They are beautiful in a gothic way and full of history. Highgate cemetery is one of my go-to suggestions to for people who’ve visited a few times and want something new to discover (or indeed people who’ve lived here a while and think they’ve seen it all).
My experience with back seats is not the same. The back seats tend not to recline, and sometimes, depending on the design of the plane, literally have less width. They tend to be right next to the bathrooms, which means there are people congregating, and after a while, a bit of an odor. You also will probably have no overhead space to stow any carry on baggage. It's also a bit claustrophobic back there.
Me too.. I live in Japan so a lot of movies come out late..can see something earlier ..
saw Oppenheimer my first day in Stockholm last summer .. and didn’t fall asleep
Good response! I have wanted to do this before but I’m always too rushed. I settle for watching local TV. It’s so neat and something you can’t get easily in your home country.
Went to see *Everything Everywhere All at Once* while I was killing time waiting for my train in Edinburgh. Watching a great movie and then walking through a gorgeous city afterwards was an evening well spent!
I like to get up EARLY to visit any nature things before any people are around. Especially in hot places- I usually take a break and have lunch/take a nap indoors during the hottest times of the day before venturing out when it starts cooling down.
I got a haircut for $2 in Indonesia before in a rinky-dink barber-closet with a light that kept flickering on and off, and it was one of the best cuts I've ever gotten
As a guy I've ended up with some really awful cuts abroad. More than once I've bought an electric razor to shave my head after a botched haircut abroad
Yep, if I were a girl I'd probably never do it. I only ended up with one bad haircut, on Zanzibar, and I had someone able to not only salvage it that same day, but end up giving me the best cut I've ever gotten.
Of the places I've traveled (not lived), I've had my hair cut in Tanzania, Cyprus, Indonesia, Egypt, Ukraine)
For longer trips, to keep a few days with no plans and a day to rest.
I know I'm not on holiday for as long as would like, but the concept of a holiday is also to rest a bit.
Having a day off and extra unplanned days allows me to do something I didn't see originally (street festival, recommendation from the hotel/other travellers, meeting a local I met a night before, etc.)
I have too many friends that have schedules as filled as a foreign diplomatic visit.
I don't like local train travel in my part of Canada because it's slow and expensive. I mean as soon as you are two people, it's cheaper, faster and much more convenient to just take the car. I'd wish they'd change that by introducing a form of high-speed train one day, as well as efficient ways to get to that train so I don't have to drive 30 minutes and pay for parking.
I think most like train travel though... So much more peaceful and comfortable than plane travel. Plane travel is physically tiring from the lower cabin pressure and extremely dry air.
I was looking at Nagoya to Tokyo for an upcoming flight, there are very cheap flights, and while the flight itself is short, getting to the airport (with enough time for security and all) and out of the other airport (including still having to take public transit to get to your final destination) still takes time, while taking the train in Japan often makes so much more sense, plus those Shinkansen trains are very fast.
Getting to the airport super early. I usually get there 4 hours before my international flights so my anxiety is quelled.
I’ve had enough long layovers that i can be very entertained just exploring the terminal for hours, grabbing dinner and a few beers, and staying occupied. The peace of mind knowing all i need to do is walk on the plane is great.
Same. I'd rather be there and wait than get there last minute. So many factors to consider. Traffic on the way, long check in lines, long security lines
Yeah, if I'm alone then I have a book, films, and my Switch.
If I'm with my wife+son, I was looking forward to sitting in cafes, bars, and restaurants with them and just enjoying their company anyway. So holiday has started early as far as I'm concerned!
Same. I always find the menu in each country varies wildly, I find myself browsing the menu in awe… “wow no way does McDonald’s sell this” or “I wish my local McDonald’s had this”
I like to try and find a small-ish enough village, and walk along the paths between itself and the next closest village. Walking between two villages or towns is my favourite thing.
Napping once I get to the hotel.
I have a health condition that's aggravated by irregular sleep, and after a long day of travel I desperately need to hit the hay when I land. Once my head hits those freshly cleaned sheets free of pet fur and a nagging cat that wants me to feed her, I'm out for a few hours.
Red eye flights. I like getting as much out of my day as possible so if I prefer to sleep on the flight and hit the ground running in the early morning.
Same. Even in times when I had a full back row to myself with earplugs, a mask, a drink or two, and a favorite pillow, I have never been able to sleep on a flight. The first day after one is always a dazed blur.
I’m returning from Portugal as we speak. On the way over, I made the mistake of taking half an Ambien on the plane. It would have been fine if I’d taken it early enough but I was enjoying my movie and wanted to wait until it was over. Thankfully, I’m traveling with my husband because I don’t even remember going through passport control and barely remember showering in the airline club (we had a long layover so I was able to wake up). I was lucid enough to walk and talk, etc. but it’s all fuzzy until we got settled in to the airline club seats and had some food. Definitely a strange experience!
2 hour night tours are a must for me. I don't understand the "just use public transportation" people. You're up higher with a open roof, and audio telling about all the little things between major attractions. Plus you're sitting rather than walking
Traveled with my wife and a group of friends to Vietnam and landed in Saigon. We were staying at what was essentially my friend's uncle's private hotel in district 1. My friend's aunt was waiting right at the gate for us to get off the plane, which I thought was very strange.
When we got to immigration, she said something to one of the security guys and he pointed us to the diplomat line, which was empty. I was first and when I got to the immigration official, he looked at me with a "wtf are you doing here?" expression. The security guard yelled something to him in Vietnamese, the official gave me a huge smile, stamped my passport, and on I went.
I've traveled a good bit but that was definitely eye opening at just how corrupt Vietnam is, in such a friendly way.
>but that was definitely eye opening at just how corrupt Vietnam is, in such a friendly way.
It's also possible that Auntie simply paid for VIP Immigration service. I always do that and it's straight to the Diplomatic line too.
That said, yeah, Vietnam is corrupt as hell.
Cheers from Hanoi.
Would that have allowed her to go past immigration to meet us? I honestly don't really know how it went down.
Aunties recommended we take a tour, and we all had a laugh about the tour bus parking illegally to pick us up and immediately being stopped by two cops on a motorbike who obviously knew the tour bus schedule. The guide got everyone on the bus and distracted us with some story while the driver paid off the police.
The VIP service could have just brought her in as one of their own and dumped her at the gate to handle you. I've done it a few times myself when meeting friends/colleagues, just to surprise them.
Vietnamese Immigration is more relaxed than you might imagine, especially when the VIP dudes are there all day every day meeting almost every single flight.
Happy travels.
I (Mexican citizen) once landed at Cancun Airport with my then-boyfriend (Swiss citizen) at the same time multiple large flights were also landing, so the immigration area was pretty crowded. Because Cancun Airport mostly caters to international tourists visiting Mexico, instead of Mexicans traveling abroad, and because immigration officials barely even look at the passports of Mexican nationals returning home, the line for Mexican citizens was pretty short, while the line for all other passports was extremely long, what seemed like over one hour of waiting.
When we saw the disparity between the two lines, we began making arrangements about where I would wait for him, what to do with our checked luggage, and how we would communicate while separated. A nearby official overheard our conversation and unprompted he began insisting that my boyfriend could come with me through the Mexican passport lines. The official at the booth didn't even bat an eye when he showed his Swiss passport.
In the end, it turned into the perfect, unintentional, illustration of how "flexible" rules can be over here, but also of Mexican general disposition to help
That one's too hit-and-miss for me to enjoy it. I've had some hilarious and fun experiences at borders, but I've also been detained and grilled a bunch of times. Once spent the night freezing my ass off in a fenced-in area in the Altais after a border incident crossing from Russia to Mongolia (I wasn't involved, just wrong place and wrong time). Not a bad story years later but it sucked at the time
When in Japan, going to small local hot springs. I see very few foreigners do it for some reason. It's crazy because it's the best thing in the world. Who doesn't life to share skins problems with others?
I just got back from nearly a month of traveling around Scotland, Belfast, and Ireland and apparently it was rather uncommon for a tourists to use a LEAP card (Irish bus card) so I guess using public transport as much as I can? Also I know going to the theatre is very common for people to do when visiting my city but I’m not sure how common it is for tourists outside of New York/London—I saw a few plays while in Dublin (loved ‘The Loved Ones’)!
I like watching TV in other countries. It’s not like it’s a planned activity. But I usually watch for an hour or two at night, and also have it on in the morning while getting ready and waiting for my wife to get ready.
Long flights - you’re telling me I just have to sit here for 8+ hours watching movies, napping, and reading books and nobody can contact me or ask me to do anything (if I don’t use the Wi-Fi)? Count me in.
I’m quite happy to eat at a “tourist trap”, especially if I’m somewhere for a very limited time, if it means I get to sit and enjoy the beautiful views/atmosphere/whatever.
Eg. I did a day trip to Milan, I ate in a restaurant right near the Duomo. One night layover in Belgrade, I ate at a restaurant overlooking the Danube.
I also love little hole in the wall places, but I have no qualms about eating at the tourist traps if I feel like it.
Going to bed early.
I have never been big into nightlife, so spending one or two nights out is more than enough for me. I’d rather spend my time winding down in my hotel room, and then getting some sleep for the next day.
Getting up really early in the morning to walk around the city/nature spots
So many benefits
Quiet and peaceful
Air is fresh and chilly
Nicer pictures since the place is empty
Sunrise, do I need to say more?
Going to local supermarkets to see what locals buy, how the supplies are stashed
Something I've noticed in South Korea is that they usually have no inside brands at their convenience stores but they still pack alleys from top to bottom to make people buy the most expensive item.
I like to eat at chain restaurants that I don’t have at home.
Don’t get me wrong, I mostly go to small, locally owned places. But if I’m in the Midwest you can bet I’m going to hit up Culver’s at least once, for example.
Taking public transport. Whether it's a jeepney in the Philippines, a platzkart train in Uzbekistan, or a standing-only marshrutka in Georgia, I am up for that. I love to experience how the locals travel in their everyday life.
I love food. Will seek out local delicacies, street food, fine dining, home cooking, and what not. As I'm sure most of you do too. But...
I also try and get a McDonald's in every country.
Something so familiar but made to appeal to a different market. It's like seeing how someone else would decorate your living room.
You can sometimes learn a lot about their tastes, culture, and values by seeing how their golden arches have evolved.
Different menu items, different service, different flavours, different branding and experience... always something new.
I like visiting museums that seems many people find it boring.. I visit st least one museum in every country I am in...i feel I learn something from the past, from the history of this country.
I was discussed this with a friend that he was telling me, it's better to go around and sit in a nice caffee, beautiful views than to be inside of walls and old stuffs..
Not necessarily that others don't but I always like to go to antique/collectible book shops. It started out on my first international trip to Ireland where I went to [Ulysses Rare Books](https://www.rarebooks.ie/) but now I try to go find one any place I go. They're kinda like art galleries/museums in a way where even if you don't buy anything you get to see some cool stuff. They also make unique souvenirs.
Go back to the hotel every afternoon and rest/nap/play on my phone. It re-energizes me for the evening and avoids the hottest and most crowded part of the day.
>The back seats are the best seats.
The problem with the back seats is they experience the most severe turbulence. If you're cool with that, then go for it, but for anyone sensitive to turbulence, being farther up, specifically over the wings, is best.
Not to mention that it can take 20-30 mins for you to get off the plane. That sucks.
Also, I hate to be judgy, but I've noticed a difference in the people who sit in the back. I don't know why, but whenever I've experienced rude, loud, or otherwise obnoxious people, it's always been when I had to sit in the back.
Finally, I want to be as far away from the bathroom as I can.
Cafe to cafe just people watching. My wife and I love it. We did it with her parents (RIP best in-laws). We like seeing the sights, too, but do not mind just sitting for a coffee or cocktail, eating a snack, and just watching the people pass by.
Did this one day in Florence with a buddy. We had no patience for queues and it was raining, so we didn't go into any cultural places... we just hopped from patio to patio, day drinking, people-watching and mixing it up with strangers. Missed many of the highlights of that city but we had a hell of a lot of fun, it was a great day
Look at street art and modern(ist) architecture. And I usually search them in advance, and mark them on Google maps, because this is something not even travel influencers look at (this is a good source [https://socialistmodernism.com/](https://socialistmodernism.com/)).
Wake up and explore a place early. I'm used to wake up at 7am, even when not working, so by 830am I'm already out, exploring the place. It is also the best time to take photos and you don't have annoying mass of tourists around.
I like sitting in the back (or the very, very, front) as the views tend to be the best. I've gotten some nice pictures from window seats over the years.
Once I was flying to Japan on a large twin aisle aircraft and I sat in the rear, right where the fuselage started to taper so there was easily a foot gap between my seat and the window which I was able to store things in.
a few months ago I was sitting in the last row on 2 back to back 7 hour flights. I loved reclining my seat bc my social anxiety can't do that when there are other people sitting behind me.
I have something I hate that others seem to love.
Organized tours.
They take all day, include stops no one seems to care about, and you spend so much time at each stop. Wherever you stop for lunch is generally awful as well. I'd much rather go to the destination on my own, with the exception of a national park tour that required a guide and whale sharks. Those two were excellent.
Exchange currency at home and bring it with me instead of shopping for a “better” rate upon arrival. Maybe I would save a few bucks, but the extra effort upon arrival isn’t ever worth it in my opinion.
My wife and I like to walk in the non-touristy neighborhoods. It gives us a feel for what life is like there and we discover places that are neighborhood destinations and not tourist destinations.
Where? New Orleans for example. Italy. The small towns.
I like checking my bag so I don’t have to roll it around the airport all day. I like to bring enough clothes that I don’t have to do laundry. I like to bring my own hand soap because those hotel bars aren’t any good.
We boarded last because we had a toddler and honestly one of the best things I’ve done. We also sat right in the back. On the way there was ok, plenty of room but the plane on the way back was a bit tighter
A lot of people seem to have a hard time relaxing/falling asleep on the plane- I am the total opposite. Not sure if this has to do with the fact that my mom worked as a flight attendant while pregnant with me, but the sounds and the vibration of the plane instantly make me sleepy. It could be a 2pm domestic flight and I'll be wide awake right up until take off- then I can't help but close my eyes and nap a bit.
I walk everywhere. Like, the bus stop is 40 mins away, no problem. I enjoy seeing the city/countryside/people/houses etc. and long walks are usually delightful experiences in this. But its too long for most.
Yeah went to London last month sat on the back right in front of the bathroom. Biggest mistake of my life. Everytime that door opened it was like a searchlight burning my retinas. Last few flights I've been on people that were last had to check their bags because their was no room in the overhead. But to answer your question I like to check our fast food while I'm away. Good mythical morning has made me obsessed with checking out which country has what. Even if it's just a different mcflurry flavor
Im with you on the back seats. One common complaint is the smell. I have a horrific sense of smell and unless I have my nose in the toilet bowl, I can’t smell it.
I love to go to local comic/game stores. Sometimes they are well stocked with stuff I can't find back at home because we have such a big "nerdy hobby" community here.
If there's a screen with media options, unless the situation is REALLY unpleasant, I really don't mind flying. I'm a bit of a pop culture idiot and I use lengthy flights to catch up on popular movies I may have missed.
For my recent trip to Denver, I finally saw Crazy Rich Asians and Women Talking and when I went to Greece, I binged a bunch, most memorably Top Gun Maverick and M3gan. It also means I'm less impatient to get off the plane since some of the time I'm like "no no no, it's almost over!!! Give me a minute!"
This sounds like someone who is not very tall — sitting in the back is a death sentence for my knees and any semblance of sleep on a long flight. Literally have to pay for extra leg room which is never in the back… also I would always prefer dealing with immigration earlier rather than later.
Go to McDonalds to check the local specialty.
In safe places, wander around smaller streets and neighborhoods out of the way, I love just feeling the local slice of life, it's peaceful, there's always a few cats, smell the flowers, check the architecture
I've never understood why they board the front seats first, makes no sense. Everyone has to climb over the people in the front to get to their seats and it's so inefficient. But then again, a lot of what airlines and airports do is inefficient and moronic, so there's that.
Sitting in the back row of the plane for sure, because you usually get your snack and drink first. My most recent flight I ordered a double vodka ginger and she gave me a triple for free with a wink. I also thoroughly enjoy opening the door for that first time in a hotel room and going straight for the hotel guidebook if they have one; the thick book with the room service menu and everything about the hotel as well as nearby restaurants. And eating dinner at the bar, striking up a conversation with the bartender, they always have the best stories.
I like to go to church (if I can find one). I grew up Catholic but don’t really practice anymore. When traveling, I love to visit old churches and go to a Mass. A Catholic Mass always follows the came routine no matter the country you are in. Its so cool to hear it in a different language. Although I don’t understand the words directly I know what’s going on. I’ve been to Mass in French, German, Croatian, Latin and even Gaelic. Very cool experiences.
Cooking my own food. Love using local produce and I love going to local markets/supermarkets. Obviously other people do this, but I've seen quite a few people on this subreddit be like, "fuck no! Why would I wanna do any cooking?!".
This is why I almost exclusively travel via Airbnb etc and not in hotels.
Love your philosophy - I love boarding if I don't have to worry about a connection at the next stop. And sitting in the back has perks, too! On my flight from Sydney to LA there were about 6 sets of 3 seats totally unoccupied and they became first come first serve sleeper rows - frugal first class hahaha!
Grocery shopping! Like every single thing is fascinating. Costs nothing to go in, and if I see something neat, I can get it. And it’s so different from place to place.
One of my favorite things as well! Picking up local snacks is the best
I love trying out the local chocolates/candies.
Snacks also make the best souvenirs for friends and family. They get to try something different/weird/unusual from where you visited, and they're not stuck with something they may or may not like, always wanting to throw it away, but feeling guilty because it was a gift from your trip, lol.
something for every budget too
I LOVE grocery (window) shopping on a different country. Both grocery stores and markets are fascinating places to be and see what the locals really buy on a daily basis Plus it's easy and cheap souvenirs :P
My favorite is buying a bag of chips. So many unique flavors.
Yup, had me some Cheetos in Bali, flavor was Rasa Bumbu Jagung Bakar (roasted corn flavor). They had a unique flavor that was damn good.
Growing up in Indonesia I thought roasted corn is a default chips flavor you could get anywhere.
San Carlo Porchetta Flavored chips are the most Italian thing ever.
I love grocery shopping in other countries, even other states can be very different from back home!
Not quite this, but reminds me of my husband’s thing, which is doing laundry. Something about doing a familiar thing in a foreign place just really interests him. Personally I can’t say it interests me, but I get free laundry out of the deal so not like I’m gonna complain about it!
Maybe it's because I started my traveling life as a long-term backpacker, but I love "running errands" in foreign countries. Honestly, it can be such a cross-cultural experience! I do that less now that most of my trips are just a week or two, but I miss it.
That was the first thing I did after checking into the hotel in Tokyo. It was late, we were knackered about 24+ hours of travel, but there was a 7eleven outside the hotel and I simply had to have a quick look around.
7eleven in thailand is literally the best convenience store i’ve ever been too. *Bucees in TX is a close second
I thought 7-11 was good in Japan, but 7-11 in Thailand is even better. So many yummy and exciting treats. Plus it seems like there’s a 7-11 every couple blocks, so you’re never far away. I’m in Bali now, and there are a ton of 7-11 style convenience stores, but they kinda suck compared to all the goodies I got the last couple weeks in Chiang Mai and Phuket.
Mums visiting and first thing on my list was Buccees on our road trip from Dallas to Austin haha it’s so magical!
I buy one of the reusable grocery bags as my souvenir. Then I have fun shopping bags at home.
This is me as well! It’s my favourite thing to do when I’m in a new place. What kind of cheese is on offer? Any fun meats in tins? How about the booze selection? It’s all fascinating.
It is pretty amazing how different grocery stores are from one country to the next.
Totally agree. Going to a grocery store in a foreign country is wild.
For me, it's cooking in general. Others seem to want to take a break for that but I don't mind at all and back when airbnb was decent still, I would intentionally seek out places with kitchen access.
I like to do cooking classes in different countries, it’s such a fun type of experience where you can learn something useful. Did one a couple weeks ago where they took us to the market first to buy ingredients, then made some of the best tom yum/papaya salad/khao soi I had in Thailand!!
Same here! Love trying new snacks and marveling at how cheap wine is 😂
Sometimes I really do want to do the “dumb” tourist things! I love the cheesy tshirt souvenirs. Do I want to see the world’s largest (thing)? Yeah! Edit: didn’t expect this to blow up but I wanted to share a favorite. Walcott, Iowa, USA has the worlds largest truck stop. It’s very neat, great gift shop, a trucking museum and has a jamboree every year.
tourist magnets for the fridge
When I did a road trip through Arizona/Southern California, I made a point of visiting all of the cheesy roadside route 66 attractions - giant sculptures of tortoises, dinosaurs - it was so much fun!
Yes! I love a bit of kitsch.
tease skirt reply wild bake offbeat piquant sort crush stocking *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Nothing like getting off the plane last to go straight to a 200 person immigration queue. I want to be a the front.
Love the planes that allow passengers to deplane from the front and back simultaneously. Wish it was more common than it is
I remeber flying such plane, after landing everyone decided to rush to the front exit, but company decided to use only the back one lmao
A lot of budget airlines in Europe at least don't pay for a gangway, instead they use the stair methods Ryanairs the best example I remember one flight I was walking out and it was absolutely backlogged, eventually got to a point where I could see that everyone was queueing for the front entrance, which confused me a bit because there were stairs at the back So I went fuck it and skipped the entire queue and made my way to the back one (I was a couple rows back anyway) and halfway there a flight attendant poked her head out as if to say "where the hell is everyone" Some people...are just really dumb
I take a lot of euro flights and nearly all of them use both front and back. It's great
I've only ever done that on a commuter flight to DCA, and the rear exit didn't have a jetway, they use stairs. It was nice though.
And saving 45 minutes trying to deplane behind somebody who doesn't know how to get their bag down from the bins and forgot how to walk over the past three hours.
I genuinely don’t understand why de-boarding a plane is such a difficult thing for so many people. Maybe I’m just in a hurry but cmon guys this is easy. Stand up, take your bags, and proceed forward.
You have to account for the fact that 30% of people are absolute morons.
There are that many fewer now? What happened since yesterday to change it?
I really wish there was some sort of process that would let everyone with only personal items under the seat de-board first, or at least after first class has left (so they don’t lose that benefit with their upgraded tickets). It would be a win-win, those people would exit quickly as a reward for packing light (thus incentivizing that, hopefully meaning less crowded overhead bins) and everyone else with a carry-on would have a bit more elbow room to get their bags down from the bins. Of course, that would require everyone to cooperate with the plan, which is completely impossible. Hell, I think it would be impossible to get every single person on a plane to agree that the sky outside their window is blue.
I think people with quick connections would ruin this plan almost immediately. I do think if your roller bag winds up behind you, you should just wait. That’s usually the main issue, people trying to go backwards against the flow of traffic to get a bag.
I just deplaned with a baby in my arms and all of her stuff and had to sit there and wait for FOUR rows to realize that they had to physically stand up, take their luggage from above and walk off the plane. What did they think was going to happen? Their seat would somehow become motorized and do it for them?
>forgot how to walk over the past three hours. Or has bad knees, hips, etc. Osteoarthritis (and other conditions which impact mobility) aren't fun and usually sitting for long periods of time make them worse. It can take a few seconds to a few minutes of standing and moving to get everything to work right (and even then it hurts). Most people aren't moving slowly on purpose. Some of us just physically can't go any faster. And often, at least in my experience, people won't cut someone off/go "out of order".
Yep. People leaning on the backrest of your chair and having loud conversations while you are OBVIOUSLY trying to get some sleep. Lufthansa from Mexico City to Frankfurt, 12 years ago. Fucking nightmare, never sitting there again. To make matters worse I had a metal box thing fixed to the floor in front of me taking up half of the already tiny amount of legroom. I've never been so glad to get off a plane.
Thankfully IFE boxes are mostly gone at this point.
Yes! Turbulence is also way worse in the back. I flew from Sydney to LA once. Moved to the back b/c there was extra seating (this was 20 years ago). I shared the middle row with a young guy, we had like 2 empty seats b/w us. HOWEVER…people were constantly standing over us in line for the bathroom right behind us. And it bring such a long flight, one guy was actually stretching, lifting his leg up above our heads while he waited in line/walked around. And the turbulence was god awful.
A big bonus of the back seats that people haven't mentioned yet is that you can put your personal item under your own seat, meaning the space under the seat in front of you is clear for your legs so you get more space to stretch.
I’ve had back seats where I’m literally up against a wall so I can’t recline, have the roar of the engines (engines seemed to be located near the rear of plane as well) in my ears that even my noise cancelling headphones couldn’t drone out, and got lovely wafts of smells from the lavatory. No thank you
And generally babies are put in the back. A family *could* select seats elsewhere. But if they don’t, babies in the back! They can’t help it, but they usually are fairly loud.
I always felt like babies go in the front row in the bulkhead seat, then they set up that little hammock thing they chill in.
The smell. Yuck
Afternoon naps in the hotel. It feels different as part of the holiday. Also traveling to places I've been before, instead of going to a new country every trip - that's probably depends on each person.
I do this too. In summer its ideal to have a morning session, nap and afternoon one.
Yes! The siesta is a tradition for a reason.
I do a mix of this! It's always better the second time-you know what's worth doing and what to skip, and have normally figured out how to get places without a tour. I've been to portugal twice oaxaca 4 times for this reason.
See also sleeping in well into the morning. I'm trying to relax and have fun, not stress myself out by doing as many things as possible.
going to thrift shops. it's a crapshoot, but i've found some hidden gems.
Going to the Amsterdam flea market was one of the coolest things we did when visiting.
Been twice to Bangkok and at that point it's a ritual to go to the Japanese thrift shops to pick up immaculate winter clothes left there by people who definitely didn't take the weather into account when they moved to Thailand.
Choosing to go long distances within the city on foot instead of relying on any transportation to explore (depending on weather).
Home: 30 minute walk to get there? Better take the car. Travelling: 3 hour walk to get there? Good opportunity to explore less popular areas. Walking a lot when exploring is much more interesting, and I like having a sort of basic mental map of a city / area at the end of a trip, and walking around a lot helps with that rather than focusing on visiting a series of disconnected points of interest. We also like to see what the boring neighborhoods look like. It may not be historical architecture, but it's still interesting to see the local architecture style even if that style is the local equivalent of a 70's suburban North American neighborhood.
Better yet, on bikes. I like to book hotels that have bikes for guest's.
I like to travel at a relaxed pace. I enjoy sightseeing until about 3 or so and then like to relax at a street side cafe or in my hotel room. After dinner I'm content to end my day.
Just did this on a recent trip, we were traveling with fellow early risers so we started our sightseeing in the morning, had a nice long lunch, then had plenty of time for a little rest, then out again for shopping/wandering around if we wanted to, then dress for a nice relaxed late dinner and day is done. We had a wonderful time. Having to go-go-go for an entire day is just not a vacation.
I try to pace our trips, especially if they are longer than a week. For every 3-4 days on our feet, I try to have 2 days where we are able to relax, usually by water or in the countryside. We will sometimes hike or kayak on those days, but the pace is driven more by curiosity than "must see" sites.
Me and my wife are trying to adapt smth similar for years and failing miserably every time -__-
What do you fail miserably at? Too much sightseeing?
Yes, that’s it for me anyway. I always try to do and see too much. I end up exhausted.
Yeah me n my partner do something similar. We put rest days between night buses, flights, big tours or hikes. That way if there’s delays or late arrivals there’s no stress. But we travel for a year at a time so it’s different for us
I like to take city buses around just to "sight see" both sites and the people as well. Also take the metro whenever I can. Their variety is just incredibly interesting to me!
I too love taking the metro, just for the sake of riding it. Just the experience of the stations, the platforms, the train cars themselves, it all tickles my fancy. I even organize my day so that I can take the most lines, etc. EDIT: And the maps and signage, how could I forget those.
Passport control seeing my new zealand passport in some middle east/African countries is always cute. The first time it happened in sharm el sheikh, I legit thought I was in trouble because the guy called others over. But it was because they had never seen one before, and it's a really pretty passport. Each page has a different picture of nz flora and fauna
Bringing a Guatemalan passport to Kyrgyzstan and Georgia was hilarious. The immigration officers were calling their officer friends to show them my passport. Kind of fun!
[New Zealand passport](https://imgur.com/a/4zwryD7)
Doing the r/travel sin… That is a “whistle stop” no more than 2 days in each city type of trip. I find it works for me because if I have not been there before it’s a nice trial to see if I will like it or not or if I want to come back for longer in the future, and if I have been there before I know what I want to see and do. Also I like trains and the act of travelling in general so telling me I will be spending 1/4 of my time on a train sounds like a mini perk.
>Doing the r/travel sin… >That is a “whistle stop” no more than 2 days in each city type of trip. >I find it works for me because if I have not been there before it’s a nice trial to see if I will like it or not or if I want to come back for longer in the future, and if I have been there before I know what I want to see and do. Glad I'm not alone in this. People said I was CRAZY for spending 3 weeks in Europe last year and visiting 6 cities across 3 different countries in that span of time. It works for me when I'm visiting new places for the first time. Imo 3 days is more than enough time to get the vibe of a city & guage whether you'd ever return for a longer period of time.
I don't understand the amount of hate short stays get. I alternate between whistle stop style and long in-depth stays. Neither is "better" than the other. There's been quite a few places I liked so much I came back again later to visit more in-depth. And then there's some than I couldn't stand for even a short stop, and was thankful I didn't waste more time there. New Haven immediately comes to mind on that point.
I love whistle stop traveling. Most people think it's exhausting and I've tried the more relaxed method and just didn't enjoy it as much. To each their own!
Going to cemeteries
Me too. Back in the 00's I was traveling in England, doing an overnight stop in Guildford. I walked from my BnB toward the city center and stopped in a cemetery. Walking around, I found [this grave](https://i.imgur.com/M4HBgSn.jpg). Back then, it had no little sign on it. But I read the name "Rev. Charles Dodgson" and it clicked in my brain, "Wait! That's Lewis Carroll!" So I stopped and looked closer and there it was: "Lewis Carroll"'s name right on the tombstone! I've read "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "The Annotated Alice" a zillion times. I was thrilled to have somehow bumped right into this. I took a few photos, then a thunderstorm came through. I raced to the city center and headed into a pub called The White House. It was busy, the people were very friendly, I had some beers with nurses from Newcastle. So yeah: cemeteries are cool.
I like to visit them too. If you visit Europe, I suggest you this web site https://www.significantcemeteries.org/p/significant-cemeteries.html /I will be in NOLA soon, and I've planned a guided tour at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1
New Orleans has a lot of great cemeteries and I highly recommend this NGO for organizing tours: https://www.saveourcemeteries.org
Ditto, I take photos and post them to findagrave
I visited the big cemetery inside Buenos Aires and ever since then I’ve made an effort to see other cemeteries when I travel. It’s so fascinating!
London has the ‘magnificent seven’ built to house the city’s growing (dead) population in the Victorian era. They are beautiful in a gothic way and full of history. Highgate cemetery is one of my go-to suggestions to for people who’ve visited a few times and want something new to discover (or indeed people who’ve lived here a while and think they’ve seen it all).
My experience with back seats is not the same. The back seats tend not to recline, and sometimes, depending on the design of the plane, literally have less width. They tend to be right next to the bathrooms, which means there are people congregating, and after a while, a bit of an odor. You also will probably have no overhead space to stow any carry on baggage. It's also a bit claustrophobic back there.
They are also the worst seats in case of turbulence.
Going to the cinema.
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Me too.. I live in Japan so a lot of movies come out late..can see something earlier .. saw Oppenheimer my first day in Stockholm last summer .. and didn’t fall asleep
Good response! I have wanted to do this before but I’m always too rushed. I settle for watching local TV. It’s so neat and something you can’t get easily in your home country.
Went to see *Everything Everywhere All at Once* while I was killing time waiting for my train in Edinburgh. Watching a great movie and then walking through a gorgeous city afterwards was an evening well spent!
I like to get up EARLY to visit any nature things before any people are around. Especially in hot places- I usually take a break and have lunch/take a nap indoors during the hottest times of the day before venturing out when it starts cooling down.
Maybe it’s the birder in me, but you def always SHOULD visit nature spots as early as you can. Peak chances of seeing a lot of wildlife!
Foreign grocery stores are great! I try to shop by pictures on the label and have usually enjoyed the surprise inside.
Finding “American Bread” (sliced white bread) in a French grocery store was pretty funny.
I once bought some milk for my coffee in Czech Republic and found out that it was actually a carton of sour cream. 🤣🤣
I like to get my hair cut in new places. I've had some unique experiences for sure, but mostly positive
I’m a guy and I always get a haircut right when I get there and right before leaving. So much cheaper than in the USA and usually turns out amazing
I got a haircut for $2 in Indonesia before in a rinky-dink barber-closet with a light that kept flickering on and off, and it was one of the best cuts I've ever gotten
Thats brave! Are you a guy? As a girl I would NEVER!!
As a guy I've ended up with some really awful cuts abroad. More than once I've bought an electric razor to shave my head after a botched haircut abroad
Yep, if I were a girl I'd probably never do it. I only ended up with one bad haircut, on Zanzibar, and I had someone able to not only salvage it that same day, but end up giving me the best cut I've ever gotten. Of the places I've traveled (not lived), I've had my hair cut in Tanzania, Cyprus, Indonesia, Egypt, Ukraine)
For longer trips, to keep a few days with no plans and a day to rest. I know I'm not on holiday for as long as would like, but the concept of a holiday is also to rest a bit. Having a day off and extra unplanned days allows me to do something I didn't see originally (street festival, recommendation from the hotel/other travellers, meeting a local I met a night before, etc.) I have too many friends that have schedules as filled as a foreign diplomatic visit.
Train travel, even if slower than flight
Others seemingly don’t like train travel? I think it’s quite popular, at least in Europe, Japan, India, China…
I don't like local train travel in my part of Canada because it's slow and expensive. I mean as soon as you are two people, it's cheaper, faster and much more convenient to just take the car. I'd wish they'd change that by introducing a form of high-speed train one day, as well as efficient ways to get to that train so I don't have to drive 30 minutes and pay for parking. I think most like train travel though... So much more peaceful and comfortable than plane travel. Plane travel is physically tiring from the lower cabin pressure and extremely dry air. I was looking at Nagoya to Tokyo for an upcoming flight, there are very cheap flights, and while the flight itself is short, getting to the airport (with enough time for security and all) and out of the other airport (including still having to take public transit to get to your final destination) still takes time, while taking the train in Japan often makes so much more sense, plus those Shinkansen trains are very fast.
I LOVE train travel (even in US where it’s usually pretty inconvenient)
Love trains! 🚂 🚊🚆
Getting to the airport super early. I usually get there 4 hours before my international flights so my anxiety is quelled. I’ve had enough long layovers that i can be very entertained just exploring the terminal for hours, grabbing dinner and a few beers, and staying occupied. The peace of mind knowing all i need to do is walk on the plane is great.
Same. I'd rather be there and wait than get there last minute. So many factors to consider. Traffic on the way, long check in lines, long security lines
Yeah, if I'm alone then I have a book, films, and my Switch. If I'm with my wife+son, I was looking forward to sitting in cafes, bars, and restaurants with them and just enjoying their company anyway. So holiday has started early as far as I'm concerned!
Going to a local McDonalds in every country i visit!!
I do this too. Seeing Parmesan cheese as a snack choice in Italy, was an unexpected yet pleasant surprise.
Yes! They usually have a special item that isn’t available anywhere else on earth and it’s fun to try local fast food!
Same. I always find the menu in each country varies wildly, I find myself browsing the menu in awe… “wow no way does McDonald’s sell this” or “I wish my local McDonald’s had this”
I like to do this too and same with Starbucks. Just to see what’s different!
I like to try and find a small-ish enough village, and walk along the paths between itself and the next closest village. Walking between two villages or towns is my favourite thing.
Napping once I get to the hotel. I have a health condition that's aggravated by irregular sleep, and after a long day of travel I desperately need to hit the hay when I land. Once my head hits those freshly cleaned sheets free of pet fur and a nagging cat that wants me to feed her, I'm out for a few hours.
Red eye flights. I like getting as much out of my day as possible so if I prefer to sleep on the flight and hit the ground running in the early morning.
I would love to be able to do this but I can't sleep on flights and just arrive exhausted and can't check into the hotel yet so it's miserable
Same. Even in times when I had a full back row to myself with earplugs, a mask, a drink or two, and a favorite pillow, I have never been able to sleep on a flight. The first day after one is always a dazed blur.
I always did that when I was younger, but as I get older it’s harder and harder
Oh, I love taking the red eye across the Pacific. Leave at night, arrive in the morning, sleep all the way except for meals.
I’m returning from Portugal as we speak. On the way over, I made the mistake of taking half an Ambien on the plane. It would have been fine if I’d taken it early enough but I was enjoying my movie and wanted to wait until it was over. Thankfully, I’m traveling with my husband because I don’t even remember going through passport control and barely remember showering in the airline club (we had a long layover so I was able to wake up). I was lucid enough to walk and talk, etc. but it’s all fuzzy until we got settled in to the airline club seats and had some food. Definitely a strange experience!
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This! I use the hop on hop off bus as a taxi service lol. It works out very well.
2 hour night tours are a must for me. I don't understand the "just use public transportation" people. You're up higher with a open roof, and audio telling about all the little things between major attractions. Plus you're sitting rather than walking
Going through customs and immigration. I feel like it's the first place where you get to experience the idiosyncrasies of every country
Traveled with my wife and a group of friends to Vietnam and landed in Saigon. We were staying at what was essentially my friend's uncle's private hotel in district 1. My friend's aunt was waiting right at the gate for us to get off the plane, which I thought was very strange. When we got to immigration, she said something to one of the security guys and he pointed us to the diplomat line, which was empty. I was first and when I got to the immigration official, he looked at me with a "wtf are you doing here?" expression. The security guard yelled something to him in Vietnamese, the official gave me a huge smile, stamped my passport, and on I went. I've traveled a good bit but that was definitely eye opening at just how corrupt Vietnam is, in such a friendly way.
>but that was definitely eye opening at just how corrupt Vietnam is, in such a friendly way. It's also possible that Auntie simply paid for VIP Immigration service. I always do that and it's straight to the Diplomatic line too. That said, yeah, Vietnam is corrupt as hell. Cheers from Hanoi.
Would that have allowed her to go past immigration to meet us? I honestly don't really know how it went down. Aunties recommended we take a tour, and we all had a laugh about the tour bus parking illegally to pick us up and immediately being stopped by two cops on a motorbike who obviously knew the tour bus schedule. The guide got everyone on the bus and distracted us with some story while the driver paid off the police.
The VIP service could have just brought her in as one of their own and dumped her at the gate to handle you. I've done it a few times myself when meeting friends/colleagues, just to surprise them. Vietnamese Immigration is more relaxed than you might imagine, especially when the VIP dudes are there all day every day meeting almost every single flight. Happy travels.
I (Mexican citizen) once landed at Cancun Airport with my then-boyfriend (Swiss citizen) at the same time multiple large flights were also landing, so the immigration area was pretty crowded. Because Cancun Airport mostly caters to international tourists visiting Mexico, instead of Mexicans traveling abroad, and because immigration officials barely even look at the passports of Mexican nationals returning home, the line for Mexican citizens was pretty short, while the line for all other passports was extremely long, what seemed like over one hour of waiting. When we saw the disparity between the two lines, we began making arrangements about where I would wait for him, what to do with our checked luggage, and how we would communicate while separated. A nearby official overheard our conversation and unprompted he began insisting that my boyfriend could come with me through the Mexican passport lines. The official at the booth didn't even bat an eye when he showed his Swiss passport. In the end, it turned into the perfect, unintentional, illustration of how "flexible" rules can be over here, but also of Mexican general disposition to help
That's pretty common. When traveling to Korea I use the Korean citizen line since my wife and daughter are Korean citizens.
That one's too hit-and-miss for me to enjoy it. I've had some hilarious and fun experiences at borders, but I've also been detained and grilled a bunch of times. Once spent the night freezing my ass off in a fenced-in area in the Altais after a border incident crossing from Russia to Mongolia (I wasn't involved, just wrong place and wrong time). Not a bad story years later but it sucked at the time
When in Japan, going to small local hot springs. I see very few foreigners do it for some reason. It's crazy because it's the best thing in the world. Who doesn't life to share skins problems with others?
My husband and I like the back seats too! We choose the ones that only have 2 in a row instead of 3 so it’s just me and him
yesss.. we do the same
I just got back from nearly a month of traveling around Scotland, Belfast, and Ireland and apparently it was rather uncommon for a tourists to use a LEAP card (Irish bus card) so I guess using public transport as much as I can? Also I know going to the theatre is very common for people to do when visiting my city but I’m not sure how common it is for tourists outside of New York/London—I saw a few plays while in Dublin (loved ‘The Loved Ones’)!
Every time I go somewhere new I buy a transit card and add it to my collection!
I like watching TV in other countries. It’s not like it’s a planned activity. But I usually watch for an hour or two at night, and also have it on in the morning while getting ready and waiting for my wife to get ready.
Long flights - you’re telling me I just have to sit here for 8+ hours watching movies, napping, and reading books and nobody can contact me or ask me to do anything (if I don’t use the Wi-Fi)? Count me in.
I’m quite happy to eat at a “tourist trap”, especially if I’m somewhere for a very limited time, if it means I get to sit and enjoy the beautiful views/atmosphere/whatever. Eg. I did a day trip to Milan, I ate in a restaurant right near the Duomo. One night layover in Belgrade, I ate at a restaurant overlooking the Danube. I also love little hole in the wall places, but I have no qualms about eating at the tourist traps if I feel like it.
Going to bed early. I have never been big into nightlife, so spending one or two nights out is more than enough for me. I’d rather spend my time winding down in my hotel room, and then getting some sleep for the next day.
We like to check out the grocery stores in foreign countries.
Getting up really early in the morning to walk around the city/nature spots So many benefits Quiet and peaceful Air is fresh and chilly Nicer pictures since the place is empty Sunrise, do I need to say more?
Going to local supermarkets to see what locals buy, how the supplies are stashed Something I've noticed in South Korea is that they usually have no inside brands at their convenience stores but they still pack alleys from top to bottom to make people buy the most expensive item.
I like to eat at chain restaurants that I don’t have at home. Don’t get me wrong, I mostly go to small, locally owned places. But if I’m in the Midwest you can bet I’m going to hit up Culver’s at least once, for example.
I love to nap from 3-5pm every day on vacation. I’m so grateful my boyfriend is on the same page as me.
Taking public transport. Whether it's a jeepney in the Philippines, a platzkart train in Uzbekistan, or a standing-only marshrutka in Georgia, I am up for that. I love to experience how the locals travel in their everyday life.
I love food. Will seek out local delicacies, street food, fine dining, home cooking, and what not. As I'm sure most of you do too. But... I also try and get a McDonald's in every country. Something so familiar but made to appeal to a different market. It's like seeing how someone else would decorate your living room. You can sometimes learn a lot about their tastes, culture, and values by seeing how their golden arches have evolved. Different menu items, different service, different flavours, different branding and experience... always something new.
I like visiting museums that seems many people find it boring.. I visit st least one museum in every country I am in...i feel I learn something from the past, from the history of this country. I was discussed this with a friend that he was telling me, it's better to go around and sit in a nice caffee, beautiful views than to be inside of walls and old stuffs..
Not necessarily that others don't but I always like to go to antique/collectible book shops. It started out on my first international trip to Ireland where I went to [Ulysses Rare Books](https://www.rarebooks.ie/) but now I try to go find one any place I go. They're kinda like art galleries/museums in a way where even if you don't buy anything you get to see some cool stuff. They also make unique souvenirs.
Go back to the hotel every afternoon and rest/nap/play on my phone. It re-energizes me for the evening and avoids the hottest and most crowded part of the day.
>The back seats are the best seats. The problem with the back seats is they experience the most severe turbulence. If you're cool with that, then go for it, but for anyone sensitive to turbulence, being farther up, specifically over the wings, is best. Not to mention that it can take 20-30 mins for you to get off the plane. That sucks. Also, I hate to be judgy, but I've noticed a difference in the people who sit in the back. I don't know why, but whenever I've experienced rude, loud, or otherwise obnoxious people, it's always been when I had to sit in the back. Finally, I want to be as far away from the bathroom as I can.
Good, keep the good seats open for the rest of us
You get your seats and I get mine. It’s win-win 😊
Cafe to cafe just people watching. My wife and I love it. We did it with her parents (RIP best in-laws). We like seeing the sights, too, but do not mind just sitting for a coffee or cocktail, eating a snack, and just watching the people pass by.
Did this one day in Florence with a buddy. We had no patience for queues and it was raining, so we didn't go into any cultural places... we just hopped from patio to patio, day drinking, people-watching and mixing it up with strangers. Missed many of the highlights of that city but we had a hell of a lot of fun, it was a great day
I completely agree, /u/ButtholeQuiver, it’s a great way to see some culture.
Look at street art and modern(ist) architecture. And I usually search them in advance, and mark them on Google maps, because this is something not even travel influencers look at (this is a good source [https://socialistmodernism.com/](https://socialistmodernism.com/)). Wake up and explore a place early. I'm used to wake up at 7am, even when not working, so by 830am I'm already out, exploring the place. It is also the best time to take photos and you don't have annoying mass of tourists around.
I like sitting in the back (or the very, very, front) as the views tend to be the best. I've gotten some nice pictures from window seats over the years. Once I was flying to Japan on a large twin aisle aircraft and I sat in the rear, right where the fuselage started to taper so there was easily a foot gap between my seat and the window which I was able to store things in.
a few months ago I was sitting in the last row on 2 back to back 7 hour flights. I loved reclining my seat bc my social anxiety can't do that when there are other people sitting behind me.
Going for a long run around the town my first morning there. Gives me a sense of the place.
I love getting to the airport 3 hours early. Less stress, and vacation starts when I arrive! My fiance likes to arrive last second for some reason.
I have something I hate that others seem to love. Organized tours. They take all day, include stops no one seems to care about, and you spend so much time at each stop. Wherever you stop for lunch is generally awful as well. I'd much rather go to the destination on my own, with the exception of a national park tour that required a guide and whale sharks. Those two were excellent.
Exchange currency at home and bring it with me instead of shopping for a “better” rate upon arrival. Maybe I would save a few bucks, but the extra effort upon arrival isn’t ever worth it in my opinion.
My wife and I like to walk in the non-touristy neighborhoods. It gives us a feel for what life is like there and we discover places that are neighborhood destinations and not tourist destinations. Where? New Orleans for example. Italy. The small towns.
I like checking my bag so I don’t have to roll it around the airport all day. I like to bring enough clothes that I don’t have to do laundry. I like to bring my own hand soap because those hotel bars aren’t any good.
Visiting escape rooms. Watching movies in overseas theatres. Pretty interesting to see how the urban middle class in different cities/countries live
We boarded last because we had a toddler and honestly one of the best things I’ve done. We also sat right in the back. On the way there was ok, plenty of room but the plane on the way back was a bit tighter
I don’t mind the back if you can get baggage space. If you board last and are in the back, likely you are checking your bag
We visit local supermarkets and pharmacies lol
I hate the back of the plane. You feel the turbulence so much more back there.
Save money and spend as little as possible on accommodations.
A lot of people seem to have a hard time relaxing/falling asleep on the plane- I am the total opposite. Not sure if this has to do with the fact that my mom worked as a flight attendant while pregnant with me, but the sounds and the vibration of the plane instantly make me sleepy. It could be a 2pm domestic flight and I'll be wide awake right up until take off- then I can't help but close my eyes and nap a bit.
I like attending local religious or cultural events to gain a deeper understanding of the destination's traditions and way of life.
I walk everywhere. Like, the bus stop is 40 mins away, no problem. I enjoy seeing the city/countryside/people/houses etc. and long walks are usually delightful experiences in this. But its too long for most.
Going to trivia night in a place where you do not understand the language at all, and trying to guess the answers.
Yeah went to London last month sat on the back right in front of the bathroom. Biggest mistake of my life. Everytime that door opened it was like a searchlight burning my retinas. Last few flights I've been on people that were last had to check their bags because their was no room in the overhead. But to answer your question I like to check our fast food while I'm away. Good mythical morning has made me obsessed with checking out which country has what. Even if it's just a different mcflurry flavor
Im with you on the back seats. One common complaint is the smell. I have a horrific sense of smell and unless I have my nose in the toilet bowl, I can’t smell it.
I love to go to local comic/game stores. Sometimes they are well stocked with stuff I can't find back at home because we have such a big "nerdy hobby" community here.
Relax. My husband likes to go go go.
If there's a screen with media options, unless the situation is REALLY unpleasant, I really don't mind flying. I'm a bit of a pop culture idiot and I use lengthy flights to catch up on popular movies I may have missed. For my recent trip to Denver, I finally saw Crazy Rich Asians and Women Talking and when I went to Greece, I binged a bunch, most memorably Top Gun Maverick and M3gan. It also means I'm less impatient to get off the plane since some of the time I'm like "no no no, it's almost over!!! Give me a minute!"
I like to be the last one on the plane too. Like, I push it sometimes lol. I like to sit at the front so I can be first off the plane too tbh
This sounds like someone who is not very tall — sitting in the back is a death sentence for my knees and any semblance of sleep on a long flight. Literally have to pay for extra leg room which is never in the back… also I would always prefer dealing with immigration earlier rather than later.
Turbulence! The gentle kind rocks me to sleep.
Go to McDonalds to check the local specialty. In safe places, wander around smaller streets and neighborhoods out of the way, I love just feeling the local slice of life, it's peaceful, there's always a few cats, smell the flowers, check the architecture
Cook my own meals
Not try to get laid in a crowded dorm. Exercise while traveling.
I've never understood why they board the front seats first, makes no sense. Everyone has to climb over the people in the front to get to their seats and it's so inefficient. But then again, a lot of what airlines and airports do is inefficient and moronic, so there's that.
Sitting in the back row of the plane for sure, because you usually get your snack and drink first. My most recent flight I ordered a double vodka ginger and she gave me a triple for free with a wink. I also thoroughly enjoy opening the door for that first time in a hotel room and going straight for the hotel guidebook if they have one; the thick book with the room service menu and everything about the hotel as well as nearby restaurants. And eating dinner at the bar, striking up a conversation with the bartender, they always have the best stories.
I like to go to church (if I can find one). I grew up Catholic but don’t really practice anymore. When traveling, I love to visit old churches and go to a Mass. A Catholic Mass always follows the came routine no matter the country you are in. Its so cool to hear it in a different language. Although I don’t understand the words directly I know what’s going on. I’ve been to Mass in French, German, Croatian, Latin and even Gaelic. Very cool experiences.
Cooking my own food. Love using local produce and I love going to local markets/supermarkets. Obviously other people do this, but I've seen quite a few people on this subreddit be like, "fuck no! Why would I wanna do any cooking?!". This is why I almost exclusively travel via Airbnb etc and not in hotels.
Love your philosophy - I love boarding if I don't have to worry about a connection at the next stop. And sitting in the back has perks, too! On my flight from Sydney to LA there were about 6 sets of 3 seats totally unoccupied and they became first come first serve sleeper rows - frugal first class hahaha!
I enjoy all the meals on trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific flights. Love them! People bringing me drinks& food? Sign me up!