While cheap travel options such as cheapairplane tickets, discount hotel rooms,discount traveldeals, and cheap vacation packagesmake travel affordable, sometimes a trip can be spoiled by the unexpected. Occasionally it rains, or the airline losesyour bag that has the only swimsuit that fits you perfectly, or tickets to theEiffel Tower requires a two hour wait, baking in the Paris heat.
The reality is that a great vacation usually requires alittle work. The following is how with alittle planning, some flexibility, and a touch of creativity, you can enjoy aterrific vacation anytime, anywhere, according to Robin Honig:
Get toknow the locals. While riding on anopen-top, double decker tour bus is a great and fast way to see the sites, youlikely will miss out on the cool nooks and crannies that only natives knowabout. You can make new friends easilywith a good travel social app.
Vayable hooks up users with locals wholead insider excursions from restaurant and pub crawls to neighborhoodexploring, photo walks, and running tours. The Like a Local app offers tours and listings of things to do curatedby locals in almost 4,000 cities around the world. Skip long lines and book tickets directlyfrom the app.
Downloada personal assistant. Apps such as FieldTrip and Time to Enjoy use the GPS on your cell phone to suggest funactivities and places to visit right as you are walking around. Tell the app your favorite things to do andit will customize its recommendations. Activities can be synched with your phones calendar so that you do notaccidentally double book.
Be readyto put away your smartphone after finding fun activities and places to visit. Remember that while you are trying to captureyourself for a photo at just the right angle you are missing out on theexperience itself. While some appsrecommended above will help you get the most out of your trip, multiple studieshave found that we spend way too much time on our phones, whether texting orposting to social media.
Dont make the mistake of ignoring the worldaround you. If your goal is to reallyenjoy your vacation, and the sites, sounds, smells, and tastes, then put awayyour phone for at least a couple of hours each day.
Ifweather at your destination is interfering with your vacation, consider takinga class. Find something creative to passaway the stormy days. This is a good wayto meet locals who can provide invaluable tips. Explore a new interest or keep up with one that you have alreadymastered. Dabble can help you findlocal classes ranging from food, art, business and technology, fitness, andeducation.
Bespontaneous and leave at least two vacation days completely unbooked. Go off script and explore tiny towns that youwould otherwise drive right by. Rememberthat sometimes the best experiences result from being open and not limitingyourself to a rigid schedule.
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