How To Explore A New Destination On Your Own

 When you are going to a new destination on your own, it’s often one of the most exciting experiences you can have. There are a lot of different ways to approach it, and how you do so will depend a lot on what you are hoping to get out of the experience. If what you want above all is to explore the destination freely and fully, then there are a few main ways that you might want to approach this in particular. Here is some advice on how to explore a new destination on your own much more effectively and enjoyably.

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Research First

It’s always a good idea to first carry out some research before you actually head to the new destination. The more you know going in, the better - partly because you will know how to keep safe and partly because you can gain some tips about the specific place before you go. So be sure to carry out some research if you are keen on making the most of a new place. You’ll be likely to pick up some ideas that you might not otherwise, and you will probably feel generally a lot better about the whole experience. It’s also going to mean that you get a lot more done, because you are able to then draw up an itinerary and really make the most of your time.

Get A Car

One of the very best ways to explore any area is to get a car and drive yourself around. This affords you a certain freedom that you are not going to have in any other way, and it means that you can truly go wherever you want easily and freely. Of course, you’ll need to source a car first, which is not always easy, but as long as you are aware of the options you’ll find you can do it soon enough. You might visit Edmunds and find a used car, hire a car, or even transport your own, depending on where you are traveling. In any case, this is certainly the best way to get around most places.

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Speak To Locals

Your very best source of information is always the locals of an area. They know everything there is to know about how to explore the place, and so you are going to find it’s hugely important that you are speaking to them as often as possible about what to do and where to go. They’ll have a lot of tips that you simply won’t find elsewhere, certainly not online, so that’s something that you are definitely going to want to make the most of. You might be surprised at how friendly most people are in most parts of the world, and it’s certainly something that you can think about if you want to ensure you are exploring properly.

With those tips in mind, you should now be able to explore any destination on your own with ease, and as safely as possible as well.

Gift a Foreign Language This Year

We are big fans of giving and getting experiences for the holidays. Not only do we not need anymore stuff, experiences generally let us spend more time together. It's like giving memories. We've given tours, escape rooms, and more over the years. With so much about on-time delivery questionable right now, giving an experience is also easy to print and put into a card or send by email. 

I got excited last year about going on bigger trips this year, including going to France, so I gifted ourselves a lifetime subscription to a language service, that way we could learn French this year and then other languages for future travel. If you have other recipients who love to see the world and want to feel as much as a local as they can, then gifting them a language is useful, fun, and easy to pack. 

Which language-learning services do I recommend? Keep reading!

I have always had good luck with Pimsleur. I like that the lessons build on one another and get progressively more complex. You learn words and then phrases which can be really useful when you're in a new city. I know much of the world speaks English, but it's nice to know the local language when you can, because it shows that you're trying. I've used both Spanish and French Pimsleur lessons and I highly recommend them for ease of learning wherever you are and the use of repetition so you recall things more easily. 

You can learn to speak a new language, with an authentic accent, in 30 days from just $14.95. 

If your gift recipient (or you, I'm not gonna judge.) might need a little extra help with learning something new, Babbel offers live online classes, podcasts, games, videos, and short lessons. It gives them a whole arsenal of tools in which to soak up the most knowledge. Babbel Online has a tiered learning system, so wherever you are in your vocabulary expertise, you can find the class that's perfect for your level. 

Unlimited access to the app and online classes start at just $6.95/month when you purchase a whole year, or pay a little more if you would rather pay twice a year, quarterly, or monthly.

It can be difficult to figure out what to get for everyone on your list, especially people who seem like they already have everything. Well, knowledge is always a great gift, plus these lessons can be fun and something the whole family can engage in. Happy gift-giving!

Do you have a favorite language learning app, service, or game?

Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links that may result in my compensation should you make a purchase through those links. This allows me to keep bringing you useful content and I thank you in advance.

25 Best Christmas Markets Around the World

Every year I think about traveling for holiday markets and one day I will make that a reality, but until then, I will be making do with the markets around here that I usually frequent or am trying for the first time this year, like the Scanfair (a Scandinavian holiday market with food, gifts, and music). I love the idea of bundling up, sipping on a hot chocolate or coffee, and finding awesome things for my home and to gift to others. If you also think this sounds amazing, planetcruise has put together the 25 best Christmas markets. 

Click the graphic for a larger view or check out the full article here to learn more about each market. Considering Christmas markets, basically, started in Germany, I'm not shocked to find so many on the list.

Do you have a favorite holiday market, fair, or other gathering?