Favorite Travel Blogs

I generally follow some Youtubers, all centered in France, b/c that's where I am headed:

OuiinFrance (American, moved to France a decade+ ago and is married to a Frenchman)
Jay Swanson (American, moved to Paris a decade ago)
Les Frenchies (she's American, he's French, moreso centered in Paris)
A musing Aida (she's French; small channel, doesn't upload a lot, but is centered mostly in Paris)
Comme Une Francaise (She's French, this is more for learning the French language)
Paris Top Tips (he's French, this is a new channel)
Nicki Positano (she's British, married to an Italian, lives in Positano)
Cecilia Blomdahl (she's Irish/Swedish, I think, lives way up in Svalbard, Norway)

Generic travel tips:
Travel Tips by Laurie (wife of a pilot)
LIFEbyFrancesco (Flight attendant, Miami based)
Kate Nesbitt (Flight attendant, DFW based)
For actual blogs/podcasts:
Join us In France (she's French, lived in the US for decades, though)

I've been following Nomadic Matt on and off for years. He has a lot of good tips and ideas, and his blog is easy to read.

I also like Journeywoman, which is not really a blog but sort of blog-ish. She writes for women, especially older women, who travel solo.

Wandering Earl is another good general travel blog.

And lastly, my personal favorite, although I don't think he keeps up with it much anymore - Dancing Matt of Where the Heck is Matt? who danced his way all around the world. I used to loved watching his videos!

I watch two vlogs -Endless Adventure (U.S.) and Travel Beans (U.K.). They are both 30something couples who travel and normally post a video on YouTube weekly. Their travel adventures are varied - taking flights/trains to different countries mostly staying in rentals (some quite unique). They also have bought and renovated vans or RVs and have had Some interesting camping adventures. Some of the travel has been international and some in their home countries.

Personally I tend to be drawn to various YouTube travel channels. If for anything, at least for entertainment. I don't give much credence blogs and that's been shaped by many travel bloggers who write about their trip to Williamsburg/Colonial Williamsburg and spend time mentioning or even describing our cobblestone streets...

Williamsburg does not and has never had cobblestone streets.

Tends to make me skeptical all around.

VAP, I understand. Being a blogger doesn't make you knowledgeable. You might get more out of the one I referenced. it's about the history, culture and meanings (and those words dont do it justice) and not about the cobblestones and the best chicken fried steak in Vienna.

Some I tend to watch on Youtube, others read their FB pages.

I like Travel Tips by Laurie as well. She has some good suggestions and you know she has actually traveled, lol.

I've started watching another gal, Eunice, who does the Theory of Simple and who gives experience based travel tips.

France by Vero is excellent. She is an RS guide but tours us around Tours, lol, in her free time as well as Paris and other places. I'd never gotten why the Medici Fountain in the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris is cool until she did an impromptu walk there!

A French Frye in Paris by Corey Frye is excellent and I know a number of people on the forum are fans of his. He does excellent video walks in Paris and I've gone to see some cool things he's shown on his walks. I do DIY walks based on some of the things he and Vero show.

I'm not as crazy about Les Frenchies...they seem to spend a lot of time eating and going "mmmm".

I follow both Sarah Murdoch (Adventures with Sarah) and Mark Seymour (Touring Britain) on FB. Both are former RS guides who've started their own small touring companies. Mark in particular is educational - I love his thumbnail sketches of folks in different historical periods. His piece written from the POV of a Roman legionnaire drafted from Spain and sent to Hadrian's Wall really caught me (and also made me sign up for one of his tours, lol).

I agree about some travel bloggers or "influencers" who have just dreadful blogs with made up sh*t, frankly. Won't give them the time of day or the clicks on their blogs. The ones I've seen who do blog posts regarding Yellowstone with which I am very familiar have just seemingly "read a guidebook" and have little or no actual experience. With the big National Parks I think the best advice is from folks who've visited multiple times and know how to handle crowds, traffic, etc. but sometimes you don't know that until you look at the "About" section.

None…..I read blogs occasionally but find them almost universally self absorbed commentary. Consider that some of these folks are expat residents “over there” thus experiences as a resident are way different than a tourist. But I’m not a product of the digital age so ultimately I’m sure there is some utility for many folks.

Earful Tower is another one. He lives in Paris and does videos that are on YouTube. He did one recently about Rue Cler because he was moving out of that area and he was saying goodbye to all his regular stops on that street. It made me smile after some recent comments about Rue Cler only being populated by tourists.

Patty! I forgot about Earful Tower and yes, I laughed at the walk down Rue Cler for a local. And yes, I am going to go get coffee at "his" little coffee shop next visit.

Comme Une Francaise, Easy French, and a couple more focusing on the language itself, which if I can't say it, then I can maybe write it properly.

I follow a few people via their social media and/or Substack newsletters that now seem to be replacing ‘blogs’. Elizabeth and Sophie Minchilli are wonderful for travel in Italy and in particular the less touristy places although both live in Rome so lots of that content.

David Lebovitz is great for food in Paris: the markets, patisseries, boulangeries, fromagerie, and restaurants, again in less touristy areas.

I love Jamie Beck for Provence themed info plus photography lessons.

The FB group ‘Join Us In France’ is a good travel resource.