I have been a bit obsessed with travel planning groups on Facebook. While I’m offering lots of advice on England and Italy, I’m seeking it on Saxony.
These groups are great fun, and can deliver some fantastic insider knowledge. But they can also be incredibly frustrating as people ignore the search function to ask repeat questions. Conversations consistently throw up some disturbing trends. I’ve seen enough that I thought it worth pointing out the worst trouble spots and giving you some advice on how to avoid them.
One: Don’t start with someone else’s “Top 10” list; outline your own priorities and go from there
Everything in travel planning comes back to this foundation. From guidebooks to individuals, everyone will offer an authoritative view of the best things to see in a place. But are they best for you? I’m rather horrified by the number of people on these groups who simply ask: “what should we do in such-and-such a place?” There’s no good answer before considering personal style, interests and preferences.
Twenty different people could have twenty entirely different experiences in London. Some might want history, art and architecture. Others might be bored silly by that, but desperate to see filming locations of their favourite productions. Visits can skew towards nightlife and music, food, fashion and shopping, or even adventure sport. (You can put on a hard hat, clip on a safety line and climb to the top of the O2 Arena.) Following someone else’s recommendation is likely to waste your time unless they share your priorities.
And don’t … as so many of my American compatriots do … say “I want to see Everything! As much as I can pack in, because I may never be back!” While I understand the impulse, down that road lies madness. You’ll end up stewing in the disappointment of all the things you didn’t get to, while exhausting yourself with your hungry pace. A few months later, you’ll be unable to identify what’s in your own photos. Slow down and focus on those priorities.
If your priority is truly to get a broad sample? See point six.
Two: Appreciate the influencers, but look beyond them
Believe me, I get the appeal. Interesting people telling great stories in front of gorgeous backgrounds makes me want to go there, too. I’m trying to influence with my own travel posts, after all. I’m seeing significant shifts, however, in the kinds of destinations rising to the top of everyone’s list due to influencers. Everyone seems to be in search of the same picture-postcard backgrounds to their selfies.
I see this most starkly in my Italy planning group, where a startling number of people are prioritising Lake Como, the Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast. These are all astonishingly beautiful places, but if you’re interested in art, architecture and history they’re cultural backwaters. They’re all variations on scenic R&R. Back in olden times when my mother was a travel agent she’d plan one into a client’s itinerary … but never the trio. It’s like having three courses of ice cream rather than a balanced meal.
Whether it’s these destinations or activities in the big cities, influencers have tourists heading disproportionately towards an ever-smaller group of photogenic activities. The result, of course, is that the hot spots have become ridiculously crowded. You couldn’t pay me to go to the Cinque Terre any more; I’m just relieved I went there before things got out of control.
Getting tickets into the Colosseum or the Last Supper is like booking the hottest Michelin-star restaurants. Grab your tickets the morning they go on sale for the next three-month window, or you’re out of luck.
The good news, I suppose, is that as more people concentrate on the Influencers’ favourite spots, fewer will be everywhere else. These days I’ll substitute the Medici’s country villas for central Florence, the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj for the Vatican Museums and Herculaneum for Pompeii. All have just as much artistic and historic value with a fraction of the tourists. Or influencers.
Three: Be suspicious of AI-generated content; always check with trusted sources
In the past few months I’ve seen an explosion of AI-generated images turning up in travel and history feeds across social media. If you’ve visited a place, these are obvious fictions.
If you haven’t been there, however, you might believe that Tower Bridge, the Houses of Parliament and the office building known as “the gherkin” are clustered together, blanketed under an idyllic two feet of snow in January. The reality isn’t even close. And the baths of Caracalla are not, and never have been, three stories of towering Edwardian neo-classicism looming over pools that look surprisingly like spas in Budapest.
These posts don’t seem to be attempting to entrap anyone in a fraud, and you could argue that they do no real harm. Gullible people, however, do risk scheduling trips to see things that don’t exist. I suspect this is a trend that’s going to spiral as more people start playing with AI image generators. Be careful. If you’re interested enough in something to pay to travel to see it, check official websites, travel magazines and local tourism boards to confirm the reality.
These posts don’t seem to be attempting to entrap anyone in a fraud, and you could argue that they do no real harm. Gullible people, however, do risk scheduling trips to see things that don’t exist. I suspect this is a trend that’s going to spiral as more people start playing with AI image generators. Be careful. If you’re interested enough in something to pay to travel to see it, check official websites, travel magazines and local tourism boards to confirm the reality.
Four: Don’t ignore the stress of internal travel; no fewer than three nights in a place is ideal
The most frequent adjustment offered by people on these travel planning forums is itinerary editing. Go fewer places! A minimum of two nights in a place makes sure you have at least one full sightseeing day in each location. A three-night minimum is better if you don’t want to end your holiday exhausted. A different place every night will give you more insight into a country’s transportation systems than its tourism delights.
The most ambitious itineraries come from Americans and Australians who are so used to the vast spaces of their own countries that distances in Europe seem insignificant. It’s true that Edinburgh is as close to London as St. Louis is to Chicago, but that still doesn’t mean you should attempt to drive around the whole island. Road works, traffic, train strikes, slow and narrow roads can all make 30 miles of travel feel like 100.
The most frequent adjustment offered by people on these travel planning forums is itinerary editing. Go fewer places! A minimum of two nights in a place makes sure you have at least one full sightseeing day in each location. A three-night minimum is better if you don’t want to end your holiday exhausted. A different place every night will give you more insight into a country’s transportation systems than its tourism delights.
The most ambitious itineraries come from Americans and Australians who are so used to the vast spaces of their own countries that distances in Europe seem insignificant. It’s true that Edinburgh is as close to London as St. Louis is to Chicago, but that still doesn’t mean you should attempt to drive around the whole island. Road works, traffic, train strikes, slow and narrow roads can all make 30 miles of travel feel like 100.
Again, priorities matter. It may be that Pompeii is indeed so important to you that it’s worth a day trip from Rome, spending three hours in transit each way. But if it’s that much of a priority, why aren’t you basing yourself out of Naples so you can enjoy it properly? If you just want the romance of wandering through a ruined Roman town, would the half-hour commuter train out to the ruins at Ostia Antica, in Rome’s suburbs, scratch your itch without losing so much of the day?
Five: You don’t have to plan everything! Determine what’s essential, and leave the rest
Being a member of a travel planning forum suggests that you like to plan. So do I. But it’s easy to overdo things and leave yourself with no room for the serendipitous discoveries that often make a trip. The pointless meandering down country lanes over spilling with early summer blooms in the Cotswolds. The pop into the tiny family winery for a case of delicious bargain rose. The Tuscan towns that aren’t in the guidebooks, but offer gorgeous streetscapes without tourists.
After 15 years of travelling together my husband and I have settled into a formula that works for us. For each destination we’ll each select two or three things that are a priority for each of us to get to an agreed short list. For each day we will only schedule one thing. The rest just flows.
Obviously, if you have specific priorities you need to do a bit of research into availability. British Museum? It’s still free, but you now need a reserved slot and those are often booked out a few days in advance. Sir John Soane’s museum? You can just turn up.
Six: Don’t immediately dismiss organised travel; group tours and travel agents have their merits
Facebook planning groups seem to be dominated by people who believe independent travel is the only acceptable option; group travel … other than moving between destinations on a cruise ship … is guaranteed to give you an “inauthentic” experience. Authenticity, of course, is now the goal of all travel.
Five: You don’t have to plan everything! Determine what’s essential, and leave the rest
Being a member of a travel planning forum suggests that you like to plan. So do I. But it’s easy to overdo things and leave yourself with no room for the serendipitous discoveries that often make a trip. The pointless meandering down country lanes over spilling with early summer blooms in the Cotswolds. The pop into the tiny family winery for a case of delicious bargain rose. The Tuscan towns that aren’t in the guidebooks, but offer gorgeous streetscapes without tourists.
After 15 years of travelling together my husband and I have settled into a formula that works for us. For each destination we’ll each select two or three things that are a priority for each of us to get to an agreed short list. For each day we will only schedule one thing. The rest just flows.
Obviously, if you have specific priorities you need to do a bit of research into availability. British Museum? It’s still free, but you now need a reserved slot and those are often booked out a few days in advance. Sir John Soane’s museum? You can just turn up.
Six: Don’t immediately dismiss organised travel; group tours and travel agents have their merits
Facebook planning groups seem to be dominated by people who believe independent travel is the only acceptable option; group travel … other than moving between destinations on a cruise ship … is guaranteed to give you an “inauthentic” experience. Authenticity, of course, is now the goal of all travel.
1. Introducing you to a place you’ve never been, especially if you don’t speak the language,
2. Coping with complicated travel logistics (ie a cruise is the only practical way to do the Baltic and the Scandinavian coast in one trip),
3. Dealing with specific needs (limited mobility, tricky diets, solo travel*, etc.)
If you’re short on time, the arguments for getting help grow stronger. My husband and I could afford to waste more than two hours wandering through the German countryside in search of the poorly-signposted Burg Elz, only to find that we deeply disagreed with Rick Steve’s description of it as the best castle in Europe. That’s because were were on a quick weekend break with no firm plans. Had I travelled from the USA spending some of my only 10 or 15 days of vacation per year I would have been frustrated by the waste. A travel professional would, no doubt, have avoided our debacle.
If you’re short on time, the arguments for getting help grow stronger. My husband and I could afford to waste more than two hours wandering through the German countryside in search of the poorly-signposted Burg Elz, only to find that we deeply disagreed with Rick Steve’s description of it as the best castle in Europe. That’s because were were on a quick weekend break with no firm plans. Had I travelled from the USA spending some of my only 10 or 15 days of vacation per year I would have been frustrated by the waste. A travel professional would, no doubt, have avoided our debacle.
Whether you’re considering a group tour or travelling independently, go back to those priorities. Sharpen them up. Then ask experts for help. Your next trip will be much better for it, wherever you’re going.
*Solo female travellers should check out No Stopping Her, a new agency started by some talented friends of mine and dedicated to their sophisticated needs.
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