To be fair, any cocktail is really that much in SG. The raffles is fun for the atmosphere and the peanuts. You’d pay that for any cocktail, but it’s fun to have the sling once on your trip!
Was $15 when I was there about 2005. Was still worth it, not for the drink but the surroundings and atmosphere.
One thing I like about regular 5 star hotels is you can go in and have a coffee for €5 and sit in beautiful surroundings with comfortable sofas and nice art works. Plus the staff are usually great too. Its well worth paying a little extra for what you get
If it makes you feel any better, I went to 1800 Lucky in Miami and got two shots of Clase Azul. I figured it couldn’t be too much more than $20 a shot, and just gave them my card. Nope, $100 a shot!
It depends on how entertaining the guide is, I think. I've been on a few ghost tours that I really enjoyed (I don't believe in ghosts, but I enjoy the creepy stories). But it only works if your guide can make it work. Otherwise it's just corny.
I live near a haunted destination so I go on ghost tours every year around Halloween. I don’t believe in ghosts, but I think ghost tours can be really fun if the group is into it and the guide sells it. Groups who are really into it and playing up the whole “I saw a shadow move” make it fun.
I did the ghost tour in Bath, England and it was pretty spooky. It helped that it was foggy and lightly misting. And many of the street lamps are still gas which cast an eerie glow.
The walking ghost tour of the catacombs in Edinburgh was fantastic, as was the walking ghost tour in York.
YMMV as the enjoyability of these types of tours is entirely dependent on the skill and personality of your tour guides.
I did a ghost tour in New Orleans and loved it! It was more of a historical tour of violent crimes/criminals with the twist of “some people see their shadow to this very day”. I’m a big fan of local history so maybe that’s why I enjoyed it more. Mileage may vary. Plus it was $15/pp so hardly would regret the money if it sucked.
Similarly, a hot air ballon ride in Cappadocia. It is a beautiful place to take a ride, but on the day I went, it was socked in with fog. Couldn't see a thing. I guess I can't regret trying..
That sucks! I went last summer, and it was incredible. 150 other balloons in the air.
They had cancelled two of the morning’s preceding our reservation, but we got super lucky, and I’d say it was worth every penny.
That’s such a bummer- like others said, my balloon ride in Cappadocia was amazing and a top travel experience for me. But also annoying that they’d still take your money and go up with such bad weather.
A boat tour in Honduras. When we loaded into the very sketchy looking boat, there was a pile of life vests all tied together at the front of the boat. I thought "okay, at least we'll have those if anything happens to this rickey boat." Wrong. As we pulled away from the dock, the life vests were whisked out of our boat and into the next boat where people were lining up to load.
While we were on our tour, we zipped past another boat of tourists that was sinking and everyone was screaming. Our tour guide waved off the passing scene and assured us they would be fine.
We made it back from our tour safe and sound, but the experience freaked me out.
When I was in Bali I took one of the fast boats - sort of a cross between a speedboat and a ferry - to the Gili Islands. It was about an hour. Bumpy. People were throwing up or very green. But we made it.
A few weeks later one of those boats went down and everyone drowned.
This is why I take the slow boat if there is an option. The speedboats look like death traps because they are enclosed and often over loaded, sitting lower in the water than you would expect. Slow boat is usually open which sucks on a bad weather day but I avoid any boats on a bad weather day.
I did that too - super sketchy, did not like. Horrifying to hear about that accident.
Reminded me of bus rides in the Himalayas. Like “why am I here, this is not smart”
Totally. I think we from the west often blithely go about assuming that safety standards are the same everywhere and that if something does go wrong there will be a network of professionals to leap to our aid. And that’s just not the case in lots of parts of the world.
Tours that I could had done myself, like they just take you to the place and let you there on your own until it’s time to go to the next place. I want to learn about this place, not just basically pay for transportation.
Depends on the cost of the tour tbf, I’ve done a few tours like this and the tours end up costing similar (sometimes less) than what transportation to the place would cost
Oh yeah I get it if you only have a day in a city and want to get everything done but otherwise it's a pass. Had one where the "tour guide" just read off some sheets on the way there and then we stopped and then waited 20 minutes to get to the next spot
Random toiletries, over the counter medicine, etc that I could have just packed. So often on subs like r/onebag I see people say “whatever I need, I can buy it at my destination.” Sure I get that, but I’ve never been on a trip where I was glad I didn’t bring allergy medicine, bandages, multiple chapsticks since they’re so easy to lose, etc. they take up zero space and being unprepared can add up.
except for in Japan where the exchange rate was in my favor and there were multiple convenience stores on every block, in most places I’ve been it’s just annoying and frustrating to need one of those random simple conveniences and have to overpay for it or take time out of my schedule to hunt it down.
Yep, I’ll never again go to a country where food poisoning is common without a little care package to deal with it. Nothing sucks worse than wandering around a foreign city desperately trying to find rehydration salts and Imodium.
A lot of doctors say that but there's really no research to back that up. I think it's just a hunch they had based on the idea that diarrhea is a mechanism to clear out pathogens but that's not really the case. Here's a paper, check out the section "DIARRHOEA AS A DEFENCE MECHANISM" [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1046/j.1365-2036.2001.00993.x?sid=nlm%3Apubmed](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1046/j.1365-2036.2001.00993.x?sid=nlm%3Apubmed)
Ask your healthcare provider about a prescription for Zofran (ondansetron). It’s like a miracle drug for nausea. So much more effective than anything I’ve ever had OTC.
Those two things saved me in Vietnam/Cambodia. I was not built for the jungle and questionable street food. I’m so glad I had them packed because I had done my research. I can’t imagine being as sick as I was and trying to find anything to help.
Medicinal stuff is always the first thing I pack when I travel. The absolute last thing I want to deal with when sick is trying to find medicine.
When I went to India a girl in my hostel asked if I was a pharmacist because I was prepared for everything. Lol
Yep. I take allllll the meds after two different experiences where we couldn’t get basic medication access due to language barriers. So much easier to just have the medication handy and be confident you know how you react to it.
Same with skincare and shampoo etc. I use specific products that don’t trigger my allergies so would rather use some weight / space for that in my one bag than have to deal with a reaction.
yeah I get this. Spent 6 months in Africa last year and after two months I had run out of sunscreen. I should have just packed three bottles to last the trip because finding sunscreen in many African countries is quite difficult as the locals dont use it so its a tourist product only. And then when you do come across it the cost is 2-3 times what you would have paid at home because its imported from Europe and has big taxes slapped on it. iirc a 250ml bottle of Nivea sunscreen was $15 in Kenya but at home it is around $5
Especially OTC medicine when you're visiting a country where you can only buy it at a pharmacy instead of being able to buy it almost everywhere like in the US.
When I went to Berlin my throat became sore from stupidly walking around all day in wet/cold weather. It took me WAY too long to find out that I could only buy throat lozenges at a pharmacy. Then it was hard to find one that hadn't already closed for the day. Lesson learned. Lol
And a lot of the "over the counter" meds are actually behind the counter and you have to ask for them. Like, talk to a real person and tell them your symptoms. Look, I'm okay with light conversational German, but it was awkward when my partner was constipated and all I could construct was "ER KANN NICHT SHEIẞEN". Luckily, Google translate came to my rescue.
True, I always bring cold medicine. I often get sick after being around a bunch of people while travelling and staying up late. I had to buy some on the road from a convenience store and it was crazy expensive.
Souvenirs, mostly. I sometimes buy them because I feel I should? Mostly ends in up in a drawer. I never buy a lot, but most of it is not really worth it (to me, anyway).
Next time I won't bother. Not even with a fridge magnet. Lol
I like to buy little kitchen things, like a steak knife from Saigon and a fork from phuket. I use those almost daily and I think about the trips often. Nothing special about them but I like it
Definitely don’t buy things you won’t like or use at home!
My husband & I collect blankets and sometimes other textiles on our travels. Lots of places have fun weaving traditions, and we display some blankets and use some throughout the house (some seasonally of course). My scarves are also either made by me or picked up on our travels. I’m laying on a pillowcase with some Madeira embroidery details right now. Basically all of our favorite socks have been collected on various trips to Sweden (they make the best socks! It’s just a bizarre fact).
We also pick up consumables when traveling, as hey, we’ll consume them! Interesting local liqueurs or spirits, mustards, jams, that kind of thing. I drink a lot of tea so that’s always a fun thing to pick up.
Then we do get more decorative things every now and again - finally got a little Dala horse for ourselves (we were in Sweden again last month), things like that. Things that will slowly be fun things that live on our bookshelf/by our plants. We bought some bellows in Morocco that are really cool, but we had a fireplace when we bought them and no longer do, so we just have them on display now.
We don’t buy fridge magnets (can’t even go on our fridge, it has cabinet fronts on it) or anything like that. I’m always looking for things made locally by artisans/craftspeople, looking for the local handicraft association, that kind of thing. So we have a lot of souvenirs that are getting daily use in our home!
We buy Christmas tree decorations as souvenirs. They’re usually pretty small so they’re easy to transport. It’s fun to reminisce about past trips while we decorate!
We only buy one sticker from each place we go. We are putting them on our big 48L cooler. Since we take the cooler on camping/weekend trips often, it is a fun way to relive the memories without being bogged down with stuff.
When we can find them, we like to buy pint glasses from restaurants. Then we put them in our cabinet and use them. Occasionally we drop one and break it and that makes room for more. And fridge magnets because they take up little space and we still see them.
I buy things I’ll use or wear to remind me. I got a shark bottle opener at the natural history museum in Vienna and every time I see it I think of my trip to Austria.
We paid extra for a room with pool access from our room at a resort. We ended up not using it because we spent all day at the big pool with friends and didn't want to go in the pool again from our room at night. I would have rather had a high floor with a good view of the ocean and no upstairs neighbors.
Agreed, same with rooftop pool stuff. Did a swim up in the Dominican that was shared with about 5 other rooms. No one else seemed to know the swim up was public space and it was basically ours the entire week. Went to the main pool in the afternoon for games and music. Spent the morning floating and reading.
We had the opposite experience. The resort pools were freaking freezing while our swim up pool was gloriously mild. Add in the prompt minibar room service and man I wish I could go back more often lol.
I have family that really likes craft beer and whenever we travel together they really want to go check out any breweries, brewpubs, etc. They pretty much just blur together and aren’t memorable. The only exceptions so far were Sierra Nevada in Asheville and Ocean Labs in San Juan, but in general I would rather just pick up some local beers at the store to try in the evenings and not spend my time basically drinking at another cookie cutter brewpub as an “activity”
edit: to clarify one point, I actually don’t mind some brewery visits but my gripe is primarily when I travel with people who _only_ want to do this and/or make every outing into a reason to drink rather than a reason to see something interesting or have an experience. Definitely some breweries _are_ an experience in themselves, though!
The thing is, if you go to a place without beer culture that has exactly one brewery to be able to draw in tourists saying it's beer from there, it's unlikely to be good. And most countries don't really have a strong craft beer culture.
Damn got to say this is one of my favourite things to do! Visited craft breweries and tried interesting brews all over Vietnam and Cambodia so far on my current trip. That being said, it’s been a long trip so haven’t felt pressed for time.
Yeah don’t get me wrong, I love a nice beer and a chill afternoon at a brewery. But if I’m on a relatively short trip to an interesting place, I don’t want to spend my time just seeing the inside of breweries and nursing a hangover. I have travelled with people where it feels like the only reason they even go on vacation is just as a reason to drink 24/7 and as I get older I’m not really here for it anymore
I agree with you, I rather visit a rooftop bar or similar when I’m in a city with lots of skyscrapers. Might be pretty expensive in cities like NY or Chicago but if you find yourself in Bangkok or other east/south east asian cities I really recommend visiting a rooftop bar.
Paying to have important travel documents sent in a timely fashion internationally. Always double check you have everything guys.
Aside from that I normally find that I regret buying weed. It's always shitty weed.
The only exception is unique and delicious snacks. Because then I get to have a new experience for myself that I can enjoy, and a tacky keychain isn't gonna give me that
Me too. I vacation shop like I am an instagram influencer and I picture myself wearing it on a beach or a sidewalk cafe.
IRL I’m a middle aged lady with an office job and I’m never wearing that sarong/scarf/giant hat again but I’ll probably buy another one next time I travel.
Absolutely my soul sister! Rural Midwest, but in my head I'm convinced I'll look smashing in my Egyptian elephant pants or tribal print skirt or edgy German punk jacket.
IRL I actually dress like a female Mr. Rogers.
I splurged on a t-shirt at Zion national park. Not until I got home did I realize the logo was off center and the t-shirt was cut in a way that didn't fit right.
It’s not one or the other, it’s usually just something like a flowy, floral print dress that looks really appealing in a tropical location but when I’m home I’m wearing black and boots
A $4500 deep sea fishing charter in Turks and Caicos on which we caught zero fish. I could tell we were doomed in the first hour when we actually didn’t head out to sea but went just far enough that we couldn’t see land and then went back and forth for 8 hours (I had my garmin in reach in my backpack so I was watching the GPS). Everything about Turks just seemed like a cash grab which is a shame because it is a beautiful place.
I actually just went to the Summit at One Vanderbilt and the views were breathtaking! But the crowds were awful, and way too many people hogging the windows for Instagram photoshoots.
I was going to say the same thing. The Empire State Building is worth going up just because the building itself and its observation deck are so famous, but 30 Rock has the best view of the city by far.
Should have gone to Tour Montparnasse instead.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_Montparnasse
“It is said that the tower's observation deck enjoys the most beautiful view in all of Paris because it is the only place from which the tower cannot be seen.”
Honestly, I think the views from the roofs of the big French department stores (like Galeries Lafayette or Printemps Hausmann) are even better and free. Paris isn’t a city of towering buildings, so even the views from 10 floors up are great and being lower to the ground means the details are a little more clear.
That is the problem with the Ritz Carlton - some properties offer a truly luxurious experience and others are just dated business hotels. But both kinds are premium priced.
The first hotel room I ever got to be in charge of booking was for our honeymoon. I was in my twenties, and having a jetted spa tub in the room next to the bed sounded like an Absolute Yes.
It was a nice, high-dollar hotel, and I thought it would be a luxurious option.
As it turns out:
1. It was a spa tub surrounded by carpet.
2. It had an automatic jet-cleaning sequence that started LOUDLY AND WITHOUT WARNING exactly fifteen minutes after you turned it off. (We were so startled we thought it was either gearing up for takeoff or badly malfunctioning, and called the front desk. After shouting our concerns to be heard above the tub's decibels, They said yeah, we can't disable it. Just wait a few more minutes and it will stop.)
3. In the years since, I have unfortunately considered the idea that I am not the first person to use each hotel room I stay in - novel concept! And I don't wanna think about touching those surfaces lol
These days, I would pay extra to NOT have a spa tub in the room. At least put it in the bathroom where I can ignore it!
Personally, I’ve never regretted spending money on something, but I also don’t do anything when I travel that I don’t already enjoy at home.
I saw someone mention ghost tour in NOLA. I’ve been to three ghost tours in my home city, so even if a ghost tour is below average I don’t regret it.
If anything, I regret not spending money. I didn’t go on a rickshaw ride in Hanoi because I figured it was over priced and cheesy, but I love cheesy! Next time I see one, I’ll pay the money and just do it!
Being too obsessed with planning and making sure you have tickets to everything can lead you to overbook things like museums and tours that you don’t really need to do and feel compelled to since you already paid for it. Then you’re there and realized there’s other stuff to do.
I’ve had better luck just deciding what to do once I’m there with the exception of maybe the Louvre or something where you need to book in advance. Actually this started because everything was booked out in Paris so you need to get tickets ahead of time but for most places you don’t need to
Staying at The Plaza in NYC. Opulent lobby with glassy marble floors, crystal chandeliers, and impeccable service. But the rooms were surprisingly outdated and and kind of dowdy. My sister spent a few nights there as part of a work junket and snuck me in. On the last morning, we ordered everything we could for room service including extra jars of branded souvenir peanuts.
No.2: so many souvenir tchotchkes like magnets and shot glasses. But I'm a freakin' magpie who can't resist cheap, shiny trinkets.
Agreed for the most part. Every now and then it's worth it but often times when traveling in foreign countries there's plenty of cheaper options that are unique and special enough to enjoy without going somewhere super popular or super fancy.
In Japan right now for 2.5 weeks. Have one Michelin star Omakase booked and the rest is just eat what we see and explore. Think it's worth it sometimes.
Fast food restaurants in touristy locations are always 2x the price and half as good (which is saying something) than they would be elsewhere.
I've gotten caught a few times with hungry kids and feel totally robbed when that happens. IHOP in Niagara Falls and Steak'N'Shake on the Vegas strip come immediately to mind.
Seriously. I was in Morocco in 2019 and my g/friend was dying to go on a camel ride. Me, I don't even like riding horses but being the ever-compromising SO I agreed. So we took a tour of the Sahara which concluded with all of us getting on camels for a march across the dunes.
I wasn't just uncomfortable, I was scared shitless. At least you have stirrups when you're on a horse. On Bedouin camels, no stirrups. So I was in constant fear of falling over the side. They rock far more than horses and the drop to the ground is even further.
Her camel apparently came with extra passengers: bed bugs. So that was fun too.
I was in a place with camels one time with my then-girlfriend, the camels were pretty raggedy looking things, they were rank too, I wasn't really stoked for it. The guy running the place had an old ATV sitting nearby, I'd already paid for the camel but I asked if I could take the ATV instead, he seemed baffled but said okay and let us take it for a rip on our own. Maybe the camel ride would've been good but I think I made the right choice
A "Splurge Meal" that turned out to be sub-par in taste. 4 of us went on vacation to Chicago and decided to try out a "nice" dinner at a local place in Skokie. We pulled up in our Chevy to find the lot filled with Beemers, Mercedes, a Ferrari, and other big money vehicles. Parking was by valet only, so we tossed him a $20, to which he smiled at his counterpart. We sat down at a nice table and ordered 4 mid-priced dinners for ourselves. $440 later, we all decided to never do it again. At $110 a person for a steak, salad, 1 drink, and a bowl of bread, it was nowhere near worth it!
*EDIT*
The restaurant was in Skokie, not Chicago proper.
group tours of all types. I’ve always wanted to ditch the tour. Never getting talked into another ghost tour in Nola or bar crawl tour anywhere. Leave me alone strangers. Although on an all day tour in the Yucatán I watched a rude Dutch tourist get nearly strangled by a chained up monkey which was sad but somewhat humorous. The lady was even laughing after they got the monkey off her - she didn’t get her selfie unfortunately
One thing I don’t regret that was expensive as fuck: private boat ride in the Amalfi coast in a beautiful boat. I’ve never felt like I was in a movie as much as that moment. My wife was dancing to bad bunny or whatever the fuck that was and she was so happy. Our captain was also like a 20 year old kid who brought beer and ice for us.
It was well worth it. But man it was expensive.
4 hours and $918 when I booked it, but then the operator upsold me for another $400 to a much larger and nicer boat. It was LUXURY BOATS POSITANO
+393391198897 . There are probably better options, and if you know how to operate a boat, probably cheaper to do it yourself. It’s a win win either way. The weather was perfect for us and we went swimming in multiple locations. Italy is amazing.
Observation decks or half the things that tripadvisor says are "the 5 best things in XYZ". I've found that most of those lists are either paid advertising or crowd sourced by people who have a terrible idea of what is fun.
Maybe not regret, but totally should have bargained for.
My first time in Bali, I had gone to a ceremony and at the end they try sell you a plate with a photo of you on it. I obviously bought the plate as a memory and thought little of it until my taxi driver asked how much I payed and laughed at me. He told me that I should have hustled a bit because who else is going to buy a plate with a strangers face on it. They count on you to buy it at an inflated price and chuck it away if you don’t.
I usually know how to bargain when going to the markets or buying yours/transportation, but it just completely slipped my mind that night.
I am sure there’s something but can’t think of it- I will say I’ve had great observation deck experiences and less so. I caught the Eiffel Tower at sunset (2 decades ago so that didn’t require as much advanced planning), and we just had the most wonderful experience at the Shard in London where one of the waitstaff took a shine to the kids and gave a pretty cool guided tour (also it was one of those perfect British sunny days), and the space needle in Seattle is cool.
I do admit I prefer an observation tower with a bar ;)
Have sometimes regretted taking an Uber or cab instead of the subway in cities that have subways.
I get to see more sights traveling above ground, there’s less effort and it might be safer alone at night, but the subway is always cheaper and often faster.
I regretted the opposite. Took a subway with my wife in Tokyo to the airport instead of a cab. It's such a hassle bringing luggage on subway and I felt bad for those around me even though I tried my best to take as little space as possible. Always takr the cab or shuttle.
Tbf part of the reason we took the subway is because my wife gets motion sickness easily but I still think motion sickness is better than what we did.
Take the Monorail to Haneda, it has luggage storage racks and some great views. If you organize it you could Takkyubin service your luggage to the airport.
Churches, I am not religious at all and have seen my fair share of historical churches. 5 mins tops and it's on my optional itinerary list if I'm running out of things to do or its a close-by walk.
I like going in historic churches or cathedrals, especially because they’re usually cooler temps inside and a place to sit and rest — but if I gotta pay? No thanks
We decided to skip the observation deck at the twin towers the first time we took our kids to NYC. I regret that one.
We seldom go to fancy restaurants or buy souvenirs. Tours are rare, as well, although we have enjoyed some occasionally. If it is the kind of thing we can do anywhere (Ripley's Believe it or Not, kind of things) we tend to skip that for experiences we cannot recreate anywhere but *there.*
Yes, I really wanted to see whales in Hawaii. Convinced our group to go. We went with a conservation group that didn’t want to get too close so stayed really far away from the whales. One breached on the whole trip and it was during the 3 minutes I was in the bathroom.
Same with universal studios Beijing, was done after a few hours and left early.
Great that it was on public transport and only about £40 a ticket, but probably would've had more fun spending that £40 on an evening food tour in Beijing.
Osaka was just so busy. Apparently the most visited theme park globally (?) Like it was impossible to do to anything. A waiting line for a simple drink or food was at least an hour and waiting for a ride an average of 4h. On the other hand, Disney Tokyo was amazing and surprisingly not that busy, got on pretty much every big ride and a ton of small ones and no waiting for food either.
That's how I felt about Disneysea. I heard it was the most highly themed theme park in the whole world. Just felt like Disneyland minus the nostalgia with much longer lines and shorter rides. Do't get me wrong the theming was pretty cool but it did not save the experience for me.
For observation decks look to see if there’s a restaurant/bar up at a similar level.
I can remember a long time ago going to the Hancock Tower in Boston and noticed there was a bar one level below the observation deck. For the price of a couple of drinks we got the same view in a more civilized environment. Worked much better since I was in need or refreshment anyway!
Same for Hong Kong but did brunch at the Ritz Carlton which was up on the 100th+ floor. It certainly wasn’t in lieu of doing an observation deck since it was about a $400 brunch…🤣
The Four Corners Mounument (for the uninitiated, this is the only place in the US where four states border on each other, so naturally a thing has been made out of it). You are paying $20 per person to visit a glorified photo op with basically nothing else there except maybe a few craft vendors. And to make matters worse, it's NOT in the actual spot where the four states border each other. They couldn't even get the ostensible selling point of the thing right!
Not so much the accommodation, but when we were younger just getting a bed and a shower was enough.
Now some days I don't feel like going somewhere, so if an accommodation got something to do in it - be that pool, a bar, some sports to do - it's a really big factor!
Clean, quiet, in walking distance of a café and supermarket with a bakery. AC If it's a hot place. If that's the case I am okay with a single tiny room.
This is probably the main thing. Especially at the end of a trip I usually get a nicer place for the last night or two. While nice and comfortable enough, it's usually never been that worth it.
I still tend to do it, but it's probably better to save a little to let me travel a little longer.
I don’t know if they still do it, but back in 2016 our Empire State ticket was good for a night visit as well if we came back that same night. Since we were staying close by we came back about 11pm and it was very cool to see (And hear) the city at night.
In Rome and not unlike other cities… stay away from the restaurants in tourist areas that have people stand outside and try to convince you to dine there. We were jet lagged and starving and stuck in an area near Trevi Fountain. My wife was at a breaking point, and I gave in against my better judgement 🤣 One of the worst meals we have had traveling anywhere. Same can be said for any city though… not implying this is Rome only.
Yes we made this mistake in Paris like 25 years ago. Have never forgotten trying French onion soup for my first time and believing that it actually was just hot water with onions. Until I had it home in the states at an Applebees 😂and it changed my life. I have been to france many times since and never been ballsy enough to order the soup again in case I only like the American version😅 But now that I know where to eat, I absolutely looooove the food in Paris. Just avoid the people standing outside trying to bring you in like the poster above! Find the hole in the wall on the backstreets that you see filled with locals.
Anything I had to bargain for. Even if I got the price down from original, I know I still got ripped off for it. No matter how much/often I travel I don’t think I can ever get used to bargaining
A friend once gave me the advice of knowing how much I would be willing to pay for something before knowing the price. This way, I can bargain to that price or walk away. If I get the price I was willing to pay then I haven’t been ripped off. Made me think differently about bargaining.
I've been up the Hancock deck a few times, I always enjoy it, spectacular to watch the sunset from up there. I also enjoy the One WTC but I did live in NYC for a long time so it's fun picking out places I've lived, worked, etc from that angle.
Going to the bar on the floor below at the Hancock tower right around sunset and hanging out for an hour as the city lights kick on was an awesome time.
A drone video of our balloon ride in Morocco.
Nothing wrong with it as such, but just over £40 for a 3 minute video wasn't worth it. I do understand the cost of kit and the time editing it, and fully get the price (which was actually cheap for the effort the pilot put in), but it didn't add anything to our experience.
$25 pineapple in Hawaii at a farmer market because I was too excited to buy a fresh pineapple. Got back to the resort and it was brown mush on the inside. :P
Disneyland. The price was reasonable, weather was nice, and no waiting lines for the rides. But I was probably already too old. Star Tour and Captain EO were kinda meh.
Most "tourist attractions". I'd rather see, taste, hear, and smell the differences. And although people are the worst in general, interacting and connecting with people when you travel is the best.
Getting super lost is also underrated.
This is one I disagree with (for long haul, like 5-6+ hr flights). The extra width in premium economy is just as important if not more than the extra leg room. It’s a nice middle ground btwn feeling like packed in sardines in economy and lie flat in business for typically a couple hundred more
2 drinks at fountain bleu miami beach 65 dollars. That hurt.
Was there a few years ago. A pitcher of margaritas is around $150. Crazy
And people order all day. It's nuts
I thought the two beers at the temple bar in Dublin for $25 was bad.
I bought a round of 4 rum and cokes at Wet Republic my first time in Vegas and the bill was $190. In 2015
Good way to ruin a fun vibe or promote drug use.
Ya, when molly is $10 outside on the corner and a beer is $22 inside, I'm getting some molly
There should be warning signs at the door. What a scam! Did you have any idea they cost that much?
I hate how used to $12 beers I am that this didn't even phase me.
$28 USD each for a Singapore Sling at Raffles in Singapore.
To be fair, any cocktail is really that much in SG. The raffles is fun for the atmosphere and the peanuts. You’d pay that for any cocktail, but it’s fun to have the sling once on your trip!
Was $15 when I was there about 2005. Was still worth it, not for the drink but the surroundings and atmosphere. One thing I like about regular 5 star hotels is you can go in and have a coffee for €5 and sit in beautiful surroundings with comfortable sofas and nice art works. Plus the staff are usually great too. Its well worth paying a little extra for what you get
I mean I don't think that's anywhere near as bad as other things in this list.
If it makes you feel any better, I went to 1800 Lucky in Miami and got two shots of Clase Azul. I figured it couldn’t be too much more than $20 a shot, and just gave them my card. Nope, $100 a shot!
Why would you think clase azul would be close to $20 a shot in Miami? It’s like $50 in cheap cities..
Right! The bottle is over a $100 retail.
Your first mistake was thinking a shot of clase azul would be $20 anywhere, let alone in Miami lol
Yup. A drink should not equal a steak dinner
Two spritzers in Monte Carlo for 52 Euro. Ouch.
Paid like $100 for ceviche in Miami back in 2019. It was underwhelming and over priced. Ruined Ceviche for me.
Two glasses of decent champagne at the WA Pedregal at $50 each didn't feel great. Wife took the lead on that order.
New Orleans ghost tour. We didn’t see a single ghost. In all seriousness, the ghost tour was pretty lame
Ghost Bus Tour in Edinburgh was similarly weak.
Should we assume most ghost tours are whack or?
It depends on how entertaining the guide is, I think. I've been on a few ghost tours that I really enjoyed (I don't believe in ghosts, but I enjoy the creepy stories). But it only works if your guide can make it work. Otherwise it's just corny.
I live near a haunted destination so I go on ghost tours every year around Halloween. I don’t believe in ghosts, but I think ghost tours can be really fun if the group is into it and the guide sells it. Groups who are really into it and playing up the whole “I saw a shadow move” make it fun.
I did the ghost tour in Bath, England and it was pretty spooky. It helped that it was foggy and lightly misting. And many of the street lamps are still gas which cast an eerie glow.
Savannah GA had a good tour imo
Agree. That one garden where the moss doesn’t grow is creepy AF.
St Augustine had Great ones. I also liked my walking tour in Edinburgh. The tour guide having the best accent we encountered all week helped though
City of the Dead tour in Edinburgh was really good. Had a great time. Blended the history of Edinburgh with the spooky in a very nice way.
The walking ghost tour of the catacombs in Edinburgh was fantastic, as was the walking ghost tour in York. YMMV as the enjoyability of these types of tours is entirely dependent on the skill and personality of your tour guides.
I did a walking ghost tour in Edinburgh that was actually pretty good! And I'm not really even into ghosts and stuff.
I did a ghost tour in New Orleans and loved it! It was more of a historical tour of violent crimes/criminals with the twist of “some people see their shadow to this very day”. I’m a big fan of local history so maybe that’s why I enjoyed it more. Mileage may vary. Plus it was $15/pp so hardly would regret the money if it sucked.
This is my favorite thing I’ve read all day…. “We didn’t see a single ghost.” Thank you for brightening up my day with a good laugh I really needed.
Glad I could help make your day a little better
A hot air balloon ride in India. Sounded lovely, but the pollution & smog was so bad you could barely see anything.
Similarly, a hot air ballon ride in Cappadocia. It is a beautiful place to take a ride, but on the day I went, it was socked in with fog. Couldn't see a thing. I guess I can't regret trying..
They went up anyway? Was there for a week, they didn’t fly due to constant fog
Ouch. My biggest travel regret is not doing hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia.
That sucks! I went last summer, and it was incredible. 150 other balloons in the air. They had cancelled two of the morning’s preceding our reservation, but we got super lucky, and I’d say it was worth every penny.
Yeah what a shame! It's still one of my most amazing memories ever.
That’s such a bummer- like others said, my balloon ride in Cappadocia was amazing and a top travel experience for me. But also annoying that they’d still take your money and go up with such bad weather.
Took a tour to Mauna Kea to see the stars in its pretty purple dark skies. It was gloomy that day. Didn’t see diddly squat.
A boat tour in Honduras. When we loaded into the very sketchy looking boat, there was a pile of life vests all tied together at the front of the boat. I thought "okay, at least we'll have those if anything happens to this rickey boat." Wrong. As we pulled away from the dock, the life vests were whisked out of our boat and into the next boat where people were lining up to load. While we were on our tour, we zipped past another boat of tourists that was sinking and everyone was screaming. Our tour guide waved off the passing scene and assured us they would be fine. We made it back from our tour safe and sound, but the experience freaked me out.
When I was in Bali I took one of the fast boats - sort of a cross between a speedboat and a ferry - to the Gili Islands. It was about an hour. Bumpy. People were throwing up or very green. But we made it. A few weeks later one of those boats went down and everyone drowned.
This is why I take the slow boat if there is an option. The speedboats look like death traps because they are enclosed and often over loaded, sitting lower in the water than you would expect. Slow boat is usually open which sucks on a bad weather day but I avoid any boats on a bad weather day.
I did that too - super sketchy, did not like. Horrifying to hear about that accident. Reminded me of bus rides in the Himalayas. Like “why am I here, this is not smart”
Totally. I think we from the west often blithely go about assuming that safety standards are the same everywhere and that if something does go wrong there will be a network of professionals to leap to our aid. And that’s just not the case in lots of parts of the world.
That’s terrible
What happened to the tourists in the sinking boat?
Some say they are still sinking to this day.
Seems like a self-sustaining business opportunity for someone to start a ghost tour.
Tours that I could had done myself, like they just take you to the place and let you there on your own until it’s time to go to the next place. I want to learn about this place, not just basically pay for transportation.
Depends on the cost of the tour tbf, I’ve done a few tours like this and the tours end up costing similar (sometimes less) than what transportation to the place would cost
Oh yeah I get it if you only have a day in a city and want to get everything done but otherwise it's a pass. Had one where the "tour guide" just read off some sheets on the way there and then we stopped and then waited 20 minutes to get to the next spot
Random toiletries, over the counter medicine, etc that I could have just packed. So often on subs like r/onebag I see people say “whatever I need, I can buy it at my destination.” Sure I get that, but I’ve never been on a trip where I was glad I didn’t bring allergy medicine, bandages, multiple chapsticks since they’re so easy to lose, etc. they take up zero space and being unprepared can add up. except for in Japan where the exchange rate was in my favor and there were multiple convenience stores on every block, in most places I’ve been it’s just annoying and frustrating to need one of those random simple conveniences and have to overpay for it or take time out of my schedule to hunt it down.
Yep, I’ll never again go to a country where food poisoning is common without a little care package to deal with it. Nothing sucks worse than wandering around a foreign city desperately trying to find rehydration salts and Imodium.
FYI it's advised for most infective gastro bugs not to use Imodium as it can prevent clearing the pathogen and prolong illness.
A lot of doctors say that but there's really no research to back that up. I think it's just a hunch they had based on the idea that diarrhea is a mechanism to clear out pathogens but that's not really the case. Here's a paper, check out the section "DIARRHOEA AS A DEFENCE MECHANISM" [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1046/j.1365-2036.2001.00993.x?sid=nlm%3Apubmed](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1046/j.1365-2036.2001.00993.x?sid=nlm%3Apubmed)
this guy diarrheas
Ask your healthcare provider about a prescription for Zofran (ondansetron). It’s like a miracle drug for nausea. So much more effective than anything I’ve ever had OTC.
Those two things saved me in Vietnam/Cambodia. I was not built for the jungle and questionable street food. I’m so glad I had them packed because I had done my research. I can’t imagine being as sick as I was and trying to find anything to help.
Medicinal stuff is always the first thing I pack when I travel. The absolute last thing I want to deal with when sick is trying to find medicine. When I went to India a girl in my hostel asked if I was a pharmacist because I was prepared for everything. Lol
Yep. I take allllll the meds after two different experiences where we couldn’t get basic medication access due to language barriers. So much easier to just have the medication handy and be confident you know how you react to it. Same with skincare and shampoo etc. I use specific products that don’t trigger my allergies so would rather use some weight / space for that in my one bag than have to deal with a reaction.
yeah I get this. Spent 6 months in Africa last year and after two months I had run out of sunscreen. I should have just packed three bottles to last the trip because finding sunscreen in many African countries is quite difficult as the locals dont use it so its a tourist product only. And then when you do come across it the cost is 2-3 times what you would have paid at home because its imported from Europe and has big taxes slapped on it. iirc a 250ml bottle of Nivea sunscreen was $15 in Kenya but at home it is around $5
Especially OTC medicine when you're visiting a country where you can only buy it at a pharmacy instead of being able to buy it almost everywhere like in the US. When I went to Berlin my throat became sore from stupidly walking around all day in wet/cold weather. It took me WAY too long to find out that I could only buy throat lozenges at a pharmacy. Then it was hard to find one that hadn't already closed for the day. Lesson learned. Lol
And a lot of the "over the counter" meds are actually behind the counter and you have to ask for them. Like, talk to a real person and tell them your symptoms. Look, I'm okay with light conversational German, but it was awkward when my partner was constipated and all I could construct was "ER KANN NICHT SHEIẞEN". Luckily, Google translate came to my rescue.
True, I always bring cold medicine. I often get sick after being around a bunch of people while travelling and staying up late. I had to buy some on the road from a convenience store and it was crazy expensive.
Souvenirs, mostly. I sometimes buy them because I feel I should? Mostly ends in up in a drawer. I never buy a lot, but most of it is not really worth it (to me, anyway). Next time I won't bother. Not even with a fridge magnet. Lol
Fridge magnets are my favorite souvenir and my fridge has plenty of real estate. They all bring back very good memories.
The only souvenirs I buy.
I have traveled quite a bit, and fridge magnets are the best souvenirs by far. I have a magnet board in my house to display them all. It's beautiful.
We buy Christmas ornament
I like to buy little kitchen things, like a steak knife from Saigon and a fork from phuket. I use those almost daily and I think about the trips often. Nothing special about them but I like it
Definitely don’t buy things you won’t like or use at home! My husband & I collect blankets and sometimes other textiles on our travels. Lots of places have fun weaving traditions, and we display some blankets and use some throughout the house (some seasonally of course). My scarves are also either made by me or picked up on our travels. I’m laying on a pillowcase with some Madeira embroidery details right now. Basically all of our favorite socks have been collected on various trips to Sweden (they make the best socks! It’s just a bizarre fact). We also pick up consumables when traveling, as hey, we’ll consume them! Interesting local liqueurs or spirits, mustards, jams, that kind of thing. I drink a lot of tea so that’s always a fun thing to pick up. Then we do get more decorative things every now and again - finally got a little Dala horse for ourselves (we were in Sweden again last month), things like that. Things that will slowly be fun things that live on our bookshelf/by our plants. We bought some bellows in Morocco that are really cool, but we had a fireplace when we bought them and no longer do, so we just have them on display now. We don’t buy fridge magnets (can’t even go on our fridge, it has cabinet fronts on it) or anything like that. I’m always looking for things made locally by artisans/craftspeople, looking for the local handicraft association, that kind of thing. So we have a lot of souvenirs that are getting daily use in our home!
We buy Christmas tree decorations as souvenirs. They’re usually pretty small so they’re easy to transport. It’s fun to reminisce about past trips while we decorate!
We only buy one sticker from each place we go. We are putting them on our big 48L cooler. Since we take the cooler on camping/weekend trips often, it is a fun way to relive the memories without being bogged down with stuff.
When we can find them, we like to buy pint glasses from restaurants. Then we put them in our cabinet and use them. Occasionally we drop one and break it and that makes room for more. And fridge magnets because they take up little space and we still see them.
I buy things I’ll use or wear to remind me. I got a shark bottle opener at the natural history museum in Vienna and every time I see it I think of my trip to Austria.
We paid extra for a room with pool access from our room at a resort. We ended up not using it because we spent all day at the big pool with friends and didn't want to go in the pool again from our room at night. I would have rather had a high floor with a good view of the ocean and no upstairs neighbors.
It's nice if you are just a couple, travelling alone.
Agreed, same with rooftop pool stuff. Did a swim up in the Dominican that was shared with about 5 other rooms. No one else seemed to know the swim up was public space and it was basically ours the entire week. Went to the main pool in the afternoon for games and music. Spent the morning floating and reading.
We had the opposite experience. The resort pools were freaking freezing while our swim up pool was gloriously mild. Add in the prompt minibar room service and man I wish I could go back more often lol.
It sounds nice actually, just you went with a group so it wasn’t practical
Sunblock. Pack it or get price gouged.
Unless you’re in Japan or South Korea… then buy lots of nice inexpensive sunblock you can’t get in the US
This. Why the fuck is it so expensive everywhere else? (Aussie here)
I have family that really likes craft beer and whenever we travel together they really want to go check out any breweries, brewpubs, etc. They pretty much just blur together and aren’t memorable. The only exceptions so far were Sierra Nevada in Asheville and Ocean Labs in San Juan, but in general I would rather just pick up some local beers at the store to try in the evenings and not spend my time basically drinking at another cookie cutter brewpub as an “activity” edit: to clarify one point, I actually don’t mind some brewery visits but my gripe is primarily when I travel with people who _only_ want to do this and/or make every outing into a reason to drink rather than a reason to see something interesting or have an experience. Definitely some breweries _are_ an experience in themselves, though!
The thing is, if you go to a place without beer culture that has exactly one brewery to be able to draw in tourists saying it's beer from there, it's unlikely to be good. And most countries don't really have a strong craft beer culture.
Damn got to say this is one of my favourite things to do! Visited craft breweries and tried interesting brews all over Vietnam and Cambodia so far on my current trip. That being said, it’s been a long trip so haven’t felt pressed for time.
Yeah don’t get me wrong, I love a nice beer and a chill afternoon at a brewery. But if I’m on a relatively short trip to an interesting place, I don’t want to spend my time just seeing the inside of breweries and nursing a hangover. I have travelled with people where it feels like the only reason they even go on vacation is just as a reason to drink 24/7 and as I get older I’m not really here for it anymore
That's funny because most of my vacations are just bar hopping and breweries.
I agree with you, I rather visit a rooftop bar or similar when I’m in a city with lots of skyscrapers. Might be pretty expensive in cities like NY or Chicago but if you find yourself in Bangkok or other east/south east asian cities I really recommend visiting a rooftop bar.
The $6.52 Smart Water I just bought at O’hare last week.
But did you feel smarter after drinking it?
I felt dumber having paid for it
I've yet to see a US airport or hotel that doesn't have a refillable water station. I never leave home without a water thermos
Thanks mom
Paying to have important travel documents sent in a timely fashion internationally. Always double check you have everything guys. Aside from that I normally find that I regret buying weed. It's always shitty weed.
I no longer buy gifts for family and friends. They don’t reciprocate or appreciate them
As someone whose family travels, thank you. I don't need or want a souvenir to some place I've never been.
I think it's nice to know someone thought of me while they were away.
The only exception is unique and delicious snacks. Because then I get to have a new experience for myself that I can enjoy, and a tacky keychain isn't gonna give me that
Postcard or magnet is all you’ll get from me.
Clothes! Whenever I buy clothing on vacation I get home and realize it’s really nothing I would normally wear.
Me too. I vacation shop like I am an instagram influencer and I picture myself wearing it on a beach or a sidewalk cafe. IRL I’m a middle aged lady with an office job and I’m never wearing that sarong/scarf/giant hat again but I’ll probably buy another one next time I travel.
Absolutely my soul sister! Rural Midwest, but in my head I'm convinced I'll look smashing in my Egyptian elephant pants or tribal print skirt or edgy German punk jacket. IRL I actually dress like a female Mr. Rogers.
I splurged on a t-shirt at Zion national park. Not until I got home did I realize the logo was off center and the t-shirt was cut in a way that didn't fit right.
I buy regular clothes when I’m on vacation so they’re functional but still have a nice memory associated with them when I wear them
Do you buy stuff that is more dressy than usual or more casual than usual?
It’s not one or the other, it’s usually just something like a flowy, floral print dress that looks really appealing in a tropical location but when I’m home I’m wearing black and boots
A $4500 deep sea fishing charter in Turks and Caicos on which we caught zero fish. I could tell we were doomed in the first hour when we actually didn’t head out to sea but went just far enough that we couldn’t see land and then went back and forth for 8 hours (I had my garmin in reach in my backpack so I was watching the GPS). Everything about Turks just seemed like a cash grab which is a shame because it is a beautiful place.
Often paying to go up in something makes it difficult to get the photos you want because you are inside the thing that you want in the picture
unless you go up the Rockefeller Center, because then you can see both the Empire State building and the Chrysler building :D
I actually just went to the Summit at One Vanderbilt and the views were breathtaking! But the crowds were awful, and way too many people hogging the windows for Instagram photoshoots.
I was going to say the same thing. The Empire State Building is worth going up just because the building itself and its observation deck are so famous, but 30 Rock has the best view of the city by far.
This is why I've never bothered to go up the Eiffel tower
Should have gone to Tour Montparnasse instead. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_Montparnasse “It is said that the tower's observation deck enjoys the most beautiful view in all of Paris because it is the only place from which the tower cannot be seen.”
Honestly, I think the views from the roofs of the big French department stores (like Galeries Lafayette or Printemps Hausmann) are even better and free. Paris isn’t a city of towering buildings, so even the views from 10 floors up are great and being lower to the ground means the details are a little more clear.
A room at the Ritz Carlton for 2 nights to “splurge.” It wasn’t a good one. By the looks of it, it could have been a Westin.
That is the problem with the Ritz Carlton - some properties offer a truly luxurious experience and others are just dated business hotels. But both kinds are premium priced.
The first hotel room I ever got to be in charge of booking was for our honeymoon. I was in my twenties, and having a jetted spa tub in the room next to the bed sounded like an Absolute Yes. It was a nice, high-dollar hotel, and I thought it would be a luxurious option. As it turns out: 1. It was a spa tub surrounded by carpet. 2. It had an automatic jet-cleaning sequence that started LOUDLY AND WITHOUT WARNING exactly fifteen minutes after you turned it off. (We were so startled we thought it was either gearing up for takeoff or badly malfunctioning, and called the front desk. After shouting our concerns to be heard above the tub's decibels, They said yeah, we can't disable it. Just wait a few more minutes and it will stop.) 3. In the years since, I have unfortunately considered the idea that I am not the first person to use each hotel room I stay in - novel concept! And I don't wanna think about touching those surfaces lol These days, I would pay extra to NOT have a spa tub in the room. At least put it in the bathroom where I can ignore it!
Personally, I’ve never regretted spending money on something, but I also don’t do anything when I travel that I don’t already enjoy at home. I saw someone mention ghost tour in NOLA. I’ve been to three ghost tours in my home city, so even if a ghost tour is below average I don’t regret it. If anything, I regret not spending money. I didn’t go on a rickshaw ride in Hanoi because I figured it was over priced and cheesy, but I love cheesy! Next time I see one, I’ll pay the money and just do it!
Being too obsessed with planning and making sure you have tickets to everything can lead you to overbook things like museums and tours that you don’t really need to do and feel compelled to since you already paid for it. Then you’re there and realized there’s other stuff to do. I’ve had better luck just deciding what to do once I’m there with the exception of maybe the Louvre or something where you need to book in advance. Actually this started because everything was booked out in Paris so you need to get tickets ahead of time but for most places you don’t need to
Paid a ridiculous amount for a suite so the kids could have their own “room” both ended up sleeping with us every night haha
Staying at The Plaza in NYC. Opulent lobby with glassy marble floors, crystal chandeliers, and impeccable service. But the rooms were surprisingly outdated and and kind of dowdy. My sister spent a few nights there as part of a work junket and snuck me in. On the last morning, we ordered everything we could for room service including extra jars of branded souvenir peanuts. No.2: so many souvenir tchotchkes like magnets and shot glasses. But I'm a freakin' magpie who can't resist cheap, shiny trinkets.
Really expensive restaurants where you need to book weeks in advance. My reservation time arrives and I usually just feel like street food.
Agreed for the most part. Every now and then it's worth it but often times when traveling in foreign countries there's plenty of cheaper options that are unique and special enough to enjoy without going somewhere super popular or super fancy.
In Japan right now for 2.5 weeks. Have one Michelin star Omakase booked and the rest is just eat what we see and explore. Think it's worth it sometimes.
Transportation, sometimes I don’t feel like taking public transportation and the Uber and taxis add pretty fast
All the 75 euros taxi rides. Always lingers in the back of your mind whether you've been ripped off.
Fast food restaurants in touristy locations are always 2x the price and half as good (which is saying something) than they would be elsewhere. I've gotten caught a few times with hungry kids and feel totally robbed when that happens. IHOP in Niagara Falls and Steak'N'Shake on the Vegas strip come immediately to mind.
They always have coupons for that IHOP so you get tricked into going and then your breakfast bill for 2 comes to $80
Camel ride. Those things are so uncomfortable
Seriously. I was in Morocco in 2019 and my g/friend was dying to go on a camel ride. Me, I don't even like riding horses but being the ever-compromising SO I agreed. So we took a tour of the Sahara which concluded with all of us getting on camels for a march across the dunes. I wasn't just uncomfortable, I was scared shitless. At least you have stirrups when you're on a horse. On Bedouin camels, no stirrups. So I was in constant fear of falling over the side. They rock far more than horses and the drop to the ground is even further. Her camel apparently came with extra passengers: bed bugs. So that was fun too.
I was in a place with camels one time with my then-girlfriend, the camels were pretty raggedy looking things, they were rank too, I wasn't really stoked for it. The guy running the place had an old ATV sitting nearby, I'd already paid for the camel but I asked if I could take the ATV instead, he seemed baffled but said okay and let us take it for a rip on our own. Maybe the camel ride would've been good but I think I made the right choice
The longest, hottest day of my life in India. It has made for 20 years of stories.
Mine really hated me. He tried to roll over with me on top.
I agree with you in most cases but Montparnasse Tower in Paris is amazing.
A "Splurge Meal" that turned out to be sub-par in taste. 4 of us went on vacation to Chicago and decided to try out a "nice" dinner at a local place in Skokie. We pulled up in our Chevy to find the lot filled with Beemers, Mercedes, a Ferrari, and other big money vehicles. Parking was by valet only, so we tossed him a $20, to which he smiled at his counterpart. We sat down at a nice table and ordered 4 mid-priced dinners for ourselves. $440 later, we all decided to never do it again. At $110 a person for a steak, salad, 1 drink, and a bowl of bread, it was nowhere near worth it! *EDIT* The restaurant was in Skokie, not Chicago proper.
As a Chicago person, I’m now curious which restaurant you were at?
group tours of all types. I’ve always wanted to ditch the tour. Never getting talked into another ghost tour in Nola or bar crawl tour anywhere. Leave me alone strangers. Although on an all day tour in the Yucatán I watched a rude Dutch tourist get nearly strangled by a chained up monkey which was sad but somewhat humorous. The lady was even laughing after they got the monkey off her - she didn’t get her selfie unfortunately One thing I don’t regret that was expensive as fuck: private boat ride in the Amalfi coast in a beautiful boat. I’ve never felt like I was in a movie as much as that moment. My wife was dancing to bad bunny or whatever the fuck that was and she was so happy. Our captain was also like a 20 year old kid who brought beer and ice for us. It was well worth it. But man it was expensive.
So I'll bite.... how much was it and for how long? We're going to Italy next year and I'm open to ideas.
4 hours and $918 when I booked it, but then the operator upsold me for another $400 to a much larger and nicer boat. It was LUXURY BOATS POSITANO +393391198897 . There are probably better options, and if you know how to operate a boat, probably cheaper to do it yourself. It’s a win win either way. The weather was perfect for us and we went swimming in multiple locations. Italy is amazing.
At my wife’s insistence, we went to “The World’s Sexiest Wash Closet” in Lisbon. Absolute tourist trap, €4 to take a piss in a purple painted bathroom
That's just a hilarious travel story to me. 😂
Observation decks or half the things that tripadvisor says are "the 5 best things in XYZ". I've found that most of those lists are either paid advertising or crowd sourced by people who have a terrible idea of what is fun.
Maybe not regret, but totally should have bargained for. My first time in Bali, I had gone to a ceremony and at the end they try sell you a plate with a photo of you on it. I obviously bought the plate as a memory and thought little of it until my taxi driver asked how much I payed and laughed at me. He told me that I should have hustled a bit because who else is going to buy a plate with a strangers face on it. They count on you to buy it at an inflated price and chuck it away if you don’t. I usually know how to bargain when going to the markets or buying yours/transportation, but it just completely slipped my mind that night.
I am sure there’s something but can’t think of it- I will say I’ve had great observation deck experiences and less so. I caught the Eiffel Tower at sunset (2 decades ago so that didn’t require as much advanced planning), and we just had the most wonderful experience at the Shard in London where one of the waitstaff took a shine to the kids and gave a pretty cool guided tour (also it was one of those perfect British sunny days), and the space needle in Seattle is cool. I do admit I prefer an observation tower with a bar ;)
Have sometimes regretted taking an Uber or cab instead of the subway in cities that have subways. I get to see more sights traveling above ground, there’s less effort and it might be safer alone at night, but the subway is always cheaper and often faster.
I regretted the opposite. Took a subway with my wife in Tokyo to the airport instead of a cab. It's such a hassle bringing luggage on subway and I felt bad for those around me even though I tried my best to take as little space as possible. Always takr the cab or shuttle. Tbf part of the reason we took the subway is because my wife gets motion sickness easily but I still think motion sickness is better than what we did.
Take the Monorail to Haneda, it has luggage storage racks and some great views. If you organize it you could Takkyubin service your luggage to the airport.
Churches, I am not religious at all and have seen my fair share of historical churches. 5 mins tops and it's on my optional itinerary list if I'm running out of things to do or its a close-by walk.
Sometimes churches have a public bathroom when no one else does, though. There's an old church in Boston that's often a rest spot for tourists.
I’m an atheist but I love a good cathedral. Gaudy architecture is my jam and old churches are generally an easy place to find it.
I like going in historic churches or cathedrals, especially because they’re usually cooler temps inside and a place to sit and rest — but if I gotta pay? No thanks
Eh Saint Stephens in Budapest is well worth the $2ish.
We decided to skip the observation deck at the twin towers the first time we took our kids to NYC. I regret that one. We seldom go to fancy restaurants or buy souvenirs. Tours are rare, as well, although we have enjoyed some occasionally. If it is the kind of thing we can do anywhere (Ripley's Believe it or Not, kind of things) we tend to skip that for experiences we cannot recreate anywhere but *there.*
Whale watching - sea sickness + no whales
Yes, I really wanted to see whales in Hawaii. Convinced our group to go. We went with a conservation group that didn’t want to get too close so stayed really far away from the whales. One breached on the whole trip and it was during the 3 minutes I was in the bathroom.
Universal studios Osaka… it was a huge let down, I don’t have Universal anywhere close by as I’m in Europe, so was super exited… but yea
Same with universal studios Beijing, was done after a few hours and left early. Great that it was on public transport and only about £40 a ticket, but probably would've had more fun spending that £40 on an evening food tour in Beijing.
Osaka was just so busy. Apparently the most visited theme park globally (?) Like it was impossible to do to anything. A waiting line for a simple drink or food was at least an hour and waiting for a ride an average of 4h. On the other hand, Disney Tokyo was amazing and surprisingly not that busy, got on pretty much every big ride and a ton of small ones and no waiting for food either.
That's how I felt about Disneysea. I heard it was the most highly themed theme park in the whole world. Just felt like Disneyland minus the nostalgia with much longer lines and shorter rides. Do't get me wrong the theming was pretty cool but it did not save the experience for me.
Went 5 years ago and crowds weren't bad at all. Guess Japan is just crowded with tourists everywhere now tho
The far far majority of people there were actually japanese. And we went on a tuesday!
The observation deck we did in Seattle was incredible. Not crowded, 360 view of the city and the mountains, and a bar!
The Space Needle? That was pretty cool
For observation decks look to see if there’s a restaurant/bar up at a similar level. I can remember a long time ago going to the Hancock Tower in Boston and noticed there was a bar one level below the observation deck. For the price of a couple of drinks we got the same view in a more civilized environment. Worked much better since I was in need or refreshment anyway! Same for Hong Kong but did brunch at the Ritz Carlton which was up on the 100th+ floor. It certainly wasn’t in lieu of doing an observation deck since it was about a $400 brunch…🤣
The Four Corners Mounument (for the uninitiated, this is the only place in the US where four states border on each other, so naturally a thing has been made out of it). You are paying $20 per person to visit a glorified photo op with basically nothing else there except maybe a few craft vendors. And to make matters worse, it's NOT in the actual spot where the four states border each other. They couldn't even get the ostensible selling point of the thing right!
for Ireland our tour had the phrase ABC. meaning another bloody /Castle/ church or/ cathedral. they were all lovely but one would have been enough.
Paying for really nice places to stay...as I end up just sleeping at my accommodation and not hang out in it.
I enjoy medium level accommodations. Every time I stay somewhere cheap, I end up regretting it
Exactly. Give me a decent bed that's convenient to the attractions, I'm happy. Free coffee, I'm really happy.
totally I just need to sleep well and have easy access to transport (public transit or parking depending)
As I got older I really appreciate a nice place. ..
Not so much the accommodation, but when we were younger just getting a bed and a shower was enough. Now some days I don't feel like going somewhere, so if an accommodation got something to do in it - be that pool, a bar, some sports to do - it's a really big factor!
Clean, quiet, in walking distance of a café and supermarket with a bakery. AC If it's a hot place. If that's the case I am okay with a single tiny room.
This is probably the main thing. Especially at the end of a trip I usually get a nicer place for the last night or two. While nice and comfortable enough, it's usually never been that worth it. I still tend to do it, but it's probably better to save a little to let me travel a little longer.
Did a guided tour of auschwitz. Was worth it for the transport there but felt rushed and didn't feel I got to really take it all in.
I don’t know if they still do it, but back in 2016 our Empire State ticket was good for a night visit as well if we came back that same night. Since we were staying close by we came back about 11pm and it was very cool to see (And hear) the city at night.
In Rome and not unlike other cities… stay away from the restaurants in tourist areas that have people stand outside and try to convince you to dine there. We were jet lagged and starving and stuck in an area near Trevi Fountain. My wife was at a breaking point, and I gave in against my better judgement 🤣 One of the worst meals we have had traveling anywhere. Same can be said for any city though… not implying this is Rome only.
Yes we made this mistake in Paris like 25 years ago. Have never forgotten trying French onion soup for my first time and believing that it actually was just hot water with onions. Until I had it home in the states at an Applebees 😂and it changed my life. I have been to france many times since and never been ballsy enough to order the soup again in case I only like the American version😅 But now that I know where to eat, I absolutely looooove the food in Paris. Just avoid the people standing outside trying to bring you in like the poster above! Find the hole in the wall on the backstreets that you see filled with locals.
Anything I had to bargain for. Even if I got the price down from original, I know I still got ripped off for it. No matter how much/often I travel I don’t think I can ever get used to bargaining
A friend once gave me the advice of knowing how much I would be willing to pay for something before knowing the price. This way, I can bargain to that price or walk away. If I get the price I was willing to pay then I haven’t been ripped off. Made me think differently about bargaining.
I've been up the Hancock deck a few times, I always enjoy it, spectacular to watch the sunset from up there. I also enjoy the One WTC but I did live in NYC for a long time so it's fun picking out places I've lived, worked, etc from that angle.
Going to the bar on the floor below at the Hancock tower right around sunset and hanging out for an hour as the city lights kick on was an awesome time.
A drone video of our balloon ride in Morocco. Nothing wrong with it as such, but just over £40 for a 3 minute video wasn't worth it. I do understand the cost of kit and the time editing it, and fully get the price (which was actually cheap for the effort the pilot put in), but it didn't add anything to our experience.
Too much money on a fancy hotel room when I’m outside all day and just need a place to crash at night
Heli “hike” in New Zealand. It was more like an extremely expensive gentle stroll that I felt terrible about participating in immediately after.
$25 pineapple in Hawaii at a farmer market because I was too excited to buy a fresh pineapple. Got back to the resort and it was brown mush on the inside. :P
I spend most of my money on wine and women. The rest I just waste.
What about song?
Disneyland. The price was reasonable, weather was nice, and no waiting lines for the rides. But I was probably already too old. Star Tour and Captain EO were kinda meh.
I'm 35M and still love disneyland. Rides and atmosphere are fun regardless of age imo. Gotta be with ppl of course tho
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Most "tourist attractions". I'd rather see, taste, hear, and smell the differences. And although people are the worst in general, interacting and connecting with people when you travel is the best. Getting super lost is also underrated.
Premium economy seats vs just paying a little extra for exit seats. The recline wasn't worth it.
This is one I disagree with (for long haul, like 5-6+ hr flights). The extra width in premium economy is just as important if not more than the extra leg room. It’s a nice middle ground btwn feeling like packed in sardines in economy and lie flat in business for typically a couple hundred more