6 “tried and true” travel rules we’ve stopped pretending to follow (and why)
Most tried and true travel advice comes from somewhere sensible: guidebooks written for first-time visitors, travel TV designed for tight filming schedules, or airline policies quietly shaping how we pack and move. None of it is wrong. It’s just not always written for the way real trips actually unfold. From using bar shampoo to booking trains 10 months in advance. We’ve tried them too. Some have worked really well, but some are just not how we travel. So here’s a run down of some great travel advice that we just don’t take any more and why.
Cradle Mountain Tasmania. We did get up early for this shot.
The List
1. “See the highlights early in the morning”
Guidebooks and travel shows love an early start. You’ll hear this everywhere, from Rick Steves to city tourism blogs. Getting up before dawn to get the best view is the only way.
When it breaks down: Early mornings assume good sleep, no jet lag, and high energy on demand. That’s not how many days actually start. And what if you’re not a ‘morning person’?
What we do instead: We pick one or two early starts per trip, not per day, and protect them fiercely. We don’t schedule them early on in a trip, when we’re still jet lagged or getting oriented to a new city. Plus, I’m on holiday, I don’t really want to set an alarm, do you?
2. “You can rest when you get home”
A long-standing bit of hustle-travel “wisdom”, usually delivered as encouragement.
When it breaks down: Arriving home exhausted makes the end of a trip harder than it needs to be. The memories blur, the re-entry is rough, and you end up needing a vacation from your vacation.
What we do instead: We build recovery time into the trip itself, not after it. (See our post about conserving energy when you travel.)
Those longer trips often require more luggage. I don’t apologize for it any more.
3. “Travel carry-on only”
Minimalism, backpacker culture, and airline baggage fees have turned this into a virtue.
When it breaks down: Travelling light only helps if it actually reduces friction. When it creates discomfort or constant laundry stress, it stops being helpful. Also, we are not small people. Many of the loudest advocates of this rule have smaller bodies, smaller clothing, and smaller shoes that can be crammed into a backpack. Plus, it assumes that you can afford the higher priced merino wool tshirt on top of your holiday budget.
What we do instead: We travel light enough, optimising for comfort, reuse, and the type of trip we’re taking, whether that’s a cruise, a weekend getaway, or a longer journey. pack for the type of trip, not to only squeeze everything in a backpack. See how we keep track of what we take here.
We’re also fine with buying things on the road when we need to. We had to pick up some warmer things in Copenhagen when it was cooler than expected last time. We’re 100% ok with it.
4. “Just wander and see what you find”
This shows up constantly in romantic travel writing and first-time city guides.
When it breaks down: Unstructured wandering is only relaxing when you’re not tired, not hungry, and not overwhelmed.
What we do instead: Having a Google map with a few anchor points to wander around is our strategy. With our various dietary requirements (see #6) these anchor points are usually cafes.
5. “Don’t plan too much, it ruins spontaneity”
Often repeated by people with unlimited time or a very high tolerance for uncertainty.
When it breaks down: Lack of planning usually just replaces spontaneity with queues, sold-out tickets, or decision fatigue.
What we do instead: We plan the hard-to-change parts so the easy parts stay flexible. Both of us love to travel but we also live with ongoing anxiety. This can often rear its ugly head when we’re tired, hungry, overwhelemed, or have to pee. So having some knowldge of where the next meal is, how long we are going to be out, or what time we need to be at the airport helps both of us manage that anxiety.
We love to eat local, as long as it works within our dietary needs.
6. “Eat the local dish”
You can’t really know a culture if you don’t eat the local cuisine.
When it breaks down: This assumes everyone can eat everything. Food allergies, intolerances, ethical choices, and medical needs make this rule unrealistic for a lot of travellers.
What we do instead: We look for vegetarian-friendly versions of local cuisine, or local food that fits how we eat, without treating that as a failure. I have some dietary restrictires due to food allergies, so we tend to do a lot of research about where are those restarautns that servce things I can eat.
Final thoughts
I guess the moral of the story is, yes, seek out the advice of the experts. Espically if you’re going some place you haven’t been before. (we have a few about coming to Sydney including seeing the sights, free things to do, and trying craft beer) But don’t take them as gospel. If you’re not a morning person in the rest of your life, by all means don’t start getting up at 6 to get a good ticket. Just know what the trade off will be. And if you’re not a person who likes eating pork, why start now?
Do you have any tried and true travel advice that you have ditched? Let us know on Instagram, we’d love to hear your story about how you kicked this advice to the curb (or kerb, depending on where you’re from) .
