Something that I’ve found myself doing more often in my travels compared to the past is looking more towards social media for recommendations on everything: food, things to do, places to shop, etc. At first, I hated it because I liked discovering these places for myself and it felt a bit more special. However, now I also have come to value some of these recommendations purely for the time-saving or money-saving value.
With the over-tourism hitting quite a lot of places, these influencers living in the local places know a bit more about what is happening daily in their cities and give us the information we should pay attention to in order to have a better experience. Now, definitely take their advice with a grain of salt, because influencers definitely leave key pieces of information out of their recommendations, so don’t forget to do your own research as well, but still it can be useful when planning a trip.
For example, in Rome, they opened a new passageway in the Colosseum called The Tunnel of Commodus. I first learned about this from a TikTok which was very exciting. Now what the video didn’t tell me is how quickly tickets sell out or how purchasing tickets directly through the Colosseum is cheaper than going through a site like GetYourGuide or Viator. As another example, when I went on my trip to Lisbon, I kept seeing videos for Sintra and this incredible castle with a circular staircase that went down to a waterfall/well. I assumed it would be fine to purchase tickets the day of, which is was, but not at the time that I wanted and my group had other plans that day where we needed to be back in Lisbon for, so we ended up missing out on the experience.
My point is, while these attractions might sound great in the video, make sure you’re planning in advance to be sure you get to go and paying the right prices. For me, while it can be a disappointment at the time, I take it as a quick learning lesson and know that I’ll do better next time.
I’m also a firm believer in making your own opinions. While I think the gondola rides in Venice are terrible, overpriced, and touristy – most people think it’s relaxing, romantic, and one of the best things that they’ve done in Venice. Every experience, restaurant, view point, city, etc. is not meant for everyone and that is ok! I think that’s the whole point of traveling. Go, discover, experience, and reflect.
