Best tools to use for researching trips
There are so many great tools now to plan for your trips. I love to research my trips before I visit because I cannot stand the idea of showing up somewhere and not knowing what to do. I get so much anxiety when I’m with a group and we waste time by repeatedly asking “what do yall want to do????” Here are some great resources for you to check out when you’re planning your next trip:
Tripadvisor /Viator - I LOVE Tripadvisor. I make boards, like on Pinterest, and save the experiences and restaurants to my boards. I love that you can book through Tripadvisor and can see the reviews of experiences. Cannot recommend enough.
Pinterest - I like that Pinterest will connect you to blogs and that person’s experience in a place. I tend to use Pinterest less and less, but I do look for restaurants on here.
Instagram vs Facebook -
Instagram - I did a poll on @BlondeVoyage_901 and the majority of people said they use Instagram over Facebook for researching trips. The best way to do this is to search a location. I do this when I’m about a month out from visiting a place and watch the stories and see what people are posting there. I found a great bar in Krakow (Le Scandale) because I kept seeing stories of people getting a cocktail with what looked like a line of cocaine and a rolled $20 bill next to it. I sent it to my boyfriend and said “Poland is getting lit!” So when we went to Le Scandale, I asked them what that was about and they informed me that it is sugar and a fake $20 bill lol. (Disclaimer, I wasn’t going to do cocaine in Poland…)
Facebook - I’m part of 2 travel groups - Girls LOVE Travel and Travel Community. I love searching for my locations in these groups and getting inspiration on new places to visit from these groups! If you’re a girl, be sure to join Girls LOVE Travel. You can also just ask on your own page if any of your friends have been to that specific destination.
Atlas Obscura - If you’re into the creepy, macabre, and dark touristy places, this is your resource. They have so many weird experiences you won’t find anywhere else.
YouTube - I love watching the 4K videos of a place I’m about to visit. It gives me a good idea of a specific part of town. I also love when bloggers post videos and share where they ate or anything fun they did.
Reddit - I don’t use Reddit a ton unless I’m asking locals for advice; for example, like how to get into Berghain in Berlin.
Do you have any other resources to research for your trips? If so, drop them in the comments!