- Do not pick a destination; decide what you want to do and find destinations that fit. I want to do a two-week trekking holiday, or I want to do a long weekend wine retreat and then find destinations you fancy going to in your budget.
- The mobile phone has been the best and the worst addition to travelling. Try going out wandering around a destination without it for a few hours. I 100% guarantee you will seem more, feel more and enjoy more.
- Get lost, get lost often and for long periods of time.
- In cities, you get your head up. Look up to the sky; the architecture is often stunning. Street level has all become same same.
- Walk cities in the early morning before they are busy. Watch how the city comes alive.
- Talk to people you sit beside on planes. Some will be terrible; some will be fascinating.
- Your understanding of time will be very different from many other people’s understanding of time. Accept it.
- Google Maps are your best friend, but do not overuse them, or you will not experience getting lost.
- Just because Google Maps says something is open, do not assume it is. Backup plans are great.
- Wearing a kilt gets you into strange conversations and gets you invited to so many things you would not have been.
- If you get invited to a wedding, say yes. If it is in India, prepare for a marathon event.
- Take a tour, go to local attractions, and if you have spent time and money traveling to a destination, invest some time in it with local experts.
- Use public transport; the more challenging, the better. Treat it as a game.
- Local Food. Try it no matter what it is and not matter your initial rejections. Street food tours are always worth doing.
- When you’re traveling with others, you should pick carefully. If travel styles are not aligned, it will be a poor experience.
- Do things you would not normally do at home. Do not cycle at home, then hire a bike.
- Learn to travel light. Laundries still exist and are great places to chat with locals.
- Use buses and trains. The most helpful travel website ever. Yes, it looks like 2010, but I have used it forever. https://www.seat61.com/
- Mix up your accommodation. If only using higher-end hotels, book a guest house or a hostel.
- In many destinations, renting a car can enhance your experience tenfold. In other destinations, renting a car is the worst move you can make. In those hire a vehicle with a driver, yes it is more experience but worth it.
- Gifting travel to others is one of the best gifts you can ever give.
- Spend time in cemeteries. https://www.cwgc.org/
22. Flightradar24 often tells you the status of your flight way before your airline or OTA will inform you, so have it on your phone.
23. Travel to countries that everyone else thinks are risky. You will find out that, in most cases, the risk is massively overblown.
24. Do not over-plan your travel. If you do, it may go perfectly to the plan and that will be a terrible travel experience.
25. Travel leads to stories. the best stories come from when things happen that were not planned.
26. Do not take it if you cannot carry it comfortably. One week or eight weeks, the luggage amount should be the same. Less luggage = a better experience.
27. The best experiences are the ones that money cannot buy. You have to be open to making them happen, which means interacting with as many local people as possible.
28. The best and the most essential clothing for travelling is comfortable walking shoes. Make sure you put them to use.
29. Spend some evenings of your short life in remote mountains, deserts, and jungles.
30. Some places on this blue dot are way colder and way hotter than you can ever imagine. Experience them.
31. Do not be American. Sorry Americans. Do not try to squeeze too much into the trip—more time in fewer places rather than less time in more.
32. Take an overnight train at least once in your life. My last one was from Tbilisi to Baku. Hilarious is a word that comes to mind.
33. If you are in a destination for a week, change accommodation at least once.
34. Locals have this terrible habit of eating in the best places. You should copy them.
35. If the city you are heading to is unsuitable for walking around, you should change your destination.
36. Google translate. Technology does have great uses.
37. Local riverboats are a fantastic way to travel. Ignore the luxury stuff; catch the local ones.
38. Travel to Muslim destinations during Ramadan. The days will be challenging, but the evenings will be magical. One of my best trips recently was to Oman last year during Ramadan.
39. People in other destinations are like people in your destination you live in. Good, great, bad and dodgy.
40. The more you look like a lost or disoriented tourist, the more locals will help you or the more you will attract unwanted attention. Advice: do not look like a disoriented tourist.
41. Just because mobile contactless pay is spreadingly like wildfire, make sure you have some local cash on you
42. Festivals and local celebrations. Search them out and attend them. Some can last for days.
43. If you are young, even if you have money. Stay with budget travel for several trips. The education is worth more than money can buy.
44. In travel, time is way more valuable than money if you can spread your budget to let you spend more time travelling rather than using your budget on a short, higher-priced travel experience.
I could have made this list 100 easily, but it is Friday and the start of the weekend, and I have some travelling to do. This trip is just a local weekend out in the fantastic city of Edinburgh. Do not ignore what is on your doorstep.
