Summer travel madness and how to deal
Plus a current snack obsession
Hi there,
Happy Friday and happy long weekend, to those of us in the U.S. As Memorial Day is the unofficial start to summer, let’s talk summer travel.
I know A TON of people are going to Europe this summer. It’s on track to be a record season. This is, in general, good for economies, not ideal for tourists. And not always ideal for residents or locations already under the stress of overtourism.
My friend Livia was in Sorrento and Capri recently, and while both looked beautiful as always on her Instagram stories she also posted photos of hordes of tourists. The streets were packed to the brim, wall-to-wall people. I’ve been hearing from other friends around Europe that this summer is crazy. Cities are packed and hotels are expensive.
It’s not just Europe. In general, this summer is looking like one of the busiest travel periods in years.
If I was traveling to Europe this summer (or anywhere that might be especially busy), this is the advice I would follow.
Be a Better Traveler This Summer
Go to alternate destinations. Hoping to visit the Amalfi Coast? Do Puglia instead. Dreams of Dubrovnik? Try Ljubljana. Santorini on your mind? Visit Naxos. If you already have flights for a specific country, look into smaller towns outside of major tourist cities. I understand the lure of visiting Rome, Florence, the Amalfi Coast, etc., but often small towns have plenty of historic sights and just as delicious food (sometimes better!) The Washington Post has this short guide to alternate destinations.
Similarly, pick alternate dates. It’s often cheaper to fly midweek. (Use the calendar view on Google Flights to see rates for different dates).
If you don’t have flights yet, consider Eastern Europe. Much less expensive and could use your tourist $$ more. If you’re after summer on the Mediterranean (which I can’t argue - it is the best kind of summer), go to Turkey instead of Italy or Greece.
Limit yourself. The number one travel tip that I feel I am constantly telling people, and the number one tip people continue to ignore, is that you will have a better trip if you do less. Do not add on that extra city! Do not try to go from Capri to Rome to Florence to Venice in 10 days. Is it doable? Yes. Will it be enjoyable? Not as enjoyable as if you stuck to two places. You will spend most of your time in transit, and transit is not the fun part of travel. I understand that many Americans get about two weeks of vacation, and it can feel like you have to fit everything in, because who knows when you’ll be back? But I promise you, your trip will be better if you take it slow. Especially this summer when you’re likely to spend time in lines and have a harder time moving around quickly.
Get a travel credit card if you don’t have one already. The points are great, but this summer, you want a travel card for the insurance. Last year, more than 210,000 flights were canceled, according to flight tracking firm FlightAware. That doesn’t count delays. Dealing with airlines on reimbursement is a huge hassle, but is something travel credit card services can do for you. Most travel credit cards have policies for lost or damaged luggage, will reimburse for travel costs if your trip is canceled or delayed, and offer a form of travel health insurance. Get one this summer and use the bonus points for a free trip next year.
Be prepared for new tourist taxes.
GET TSA PRE-CHECK! If you’re not traveling until mid-June or later, you probably still have time. It is an extremely fast and easy process and you will thank me from the security line this summer.
Go carry-on. Remember this Southwest debacle, where thousands of flights were canceled and therefore thousands of pieces of luggage were left sitting in airports? I can imagine similar scenarios this summer.
Follow this guide to take magazine-worthy travel photos in crowded places.
It’s not just Europe. Travel to Mexico hit highs this spring. If you’re going, here’s how to be a better traveler in Mexico City.
Don’t forget to tip!! The tourism industry –– wait staff, cleaners, tour guides, concierges — are going to be working overtime this summer to give you a great experience. Here’s what to tip for various travel services.
Go with the flow. Something is going to go wrong. It just is. It will likely be something minor, but still. It’s part of the experience.
Louisiana Life
If you don’t mind the heat, come on down to the South this summer! It’s a slow season for a reason, but there’s plenty of water to cool you down and world-class seafood. We’ve been exploring as much as we can. A few weekends ago we went to Lafayette, which has a cute downtown and some great restaurants. Get the smoked onion dip at The Flats.
We also headed down to Grand Isle, barrier islands that are still in pretty rough shape from Hurricane Ida, but have nice beaches. The water was like a bath.
Closer to home, alligators! So many of them. Rent kayaks from Champagne Swamp Tours and see for yourself.
Weekend Reading
So, I’m extremely upset about this. I had dozens of links saved up to share with you, all saved in a Chrome tab group, then last night somehow that group disappeared. Can’t recover it, no idea what happened. And there were some really good ones in there! Of course, I can’t remember exactly what they were… Here’s a much smaller compilation instead, and a note to myself not trust Chrome groups from now on.
The secret to mastering your cocktail order
“No one wants to hear your movies, video games or TikToks, so bring headphones. Even for children.” And the middle seat gets both armrests!! Flight etiquette from a flight attendant.
Sherpas are leaving the job they made famous
This thread was highly entertaining.
Recommendations:
Snack: I am obsessed with these Lupini beans.
Watch: We watched Air last weekend and I liked it more than I expected to. We also finished Shrinking, and are in denial about the series finales of Succession and Ted Lasso in the next few days.
Cook: Recent highlights include the first ratatouille of summer (this is my go-to recipe) and grilled shrimp with a spicy slaw.
Drink: This tastes like summer ⤵️
Hope you have a great weekend. We have friends visiting and I’m super excited to see them!
Next week, paid subscribers get a food guide to Athens, with lots of tips from one of my favorite Greek restaurateurs.
-Rebecca 💛
Never heard of a Lupini bean?
We just watched Air also & liked it!
Rome is SO crowded (Honestly it's been crowded since February) and of course Venice is too. There is so much useful info here. Thanks!