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A friend in Madrid called me out for my 'perfect' travel plans
I used to plan every minute of a trip to save money, booking all my transport and tickets months ahead. On a trip to Spain, a local friend saw my color-coded spreadsheet and said, 'You are a tourist, not a traveler. The best things here are free and you will miss them.' He was right. I spent a whole day rushing between paid museums in Barcelona and was stressed. The next day, I just walked around the Gothic Quarter with no plan, found free live music in a plaza, and ate amazing cheap tapas at a bar full of locals. Now I only book one or two big things per trip and leave the rest open. Has anyone else found that less planning actually saves money and makes a trip better?
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the_rowan14d ago
Stop planning meals and just walk into whatever place looks busy with locals. I saved a fortune in Lisbon by eating at the family-run spot with the hand-written menu instead of the one with the English translations out front. Same with transport, sometimes the cheapest bus isn't on any app, you just find it by asking at the station. Over-planning locks you into the tourist price bracket before you even arrive.
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uma_nguyen2414d ago
Totally agree! I got lost in Rome once and ended up at this tiny pasta shop down an alley. No sign in English, just a line out the door. Best carbonara of my life for like six euros. My friend who planned every meal spent triple at a place with a picture menu. Sometimes you just have to wander and trust the crowd.
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