I've been traveling to Budapest every year for 20 years. I probably have a total of 3 years there. Now I live there. But TexasTravelMom, who has been a few times, maybe equalling a month, has more relevant advice in many, many circumstances (most?).
I dont think locals are necessarily the best source for holiday enjoyment. Technical aspects, maybe.
Your thoughts?
It is really hard to beat a local's advice on transportation and cultural norms. They often know local "approaches" that make life easier. Where tourists' advice shines is in areas such as lodging or accessing key tourist locations. A local rarely stays in hotels in their own area for obvious reasons. They may not have visited a tourist location in several years.
I think there is something to learn from everyone.
I'll just cut and paste what Carol said. I've given plenty of advice on this Forum about my hometown region, but sometimes the simple things can stump me such as how to get from the Calgary Airport to Banff, without a car. I had to look that one up.
But I can always suggest things off the tourist trail or times of year to visit for different experiences, which is something that someone who has only visited once may not have an effective answer for.
We lived in the Portland, Oregon area for ten years and the Seattle area for thirty years. We hosted family & friends’ visits, and that’s when we learned the most about our cities. I would research - just like when I’m preparing for a Europe trip and come up with a list of 40-50 things we could do. We actually learned more about our city because we were treating it like a tourist destination and also trying things from their interests.
So, yes, I agree with you. I’ve found it very helpful to prepare with copious amounts of research on-line, but I also always ask B&B or small hotel owners what they recommend. And they’re always been a great resource for mid-level restaurant recommendations, too.
I find input from locals and frequent visitors especially helpful when researching secondary locations seldom explored by US travelers.
I lived in a Texas tourist city for 40 years. Don't ask me for help there. Did it all 20 years ago, and I doubt it's still relevant. "I should know, I live here" is off the mark about half the time unless you are in the tourism business. I have even heard, "I live here, and I will tell the forum what they need to know."
I think it all just depends. Many people do not venture out much around their home, but some do. I know for us, being stationed for short stints all over, we learned to make the most of where we lived. We tried to see and do as much as possible, and that has stuck with us. We love to go play tourist here at home, and then of course when visitors come. We don't stay in local hotels often, but we do for special events as it makes more sense sometimes.
Mostly I listen to people anyone with personal experience in an area. It can be a local or a visitor, but I tend to ignore any advice from people who have not done actually been somewhere or done something. I don't mind if advice is dated as long as the person is upfront about it. Saying they really like a hotel they stayed at 25 years ago without divulging that fact is deceiving, IMO. However, if they suggest that and say when it was, and that the location was great and that it still gets great reviews, then sure, I will check it out.
Another vote for help from all angles. You simply can’t beat “boots on the ground” for many questions. But who the local is and what they do on a regular basis makes a big difference. A perfect example is Jason in Prague - he deals in tourism so is well-versed in information regarding being a tourist in Prague. Same for Ms. Jo in Frankfurt.
But your point, I think, is that just living somewhere doesn’t make you an expert for what a tourist wants to see and do. I would absolutely take your advice on transportation, local events, knowing where major sightseeing places are, or where to drink wine (🤣) in Budapest. But are you up to date on all the small museums or what the entrance process or cost is? Maybe not, since you may not have been in the last 10 years. Lol. For that, I would turn to recent tourists. It’s WORK to stay up to date on all that!
And then you come to recommendations…. It’s obvious we all have things we enjoy more than other things, not to mention how we like to travel. Just because someone else loves modern art doesn’t mean I am going to search out a museum of modern art. I like quirky lodging - others prefer familiar comfort. On the other hand, who other than a local (mostly) will know how loud Kiraly ut. can get at night?
I think the problem for new travelers is to figure out that no one is an expert on all facets of a place - and to decide how to pick and choose which bits of advice and knowledge to incorporate into a trip. Other than taking a tour, there’s no shortcut to creating your own best trip.
I myself am wary of anyone who would say “I live here - I should know” or all the internet bloggers who have lists of “Ten must-see attractions in ….”, or even people here who say “Oh, I loved this, so I know you will, too!”, etc.
So does this mean you are going to change your name to “Mister É (Basic Economy) Non-Expert 🍷”? 🤣
I didn't really mean this to be about Budapest. I'm sure it's not too different from most places. Choose tge tight location, give it adequate time, and you can't help but interact with local places and culture. Of done right, like most destinations, you don't look at it, you wear it.
If done right, like most destinations, you don't look at it, you wear it.
Oooh, I like this. The question becomes how much time that requires, but the concept is great. Some destinations just “fit” better than others. Different topic, though.
I live near Hollywood but don't ask me what to see there, I haven't a clue. I did way back when I first arrived as a dewy-eyed new resident.
However, where locals are useful, is if someone says "Is such and such near such and such" or "how does the subway/metro/train work" or "do you know a good restaurant near such and such." Don't ask me about hotels or where to park for the Santa Monica Pier, how would I know?
Also, there are so many resources available now. Use them all. Get a guidebook AND search forums AND watch Youtube videos. Why on earth not? Everyone has a different research limit, mine is pretty high so I'll just keep looking and digging. And everyone has slightly different interests, so know thyself and plan your trip accordingly.
The person asking for advice has to be smart enough and observant enough to recognize and understand the limitations of the individual being asked. And to know that sometimes locals are not locals.
But I much prefer asking people on the ground for suggestions than an app or website or guidebooks focused on the well-touristed places. Sometimes it's fun to ask even if you don't follow the recs.
Stan, you are correct. To be a local you gotta be born into it have spent at least 30 years in it. Everyone else is just an over extended tourist.
As an Alaska resident for 22 years, I’m almost an expert, especially since I worked in tourism before staying home to raise kids. There were quite a few years when our travel plans took us out of the state, but now we know we are leaving and trying to do everything on my Alaska bucket list. I’m fairly knowledgeable about Maui ( lived and worked in tourism there too) and Washington state.
This forum and guidebooks suffice for the rest of the world!
Re: travel advice....depends on the particular country , mainly guide books
On France: talking to the French, listening to what they have to say, be they here or over there. It's best to do that in their language , say in the Tourist Office or with locals you happen to engage in a conversation. also guide books, brochures in French and English, (to see what is omitted in either version), also suggestions from friends, serious research on the internet, and obviously, history books.
On Germany: very much the same as above, but to a greater extent and with more people over there. Over the years I owe it to a lot of locals suggesting to me where to go as to historical sites, especially the esoteric ones pertaining to Prussian-German history, the war, etc. The same applies to the French locals disclosing to me as much, places and sites I rather doubt
On England, Poland...guide books, the internet,
Bottom line...cannot answer on holiday enjoyment.
We do a great deal of research on our own, using guide books, internet, and personal friends, to get an overall idea of what to expect. Then for specific bits of information, we use this forum to zero in on some details. Many on this forum are experienced, insightful, reliable, and willing to share their knowledge.
Yep, interesting question and I think it very much depends on what people want from travel. I like doing my own research, library to start, those larger books with photos that you'd never take along. I want to hold those books, look at the areas especially in DK guides, imagine what the places feel like. Possibly while looking places up and adding them to my Google maps & saving in a destination. After that, I will watch a lot of Youtube videos on the sites - RS Art series (thanks to whomever recommended them), historians & museum guides. (If some perky person sticks their face in front of the attraction, I don't watch it.) At that point, the Forum comes in super handy. Dang, I have so many threads on the Netherlands & Sicily bookmarked!
When friends ask me where my favorite towns/ countries I've travelled, happy to discuss. If they ask me where THEY should go, I ask what they want from their trip, city countryside beach quiet instagram photo shots churches museums, lots of sites, or sitting in a cafe watching people walk by. We're in the latter camp, so I spend quite a bit of time gathering restaurant & cafe AND espresso recommendations. Not to plan ahead, but to have options when it's time for a cappuccino & cornetto.. (in midst of planning where to stop multiple times a day on trip to Rome in late December.)
Sandancisco, I think you have the right idea.
A wide variety. Trip Advisor forums, this forum, YouTube and FB groups. Take what you need and what interests you and leave the rest.
Local residents can be very helpful with quick advice on TA. How to get the bus, where to eat, etc. Reviews of tours are up to date. Read the bad reviews to see if the same stuff would bother you. YouTube is great for getting a feel for where you are going, what might be of interest. Google earth view is good for getting a view of where your hotel or train station is located and how to get there.
The Iceland FB groups were great at advice for the Polar lights, how to take photos of them, etc. Camino FB groups are good for tips about where to stay, with up to date photos, etc.
The only time I use a guide book is on the Camino and even then, often find 2 apps that are available, to be more useful.
I don't think locals are necessarily the best source for holiday enjoyment. Technical aspects, maybe.
I agree. Most, but not all locals, take for granted their locations because they are there 365-24x7. Whereas travelers dive deep into what is there. Locals may be great for out of the way restaurants and as you said technical aspects, transportation, etc., but travelers research the heck out of a location. The internet has made research so simple and now AI assists tremendously.
I asked AI to tell me what are the museums in Budapest and received at least 20 in a matter of minutes with short descriptions of each. I could have dove deeper, but when I got a listing for a Cat Museum, I assumed I had pretty much receive the top ones. Most people seem to be anti-AI. I think it many cases, especially travel, those who hate planning will find it much easier now and even easier in the future.
I find the above a very strange comment. In the Lake District most people on here stay on a very narrow and well worn trail, laid out by other American travellers on this forum, and Ricks guidebooks. Locals like me do the deep diving and know the area backwards, but can't for love or money get people out of that worn rut.
I have given up doing a monthly digest of lesser well known but hugely worthwhile seasonal places to visit in the Lake District, as they were having too few views to justify the amount of time expended trying to broaden people's frankly shallow horizons.
And last week there was a case where I couldn't get someone to believe timetables I know like the back of my hand because some stupid app said differently, and apps are the be all and all and are always right. I spent hours on that case bottoming out what the heck the app was doing, with massive deep dives into live GPS bus tracking. A real waste of time. The OP there was adamant the app was right from 5000 miles away and local knowledge from 5 miles away wrong.
I get travel advice from a variety of sources: travel boards, bloggers, youtubers, locals, friends, family, books, magazines, etc. All offer a certain perspective on any given area. I disagree that locals are not best for giving advice to visitors. Often, they will know good, local restaurants, local activities that may be going on or, if they don't and are like me, they have friends who's pulse is on all sorts of fun activities in a city. If people want to visit Seattle, for example, if I don't have info for them, I certainly know of friends who could outline activities in the area that any visitor would love (and appreciate.) And, I think we all know people in our circles who always seem to have a pulse on what's happening in our local areas.
][It's all in the asker asking the right question. An open-ended question like "what is the best ____ in ____ "is likely to get a generic beaten-path answer since few people have been to all ____ in _____. And one has to guess what the asker means by best. When someone asks me for a local barbecue restaurant recommendation in my city, without any further info, I'll rattle off the most well-known and popular names. If they ask with more specifics and a sense of interest, I'll come up with some hidden gems.
Asking at a hotel front desk for a restaurant recommendation, and they'll likely send you to where all the other tourists go. Ask them where they would go with their friends that's not too expensive, or has a certain food you're interested in, and they might have more interest in helping you.
The people I don't take advice from are multi-destination travel bloggers who are blowing through a location. YouTube videos titled "Top 10 Things to do in X" are nearly a universally useless. The blogger(s) briefly consulted a guidebook, went to 10 places, and then made a video about how great they are. The number one goal of these videos is to keep the clicks coming so as to monetize and make a little cash.
Generally speaking, and IMO, the best source of information on a place comes from experienced travelers who have spent time in that place or region. They see the place differently than a local, in a way more appropriate to other travelers.
I also don't mind the advice of deeply experienced travelers who have been to a place just briefly. Take Rick Steves for instance. He can pass through somewhere in one day and because he's traveled so much to so many places, and because he's done so in a way that is critical and oriented to giving advice, he'll have a good impression of the place and be able to pull out a couple of okay recommendations. That goes for some number of the experienced travelers on this forum as well.
But (hypothetical) peppy young Jack and camera-loves Jill, YouTube influencers with a ton of followers? Their "Definitive Guide to Ghent," compiled in the one afternoon they spent there, is worse than no information at all.
Hank, I have been to 40 countries. I feel competent talking about maybe 5.
E I'll give you an example of an experienced traveler whose opinion I value reporting on places she's passing through:
https://youtu.be/VUHribxXzw4?si=fRiTCrfs61PJnAee
This Dutch travel vlogger documents her bike and barge trip through the western part of Burgundy. She gives a great impression of what the place and the experience is like. We discover as she discovers. She doesn't just reproduce what's in the first chapter of a guide book, pretending that's she's on the places she's in. I know from her body of work that she has enough experience travelling that she can make discriminating and nuances calls on what's worth featuring and what's not.
She's a YouTube personality whose form of advice is important and useful to me. But so many others are totally useless. After Jack and Jill's guidebook-cribbed Best of Ghent video I'll have no idea if Ghent is really for me. But watching this video I know that more time in the farther flung parts of Burgundy are.
Sometimes Hollywood can help whet one’s appetite for travel fantasy’s that may just be based in historical fact.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5EkcuhBwiU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad2-FiCzJxc
The movie tells most of what one needs to know, except, how does one determine how much to tip? 10%,20% or some other scale of performance?
My wife tried to ban me from travel to Texas. Compensated by letting me buy her a couple of black Bustier like Miss Mona wore. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yDIF53sU7o. And fantasise.
Regards Ron
Tassie, my teenage years were spent very near there.
