If traveling is right up your alley, and you can feel the excitement just thinking about all the places you want to visit, then you may want to think about the opportunity to travel in your base-country.
What was that? It is not considered traveling without delayed flights, crowded trains, and stuffed backpacks? Think again. Still confused why you should travel local while there is a whole world out there? Here are 5 reasons why you should:
- You are there!
- You might discover hidden gems
- Other people could only dream of the place where you are
- You can actually show people around your area
- It is wallet-friendly
1. You are there!
The biggest reason why you should consider traveling local is that you are already in the country. Whether you are there as an expat or simply because it is your home country, you do not have to reach deeper in your pockets to reach your oversees destination. The money that you would have spent on flights, you could now use to do more fun things, or even save for your next trip abroad in the future.
If you are already a little tight on your finances, or the world is combating a pandemic, such as with COVID-19, it may be even wiser to hold off from any international travel. In these cases, take the opportunity to travel in the country that you are already in.
2. You might discover some hidden gems
Let us be honest for a second. How much do you actually know about the country that you are in? How much of it have you actually visited and seen yourself? If you cannot list 10 to 15 places of interest within 30 seconds, you probably have not even seen a half of what the country has to offer. But do not worry. We believe that this goes for the majority of the world’s population. You are not the only one.
We think that we can all agree that you know your own neighborhood, and maybe the next city, like the back of your hand. You know the ins and outs, the culture, and the nicest spots. But could you say the same for the rest of your country?
Why not take a chance to be spontaneous? Take a 2-hour train ride to a place that is famous for its historical, natural, or culinary reputation. You might surprise what you find yourself. You might even find one or more hidden gems. Before you know it, you are making a detour to visit one of your gems again, wondering why it has not appeared in the latest edition of the Michelin Guide.
3. Other people could only dream of the place where you are
Put yourself in the shoes of a traveler living in the country that you plan on visiting. How would this person feel coming to your country for the first time? You can imagine it to be the same excitement as you are experiencing.
What may seem common and unexcited to you, may be rare and desirable to someone else. We understand, if you have stayed in a particular area for a while, things may start to look dull and uninteresting. It is for this reason that traveling to a different environment seems so attractive.
We can imagine that many of us would like to trade the cold temperatures, rainy days, and gloomy skies for tropical temperatures, sandy beaches, and azure waters. However, often we can find ourselves in a contrasting environment just by driving a few hours north or south from where we are.
4. You can actually show people around your area
In our second point, we established that many of us do not even know which places of interest our countries have, let alone know how to get there. Once you start discovering your base-country, you know how to travel around. You know which routes are the most scenic, which places should not be skipped, and what are the best times of the year and day to get the best experience.
If your overseas friend has decided to come over and visit you for the week, would it not be appreciated and fun if you could show your friend around? If the roles were reversed, you would also highly appreciate it if you had someone who could show you around. There are countless situations where language barriers make it difficult to communicate with the locals, or even read something as simple as a restaurant menu. Knowing someone who can and is willing to help you pass those barriers, is like a social lifebuoy.
Certainly, with smart devices, Google Maps, Google Translate, and a variety of other useful applications, traveling has become more accessible than ever. However, in our honest opinions, a human being still beats technology when it comes to social interactions.
5. It is wallet-friendly
As we mentioned in the first reason, traveling local is friendlier to your wallet, and your bank balance than traveling internationally. In many cases, flight tickets can be a major share of your total budget. Depending on seasonality, and how far in advance you make your booking, prices can vary strongly.
Also, reality is that not everyone has the option to enter the country visa-free. Visas, and the requirements to obtain it, can be quite costly, depending on which passport you hold and which country you want to enter.
Furthermore, in your base-country, there are chances that you have your own mode of transportation. You may have your own car, your own motorcycle, or maybe even your own boat. Rental costs can add up rather quickly. However, in countries where it is recommended to avoid driving yourself, taxis may not be the cheapest option at your disposal either.
If you are looking to have a wallet-friendly travel vacation, want to avoid the hassle of traveling just to reach a particular destination, and want to remain flexible by using your own transportation, then traveling local is an amazing option. See, you can always plan your travels abroad later on. However, you might never know what it is like to travel in your base-country unless you have tried to travel local.