S/O of destinations that jumped the shark - has travel jumped the shark for you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with y’all is you’re just too busy, too poor, or too particular to travel well - typically all three.

You need to take your time, schedule three or four times as much as is recommended for a given place, go off season, go off the beaten track, not stay in luxury hotels or fancy all inclusives, relax a little — and LIVE. Very few of you do that based on what I read on this website. You’re too busy trying to check boxes off. And when you’re older — as some of you appear to be on this thread — all of that gets just plain tiring.

Yes and no.

Part of your comment makes me wonder if you are one of the posters who tells people not to bother going to X if they only have a week (or whatever). The reality is most people can have a fabulous day (or two or five or whatever) in a place and there's no right way or wrong way to "enjoy" a visit to any destination.

RE: going off season - Sure. I guess. But the Amalfi coast or similar destinations really aren't best visited off season. It's better to enjoy dinner and drinks outside on a warm summer night after spending the day lounging on a private boat all day in the sun...hence all the celebs posting pics on yachts in the Med this summer (and every summer)(or Kris Jenner's annual summer trip to Portofino...I mean, there's really no reason to go to Portofino in November).

"Off the beaten track" is where I agree with you. But I still see value in going to popular tourist destinations like Rome. These places are popular for a reason (many, actually). But you can have a blast in Rome without setting foot *inside* the Colosseum (it's actually gorgeous around 9:30 or 10pm at night and it's rather magical wandering around it up close and bit further away when there aren't any crowds; ditto for the Vatican and all the other usual suspect spots).

RE: all inclusives - don't knock it, pp. Some are really nice (and fun). And there are plenty of luxury and mid-range spots that include breakfast and lunch that you might not even consider an all inclusive (several boutique resorts in the caribbean and europe offer such things but you would never know unless you stayed there).

In short: go live your life and have fun...whatever that means to you. I've never had a bad vacation...probably because I make sure I have fun wherever I go. (I basically try to "be the party" ... even if the party is mostly in my own head as I lazily lay out in the sun all day.)

The Amalfi coast? Some all inclusives are good? Lol. You’re not living. You're being a tourist.

Curtain Bluff is a fabulous AI on Antigua. Candidly, I don’t think anyone who spends a week or two in the Caribbean is a “tourist.” There’s not a lot of touring involved. You relax and enjoy your vacation.

Caneel Bay wasn’t referred to as an AI but they offered prepayment of meals on what I believed they referred to as a European plan. Fun fact: I stayed in the best cottage on the fabulous property before Madonna and Brangelina used it. Hardly boring. In fact, it was amazing.

And yes, the Amalfi coast is gorgeous! I loved every place I visited during a month-long trip up and down both sides of Italy. Our boat was amazing and the villas were quite lovely. I didn’t bother buying tickets to anything though, so I wasn’t the typical tourist. I mostly soaked in the vibe and enjoyed some fabulous sites that you wouldn’t read about online or in travel guides.

Anyway, travel isn’t a competition…it’s just a verb. I’ve traveled, and you’ve traveled. And I’ve never had a bad experience…just a helluva lot of fun.

You've never done anything adventurous in your life. You've just spent money.

I see we've encountered someone who firmly believes they are a *traveler* while everyone else is a tourist. I have bad news for you: you're a tourist too. I've been to some really off the beaten paths and experienced some very rustic places, but guess what, I was still a tourist. Just like you.

I'll echo what others have said. Common themes are aging and the hassles of travel involving long flights and transit times and the constant on the move and shifting from one strange hotel to the next just isn't as much fun when you're in your 40s. I'm also in my peak career years, which means a demanding job, and the concept of a demanding vacation doesn't appeal to me any more. Other common themes are the increased homogenization of the world. Every major city is more or less a clone. Hip Berlin is the same as hip LA and hip Tokyo and hip Melbourne. The crowds in the popular places. Growing up in 1980s/1990s midsize city America, going to France and Italy was a culinary revelation because you just did not get the croissants or cappucinos or pastries found in corner Italian or French markets in most American cities. But today? The food and coffee are quite often better in the US and I have no shortage of excellent bakeries and just about every world cuisine nearby. I don't need to go to China for the novelty of seeing Chinese supermarkets when there's a large one a few miles away!

I still travel for specific pleasures, we're doing a long hiking trip in the Alps this August and I'm looking forward to nearly two weeks free of the laptop and being offline. But I do increasingly appreciate the notion of going back to a favorite beach or mountain every year rather than seeking the strange and exotic.

[b]

The bolded confirms that you're a tourist and not a traveler. I've never had that kind of experience in my entire life, and I've been to every continent on the planet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem with y’all is you’re just too busy, too poor, or too particular to travel well - typically all three.

You need to take your time, schedule three or four times as much as is recommended for a given place, go off season, go off the beaten track, not stay in luxury hotels or fancy all inclusives, relax a little — and LIVE. Very few of you do that based on what I read on this website. You’re too busy trying to check boxes off. And when you’re older — as some of you appear to be on this thread — all of that gets just plain tiring.

I think this person is a troll, because most of us are trying to fit in travel with school breaks. There is no off season. So yeah, great advice at 25 or 60, but save it for the rest of us. Try giving advice when it's actually useful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with y’all is you’re just too busy, too poor, or too particular to travel well - typically all three.

You need to take your time, schedule three or four times as much as is recommended for a given place, go off season, go off the beaten track, not stay in luxury hotels or fancy all inclusives, relax a little — and LIVE. Very few of you do that based on what I read on this website. You’re too busy trying to check boxes off. And when you’re older — as some of you appear to be on this thread — all of that gets just plain tiring.

I think this person is a troll, because most of us are trying to fit in travel with school breaks. There is no off season. So yeah, great advice at 25 or 60, but save it for the rest of us. Try giving advice when it's actually useful.

So you speak for "most of us?"

[Anonymous]

But India is amazing !

[twitter]
https://x.com/zhao_dashuai/status/1949446981094645799?s=61
[/twitter]

[Anonymous]

I think flying used to be fun, but now it is like a cattle car experience, plus the security, going two hours ahead, etc. But I still enjoy being overseas.

You have to make certain concessions to age. Less walking, less baggage. Hopefully you now have more money to take taxis, stay in nicer hotels.

I woke up this morning in a very charming hotel in Nice. Breakfast was peach toast (on brioche, with cream cheese, lemon zest, watercress garnish, a splash of basil oil and peaches that had been marinated in honey). All enjoyed in a quiet garden with a cappuccino.

I just do not have such experiences in the United States.

[Anonymous]

Oh, and I try to avoid popular places in summer at all cost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I feel this way about cities. It’s always the same — restaurants, bars, churches, museums, architecture, shopping. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world these are the things to do. It’s started to feel monotonous to me. At this point I prefer nature focused trips.

Could not have said it better myself.

I also don’t enjoy cities.

I like beautiful or unique nature experiences/scenery (like Plitvice Lakes National Park, the Lofoten Islands, or Lake Bled).

All inclusive resorts are too artificial for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem with y’all is you’re just too busy, too poor, or too particular to travel well - typically all three.

You need to take your time, schedule three or four times as much as is recommended for a given place, go off season, go off the beaten track, not stay in luxury hotels or fancy all inclusives, relax a little — and LIVE. Very few of you do that based on what I read on this website. You’re too busy trying to check boxes off. And when you’re older — as some of you appear to be on this thread — all of that gets just plain tiring.

Sounds more like the complaint of someone who is too rich, not too poor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think flying used to be fun, but now it is like a cattle car experience, plus the security, going two hours ahead, etc. But I still enjoy being overseas.

You have to make certain concessions to age. Less walking, less baggage. Hopefully you now have more money to take taxis, stay in nicer hotels.

I woke up this morning in a very charming hotel in Nice. Breakfast was peach toast (on brioche, with cream cheese, lemon zest, watercress garnish, a splash of basil oil and peaches that had been marinated in honey). All enjoyed in a quiet garden with a cappuccino.

I just do not have such experiences in the United States.

Lol Nice is a cliche.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh, and I try to avoid popular places in summer at all cost.

Yet you’re in Nice?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with y’all is you’re just too busy, too poor, or too particular to travel well - typically all three.

You need to take your time, schedule three or four times as much as is recommended for a given place, go off season, go off the beaten track, not stay in luxury hotels or fancy all inclusives, relax a little — and LIVE. Very few of you do that based on what I read on this website. You’re too busy trying to check boxes off. And when you’re older — as some of you appear to be on this thread — all of that gets just plain tiring.

Sounds more like the complaint of someone who is too rich, not too poor.

Not at all. I just retired very early and have time. Time is more important than money. Foreign concept on DCUM, I know.

[Anonymous]

Yes I had a similar feeling on our last international trip this spring op. I traveled all around the globe pre-kids, lived abroad twice, and loved it but it’s a few things for me now I think: 1. So busy and crowded. 2. I feel more aware of the impacts to communities, the environment, etc. The travel I loved in my 20s to more developing countries feels a bit voyeuristic now that I’m more informed and the more typical tourist type travel doesn’t appeal. Cities like people have said - I always feel very meh. Cities are cities, add in a few cool things and some good food but I don’t need more than a day or two.

I think I’ll focus most travel now on physical activity like hiking or like others have said some of those walking or biking travel where you can go town to town. I think I may enjoy that and as my kids get older we can do that together. More remote, away from people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, it’s both. I’m late 40s, traveled a lot in my 20s and early 30s before kids, relative to other families have traveled a lot with kids, and I feel the same way.

Economic and cultural shifts in the last 20-30 years mean the places I once experienced as fulfilling because they were different from home and offered stimuli that I didn’t have in my everyday life are now much more similar to my daily life.

And my having experienced a lot more means the newness of a travel experience is much harder to find.

I find two things help. First, when traveling with my kids, choosing places and activities that let me do something with them that places the focus on their discovery, and focusing my attention on being present (and grateful) for that. For example, when we have visited a place that I’ve been before (Ireland was a recent example for us, too), creating opportunities for each kid to discover and plan activities. Do I care about the Cliffs of Moher? Not even a little bit. Was my son thrilled and gave us the sweetest history lesson? Yes, and it was great fun to do that with him.

Second, when traveling without kids, getting really clear about why I’m going. Like another poster said, often that’s about nature. I’ve always been a big hiker and my kids are still fairly young so the chance to do an itinerary I can’t (yet) with them is always awesome. But sometimes it’s about a super cool hotel or restaurant or exhibit. Or about who I’m traveling with. Or about renting a place and staying put and savoring the minutiae of daily life. For me, that’s different than how I traveled when I was younger, which was more like “I’ve never been to Japan; it sounds awesome; let’s go to that place and do things there.”

Finally, I feel the wear and tear of travel more now. I used to always say yes - to the work event that would get me to a new place, to the friend invite, to the airfare bargain. Now sometimes I just don’t take the trip, or I return to a few not far places that I know I really love, and that helps.

Part of this makes me sad - I wish I could be thrilled by any new place like I used to - but it has also slowed me down in ways I appreciate. Do I still fantasize about being an empty nester and taking some Big Trips I can’t fit into life now? You bet; and I’m trying to stay healthy to be able to make that happen.

I (not OP) can relate to almost everything you said).

When I took my daughter to Giverny, it was so charming to watch her sketch the lily pads from Monet’s famous bridge. She was drawn to that place because we had read a cute children’s book about the frogs that live there.

I am almost 70 now, and find myself more nervous about say, having a medical problem overseas. Stairs are harder. But I feel like I have at least a few years left for solo exploration of our globe. Something still comes alive in me when I am on a new place, challenged to figure out the train schedule or make sense of a menu.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with y’all is you’re just too busy, too poor, or too particular to travel well - typically all three.

You need to take your time, schedule three or four times as much as is recommended for a given place, go off season, go off the beaten track, not stay in luxury hotels or fancy all inclusives, relax a little — and LIVE. Very few of you do that based on what I read on this website. You’re too busy trying to check boxes off. And when you’re older — as some of you appear to be on this thread — all of that gets just plain tiring.

Yes and no.

Part of your comment makes me wonder if you are one of the posters who tells people not to bother going to X if they only have a week (or whatever). The reality is most people can have a fabulous day (or two or five or whatever) in a place and there's no right way or wrong way to "enjoy" a visit to any destination.

RE: going off season - Sure. I guess. But the Amalfi coast or similar destinations really aren't best visited off season. It's better to enjoy dinner and drinks outside on a warm summer night after spending the day lounging on a private boat all day in the sun...hence all the celebs posting pics on yachts in the Med this summer (and every summer)(or Kris Jenner's annual summer trip to Portofino...I mean, there's really no reason to go to Portofino in November).

"Off the beaten track" is where I agree with you. But I still see value in going to popular tourist destinations like Rome. These places are popular for a reason (many, actually). But you can have a blast in Rome without setting foot *inside* the Colosseum (it's actually gorgeous around 9:30 or 10pm at night and it's rather magical wandering around it up close and bit further away when there aren't any crowds; ditto for the Vatican and all the other usual suspect spots).

RE: all inclusives - don't knock it, pp. Some are really nice (and fun). And there are plenty of luxury and mid-range spots that include breakfast and lunch that you might not even consider an all inclusive (several boutique resorts in the caribbean and europe offer such things but you would never know unless you stayed there).

In short: go live your life and have fun...whatever that means to you. I've never had a bad vacation...probably because I make sure I have fun wherever I go. (I basically try to "be the party" ... even if the party is mostly in my own head as I lazily lay out in the sun all day.)

The Amalfi coast? Some all inclusives are good? Lol. You’re not living. You're being a tourist.

No actually, she is living HER life, which is no less valid than yours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think flying used to be fun, but now it is like a cattle car experience, plus the security, going two hours ahead, etc. But I still enjoy being overseas.

You have to make certain concessions to age. Less walking, less baggage. Hopefully you now have more money to take taxis, stay in nicer hotels.

I woke up this morning in a very charming hotel in Nice. Breakfast was peach toast (on brioche, with cream cheese, lemon zest, watercress garnish, a splash of basil oil and peaches that had been marinated in honey). All enjoyed in a quiet garden with a cappuccino.

I just do not have such experiences in the United States.

Lol Nice is a cliche.

lol, my friends of 20+ years live in the mountains a few hours north of Nice. So yeah, I took the direct flight from IAD there.


You are a cliche (smug snob). Sorry you can’t find more joy in life than looking down your nose at strangers on the internet.