Don’t try to do too much either! I’ve made that mistake before. Rushing from one place to the next because I had FOMO. Don’t miss the forest through the trees. Slow down and live in the moment.
Yeah that's a personal preference. Usually I bring an outline and say book one or two things that day, but otherwise I leave it flexible to spend more (or less) time based on how things are going that day. E.g. I'll be flexbile with museum visits and time those to be on a rainy day, so those days aren't wasted if there's bad weather.
I had a general idea of things I wanted to show my kids because I've been before. I also added a few I missed last visit. We just took our time and skipped some things if we were having a good time elsewhere. That is the key. If you are enjoying something...it's not a big deal to miss something else. It just gives me more reason to visit again ❤
If we're somewhere for multiple days we will build in a "rest day" where we don't plan anything and we go outside to wander around aimlessly. We've actually found some great views, buildings, restaurants, etc., by accident that we'd have never found otherwise. But it's also okay to just relax inside your BnB or hotel or go hang out at a nice coffee shop or park. Regain some of that energy you spent earlier in the trip.
Agreed. Sometimes the random strolls through cities is worth doing on its own. I definitely now love Krakow. And there are definitely more I could see in Katowice and Wroclaw if I return to Poland in the next 5-10 years. I've also started thinking about what I want to do in 2 years (Paris and the Loire Valley, and maybe Nouvelle Aquitaine if I have enough time to properly see it).
I agree. It gives you a mental overload error. Less is more. There are RUclipsrs who fx. say that it is enough to spend two days here in Bangkok. In February 2024 I kept my Mum and my brother busy for more than two weeks in that town when they were visiting me. And we even did not see everything.
By definition, that's the opposite of wasting time, it's maximizing time. Wasting time is whne you don't plan anything and idling around waiting or searching for things to do.
Sooooo true! Drives me mental as I explore the world…and contributes to the earlier point of why there’s such a long line up too. Neither one of which is worth our time.
Solo trips are SO underrated! I enjoy travelling with another person, but the freedom of a solo trip is really something. Highly recommend doing at least one solo trip, even if you're a bit uncomfortable with it. Once you're there, that will likely change very quickly. :)
especially true! I would like to have at least 12 hours of activity per day My father just wanted to sleep in hotel, max 2h activity time! Which even my mom does not like My mom likes 6 - 8h per day - can't endure my plan of 12h per day!
@RIANDOA Solo travel isn't for everyone. I would always rather have my husband with me. Still, solo is it is better than being with people you don't jive with (like cranky coworkers).
Be you. If you never visit museums at home, you don’t need to suddenly get interested in them on vacation. If you’re into music, book to see a concert. Food? Take a cookery class. Hiking? Find a local walking club. Do things that locals do that interest you. It’s a good ‘in’ to how things are different to home… and if you share a common interest, then it’s an easy way to strike up a conversation. Great topic as always Mark!
Couldn't agree more with this. One of the things my husband and I do abroad is go to local supermarkets, food markets cause we want to see new snacks and food we haven't had before!
So true. Never been in a cathedral at home, so not interested in any abroad, except I do like cemeteries and graves of people I'm interested in like authors or artists, political leaders and film actors. I also like touring historic homes and filming locations. I also do like museums, but it's tiring to spend hours, so I only go into museums that have specific things that I've alway wanted to see and can't find at home. But I can only be so energetic, so sitting in an outdoor cafe or by a window doing absolutely nothing except people watching is one thing I'll do _anywhere_ - at home or abroad.
Wholeheartedly agree! If you are like me and you like football, then try to get to a game or go on a stadium tour..or perhaps find the ruins of an old stadium or visit the location of a former stadium and see what is there now. It'll sound mad to some people but I plan to visit the stadium of a lower league Polish football team near Warsaw when I visit Poland in September, purely because the fans of the away team are effectively housed in what looks like a cage!
If you travel with friends, make sure they have the same idea of fun. How much shopping, drinking, selfie taking do they do? How much walking do they want to do? How often do they want to go to a very expensive restaurant? Some chuches, museums, castles, or all of them? A good friend in day to day life might not be the best travel companion.
I am the kind of person who likes to spend my vacation doing and seeing as much as possible. I want to go go go, explore explore. I learned I was in a wrong relationship when I was on vacation in a beach town with my ex boyfriend. I was ready to hit the beach, ride the bike trails, go kayaking, whatever. He wanted to sleep in. It’s vacation and it’s for relaxing and getting sleep. My thought is I can sleep anywhere. Why pay money to do little more than sleep? The relationship was over before we got home.
Traveling with friends is often a pain. Traveling with a friend can be great. Especially if they share the same interests and also bring new ideas on what to do. Listening on their ideas on what to visit can make the trip better than what you'd come up on your own. But it's usually best to keep the traveling companions to one.
Spot on. Everyone has a different idea of what constitutes a good hol. You may love your friends to bits, but don’t share a holiday with them if you like different things. You may come away not friends anymore!
Many years ago on a trip to London with my ex-wife (it was her first trip overseas) our first stop was at Westminster Abbey. She spent more time in the gift shop than we did in the Abbey itself. 🙄
One thing I learned while travelling is to listen to your body. Rest when you feels sick, sore, or just need a quiet evening in. Granted, everyone is different, and there are people who can be go go go for two straight weeks while exploring. But resting when tired can go a long way towards enjoying your vacation to the max instead of pushing yourself too far and getting sick and missing out even more on vacation.
I agree. What I do is go out in the morning and then return mid afternoon around 3 pm and rest for a couple of hours. I then go back out in the evening for dinner and to walk around or see a live music show. Doesn't mean I don't get sick sometimes but this works best for me at this stage of my life.
one way of wasting your vacation is booking a luxury hotel. unless you plan to stay in the hotel the entire time, there's no point to spend thousands a night just to sleep in a bed and leave the room early the entire day..
I TOTALLY AGREE!!! I apply the same logic to cruiseships. I book interior staterooms because the only time I spend inside my stateroom is for showering and changing clothes, or unpacking/packing. 🚢
I absolutely agree! I once thought of staying in a luxury hotel in Paris until I realized that all I needed was a bed and toilet. Luxury hotels are a waste of money.
I agree. But some people love just relaxing at the hotel. Personally not my style at all. Once in a while I don't mind that vacation, but very seldom. When I go on vacation I'm there to see the culture and history of the place I'm at. But everyone is different.
It basically comes down to money. My wife and I do 1 major vacation per year and we do it up large, because we can. So we do luxury hotels, Michelin Star Restaurants and still get in lots of the major attractions and “things to do”. We UBER/Lyft everywhere so we don’t waste time with public transportation. YOLO 🤷🏻♂️
Waiting in any lines feels like a sin while on vacation to me. Just book a good guide or prebook any tickets. You'll end up learning and seeing more in a shorter amount of time and will often walk right past any lines when you're with your guide.
There's so many young people walking in lines to get "an X product" or "X pastry" because of TikTok. In Amsterdam there's so many of these places that someone had to do a video telling people there's better choices or equal quality choices of those they saw on TikTok.
My tip is to do whatever feels right. Don‘t let socials and others tell you what to do. For example I didn‘t go into the Louvre in Paris or into the Vatican in Rome. I don‘t like crowded places and prefered to find a good local café to enjoy a book there with a view. I look back and I‘d do it the same way again. I don‘t need a special pic of a sight etc., because the vacation is for me, not the socials. Always keep that in mind: It‘s your free time, it should be fun and feel right, you work hard the rest of the year! :)
Yes, I fully understand you. When I go on holidays nowadays I do not need to visit every sight recommended (OK... Vatican city and the Louvre is a must at least once). Yes, finding a café, reading a book (and smoking a shiisha for me 🙂) is also a thing nowadays much more than when I was younger. You have a nice way of travelling.
I mostly agree, though I'm of the opinion that everyone who's at least slightly interested in art should visit the Louvre if they happen to be in Paris. It's not even about the socials. There are places you just gotta check out. The Eiffel Tower can be cool if you're into high structures but at the end of the day, it's a metal tower. The Louvre on the other hand is a giant collection of some of the world's most prolific art. I've lost my eyesight a few years ago and I'm really thankful I visited the Louvre when I was still able to see and appreciate those paintings and sculptures. Also, in my experience the crowds distribute really well. The only truly crowded place is the front hall where you buy your ticket. After that, it gets much better. There were sections within the Louvre that were completely empty when I was there. It's a huge building and 95% of people only want to see the most famous exhibits. There's an entire hall dedicated to sculptures from Ancient Greece and another hall dedicated to native African art and practically no one goes there.
If you do want to travel with a group, get smaller separate but close-by accommodations instead of one big one. It can be stressful to suddenly spend every minute of the day with people you don’t normally live with. Having your own space to go to at the end of the day gives you a personal recharge, keeps nerves from getting frayed and makes it feel like suddenly you’re living walking distance to your friends and family. A rare treat for US tourists!
Personally, the three biggest ways to waste your vacation are 1: cramming in too many activities and trying to do Everything. One of the biggest reasons for a vacation is to cure yourself from the burnout. At least, that is why I take my Vacations. The last thing i want is more burnout. 2: not making rain plans. Its good to make alternate plans incase your plans do not work out. 3: not budgeting. The last thing you want to think of while on vacation besides work is money.
Solo travel is the best! You can do what you want when you want and for how long you want. Deciding exactly what you want to do and planning things that make sense for a day so you don't waste your time going back and forth in the city.
@@lawrencelewis2592 If I went with a friend (or friends) who could agree to that, I'd be totally in. I think it's important to set ground rules so to speak so everyone agrees on what the trip will look like as you're planning.
Get tickets in advance for places you really want to go to. You can almost always go online and get a ticket(s) through their website before you leave. You can walk in past the people waiting an hour just to get tickets at the location.
Adding on to pre trip planning, plan alternative activities if weather wipes out your original schedule for the day. Instead of wasting time trying to solve “what now”.
If you travel with someone, make it someone who is okay to do a few things of their own and let you do a few things of your own. I'm not a shopper, my friend had NEVER traveled before so she wanted to look at every souvenir shop. So I said I was going to go to a museum for an afternoon so she could go through all the stores and didn't worry that she was holding me up. Likewise if one is an early bird and the other a night owl. Early bird, take a few hours in the morning, let your friend sleep in, go for a quiet coffee or walk. Night owl, let your friend get their early night. Take your evening walk, hit the clubs, whatever you do, and just be quiet when you come back.
Traveling to Europe when it's super hot in July/August will really Zap you and take your energy. You feel much more energetic in May and mid September as to July/August
That's what I do when I'm in places like Miami. That midday break/nap is priceless and it feels like having 2 different days every day. Mornings are completely different than evenings.
@@georgefoord7087 That doesn't make any sense: cities like Florence or Lisbon have tourist waves all the time during the day. As a matter of fact also restaurants.
Fabulous content thank you! And wholeheartedly agree. My biggest disappointment for people when they travel is if they don’t do any research, obviously as you say they are going to waste time, but also a huge disadvantage of this is that they miss out on learning lots about that country and culture. I am an avid solo traveller and a huge part of the buzz for me IS doing the research and planning, so I can get the most from my trip. I cringe when I watch these RUclipsrs shooting videos marvelling at some incredible building or statue, but they actually know nothing about it or its significance. I’m not saying you need to do a university degree level of study on each destination, but it makes your trip so much more interesting and fun if you have some prior knowledge of things pertinent to that country. I can highly recommend it!! Safe travels everyone! Cheers from Australia
I'd say stay fluid in your expectations. While it's good to have a plan and itinerary, not everything goes to plan. Roll with it and if something you had wanted to see or do doesn't work out, don't let it ruin your day or trip.
Yes! I think of my trips in terms of how many meals I'll have in each place. If I'm somewhere for 2 days, that's 6 meals. Do I really want to spend one of those meals at this restaurant, or on this food? I don't have to have the perfect experience for every meal, but I don't want to waste any opportunities either if I can help it.
I always find it funny when people make a big deal about wanting to try American fast food in another country. If you have plenty of time, sure I guess, but I would not want that taking up a whole slot of time on a big vacation for me.
@@laceyfaulkner9029Exactly. Even if you want a break from the country's cuisine for a night, it makes more sense to check out a local option of a different cuisine than a slightly different version of a fast food meal you can have any day back home.
Plan to wake up early to see the things! The earlier you go, the less crowds you have to deal with. I learned that in Pula Croatia, mid afternoon we could barely walk the roads with the mass amount of people out and about. The next day we woke up earlier and had next to no crowds, all the roads were empty so prime picture taking time, and no crowds in the stores. Do Not Sleep In!
I know people who went to Iceland, they had to see every single waterfall and glacier. Those things are important but my favorite thing about Iceland was experiencing their culture.
Agree with a lot of this video. Another benefit of staying close to the downtown area is the ease of popping back in whenever you want to put your feet up for an hour or to get away from the crowds for a bit so you don't burn out. The restaurant thing is crazy. There can be a dozen restaurants serving similar cuisines with plenty of locals clearly thinking they are worth spending money on, but all the tourists are waiting in line for the one they saw on social media. My parents keep pushing me to go on a cruise with them and I keep resisting because being stuck on a boat with my parents will not feel like a vacation to me!
Yes! I had a rule. If I took the train, I didn't lodge too far from the train station unless there was a tram or other transport stop nearby. Many German cities the main stations (Hbf) are at the edge of the old city, but some like Karlsruhe (a literal modern-era city where there is no "Altstadt") "downtown" is by trams and U-Bahns. There are a few decent hotels and restaurants near the Hbf there, but all the action is 20+ min away walking. Not unreasonable unless you have much baggage.
Wow. My mother died from an unexpected illness when she was only 64, and growing up we didn't have enough money for travels. Only ONCE in my life we took a trip together and we were looking forward to more trips after her retirement. Never got the chance again. My dad is 80 and not in good shape anymore for travels. You have your folks and cringe at the thought of going on a trip with them. Life is so unfair and some people are so ungrateful.
Very good Mark! I try to tell people these things all the time. However, I do enjoy group trips. All my international trips are a group of 6. But, here's the key. It's the same people and we enjoy the same type things and have been great friends for over a decade, so it works. We never invite others though for your exact reasoning. It's so much fun with a group, but just with the right group.
location is key, I see so many people trying to save on hotels but end up ubering everywhere and spending the same money they saved. Great video again with solid information
Exactly. Yes, you saved $45 a night on your accommodation, but you're also spending $10 on public transit or taxis per person everyday. The same thing goes for budget airlines that don't fly into the main airport.
@blackbeardsadventures on my last vacations, I only took a cab or to and from the airport. On one of those trips, I walked nearly everywhere, and on the second, I relied heavily on public transportation. (The second city had much better transportation than the first one).
@@davidpitkin9352 New Orleans and Montreal, respectively. (To be fair to New Orleans, part of the problem was that there was construction on Canal Street during my stay, which caused delays and need for extra transfers. But I also found the bus drivers a little rude and unhelpful when asking questions.)
One of the best walking tours I have taken is the Jack the Ripper tour in London. It was done in the evening, and it was incredible. The tour guide even dressed the part and snuck up on our group at the beginning of the tour. I agree about planning. My family came to visit us in Germany, and they had no plan of what to see. My sister wanted to take day trips to Switzerland, France, and the Netherlands. I have never been so worn out. I felt like I was on a speed tour.
That last bit! Hard pass on group trips. I'm a huge fan of solo travel and have come to prefer it most of the time. I've taken myself on some pretty amazing trips and hope to take many more.
Great video Mark, one of your best. Time is such a precious commodity, even more so on holiday. Another is not booking on-line prior to your trip. Also never pass up the chance of interacting with locals in a bar or coffee shop. They live there and will gladly help with your travel experience. Use food trucks during the day, so much quicker than queueing for a restaurant. Going with my wife to Melbourne, Sydney and Perth at the end of the year from the uk. All flights, hotels and excursions booked up front. Keep it up Mark.
The biggies for my last trip (San Antonio) were the Alamo and the Riverwalk. I bailed on the former when I saw the lineups and that it was all under construction anyway... When I went to London last year I allocated my days as Shopping, Touristy Stuff, Out of Town Side Trip, Contingency.
We live in Canada and have explored some other provinces besides our own over the years (so beautiful) however, we follow my Dads vacation advice. If you want to travel overseas, do that while you’re healthy and young-ish. At some point in life you may not want to do (or can’t do) those long haul trips anymore or won’t be able to get travel insurance. At that time, then explore closer to home. Happy travels all!
I like your dad's advice. Cuz travelling is basically walking all day long, at least how I do it. Eventually you're so sore you cannot walk up that next hill to that castle. If you don't keep fit (by walking hours daily) at home, your vacation is gonna show you your limitations. Also I don't know what travel insurance is, but it sounds like an industry that tries to keep people over 50 from leaving their homes.
👍💯 EXCELLENT TIPS, as always! The one about taking just 2 photos is gold! We’ve all become convinced we need to take a zillion photos and still we’re not satisfied.
I agree with everything said in this video. I would however add to not over schedule what l will see and do on what day.... Remember its a holiday not Business meetings... I usually inform myself on trip advisor and RUclips about the places I am about to visit.... To get a rough framework of what I wish to see and what not... But l always live some space for spontaneous visits or excursions which pop up when I am there.... Also sleeping in is sometimes the best way to get the most out of visiting places where there is a great and vast nightlife - im thinking of Berlin, IBIZA, Las Vegas, Miami, Cancun, London, so when you stumble to the hotel at 5am there will definitely be no Museum or Beach Day at 9am. Nightlife can be a big part to see the city/ destination so sleeping in goes with it 😅
Agree with staying far away...but also staying *slightly* outside of the main area of a city may put you in an area where you get to experience the "real" city. Example: Stay in Brooklyn vs. Manhattan. 20 minute subway ride to where most people stay and you get to experience a more tourist free area. One you missed: NEVER EVER go to a chain restaurant (or other shops) while on vacation. Local businesses only.
disagree with chain restaurants if they're outside your home country. Trying McDonald's in different countries is, ironically, a good way to compare tastes across borders. But I agree with staying in a less touristy/crowded place
Wolter is crushing it these days with these vids. Lots of travel wisdom in this video. So much truth about things I think we all do to some extent. I'm guilty of the waiting to get that perfect shot. Many hours wasted. 😂
One waste of time is seeing a museum or other site because you're supposed to. For example, I'm not so interested in sights in London and planned a trip to see England's natural landscapes. Make your own memories.
Exactly! If I ever go to London, I could care less about seeing Big Ben or Buckingham Palace. I just want to go to a nice pub and have some pints while admiring the buildings craftsmanship and listening to everyone around me speak in a British accent, before walking down a random cobble stone street until I find a place where I can get some fish and chips.
Back in the regular camera days, on our honeymoon in Greece my husband bought professional slides of the important sites and monuments instead of trying to photograph everything himself. He still took pictures but they were personal ones of the two of us.
That last one really hit home for me!! Mark, thank you for all the great tips, some of which should be obvious but aren't, and especially for the validation regarding the PTO, the "sleeping in" issue, the lack of research, and especially the "group trip"... I've learned from experience that solo (or with my partner) trips are the best for me. I always look forward to your videos!
One good way of getting the most from a holiday is to keep a journal or write a book about your travels. Being faced with a dull page is a powerful motivator. Off to Greece today. I have a loose plan for every day. Good video.
Great points. The ones I don't get are the people who take photos of absolutely everything and that's all they care about, take the picture and go on to the next thing, without actually looking at the sites or experiencing the places they're at.
Yours is a concept I learned while looking into Mindfulness. According to these people, taking a photo reduces the pleasure earned by the viewer, diluting it?? I'm not sure. That if you share a sunset, you've lessened your enjoyment of it.
You are so right about taking your PTO - there may have been a time when you were paid that back if you didn't use it, but those days are long gone, same with sick leave days.
Don't be afraid to separate if you want to see & do different things. You don't have to be joined at the hip for the entire trip. Great video! - My kids & I love Sweden. We have family there and have been several times. :)
Definitely. On a trip to Barcelona with my son and husband, last day. The guys wanted to go to Camp Nou (Football stadium) and I wanted to go to the Picasso Museum. So that's what we did, and planned a meeting point for a late lunch after.
Amen to taking your PTO! I didn’t grow up going on many vacations due to my parents’ finances and such, but I make a point to treat myself to trips whenever possible.
I agree 100% with all your recommendations. I always plan my visits, if you spend 200 bucks a night for a bed you need to make your time out of bed count
I get centrally placed but cheap hotels in expensive cities. I don't want to be pampered, I want to be right next to whatever fun I have planned. I can sleep in and have an excellent cup of coffee at home any weekend.
Excellent points! A note about the free walking tours - I usually enjoy sticking it out, as sometimes you get to see cool places that you'd never get the chance to explore yourself, or you get a deeper dive into the city and culture (especially if it's a themed free walking tour, like architecture or dark history). If you do leave the tour early, don't forget to let your guide know, as they might waste everybody else's time waiting or searching for you! And tip them before you leave.
On the PTO, I can fully agree. My parents had these huge plans on doing a lot of far travels when my dad retired but my mom died of cancer before they got to that point (and my dad had a CVA and is in a wheelchair now). That was a wake-up call for me. I'll do my traveling now, not some point in the future I might not even reach. Planning is something I do too (especially if I travel with my dad and his wheelchair, as then you have to take accessibility into account). I mostly have a list of things I would like to see and the day before I plan them in, depending on location, weather, etc. Unless it's that one big something that you have to book in way in advance, then that gets assigned a day and we plan around that. Another thing to be careful about and check up front, or you might not be able to do the thing you really wanted to do. As to wasting time, do your research on the location of things you want to see and plan to do each day a few that are close together, so you don't waste time traveling through a city three times because the things you planned for that day are on different sides of the city. As my dad is in a wheelchair, when I was in London and we had to take the bus as not all subway stations are accessible (and therefore we got stuck in traffic), each day we went out from the hotel to an area in the city, did the stuff in that area we wanted to do (mostly on foot), and then went back with the bus. Repeat next day with a different area.
I try to visit rural areas where there's not too much to see so I can focus on what's actually there, and I don't mind waiting an hour or more for the right photo
As someone who lives in a somewhat large city, rural areas are a nice change of scenery. Tou can visit a quaint town and experience everything that town has to offer, and not feel like you missed out on anything.
This is one of your best videos in my opinion. You point out , in your very humorous , lovely way :), the most important things which matters when traveling . The meaning of travel - to go and see the world, and dont' waste life on other things (more than necessary). I feel motivated and thank you for that, Mark :)
What some of this boils down to is, don't spend a lot of time trying to get pictures that you can impress everyone with back home. I definitely agree---how many people are really that excited to see someone else's vacation photos?
Mark, I agree with you 100% on everything you said. I just got back from a two week vacation in Europe and didn’t waste time waiting or sleeping! The best vacation, got so much in!
On the topic of staying in the centre or on the outskirts of the city. Last year I booked a stay at the Hotel Bologna Center. You'd think it wouldn't be too far from the city centre, right? Well, as a seasoned traveler, I figured beforehand that it was about 20 minutes walk from the center. I was still able to sacrifice that, the hotel was cheap and looked good. It wasn't until I got there that I found out that you first had to get to the outskirts of the city where public transport still goes, and only THEN, you walked 20, more like 35 minutes between the fields and far beyond the industrial edge of the city to get to the hotel between the factory halls :-D
I agree with just having a rough idea of what you want to do and see while on vacation. It's too stressful to have a detailed itinerary and then try to stick to it. Spontaneity is half the fun!
I would add not getting tickets to the popular attractions ahead of time. We missed out on the Van Museum in Amsterdam because they were sold out the time we were there. I wasted my time going there thinking I could just walk in and I missed one of my must sees.
Mark, I love your videos, but this has got to be my favorite! I solo travel a lot because I want to take MY trip. I have vacationed with people who want to sleep until noon! I'm up at the crack of dawn and ready to go!
We were in Venice Italy and the people taking multiple pics at the same site were super annoying. Blocking walkways, holding up pedestrian traffic etc.
I have them too and I don't take them to Europe anymore. It's just bulky to carry a camera system that takes up a whole backpack to itself, especially when I'm trying to travel light with only a small backpack and carry on suitcase. For domestic trips, which are mostly national parks, I still take the nice camera though.
Modern phone cameras are more than good enough for most purposes. Some times a long lens or some other feature of a good camera is helpful, but I only bring it for a photo trip, I don't lug it around when I'm supposed to enjoy a city.
There was a time not long ago, when you could very well be the first person to get a specific shot of something, but today, you can just go to Google, and see someone else's photo of the exact thing you wanted to photograph.
Staying outside of the city center was really what undermined my trip to Ireland. Spent way too much time in a car and trying to find parking. Our hotel outside of dublin was like 40 minute train ride from the city. I've also done friend trips and we just set a meet up time. If someone wanted to tag along with the sightseeing we were doing that was fine but if you want to do something else thats cool too.
We ate dinner at one of the most popular restaurants in Vienna last month and avoided the long line out front by simply having our hotel make a reservation for us.
I took a stay cation this year. I intentionally drove to the train station and rode the train Downtown, before walking a few blocks to the ferry and riding it across the river, and walking a few more blocks to a pub, before riding the boat back across the river, and taking the train back to the station just to feel like I traveled somewhere.
I work in Germany. Actually if I don't use all my vacation days for the year, they will be gone... It will reset in the next year. But I'm ain't nobody you have to force to take it anyway 😃 And you have to take them. It is the law ☝
Dude, i was holding her back... the guide was BAD like... BAAAAAD. Half the tour was her talking about how she lived in New York... it was a tour of Savannah, Georgia :)
I’m actually a proponent of doing LESS on your vacation, but keeping it a quality experience. One good morning activity and one good afternoon activity are really all you need… especially if you also take time for a good lunch and a nice dinner. I also find that getting out of the cities and visiting scenic landscapes and villages is more rewarding the older I get. You get to meet the locals and generally have better interactions with them. For my most recent vacation, we rented a rural cottage and lived like a local. You learn a lot about a country at the village grocery store!
Another time waster is getting lost or losing each other. If you arrive at a crowded place, fix on a point where you can touch base if you split up or lose each other. Check the street map before you set out so you don't take unnecessary detours. this is not so much of a problem these days as everyone has a phone on them, but it's still better to be sure (What if a phone gets pickpocketed, or runs out of charge or simply loses GPS?)
I am nearing the end of my working career and I don’t think I EVER gave back a vacation day. I worked in a service profession where for most of my career I got the minimum 10 vacation days (or later 15 days of PTO that included sick days.) Time off is precious travel time.
Buy your tickets in advance and make dinner reservations! Wasting time waiting in lines is insane when you could do that on line in 5 minutes with some planning
Just two points I disagree with. 1. Getting up late is fine before an evning pub crawl followed by an all-night party. 2. Group motorcycle rides can be better than individual travel, especially if someone else has done the planning to find the best routes.
Went to Las Vegas recently wit family, woke up early at 7 am. Ate breakfast at 8 am. Left by 9 am. Lunch at 2 pm. Went back to hotel and swam in pool. Left to go out again at 6:30. Slept at 1 am. Packed days the best, you can get so much done.
When I was a kid, we were doing a lot of caravan camping tours around Europe. So, it was a lot of driving around and that was okay. However, at some point during every other vacation, my father spotted a "shortcut" - which always resulted in a serious adventure that wasted the day. Things like getting lost in a swamp in Belgium, driving some slow almost off-road dirt track through winefields in Italy or having to take that 2m wide road with the steep cliff on either side around that mountain ... backwards... with a caravan in tow. As that film pointed it out once "Shortcut always involves danger, otherwise it would be the normal route"
Oh but the memories he created for his family. But seriously, I agree with you, even when it comes to walking around a city or town. Sometimes the shortest route is the hardest ... we live in Lisbon & the shortest route often involve hiking up a nearly verticle & often slippery sidealk or path.
I worked with a guy who never took time off and saved all his days. One day, the head of HR told him he needed to start taking some days. He took them all at once and then filed for retirement. He got a year and half off before his retirement kicked in. He and wife traveled the world for the year and a half, and then traveled the US once he was retired. I would not follow his plan but it paid off for him.
I chuckled at your first tip about not sleeping in. I have a sister who lives several states away; she's always exhorting me and my brother to go there for a visit. My brother and I are loathe to do so because we can't plan any activities with her -- my sister's usual "ready to go" time is around 2 pm! By the time we drive to the venue, it's almost closing time! Also, I'm one of those idiots who doesn't take her PTO, but it sure came in handy when I was on medical leave for 3 months late 2023/early 2024.
Don’t try to do too much either! I’ve made that mistake before. Rushing from one place to the next because I had FOMO. Don’t miss the forest through the trees. Slow down and live in the moment.
Yeah that's a personal preference.
Usually I bring an outline and say book one or two things that day, but otherwise I leave it flexible to spend more (or less) time based on how things are going that day. E.g. I'll be flexbile with museum visits and time those to be on a rainy day, so those days aren't wasted if there's bad weather.
I been a trip recently, I felt like we could have done more things and been more efficient. Too much idle time, did not get to see enough things.
@@justinanderson2129 done that and my feet paid the price the day afterwards
I had a general idea of things I wanted to show my kids because I've been before. I also added a few I missed last visit. We just took our time and skipped some things if we were having a good time elsewhere. That is the key. If you are enjoying something...it's not a big deal to miss something else. It just gives me more reason to visit again ❤
If we're somewhere for multiple days we will build in a "rest day" where we don't plan anything and we go outside to wander around aimlessly. We've actually found some great views, buildings, restaurants, etc., by accident that we'd have never found otherwise. But it's also okay to just relax inside your BnB or hotel or go hang out at a nice coffee shop or park. Regain some of that energy you spent earlier in the trip.
The biggest waste of time that I see people doing is trying to cram in too many sites in a day just to check it off their bucket list.
@@gary860 Agree 100%. Ticking off boxes without experiencing the vacation site, just stupid.
Agreed. Sometimes the random strolls through cities is worth doing on its own. I definitely now love Krakow. And there are definitely more I could see in Katowice and Wroclaw if I return to Poland in the next 5-10 years. I've also started thinking about what I want to do in 2 years (Paris and the Loire Valley, and maybe Nouvelle Aquitaine if I have enough time to properly see it).
I agree. It gives you a mental overload error. Less is more.
There are RUclipsrs who fx. say that it is enough to spend two days here in Bangkok. In February 2024 I kept my Mum and my brother busy for more than two weeks in that town when they were visiting me. And we even did not see everything.
By definition, that's the opposite of wasting time, it's maximizing time. Wasting time is whne you don't plan anything and idling around waiting or searching for things to do.
@@mrnarason On holidays I do not want to spend planning all the days. I want to decide what to do freely.
Wasting time getting the perfect Instagram shot - "I'm an influencer, I'm telling you, nobody cares..." HAHAHA 😂
😂😂
That's a power move 😅
Love that comment and soooo true!!
Sooooo true! Drives me mental as I explore the world…and contributes to the earlier point of why there’s such a long line up too. Neither one of which is worth our time.
Solo trips are SO underrated! I enjoy travelling with another person, but the freedom of a solo trip is really something. Highly recommend doing at least one solo trip, even if you're a bit uncomfortable with it. Once you're there, that will likely change very quickly. :)
especially true!
I would like to have at least 12 hours of activity per day
My father just wanted to sleep in hotel, max 2h activity time! Which even my mom does not like
My mom likes 6 - 8h per day - can't endure my plan of 12h per day!
@RIANDOA Solo travel isn't for everyone. I would always rather have my husband with me. Still, solo is it is better than being with people you don't jive with (like cranky coworkers).
Be you. If you never visit museums at home, you don’t need to suddenly get interested in them on vacation.
If you’re into music, book to see a concert. Food? Take a cookery class. Hiking? Find a local walking club.
Do things that locals do that interest you. It’s a good ‘in’ to how things are different to home… and if you share a common interest, then it’s an easy way to strike up a conversation.
Great topic as always Mark!
Couldn't agree more with this. One of the things my husband and I do abroad is go to local supermarkets, food markets cause we want to see new snacks and food we haven't had before!
This is very true. I like beer, so in Germany, I spent a lot of time with my friends drinking beer! I was told I had a good time.
So true. Never been in a cathedral at home, so not interested in any abroad, except I do like cemeteries and graves of people I'm interested in like authors or artists, political leaders and film actors. I also like touring historic homes and filming locations. I also do like museums, but it's tiring to spend hours, so I only go into museums that have specific things that I've alway wanted to see and can't find at home. But I can only be so energetic, so sitting in an outdoor cafe or by a window doing absolutely nothing except people watching is one thing I'll do _anywhere_ - at home or abroad.
Fax. This one should get out their comfort zone a lil. Both on vacation and in everyday life.
Wholeheartedly agree! If you are like me and you like football, then try to get to a game or go on a stadium tour..or perhaps find the ruins of an old stadium or visit the location of a former stadium and see what is there now. It'll sound mad to some people but I plan to visit the stadium of a lower league Polish football team near Warsaw when I visit Poland in September, purely because the fans of the away team are effectively housed in what looks like a cage!
If you travel with friends, make sure they have the same idea of fun. How much shopping, drinking, selfie taking do they do? How much walking do they want to do? How often do they want to go to a very expensive restaurant? Some chuches, museums, castles, or all of them? A good friend in day to day life might not be the best travel companion.
I am the kind of person who likes to spend my vacation doing and seeing as much as possible. I want to go go go, explore explore. I learned I was in a wrong relationship when I was on vacation in a beach town with my ex boyfriend. I was ready to hit the beach, ride the bike trails, go kayaking, whatever. He wanted to sleep in. It’s vacation and it’s for relaxing and getting sleep. My thought is I can sleep anywhere. Why pay money to do little more than sleep? The relationship was over before we got home.
Traveling with friends is often a pain. Traveling with a friend can be great. Especially if they share the same interests and also bring new ideas on what to do. Listening on their ideas on what to visit can make the trip better than what you'd come up on your own. But it's usually best to keep the traveling companions to one.
Spot on. Everyone has a different idea of what constitutes a good hol. You may love your friends to bits, but don’t share a holiday with them if you like different things. You may come away not friends anymore!
This sounds like traveling with my sister who wants to shop, shop, and shop. I'd prefer parks, waterfall, local flora and fauna, and folktales.
Yea but you and whoever you travel with need to compromise it’s not just their trip it’s your trip as well
Spending time going from souvenir shop to souvenir shop to see the same mass-produced junk.
I was recently in San Marino, they had an excellent selection of plastic trolls holding Norwegian flags. What's not to like?
You sound extremely fun
I kind of agree however if it's like local crafts and what not I'll support those.
Produced by the locals in Huangchow … 😊
Many years ago on a trip to London with my ex-wife (it was her first trip overseas) our first stop was at Westminster Abbey. She spent more time in the gift shop than we did in the Abbey itself. 🙄
One thing I learned while travelling is to listen to your body. Rest when you feels sick, sore, or just need a quiet evening in. Granted, everyone is different, and there are people who can be go go go for two straight weeks while exploring. But resting when tired can go a long way towards enjoying your vacation to the max instead of pushing yourself too far and getting sick and missing out even more on vacation.
I agree. What I do is go out in the morning and then return mid afternoon around 3 pm and rest for a couple of hours. I then go back out in the evening for dinner and to walk around or see a live music show. Doesn't mean I don't get sick sometimes but this works best for me at this stage of my life.
"Enjoy your life, enjoy your family" love this Mark, thank you for reminding everyone what matters.
one way of wasting your vacation is booking a luxury hotel. unless you plan to stay in the hotel the entire time, there's no point to spend thousands a night just to sleep in a bed and leave the room early the entire day..
I TOTALLY AGREE!!!
I apply the same logic to cruiseships. I book interior staterooms because the only time I spend inside my stateroom is for showering and changing clothes, or unpacking/packing. 🚢
I absolutely agree! I once thought of staying in a luxury hotel in Paris until I realized that all I needed was a bed and toilet. Luxury hotels are a waste of money.
I agree. But some people love just relaxing at the hotel. Personally not my style at all. Once in a while I don't mind that vacation, but very seldom. When I go on vacation I'm there to see the culture and history of the place I'm at. But everyone is different.
It basically comes down to money. My wife and I do 1 major vacation per year and we do it up large, because we can. So we do luxury hotels, Michelin Star Restaurants and still get in lots of the major attractions and “things to do”. We UBER/Lyft everywhere so we don’t waste time with public transportation. YOLO 🤷🏻♂️
@@Kell4088 i think its ok once in a while, like flying first class. but first class is so not worth it on a regular basis..
Waiting in any lines feels like a sin while on vacation to me. Just book a good guide or prebook any tickets. You'll end up learning and seeing more in a shorter amount of time and will often walk right past any lines when you're with your guide.
There's so many young people walking in lines to get "an X product" or "X pastry" because of TikTok.
In Amsterdam there's so many of these places that someone had to do a video telling people there's better choices or equal quality choices of those they saw on TikTok.
My tip is to do whatever feels right. Don‘t let socials and others tell you what to do. For example I didn‘t go into the Louvre in Paris or into the Vatican in Rome. I don‘t like crowded places and prefered to find a good local café to enjoy a book there with a view. I look back and I‘d do it the same way again. I don‘t need a special pic of a sight etc., because the vacation is for me, not the socials. Always keep that in mind: It‘s your free time, it should be fun and feel right, you work hard the rest of the year! :)
Yes, I fully understand you. When I go on holidays nowadays I do not need to visit every sight recommended (OK... Vatican city and the Louvre is a must at least once).
Yes, finding a café, reading a book (and smoking a shiisha for me 🙂) is also a thing nowadays much more than when I was younger.
You have a nice way of travelling.
100% agree
This! And discover a place your own way...
Just buy buy postcards they have the best shots. LOL
I mostly agree, though I'm of the opinion that everyone who's at least slightly interested in art should visit the Louvre if they happen to be in Paris. It's not even about the socials. There are places you just gotta check out. The Eiffel Tower can be cool if you're into high structures but at the end of the day, it's a metal tower. The Louvre on the other hand is a giant collection of some of the world's most prolific art. I've lost my eyesight a few years ago and I'm really thankful I visited the Louvre when I was still able to see and appreciate those paintings and sculptures. Also, in my experience the crowds distribute really well. The only truly crowded place is the front hall where you buy your ticket. After that, it gets much better. There were sections within the Louvre that were completely empty when I was there. It's a huge building and 95% of people only want to see the most famous exhibits. There's an entire hall dedicated to sculptures from Ancient Greece and another hall dedicated to native African art and practically no one goes there.
If you do want to travel with a group, get smaller separate but close-by accommodations instead of one big one. It can be stressful to suddenly spend every minute of the day with people you don’t normally live with. Having your own space to go to at the end of the day gives you a personal recharge, keeps nerves from getting frayed and makes it feel like suddenly you’re living walking distance to your friends and family. A rare treat for US tourists!
Personally, the three biggest ways to waste your vacation are 1: cramming in too many activities and trying to do Everything. One of the biggest reasons for a vacation is to cure yourself from the burnout. At least, that is why I take my Vacations. The last thing i want is more burnout. 2: not making rain plans. Its good to make alternate plans incase your plans do not work out. 3: not budgeting. The last thing you want to think of while on vacation besides work is money.
In eve think of work when I’m vacay, but I understand what you’re saying
You remind me of the statement, "The person who needs vacation the most is the person who just finished one."
Solo travel is the best! You can do what you want when you want and for how long you want.
Deciding exactly what you want to do and planning things that make sense for a day so you don't waste your time going back and forth in the city.
Thats me. My itineraries are never set so I'll always make up shit as I go.
@@Jesus_Zendejas That's often me too! I figure if we have fun, that's all that counts!
That is true- But, I like to be on my own during the day and meet up with friends in the evening for drinks and dinner.
@@lawrencelewis2592 If I went with a friend (or friends) who could agree to that, I'd be totally in. I think it's important to set ground rules so to speak so everyone agrees on what the trip will look like as you're planning.
I barely do any research before I go places. I prefer to just turn up and explore the city myself. I find it a lot more relaxing that way.
Get tickets in advance for places you really want to go to. You can almost always go online and get a ticket(s) through their website before you leave. You can walk in past the people waiting an hour just to get tickets at the location.
Ying to make everybody happy all the time....ex. " Where to go for dinner." If you can't compromise....go your separate ways and meet up again later.
Adding on to pre trip planning, plan alternative activities if weather wipes out your original schedule for the day. Instead of wasting time trying to solve “what now”.
If you travel with someone, make it someone who is okay to do a few things of their own and let you do a few things of your own. I'm not a shopper, my friend had NEVER traveled before so she wanted to look at every souvenir shop. So I said I was going to go to a museum for an afternoon so she could go through all the stores and didn't worry that she was holding me up. Likewise if one is an early bird and the other a night owl. Early bird, take a few hours in the morning, let your friend sleep in, go for a quiet coffee or walk. Night owl, let your friend get their early night. Take your evening walk, hit the clubs, whatever you do, and just be quiet when you come back.
Get up early have a midday break and then visit in the afternoon to avoid heat and crowds
Traveling to Europe when it's super hot in July/August will really Zap you and take your energy. You feel much more energetic in May and mid September as to July/August
That's what I do when I'm in places like Miami. That midday break/nap is priceless and it feels like having 2 different days every day. Mornings are completely different than evenings.
@@georgefoord7087 That doesn't make any sense: cities like Florence or Lisbon have tourist waves all the time during the day. As a matter of fact also restaurants.
This is HANDS DOWN my favorite video of yours yet! You had me cracking up! I love your passion and common sense in this video! Thanks!
7:12 LMAO that top left one. omg I love this channel.
Fabulous content thank you! And wholeheartedly agree. My biggest disappointment for people when they travel is if they don’t do any research, obviously as you say they are going to waste time, but also a huge disadvantage of this is that they miss out on learning lots about that country and culture. I am an avid solo traveller and a huge part of the buzz for me IS doing the research and planning, so I can get the most from my trip. I cringe when I watch these RUclipsrs shooting videos marvelling at some incredible building or statue, but they actually know nothing about it or its significance. I’m not saying you need to do a university degree level of study on each destination, but it makes your trip so much more interesting and fun if you have some prior knowledge of things pertinent to that country. I can highly recommend it!! Safe travels everyone! Cheers from Australia
I'd say stay fluid in your expectations. While it's good to have a plan and itinerary, not everything goes to plan. Roll with it and if something you had wanted to see or do doesn't work out, don't let it ruin your day or trip.
Don’t forget eating at chain restaurants instead of trying local restaurants/food.
With the exception of local chain restaurants. I think those get a pass.
Yes! I think of my trips in terms of how many meals I'll have in each place. If I'm somewhere for 2 days, that's 6 meals. Do I really want to spend one of those meals at this restaurant, or on this food? I don't have to have the perfect experience for every meal, but I don't want to waste any opportunities either if I can help it.
I always find it funny when people make a big deal about wanting to try American fast food in another country. If you have plenty of time, sure I guess, but I would not want that taking up a whole slot of time on a big vacation for me.
Add an * to that. I just had Greggs and Nandos in the UK a couple times because it’s something we don’t get in USA. Also delicious and cheap
@@laceyfaulkner9029Exactly. Even if you want a break from the country's cuisine for a night, it makes more sense to check out a local option of a different cuisine than a slightly different version of a fast food meal you can have any day back home.
Plan to wake up early to see the things! The earlier you go, the less crowds you have to deal with. I learned that in Pula Croatia, mid afternoon we could barely walk the roads with the mass amount of people out and about. The next day we woke up earlier and had next to no crowds, all the roads were empty so prime picture taking time, and no crowds in the stores. Do Not Sleep In!
I know people who went to Iceland, they had to see every single waterfall and glacier. Those things are important but my favorite thing about Iceland was experiencing their culture.
Agree with a lot of this video.
Another benefit of staying close to the downtown area is the ease of popping back in whenever you want to put your feet up for an hour or to get away from the crowds for a bit so you don't burn out.
The restaurant thing is crazy. There can be a dozen restaurants serving similar cuisines with plenty of locals clearly thinking they are worth spending money on, but all the tourists are waiting in line for the one they saw on social media.
My parents keep pushing me to go on a cruise with them and I keep resisting because being stuck on a boat with my parents will not feel like a vacation to me!
Yes! I had a rule. If I took the train, I didn't lodge too far from the train station unless there was a tram or other transport stop nearby. Many German cities the main stations (Hbf) are at the edge of the old city, but some like Karlsruhe (a literal modern-era city where there is no "Altstadt") "downtown" is by trams and U-Bahns. There are a few decent hotels and restaurants near the Hbf there, but all the action is 20+ min away walking. Not unreasonable unless you have much baggage.
Wow. My mother died from an unexpected illness when she was only 64, and growing up we didn't have enough money for travels. Only ONCE in my life we took a trip together and we were looking forward to more trips after her retirement. Never got the chance again. My dad is 80 and not in good shape anymore for travels. You have your folks and cringe at the thought of going on a trip with them. Life is so unfair and some people are so ungrateful.
@@samanthafox3124Grow up.
@@samanthafox3124Thanks for the sanctimonious and solipsistic response. I'm sure your mother would be proud.
Very good Mark! I try to tell people these things all the time. However, I do enjoy group trips. All my international trips are a group of 6. But, here's the key. It's the same people and we enjoy the same type things and have been great friends for over a decade, so it works. We never invite others though for your exact reasoning. It's so much fun with a group, but just with the right group.
location is key, I see so many people trying to save on hotels but end up ubering everywhere and spending the same money they saved. Great video again with solid information
Exactly. Yes, you saved $45 a night on your accommodation, but you're also spending $10 on public transit or taxis per person everyday. The same thing goes for budget airlines that don't fly into the main airport.
@blackbeardsadventures on my last vacations, I only took a cab or to and from the airport. On one of those trips, I walked nearly everywhere, and on the second, I relied heavily on public transportation. (The second city had much better transportation than the first one).
What were the 2 cities?
@@davidpitkin9352 New Orleans and Montreal, respectively. (To be fair to New Orleans, part of the problem was that there was construction on Canal Street during my stay, which caused delays and need for extra transfers. But I also found the bus drivers a little rude and unhelpful when asking questions.)
One of the best walking tours I have taken is the Jack the Ripper tour in London. It was done in the evening, and it was incredible. The tour guide even dressed the part and snuck up on our group at the beginning of the tour. I agree about planning. My family came to visit us in Germany, and they had no plan of what to see. My sister wanted to take day trips to Switzerland, France, and the Netherlands. I have never been so worn out. I felt like I was on a speed tour.
That last bit! Hard pass on group trips. I'm a huge fan of solo travel and have come to prefer it most of the time. I've taken myself on some pretty amazing trips and hope to take many more.
Great video Mark, one of your best. Time is such a precious commodity, even more so on holiday. Another is not booking on-line prior to your trip. Also never pass up the chance of interacting with locals in a bar or coffee shop. They live there and will gladly help with your travel experience. Use food trucks during the day, so much quicker than queueing for a restaurant. Going with my wife to Melbourne, Sydney and Perth at the end of the year from the uk. All flights, hotels and excursions booked up front.
Keep it up Mark.
Good advice! But even a chain restaurant can have different offers in different countries sometimes.
Not sure where you're coming from, the food trucks where I am are super slow.
Don't waste your vacation just *seeing* things. Book a workshop and DO something. It's really fun
The biggies for my last trip (San Antonio) were the Alamo and the Riverwalk. I bailed on the former when I saw the lineups and that it was all under construction anyway...
When I went to London last year I allocated my days as Shopping, Touristy Stuff, Out of Town Side Trip, Contingency.
We live in Canada and have explored some other provinces besides our own over the years (so beautiful) however, we follow my Dads vacation advice. If you want to travel overseas, do that while you’re healthy and young-ish. At some point in life you may not want to do (or can’t do) those long haul trips anymore or won’t be able to get travel insurance. At that time, then explore closer to home. Happy travels all!
I like your dad's advice. Cuz travelling is basically walking all day long, at least how I do it. Eventually you're so sore you cannot walk up that next hill to that castle. If you don't keep fit (by walking hours daily) at home, your vacation is gonna show you your limitations. Also I don't know what travel insurance is, but it sounds like an industry that tries to keep people over 50 from leaving their homes.
Totally agree on that not waiting in line for photos 🙌 We do the same… take a pic from a different angle. 😆
👍💯 EXCELLENT TIPS, as always! The one about taking just 2 photos is gold! We’ve all become convinced we need to take a zillion photos and still we’re not satisfied.
I agree with everything said in this video. I would however add to not over schedule what l will see and do on what day.... Remember its a holiday not Business meetings... I usually inform myself on trip advisor and RUclips about the places I am about to visit.... To get a rough framework of what I wish to see and what not... But l always live some space for spontaneous visits or excursions which pop up when I am there....
Also sleeping in is sometimes the best way to get the most out of visiting places where there is a great and vast nightlife - im thinking of Berlin, IBIZA, Las Vegas, Miami, Cancun, London, so when you stumble to the hotel at 5am there will definitely be no Museum or Beach Day at 9am.
Nightlife can be a big part to see the city/ destination so sleeping in goes with it 😅
Agree with staying far away...but also staying *slightly* outside of the main area of a city may put you in an area where you get to experience the "real" city. Example: Stay in Brooklyn vs. Manhattan. 20 minute subway ride to where most people stay and you get to experience a more tourist free area. One you missed: NEVER EVER go to a chain restaurant (or other shops) while on vacation. Local businesses only.
Absolutely. Also, in Europe at least, outside touristy areas you'l get MUCH better restaurants for less (some places significantly less).
disagree with chain restaurants if they're outside your home country. Trying McDonald's in different countries is, ironically, a good way to compare tastes across borders. But I agree with staying in a less touristy/crowded place
disagree totally about Brooklyn and Manhattan. The only reason I go to Brooklyn is that I have a friend who lives there.
Nah, Cook-Out in quintessential Upper South, Texas needs Whataburger, Wisconsin needs Culver's, California without In-N-Out is just wrong.
Manhattan is the real NYC as well.
Wolter is crushing it these days with these vids. Lots of travel wisdom in this video. So much truth about things I think we all do to some extent. I'm guilty of the waiting to get that perfect shot. Many hours wasted. 😂
One waste of time is seeing a museum or other site because you're supposed to. For example, I'm not so interested in sights in London and planned a trip to see England's natural landscapes. Make your own memories.
Exactly! If I ever go to London, I could care less about seeing Big Ben or Buckingham Palace. I just want to go to a nice pub and have some pints while admiring the buildings craftsmanship and listening to everyone around me speak in a British accent, before walking down a random cobble stone street until I find a place where I can get some fish and chips.
Take your pic and MOVE ON! Perfect.
I like staying further out because you see more non-tourist parts of the city.
GREAT VIDEO, WOLTER!
Back in the regular camera days, on our honeymoon in Greece my husband bought professional slides of the important sites and monuments instead of trying to photograph everything himself. He still took pictures but they were personal ones of the two of us.
That last one really hit home for me!! Mark, thank you for all the great tips, some of which should be obvious but aren't, and especially for the validation regarding the PTO, the "sleeping in" issue, the lack of research, and especially the "group trip"... I've learned from experience that solo (or with my partner) trips are the best for me. I always look forward to your videos!
Thanks for the reminder to actually go on vacation.
One good way of getting the most from a holiday is to keep a journal or write a book about your travels. Being faced with a dull page is a powerful motivator.
Off to Greece today. I have a loose plan for every day.
Good video.
Great points. The ones I don't get are the people who take photos of absolutely everything and that's all they care about, take the picture and go on to the next thing, without actually looking at the sites or experiencing the places they're at.
Yours is a concept I learned while looking into Mindfulness. According to these people, taking a photo reduces the pleasure earned by the viewer, diluting it?? I'm not sure. That if you share a sunset, you've lessened your enjoyment of it.
You are so right about taking your PTO - there may have been a time when you were paid that back if you didn't use it, but those days are long gone, same with sick leave days.
Don't be afraid to separate if you want to see & do different things. You don't have to be joined at the hip for the entire trip. Great video! - My kids & I love Sweden. We have family there and have been several times. :)
Definitely. On a trip to Barcelona with my son and husband, last day. The guys wanted to go to Camp Nou (Football stadium) and I wanted to go to the Picasso Museum. So that's what we did, and planned a meeting point for a late lunch after.
Amen to taking your PTO! I didn’t grow up going on many vacations due to my parents’ finances and such, but I make a point to treat myself to trips whenever possible.
I agree 100% with all your recommendations. I always plan my visits, if you spend 200 bucks a night for a bed you need to make your time out of bed count
I get centrally placed but cheap hotels in expensive cities. I don't want to be pampered, I want to be right next to whatever fun I have planned. I can sleep in and have an excellent cup of coffee at home any weekend.
@@geirmyrvagnes8718 I agree
I enjoy the planning almost as much as I enjoy the holiday itself.
Excellent points! A note about the free walking tours - I usually enjoy sticking it out, as sometimes you get to see cool places that you'd never get the chance to explore yourself, or you get a deeper dive into the city and culture (especially if it's a themed free walking tour, like architecture or dark history). If you do leave the tour early, don't forget to let your guide know, as they might waste everybody else's time waiting or searching for you! And tip them before you leave.
On the PTO, I can fully agree. My parents had these huge plans on doing a lot of far travels when my dad retired but my mom died of cancer before they got to that point (and my dad had a CVA and is in a wheelchair now). That was a wake-up call for me. I'll do my traveling now, not some point in the future I might not even reach.
Planning is something I do too (especially if I travel with my dad and his wheelchair, as then you have to take accessibility into account). I mostly have a list of things I would like to see and the day before I plan them in, depending on location, weather, etc. Unless it's that one big something that you have to book in way in advance, then that gets assigned a day and we plan around that. Another thing to be careful about and check up front, or you might not be able to do the thing you really wanted to do.
As to wasting time, do your research on the location of things you want to see and plan to do each day a few that are close together, so you don't waste time traveling through a city three times because the things you planned for that day are on different sides of the city. As my dad is in a wheelchair, when I was in London and we had to take the bus as not all subway stations are accessible (and therefore we got stuck in traffic), each day we went out from the hotel to an area in the city, did the stuff in that area we wanted to do (mostly on foot), and then went back with the bus. Repeat next day with a different area.
❤❤❤ Thx you! You have addressed MY ISSUES....🎉
I think over scheduling and cramming too much stuff makes the vacation worse. You get tired and overwhelmed.
I like those great breakfast buffets too! 😊
I try to visit rural areas where there's not too much to see so I can focus on what's actually there, and I don't mind waiting an hour or more for the right photo
As someone who lives in a somewhat large city, rural areas are a nice change of scenery. Tou can visit a quaint town and experience everything that town has to offer, and not feel like you missed out on anything.
This is one of your best videos in my opinion. You point out , in your very humorous , lovely way :), the most important things which matters when traveling . The meaning of travel - to go and see the world, and dont' waste life on other things (more than necessary). I feel motivated and thank you for that, Mark :)
What some of this boils down to is, don't spend a lot of time trying to get pictures that you can impress everyone with back home. I definitely agree---how many people are really that excited to see someone else's vacation photos?
Mark, I agree with you 100% on everything you said. I just got back from a two week vacation in Europe and didn’t waste time waiting or sleeping! The best vacation, got so much in!
On the topic of staying in the centre or on the outskirts of the city. Last year I booked a stay at the Hotel Bologna Center. You'd think it wouldn't be too far from the city centre, right? Well, as a seasoned traveler, I figured beforehand that it was about 20 minutes walk from the center. I was still able to sacrifice that, the hotel was cheap and looked good. It wasn't until I got there that I found out that you first had to get to the outskirts of the city where public transport still goes, and only THEN, you walked 20, more like 35 minutes between the fields and far beyond the industrial edge of the city to get to the hotel between the factory halls :-D
I agree with just having a rough idea of what you want to do and see while on vacation. It's too stressful to have a detailed itinerary and then try to stick to it. Spontaneity is half the fun!
I would add not getting tickets to the popular attractions ahead of time. We missed out on the Van Museum in Amsterdam because they were sold out the time we were there. I wasted my time going there thinking I could just walk in and I missed one of my must sees.
Mark, I love your videos, but this has got to be my favorite! I solo travel a lot because I want to take MY trip. I have vacationed with people who want to sleep until noon! I'm up at the crack of dawn and ready to go!
We were in Venice Italy and the people taking multiple pics at the same site were super annoying. Blocking walkways, holding up pedestrian traffic etc.
I’ve got expensive cameras and I have to admit that I very rarely take them on holiday now. Nobody ever looks at pictures anyway!
I have them too and I don't take them to Europe anymore. It's just bulky to carry a camera system that takes up a whole backpack to itself, especially when I'm trying to travel light with only a small backpack and carry on suitcase.
For domestic trips, which are mostly national parks, I still take the nice camera though.
Modern phone cameras are more than good enough for most purposes. Some times a long lens or some other feature of a good camera is helpful, but I only bring it for a photo trip, I don't lug it around when I'm supposed to enjoy a city.
There was a time not long ago, when you could very well be the first person to get a specific shot of something, but today, you can just go to Google, and see someone else's photo of the exact thing you wanted to photograph.
Staying outside of the city center was really what undermined my trip to Ireland. Spent way too much time in a car and trying to find parking. Our hotel outside of dublin was like 40 minute train ride from the city. I've also done friend trips and we just set a meet up time. If someone wanted to tag along with the sightseeing we were doing that was fine but if you want to do something else thats cool too.
probably your most important video yet, loved every second, it's really YOU enjoying YOUR vacation what matters, nothing else really
We ate dinner at one of the most popular restaurants in Vienna last month and avoided the long line out front by simply having our hotel make a reservation for us.
Great advice. We always plan our trip and get up early to make the most of the day.
I've always stayed close to the city centre. I can't face dealing with a lot of public transport while on holiday.
I took a stay cation this year. I intentionally drove to the train station and rode the train Downtown, before walking a few blocks to the ferry and riding it across the river, and walking a few more blocks to a pub, before riding the boat back across the river, and taking the train back to the station just to feel like I traveled somewhere.
As a Yank, I don't want to have to deal with driving. I do that enough to get everywhere at home.
Every last shred of research seems to help. I like to read up on cultural events either before I get there, or right away. Happy travels!
Solo travel is the best! You earned your vacation, don't feel guilty about being selfish with it. Do what you want to do, when you want to do it.
You're always on point and say the things we all need to hear! Thank you, Mark!
I work in Germany. Actually if I don't use all my vacation days for the year, they will be gone... It will reset in the next year. But I'm ain't nobody you have to force to take it anyway 😃 And you have to take them. It is the law ☝
Love your videos. An older guy at work told me "You maybe important but your are not irreplaceable!"
Jocelyn brawling with a bad tour guide 👀
I want that video!
Dude, i was holding her back... the guide was BAD like... BAAAAAD. Half the tour was her talking about how she lived in New York... it was a tour of Savannah, Georgia :)
Aaaaaaaaand in the Red corner! Etc...
I’m actually a proponent of doing LESS on your vacation, but keeping it a quality experience. One good morning activity and one good afternoon activity are really all you need… especially if you also take time for a good lunch and a nice dinner.
I also find that getting out of the cities and visiting scenic landscapes and villages is more rewarding the older I get. You get to meet the locals and generally have better interactions with them. For my most recent vacation, we rented a rural cottage and lived like a local. You learn a lot about a country at the village grocery store!
I really do like traveling on my own because I'm on my own time schedule and not worrying about splitting bills all the time.
Another time waster is getting lost or losing each other. If you arrive at a crowded place, fix on a point where you can touch base if you split up or lose each other. Check the street map before you set out so you don't take unnecessary detours. this is not so much of a problem these days as everyone has a phone on them, but it's still better to be sure (What if a phone gets pickpocketed, or runs out of charge or simply loses GPS?)
I think wasting time is the worst crime of travel! Going into travel consulting and I plan to always stress this with future clients.
You've been giving really excellent advice. Love it. I will plan for my next trip (DC/baltimore).
Great tips sir!
Great tips! Did you time the person running in the background just as you said “hit the ground running”? 😂
I am nearing the end of my working career and I don’t think I EVER gave back a vacation day. I worked in a service profession where for most of my career I got the minimum 10 vacation days (or later 15 days of PTO that included sick days.) Time off is precious travel time.
Great insights in travel; getting the most out of each trip! Thanks.
Buy your tickets in advance and make dinner reservations! Wasting time waiting in lines is insane when you could do that on line in 5 minutes with some planning
Great to see Mark again in another video! Cheers!!
Just two points I disagree with.
1. Getting up late is fine before an evning pub crawl followed by an all-night party.
2. Group motorcycle rides can be better than individual travel, especially if someone else has done the planning to find the best routes.
Spot on 💯
But Mark, I am a big fan of you from Stockholm for many many years and I can't belive we are not meeting when you are here. 😢
Went to Las Vegas recently wit family, woke up early at 7 am. Ate breakfast at 8 am. Left by 9 am. Lunch at 2 pm. Went back to hotel and swam in pool. Left to go out again at 6:30. Slept at 1 am. Packed days the best, you can get so much done.
This is also a really great schedule for Disney parks.
I have enjoyed so much in travel at sunrise. No crowds, quiet and a coffee❤
When I was a kid, we were doing a lot of caravan camping tours around Europe. So, it was a lot of driving around and that was okay. However, at some point during every other vacation, my father spotted a "shortcut" - which always resulted in a serious adventure that wasted the day. Things like getting lost in a swamp in Belgium, driving some slow almost off-road dirt track through winefields in Italy or having to take that 2m wide road with the steep cliff on either side around that mountain ... backwards... with a caravan in tow.
As that film pointed it out once "Shortcut always involves danger, otherwise it would be the normal route"
Oh but the memories he created for his family. But seriously, I agree with you, even when it comes to walking around a city or town. Sometimes the shortest route is the hardest ... we live in Lisbon & the shortest route often involve hiking up a nearly verticle & often slippery sidealk or path.
Mark! Great video! Not Sleeping in is key!
One of my biggest waste of time is walking very long distances around 1 mile (1.6km) or more in cities instead of taking public transit.
I worked with a guy who never took time off and saved all his days. One day, the head of HR told him he needed to start taking some days. He took them all at once and then filed for retirement. He got a year and half off before his retirement kicked in. He and wife traveled the world for the year and a half, and then traveled the US once he was retired.
I would not follow his plan but it paid off for him.
For Americans going to Europe jet lag is a main reason why people can't be up early without some pain. Breakfast is usually the big motivator!
I chuckled at your first tip about not sleeping in. I have a sister who lives several states away; she's always exhorting me and my brother to go there for a visit. My brother and I are loathe to do so because we can't plan any activities with her -- my sister's usual "ready to go" time is around 2 pm! By the time we drive to the venue, it's almost closing time! Also, I'm one of those idiots who doesn't take her PTO, but it sure came in handy when I was on medical leave for 3 months late 2023/early 2024.