One thing first time travelers need to know

Plan an itinerary that matches your own travel style and interests, not what “everyone else says is must do.” Prioritize what is most important to you, knowing that you won’t see everything and that is ok.

To tag along with the poster above, turns out I'm a pretty superficial person when it comes to travel - I do go into churches but rarely into museums and art galleries, I just walk streets with my head on a swivel admiring the architectural wonders and watching daily life in a European city. So, trip planning is pretty easy for me, but I do fill my travel wants and needs.

To your list of items that may have serious consequences, I would add, evaluate your potential need for travel insurance. Know what your personal insurance will cover and your ability/desire to pay out of pocket, for things that it doesn't. Understand evacuation coverage and the potential financial risk of needing that service. If travel insurance is something that makes sense for your needs, buying it soon after booking your trip usually gives extra benefits, especially related to pre-existing conditions. Read the policy. Don't assume ticking the "add insurance" box gives you the coverage you may need.

Consider packing light (carry-on sized, if possible), especially if you’ll be traveling via public transportation, where you’ll be expected to deal with lifting and carrying your own luggage onto trains, buses, etc.

I want only to support what Carol has written in the first comment above. For the past 20 years I have followed essentially the travel philosophy she advocates, and with extremely satisfactory results.

As long as it doesn't involve crime or trouble, any motive for travel will do; as the sponsor of this forum has said, just wanting to get out there and see the world is commendable. Still, what I consider to be some of the greatest pleasures of travel, such as spontaneity and discovery, can be lost in the down-to-the-minute itineraries that often get posted in this and similar forums.
"How many days are required for Seville, what must I see when I'm there, and where should I eat?" This is the common format of forum questions, and I honestly can't answer them, except perhaps to say, reserve a night or two in a hotel, if you like it stay longer, and explore.
As for "periscope's" approach (second comment), I would not call it "superficial" at all, but rather, at least in my opinion, the essence of travel.

Agree with Carol and Faedus that the only "must-dos" are what you want to do. There must be a reason why you decided to travel to your destination, so start by answering that.

Don't plan sightseeing days to tightly. Prioritize your 'must sees', 'definitely would like to see', and 'nice to see if there's time'. Leave some flexibility time in every day to just 'be' where you are - soak it in and enjoy it. The temptation to see everything you ever wanted to see in a place can leave you exhausted and frustrated - it's not worth it.

My advice is to slow down and don’t try to pack 10 lbs. of stuff into a 5 lb. bag. Your trip will be an exhausting blur. Stop and appreciate what you are seeing. Taste the gelato and the wine. Breathe. Enjoy the experience of being in another country. And put down the camera once in a while. You are creating memories not Instagram posts. Those memories will sustain you later in life. Rick’s advice is “assume you’ll be back”. You will be back.

Pack light, but bring a really long cord for your phone charger. You never know where that darn plug's going to be in older hotel rooms.

Could not agree more with packing light. Wear clothes a couple of times more than you normally would at home before thinking of them as "dirty", then take a few hours to visit a laundromat every now and then. Going to the laundromat is actually a neat way to feel like a temporary local I find.

My other big advice to first timers is to see what you really want to see in Europe no matter where it is or how far it at first may seem from the place that you are flying into, because you never know when you'll have the chance to get back. Life happens, disasters happen, pandemics happen. If the top two things that you want to see are Paris and Vienna, then find a way to make seeing both work. Trains, buses, and cheap discount airlines make European cities easier to get to and between than one might assume just by looking at a map.

Count your itinerary by nights. Not only for conventional wisdom around true sightseeing time, but for accommodation. I have a friend who, when planning her first trip, told her partner to book a hotel in 'X", they'd be in town "Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday ". So he booked Tuesday, Wednesday Thursday ". Turns out she meant they needed a room for Monday Tuesday, Wednesday-- she was talking about the daytime hours they'd be in that area.

That a car is not always needed, and, in many cases, is a liability.

In Europe, streets are narrow, many are 1 way. Rules about driving are very different - the USA "9 MPH over the posted limit" is not honored. In addition, in Europe, you often make the turn BEFORE the sign, not AFTER the sign as in the USA. Drop-off charges are huge if you cross a border with the car. You must have a vignette to use the high-speed roads. On and on and on.

We've been to Europe 6 times since 2011. We've rented 2x in the 6 trips. The rest of the time, we use trains, planes, but not automobiles.

Do not assume things will be done “just like at home.” In fact, assume things will be entirely different. Example: parking in a city is an entirely different animal. Accept and embrace the differences. That’s why you travel, not to have a venti latte every morning like “at home.”

Although miles (or km) better than what one would find in the USA, don't expect public transportation in Europe to go absolutely everywhere, sometimes your best bet is to just rent a car to explore the countryside outside of the big city.

For example Northern Spain is best experienced from a car, which gives you the flexibility to stop at those very interesting small sights that don't make it into the big name guidebooks.

Some of your worst experiences can actually provide you with your best memories. It seems that when things go wrong, it just opens another door for a totally unexpected adventure. Don’t let ruin your vacation or it probably will.

Adding to the list of great responses, I will say to be sure to learn several words in the language where you are traveling. Always greet the person in the shop or restaurant in their own language. Know a few sentences, such as “I would like to order……, please.” “I have a reservation for two nights.” And use thank you often.

And along the same thought, be very respectful of the country and people you are visiting. Adhere to their rules, their customs, etc. which means it’s good to learn about them ahead of time.

Ooh, I forgot a big one! No grumps - whether you’re on a RS tour or traveling independently!

Bring more money, and fewer clothes.

Good planning and research are important. Plan every step of your trip, lodging, transportation and tours if desired.

Also, protect your valuables like passport, cash and credit cards. This is especially true for some places in Europe like Barcelona, Rome, Paris.

Traveling lighter with a 21" rolling suitcase is better. I always feel so sorry for the husbands hauling around 45 pound huge suitcases full of clothes and other items that'll never be used. Rick Steves' Packing List was compiled from years of traveling.

Everyone deals with their own luggage. If you cannot haul it, don't bring it.

Travel slower. I used to rent a car and drive as far and fast as I could. I just hit the high points. $9 per U.S. gallon gasoline in Italy made me not travel so far. And we now see so much more traveling slowly.

Travel to cities that are in close proximity to each other and where rail service is easy and often. Travel to cities that complement each other. I'm talking taking an itinerary like Munich-Salzburg-Vienna. Or Venice-Florence-Rome. Or, Prague-Vienna-Budapest. Or, Barcelona-Paris-London.

Spend enough time in major (great) cities to take in the major sights. You're not going to see Paris or London in two days. And remember, you cannot see all any city, major or minor, has to offer. Budapest has over 200 museums, for example.

Learning a bit of the language spoken where you plan to travel is a good idea, especially words that are common on signs. Such as the words for entrance and exit, how opening hours are displayed on shops etc. Also, don't assume that country borders and language borders are the same.

Pack your patience. Lines at the airport, train station, museums, or even getting your bill at a restaurant can be a pain, but sometimes that’s just the way it is,

Like Carlos said, depending on what you’re visiting, be it a chapel in the middle of a remote canyon in Spain or a burial chamber in rural Wales, realize that sometimes public transportation won’t get you there and you will need a rental car to visit some places away from the cities.

Keep an open mind when it comes to the philosophy of seeing only what you want to see, because sometimes you won't know it until you see it. For example, I've never had much interest in art, and so I had little interest in going to the Vatican. Luckily, I was one of the sheep that visited because that's something you do when in Rome. Turns out it's still one of my all time highlights of my travels. Not for the art, but for the history I learned about the art. Who knew that I would become fascinated with the history of religion because of that visit, or an interest would develop of the people behind that art? I still have little interest in seeing David when I get to Florence (I will though because sometimes a sheep's mentality works out), but I've read that one of the museums has a contract that Michelangelo had with the City of Florence to turn that big piece of marble into the statue. Now to me, that would be interesting to see.

Read the policy. Don't assume ticking the "add insurance" box gives
you the coverage you may need.

It's dull but necessary reading. For example did you know that you may not be covered if everything disappears from your hotel safe? A few years ago I read an article about a family that had their passports stolen from their hotel safe a couple of days before heading out on a cruise. They couldn't get new ones processed fast enough and missed the cruise, plus they had extra expenses waiting around until they got new passports. It turns out that their insurance didn't cover theft from hotel rooms-including the safe if there was no proof that the room had been broken into. I checked into my credit card travel insurance and learned the same thing. There's a great debate on this forum from time to time on whether to keep your travel documents in your room or with you, this is one that convinced me to keep it with me in a money belt.

Another point, not just for foreign travel: Keep your wits about you, and don't look at your phone while walking.

I keep alert. I look around and know what is behind me and to the sides. This is not paranoia, just what should be normal attentiveness.

Be here now.

Don't be on the phone. Look ahead, and be aware of things behind you. This is how the scammers work. Watch out for crowds as well. The points of concern are often in mass transit - the only place I have ever been pick-pocketed was on the Athens subway getting on the car where there is a mad rush and pushing. Deliberate, I am sure, to create confusion. I stand in the car with my back to the solid side.

Also, do not stand on the platform directly in front of the arriving train door. Stand 10 ft back. You can board when the train stops. In NYC, this is especially key right now where a lot of very sketchy things are going on.

"cathedrals can be rather samey (with some honourable exceptions)"

I will not pay an admission fee to enter a Cathedral, unless I know it to be exceptional, but even if it is exceptional and they don't allow cameras, well then it has to EXTRA, EXTRA exceptional before I'll pay.

Learn how to ask if they speak English in their language. It is really rude to just barge ahead in English without asking first.

Look up national holidays as well as school holidays. They are different in so many countries and can really affect your vacation.

Find out when stores and museums are closed. So many people arrive in Germany and have no idea that stores are closed on Sundays as well as national holidays and that the majority of museums are closed on Mondays.

Ok. sorry, that was 3 things.

It's psychologically difficult for some people to get over the FOMO, but don't just go from huge city to huge city, unless you are a huge fane of huge cities.

If you were recommending an itinerary for a European visiting the USA, would it be D.C., New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles? Of course not.

Go to some little places too. Village Europe is oozing with charm and good living.

• Comfort is far more important than fashion.
• Expect to get tired and take time to rest, relax, and nap when needed. Build some down-time into your plans.
• Mix up your food choices. Don't take every meal in a restaurant. Eat street food. Pack a picnic. Grab something to go.
• Don't assume everyone speaks English. Learn how to say "Hello" and "Do you speak English?" if you don't speak the local language.
• Don't look at everything through the lens of your camera. Take photos if you want, then put your camera or phone away and use your eyes and ears and nose to enjoy the sights and sounds and smells.

If you are on a longer trip 2.5 weeks or more) schedule a "vacation from your vacation" 60% of the way through.

Go somewhere Europeans go to relax and just hang out for a couple of days and do the things domestic holiday makers are doing. Istria, an Alpine resort lake, the Algarve, Franconian wine country, a cabin on the Danish seashore, an AirBnb in Den Bosch. It's still a new cultural experience for you, and you reset and recharge for the next stage elbowing your way up to the Mona Lisa.

Never rely on a guidebook for visiting info such as hours, entry fees and any mandatory rules (such as advance reservations, masking, etc.) and other stuff that can change on a dime. Not the fault of publishers but some information in the books can be outdated before they even hit the press. The world moves quickly these days; use the official websites for the attractions you plan to see for the most current visiting details.

Don't rely just on your phone for EVERYTHING. Lose that phone, have it malfunction or have it stolen and you can be without that EVERYTHING. Have some sort of backup for your most important documents.

Regarding Lane's not every meal at a restaurant above:

I absolutely agree with this. Every summer we are fired up for our first few restaurant meals, but then quicker than you'd think you become tired of eating in restaurants, no matter how much you like eating in restaurants or how good the food is.

So two tips in that regard.

When we arrive, we start to assemble our picnic bag. Sturdy plastic bag from a grocery. Assembly is somewhat ad hoc. Some mustard and Laughing Cow type cheese, a bit of sausage maybe, some plastic knives and forks and napkins, some little condiment items from the hotel breakfast buffet. Then when we don't feel like eating in a restaurant, we can zip through a market and buy a few items to picnic outside or in our hotel room. And then non or less perishable items from that picnic become part of the picnic bag.

Clean out the picnic bag every once in awhile - it has a way of expanding into a lodestone.

And you packed light right? So that you can fit the picnic bag into your luggage?

On the first day of every trip I buy a knife - usually an ubiquitous Opinel picnic knife - but a regular pocket knife if unavailable. Under 10 bucks. I leave it with the maid's tip in our last hotel room. It is incredibly handy - cutting sausage cheese and produce with a plastic knife is intolerable.

Second, opt to do some of your longer stays in short-term rental apartments, not hotels. You can always go out to dinner if you want to, but you can't make Alsacian potatoes in your hotel room.

Here's a super important one

Quick - your travel companion has been brained by a delivery truck's mirror on a narrow back street. There's no one immediately around to help. What number do you dial in case of an emergency?

In the EU it's 112. Commit that number to instant memory.

Though it is becoming more common for dinner to be a larger meal, consider making lunch your biggest meal on most days. Doing so puts you more into the flow of many places. And logistically, it's often easier to, if you choose, picnic in your hotel room in the evening.

When I led college students on study abroad trips to South America for many years, part of their orientation was "no turtles, no dangles."

Be able to move freely with all of your luggage. Being weighed down to where you cannot move at a brisk clip makes you a target. No turtles.

Present a uniform package when traveling with your luggage and personal belongings. Don't hold a suitcase a backpack a purse a grocery bag a bum bag and designer sunglasses pushed up on top of your head. To see if she will look like a Christmas tree loaded up with gifts.

If you can, close all your belongings up inside your suitcase or your travel backpack, except of course for your essentials passport, cards, cash secured in your safe place on your person. Or travel backpack/suitcase, close fitting sturdy purse, hidden essentials. No dangles.

As noted, and as I believe Rick once wisely said, pack half as many clothes and twice as much money. What you are wearing, as long as it's weather appropriate, is so not important.

Travel for yourself, not for others. Don't take the trip that "everyone" insists you should take. If you loathe museums, why would you trek from one to another just to please your neighbor?

You will get sore and tired and cranky, and sh!t will happen, that's how travel works.

For your very first trip, try and plan only one big activity in the morning and one in the afternoon.
You won't enjoy things if you are clock watching to get to the next thing.
When packing, if you won't use an item more than three times, leave it at home.
And....there are shops wherever you are going.

My piece of advice is to put all your expectations aside and do your best to assimilate to where you are. During my travels, I've heard people say things like, "we don't do it this way back home" or "it's supposed to be this way." Let that stuff go.

Take the rare opportunity to go outside your comfort zone. Go off the beaten path and enjoy the unknown! But of course, be smart and stay out of areas that are known to be dicey or dangerous. Keep your wits about you.

Badger's point about language is a good one. Sure, maybe "everyone" does speak English, but the signs and labels seldom do. Knowing what the words for open, closed, forbidden, no entry, entrance, exit, grocery, and others look like is helpful, even if you don't know how to pronounce them.

"we don't do it this way back home"

I've heard that expression more than once when travellers for the first time taste the real deal Italian cheese and quickly compare it to the Wisconsin take on that same cheese.

Some (many?) first time travelers want to visit blockbuster sites. It pays to research and plan for those visits in a way that still affords you the time to wander, enjoy a gelato stop, a leisurely meal (the sort of "stop and smell the roses" advice so many of you have mentioned). For example, research ticket pre-purchase opportunities, early/late site openings, a small group or private tour that gets you into a site outside of general public hours, an entrance with shorter lines, etc. If planned well, a trip can be a good mix of hitting the sites and enjoying more leisurely moments.

Assess the trip afterwards, What were the best days, the most enjoyable sites, your favorite hotels? Did you enjoy the general flow of the trip? The answers to these types of questions will help in planning the next trip.

Expect the unexpected, and just roll with it!

Talk to (carefully selected) “strangers”. I hate to ask for help of any sort but my husband LOVES the opportunity to interact with locals. He’d rather ask someone for directions than give me 2 minutes to figure things out on my own! Yes, he’s a gem! He’ll ask the staff at the corner market where to eat out in the area, etc. He is courteous, engaging and sincere and we’d had many memorable encounters on subways, trains, planes, in cafes sitting elbow to elbow with locals or other tourists. He’s good at “reading” people as well so that helps with selecting who to talk to at times.

Quick - your travel companion has been brained by a delivery truck's
mirror on a narrow back street. There's no one immediately around to
help. What number do you dial in case of an emergency? In the EU it's
112. Commit that number to instant memory.

This is a very important point! And if you visit Sweden, install the 112 app, https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=se.sos.soslive

In case of an emergency, use the app to call 112. The app will use your phone's GPS and send the coordinates to the operator.

Many top sights either require booking ahead, or are very difficult to visit without pre-booking (long lines, difficult ticket buying strategies). Check every sight you care about well ahead of time to find out if you need or want reservations.. Some book early, some you can book a day or two before, some don't have any reservations. It varies, so always check! It would be really frustrating to go to Paris specifically to see the Louvre and go up in the Eiffel tower just to get there and not be able to get tickets.

I have not checked this out recently, but our cellphones, I think, will call the local number (e.g., 112) if you mistakenly dial 911 but the phone knows you are in Europe. This trick may only with in Europe or the UK, though. Still better to know the local number just in case.

I second yosemite1 about things not running smoothly. I have found that usually those "glitches" is what makes for great memories and good stories though at first they don't feel good. Roll with the punches.

"we don't do it this way back home" or "it's supposed to be this
way." Let that stuff go.

Like tipping??

In the time of COVID/labor strikes I learned that you should not be in motion/traveling the day before you are set to fly home. Develop an advance plan (or at least identify options) to get home if your return flight is canceled or your day before train is canceled. In the same vein, don't plan any non-refundable activities on the day of arrival - identify options for activities but also allow yourself to ease into it if jet lag is bad.

Plan and save a cushion in your budget for buying your way out of sticky situations if necessary.

Get a contactless credit or debit card long before your departure date, don't start thinking about that the week before you head out. Also check the foreign transaction fees on credit cards, plenty of options to avoid them if you plan ahead.

i) Try everything once, except folk dancing and incest

LOL, this is very true except I have actually folk danced :) I have gone to the top of very tall things despite by fear of heights. And I've tried all manner of food items, including endless amounts of weird street food all over the world and barbequed grubs in Ecuador (taste like bacon). Pack over the counter remedies to counteract any poor choices, and pass on food items that were disagreeable if offered a second time.

And don't ever throw away your ticket for public transport. I had the rule to put my ticket in my front pocket, and advised my husband the same. The ONE time I needed to pull it out to show the Police stationed at the exits I was glad I had developed this habit.

Another poster here said (apologies I don't remember who to credit), but basically: "Travel as cheaply as possible and when problems arise, throw money at them."

My biggest lesson has been that only people with mild personalities and loads of money can travel without much stress. For the rest of us, don't make a complete lack of stress an indicator of a good trip, or no trip will be a good one.

Do your best, pack light, plan carefully, (but conservatively!!), ask advice, keep documents in order... and allow yourself and others to be unhappy. The malaise passes quicker if you allow it instead of feeling bad for feeling bad or trying to fix it with a perfect experience.

ETA:
**Travel is more fun if you like people. It's easier to like people if you don't expect them to act like Americans or Europeans/Whomever in movies.

I couldn't figure out why my easygoing friend and party-girl sister disliked people in the same places where I'd loved the people, since I'm the more uptight and sensitive. Turns out they saw cultural differences as rude, but my daughters and I found them interesting and even enlightening. "Staring" or not moving off the sidewalk for every other pedestrian is not inherently rude. Staring could be considered complimentary or interested and walking in straight line is quite practical. (I think of how Americans will shoot visual daggers at drivers who drive right up to the merge point before getting over, while Europeans "zipper merge" without offense because it makes more sense and causes fewer delays. It's actually the opposite of rude, even if it's unfamiliar and makes Americans uncomfortable.)

I love this thread and appreciate both the reminders and the new info. Good stuff, if you ask me!

It takes time to get from Point A to Point B. Travel shows make people believe changing venues is as quick as the fade of a camera shot. Vacation time for most people is limited. Overly ambitious itineraries lose too much time to travel and leave too little time to see sights.

Don't allow yourself to rush. Give yourself time not only to see what you want to see but to get from place to place, get meals, figure out transportation connections, toilet breaks, packing, unpacking, checking in/out, etc.

If you travel at a relaxed pace, you will be much less stressed, and enjoy the time you have more,

You are paying for each of the days you are there, so make the most of them! On the flight over, switch your thinking from dollars to euros and set your watch to the new European time. On arrival day, drink a lot of water, drop your bags, and get out there! Eat an early dinner and go to bed. You might sleep a bit longer that first night , but by having stayed up on arrival day you should wake up adjusted to the new time zone and ready to go.

After that first night, try to get to bed at a reasonable time and get up and going fairly early. Be excited to get out there! This is what you came to do! The goal isn't to pack in as many sights as possible, but to have time to enjoy each one at leisure and explore the unexpected vs. rushing to see things because you got a late start. Stop for that 2 hour lunch at a cafe, linger on the town square, and watch the world go by. Relax and laugh about taking the wrong Metro train. If you get an early start, you can do all of those things without feeling rushed.

"Stop for that 2 hour lunch at a cafe, linger on the town square, and watch the world go by"

This really needs to happen more often when travelling in foreign lands - I've read far too many itineraries that are timed to military precision. So you missed seeing something that was tagged a must see by others ... so ... big deal.

Stop for that 2 hour lunch at a café

I think this really depends on the location of travel. When I was in Switzerland, I liked to grab a sandwich so I could eat outside continuing to enjoy the gorgeous scenery.

Think about what YOU like and plan accordingly. Just because X thing is the top thing to do in a place, doesn't mean you have to do it. Husband and I skipped the Lippizaner horses in Vienna because it had absolutely no appeal to us.

Also be aware that hours at European sites are often more limited than you might expect.

DON'T assume you will be back, unless you really prefer returning to familiar places. The world is HUGE with so much to see, and you never know if you will get another chance. Travel is also expensive, so, unless you are independently wealthy, make the most of your money and get out there. When we were in Paris, we stayed in an apartment 2 blocks away from Notre Dame. The first day, we went by it, saw the lineup, and decided to leave it for another day. Nearly every day, we passed Notre Dame on the way to/from our apartment, promising ourselves that we would go inside at some point. Well, we never did. And since then, Notre Dame had that destructive fire, so even if we do ever get back to Paris, seeing Notre Dame likely won't be the same. So, now my husband and I have a saying: "Don't let this be another Notre Dame," and we try not to pass up opportunities to see things. That is not to say that we try to see everything, but that if we want to see something, we would never leave it for "next time," because who knows?

That said, DO try to zig when everyone else zags. Travel during shoulder season, if possible. See popular sights early in the morning or late in the day.

DO poke around corners and go through gates (public ones) to see what's there. Don't always follow the crowd.

DO see things through the lens of your camera if you like taking pictures, as I do. I find that I see differently when I am looking for interesting photos to take. I notice details more. I notice the flora and fauna, as well as the castles and mountains. I see things others walk right by. I see a couple, him wearing a beret, being romantic outside the greenhouse of the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. I see children chasing huge bubbles in the sunshine outside St. Stephen's Basilica in Budapest and chasing pigeons through puddles in Plaça de Catalunya in Barcelona. I see the Peruvian Hairless Dog dressed in a fuzzy vest in Aguas Calientes. I see funny details on doors. And I have photos of all these things to remember them. My husband and I go through our photos nearly every evening before bedtime when we're travelling, and he often remarks, "I didn't notice that," when he sees my pictures. He now takes more photos of his own and sometimes captures a moment that I missed! Also, no matter how busy our days, they are never a blur, because we have our photos.

DO go into that 14th cathedral of your trip. A number of times, my DH and I almost didn't go into yet another cathedral, because we had already seen so many. And every single time, when we decided to go in anyway, we were so glad we didn't miss it. Every one has something different and special about it. But, perhaps, realizing that comes with noticing details.

I completely agree with learning a few words in the local language. I always learn "hello" (or, more likely, "good morning", "good afternoon", and "good evening"), "goodbye", "please", and "thank you", at a minimum.

I agree that comfort is more important than fashion.

I agree with packing light.

I agree with doing what matters to YOU and not to everyone else. If sitting in a cafe for hours appeals to you, do that. If it doesn't, don't bother. It's YOUR trip and YOUR money. To thine own self be true.

BB, that's the best explanation for seeing the world through a camera lens I've ever read. I haven't bothered with my camera for a few years now and rely on my phone, but keep thinking how much I'm missing by not having the viewfinder.

Alan, I got a new phone recently, and it takes excellent pictures. So, for the first time, I used only my phone and didn't even bring a camera on my May trip to Croatia and Ireland. But I still took thousands of photos. :)

This is an excellent source of valuable info - even for seasoned travelers! I’ll be sharing this with some family and friends. Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions!😊

I completely agree with the photo comments, and noticing details. I love to capture those details and share them, and then reminisce later on. It helps me remember the special places and moments! I end up with hundreds and hundreds of photos, but it is so easy with a great camera on my phone. Over the years we’ve moved from taking the larger DSLR camera to simply using our phones, along with a pocket sized digital camera that is great for zooming and especially low light scenes, like churches, museums, and night shots. It’s small enough that I think we will always travel with us as a back up in case of a phone disaster. But the phones are also easy to back up photos as we travel.

Thanks again for the wonderful tips!

Laurie