Bookpacking’s 10 travelling ‘rules’
Here’s the rules of the road when we’re lighting out and exploring that big old world of ours…
1. Stay in a hostel, or couchsurf. Locals are there to provide you with information and give you the inside track.
2. Check the listings guides and scan the papers. Want to be in Krakow and then miss the annual (free) charity fireworks/concert because you didn’t know it was happening?
3. Travel with the locals. Get buses and trams, see how people are living. What are they reading? What are their ringtones? How sophisticated is the transport system? Is it vandalised?
4. Eat with the locals. Skip the fancy restaurant and eat cheap with residents. From Sunday snacks with Madrileno’s in the rastro, to the students and old people in Gdansk’s milk bars; it’s an anthropological adventure.
5. Keep your eyes open. Posters and graffiti help you appreciate the mood of the nation, region or even the city. From anti-tourist slogans in the Basque country to the parental status of Putin or the ownership of Kosovo; what are people talking about?
6. Initiate conversations. No use being a wall-flower here; start a chat, ask questions. People respond to genuine interest. And after all, everyone’s favourite subject is themselves.
7. Get lost. Guide books are great, but take some time to wander off the beaten track and you never know what you’ll find. There are atmospheric empty alleys only minutes from Las Rambla, or serene spots for contemplation round SF’s Telegraph Hill.
8. Go to something different. Like a political meeting, or an alternative art show. In Dresden’s Neustadt you might catch the German Bob Dylan imitator for only a few Euros, or meet interesting progressive political types at a Move On film screening in a US city.
9. Look up! Especially if you’re a photographer; there’s a whole different world up there that so many miss. You might find 100 year-old advertisements, or eclectically elaborate rooftop decorations signifying a building’s provenance.
10. Be open and be flexible. People make suggestions for reasons, so follow the tips. Change your schedule to take advantage of opportunities, and cut your losses when a location disappoints.
11. We said 10 rules, eh? Rule 11 is know when to throw the rules out of the window!
© Bookpacking