Visiting a new destination should result in you coming home feeling on top of the world. You should (ideally) have ticked off all of your must-see attractions, eaten some amazing food and immersed yourself in the culture of the destination.
What’s important to each traveler is different…
What I do to make the most of my trip is plan to see all the major sights and best restaurants and then leave extra time for aimless wandering. Because I find for me, the best parts of a trip can be found in those unplanned moments.
So, if you go away and come home feeling the same as you went, you should ask yourself did you make the effort to make the most out of your trip? Did you use your time away to experience as much as you can? If not, then you should adopt my advice below to ensure that you get the most out of your travel.
1. Do an activity out of your comfort zone
Everyone can get too comfortable on trips sometimes. We often go away wanting to do more yet stick to doing the same things. However, if you want to get the most out of your travel experiences, then you should go out of your comfort zone and experience something new.
Whether that means bungy jumping in Queenstown or skiing in Whistler, you can try something new and may even find yourself a new favourite hobby. The trips where you do something different will be those that stick in your memory.
2. Ask for local advice
There is nothing more rewarding and fulfilling than speaking to locals in the country that you are visiting. Not only will you broaden your knowledge of the local culture, but they can become your local guide for the best places to eat, see, and stay.
Speaking to locals will ensure that you get honest and essential advice. The locals will tell you the ways of the area and how to stay and get the most out of where you are visiting.
3. Book the trip early
If you want to maximise your budget and get the most for your money, then you will want to book early. Booking as early as possible will ensure that you get the best deals and get first dibs on the accommodation, transportation, and activities. If you leave it too late, what you wanted to book might get booked up.
Apart from this, booking early can help you get good discounts even on luxury accommodation, such as Greek Villas.
4. Take pictures (but not too many)
To capture your memories, it helps to take a camera along with you. You can capture memories that you may otherwise forget about.
However, it is important to use your eyes to soak up your surroundings too. Spending too much time taking photos might hinder your experience. Therefore, remember your camera to capture memories but make sure to look up and around you at all times. You will get to soak up the surroundings and make sure to be able to take those memories home with you.
5. Take your time
Going away isn’t about rushing. We all do enough of that at home. Therefore, to get the most out of your trip (and to not miss anything) it is essential that you take your time. Should that mean that you do less activities or need to extend your trip, so be it.
My favorite thing to do in a new destination is to simply just wander around without an itinerary. That way, I feel like I live there. For my first day in a new place I tend to skip the main tourist attractions. And instead I walk the backstreets, eat in restaurants filled with locals and, grab a coffee from a back-alley spot.
So, my advice to you is to not go to the Instagram hotspots instead walk around without a plan, it will make you feel like a local.
The slower you take things, the more you can soak up and enjoy yourself. I would hate for you to lose the magic of travel by just trying to pack in as much as you possibly can.
Thanks for reading my blog,
If you enjoyed reading my guide on how to make the most of travel, you may want to check out my other related (and popular) blog posts, like –
How to have adventures on a budget
Saving for a vacation on a tight budget
How to book a Mystery Hotel Deal and get luxury for less
Last Updated on April 24, 2025 by snaphappytravel