Localeur’s World Travel Guide
Look ahead to your next great adventure, beyond this year and past the pandemic. Where are you? Are you in the Alps or on the beaches of Australia? Are you enjoying a cocktail in Brooklyn or eating your way through Bangkok? Perhaps you’re at a market in Africa or learning Merengue in Latin America? There’s a slim chance your adventure looks, feels, sounds, smells, or tastes like the adventure someone else is imagining right now, and that’s what makes travel so damn fun. There are limitless possibilities of destinations, experiences, and memories to be made, but it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer breadth and depth of beautiful, jaw-dropping, mind-blowing, story-filled places to go around the world.
That’s why we want to help you. Here at Localeur, we’re something like experts in helping travelers experience local wherever they go – more than five million travelers in 185 destinations, to be exact. We’re digging deep into our wellspring of insight to serve up some inspiration for wherever your wanderlust takes you. While Antartica isn’t in our scope (yet), we can help you navigate destinations on the Earth’s other six continents; we’re talking locals-only knowledge about dozens and dozens of countries and cities right here at your fingertips (and into your inbox). Need an itinerary? We can help with that, too.
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Africa
From the markets of Morocco to the South African coast, Africa has an endless range of cultures and lifestyles to explore, much of which won’t be experienced on a safari tour. In the cities especially, your senses will be engulfed and your mind will be expanded. It doesn’t hurt that your passport will also be enriched.
Asia
Regarding Asia, so little was common knowledge in the West – beyond stereotypes about Japan – until the 2000s, as travel to China and other parts of Southeast Asia became more common. Post-pandemic, Asia will surely return as a hub of global travel.
Australia & New Zealand
Outdoor lovers will be hard-pressed to find a region of the world with as much natural beauty and road-trip wonder as Australia, New Zealand, and the smaller Pacific Islands.
Europe
What can we say about Europe that hasn’t already been said or written? How about this: Europe isn’t just a collection cities filled with historic sights, but a collection of cities still evolving, writing and re-writing history all the time.
North America
The U.S. gets all the fanfare, with its cultural diversity and pop-culture prowess, but you shouldn’t sleep on the breadth and depth of travel experiences possible in Canada, Mexico, and the countries along the Caribbean Sea.
South America
If practicing Spanish (or Portuguese) is a goal for your next trip, you’d be well served taking flight to South America, where countries like Colombia and Peru haven’t gotten the global attention of Brazil – where recent World Cup and Olympic ceremonies have been hosted – but have plenty to offer foodies, hikers, and night owls alike.
Essential Tips for Your Extended Trip
Public Health Safety
There’s nothing more important than following public health guidelines from federal agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control or World Heath Organization, not even your trip. If guidelines restrict travel to/from various destinations, heed their advice for the benefit of your health and the health of others. We can’t stress this enough: Don’t travel if you’re not feeling healthy and strong. And when it’s time to head home, consider a period of strict social distancing to ensure you’ve made it back safely before seeing anyone.
How to Meet Locals
Being able to meet new people is part of what makes travel special; COVID-19 has only made us that much more desperate for connection. If you’re on a solo trip, being able to meet a local or two can be the difference between a good trip and an unforgettable one. Here is the simplest piece of advice we can offer on putting yourself in situations to connect with locals: Talk to your service industry professionals, be it bartenders or sales associates. Going beyond a drink or food order on select occasions and asking them if they’d mind sharing their favorite neighborhoods, restaurants, and things to do is often a quick and easy way to get insight from locals.
Planning Ahead, Always Worth It
Beyond federal and state agencies and authorities, mayors and local public health officials often provide their own directives for residents with regard to non-essential activities and restrictions. Before visiting any of the destinations listed below, make sure to check out what the locals are saying about a particular city. Hotels, in particular, are keen on following guidance from local officials and mayors, so book accommodations only after calling and speaking to a person at the hotel.
Budgeting Your Bucket List
Unless you’re Jeff Bezos, we know money is always top-of-mind when traveling. That’s why having your budgeting skills in tip-top shape can make the difference between stressing your way through a vacation and actually enjoying it. Here are three simple tips for budgeting a big trip: 1) The flight and lodging costs shouldn’t be more than 60 percent of your trip budget. Don’t spend $2,000 on hard travel costs and leave yourself with $400 for a week. 2) Stay in a neighborhood within walking distance to a metro or bus station. You’ll save a ton on transit by not relying on Ubers everywhere. 3) Find out where the popular hostels are; these areas typically have more affordable eateries.
Optimize for Seasonality & Weather
Not every travel destination is a good idea 365 days a year. Austin, Texas, where Localeur was founded, gets extremely hot in July and August (and sometimes September), so you may want to think twice before making summer plans here. Similarly, Nordic winters are a special type of torture for the uninitiated, so summer months are much preferred if Copenhagen or Stockholm are on your radar. Our advice is to determine the “high season” for any destination – and to plan your trip for just before or after that time frame for a less crowded, more authentic experience.
What to Pack
We could go on and on about what type of things to bring depending on the destination, but here are a few items that always work: 1) a rain jacket or hoodie (something easy to put on or carry around your waist), 2) an e-book over a hard copy, 3) a hat that goes with everything, 4) an international data plan and/or wireless hotspot, with plenty of ways for you to access a Maps app and back up the photos you’ll take, and 5) three pairs of pants, max. You just don’t need more pants than that, no matter how long the trip.