Someone asked “Which trip/location was ruined for you because of crowds?” and netizens shared their best (and worst) examples. We also got in touch with veteran traveler Lauren Juliff to learn more. So get comfortable as you scroll through, prepare to take some notes, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below.
More info: Never Ending Footsteps
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Bored Panda got in touch with blogger and veteran traveler Lauren Juliff and she was kind enough to answer some of our questions. Firstly, we wanted to hear what travel tips she would have given her younger self.
“I would tell myself that everybody has bad experiences when they travel. When I first set out to travel the world, it felt like I had walked straight into disaster. I got heatstroke, I got lost, and I got scammed — all within the first month of my trip! It’s something that not many travelers write about online — on Instagram, everybody shares their highlight reel, but there aren’t many people who are willing to share that nasty bout of food poisoning they just encountered.”
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“For a long time I thought that the problem was me. I believed that everybody else was successfully traveling the world and having an incredible time, so I had to be doing something wrong. Of course, I wasn’t doing anything wrong! Everybody has bad things happen to them when they travel, whether it’s lost luggage, being pickpocketed, or missing a flight. What’s important is to stay calm when something terrible happens. Breathe, collect yourself, and strategize a response: what can you learn from this experience?”
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We also wanted to hear her opinion on how to figure out budgeting and time versus cost. “If you have the funds to allow you to make the most of your travels, then it’s definitely worth doing so. Time is the only resource that cannot be replenished, so it’s important to make the most of what we do have. If you have limited vacation time each year and paying extra allows you to see more of the world, I can certainly understand why somebody would make that choice.”
“Paying more money allows you to avoid many of the stresses that travel brings: you can choose to skip long layovers, reduce your chances of lost luggage by flying direct, avoid crowded transportation, and stay in safer neighborhoods.”
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I've been to many of the places named in this thread, including Venice in summer and Kyoto in April, but nothing was as bad as Prague in September. Wall to wall tourist and all the shops sold cheap tourist c**p. The main square was full of bad street performers that had nothing to do with Prague. It felt more like medieval Disneyland than a real city. We didn't like it at all.
Lastly, we were curious about what general tips she might have. “Definitely make sure to read up about the destination you’ll be traveling to: learn a few words of the local language, research any common scams, and make sure you’ve packed the correct clothing if traveling to a conservative country.”
“Definitely get travel insurance before you leave: it’s always better to be safe than sorry, especially when it comes to your health. As somebody who has been hospitalized in four different countries while traveling, knowing that I wasn’t going to end up with an enormous medical bill at the end made the whole experience a lot less stressful.”
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“Make sure you research the money situation in the country, too: do locals expect you to pay with cash or have they transitioned to cards-only? Will your foreign cards work while overseas? Have you notified your bank that you’ll be traveling? Do you know the current exchange rate? Having the answers to all of these will make your first few days in a new country a lot smoother.” You can find more of Lauren's work on her Instagram and her website.
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