Travel 101: Things not worth spending money on
As the saying goes, travel is the only thing you spend money on that makes you richer. That doesn’t mean you have an unlimited budget, however. Here are a few areas I have found are not worth the extra money.
1. High end hotels. I mean, I can be a fancy lady and have stayed at a fancy place if the price was right but I have found it is best to aim for a modestly-priced, centrally located 3 star hotel with good recent reviews. The star rating has nothing to do with the quality- it is a (mostly) standardized rating system describing what amenities the hotel offers. This article in Afar has a nice explainer. How much time are you actually spending in the room? You are in a new city to spend time in that city. I have found hotels in this range to be decently-priced, clean, and safe. A lot of hotels offer breakfast for an additional price. Skip it- it’s typically not very good. I would rather to go a local cafe for a cappuccino and pastry instead.
Sometimes you find a good deal on a hotel that used to be a palace. I think this room was bigger than my apartment. They even had roses and fruit waiting for me. Marriott- better than most boyfriends.
2. The social-media-famous hotspots for whatever food item has gone viral. You are going to waste time queuing for something that likely isn’t worth the money. If you just have to have it, there is probably something similar nearby without the inflated price or asinine wait. Even Edinger has a great video about this exact thing in Amsterdam on YouTube.
3. Taxis and ride-shares for day-to-day getting around. If walking and pubic transit are safe, feasible options (and they typically are in many areas), do as the locals do. It is cheaper and often faster in busy areas. Before I go somewhere new, I like to see if there are any YouTube videos that explain the ins and outs of a transit system. They can show you how to pay (some are as simple as using Apple or Google Pay to tag on and off a bus or train) and any “gotchas” and ways scammers target tourists. City bike rentals are an option too. A lot of cities have bike paths and special pedestrian zones.
4. Your cellphone carrier’s expensive international data plan. Most modern phones can use an eSIM- meaning you can purchase data in your destination country for a fraction of what your US carrier would charge you (some charge up to $12/day!). I have been using Airalo. They have a lot of options for most countries and regions around the world. You can monitor your use and top it up from the app if you run out of data. You can still receive texts and calls on your regular number, too! Use referral code NATALI68613 to get $3 off your first eSim purchase. I am embarrassed I didn’t hop on this particular train faster. It’s so easy!
5. American restaurants. Seriously. Skip the Starbucks and the McDonalds and the KFC and the Five Guys and whatever other abominations have leaked from the US borders. If you are an American, you can eat that stuff at home. If you are not an American, I deeply apologize for this nonsense we pass off as food. Please eat something local. The one exception I make is grabbing a drink at a Hard Rock Cafe because I like to see the music memorabilia. I may have purchased a t-shirt in Rome for nostalgia’s sake.
