What is 1 unpopular opinion on Travel you have?

[luvsJack]

Yeah when you live here:

View attachment 338490 To get to an actual coastal beach takes a while

We really loved Hawaii but it's not an easy trek to get there. Same for when we did our honeymoon in St. Lucia and our trip next month to Jamaica..overall both easier than Hawaii though. I enjoyed Cape Cod as well and that's at least a non-stop flight to Boston with drive after that.

What your beach trips are described as are similarish to our Lake trips. 3+drive from home leaving on Friday or Saturday, enjoy the lake, swim, eat, maybe a bit of shopping at the Outlets (because of where we go to) and then drive back home Sunday. Lot of people either drive down Friday night or Saturday morning then leave sometime Sunday and go back to work on Monday. Normally I'm just tired from being out in the sun combined with driving back home (car rides tend to put me to sleep unless I'm driving lol) on those vacations but it's not as tiring as the other actual beach vacations that's for sure. Honestly I'd probably not label lake trips as vacations so much as weekend getaways just because it's a very common weekend destination for people in my area as opposed to people staying there for a week+. So I guess I have one destination I don't call 'vacation' perse

It’s really interesting to see the way others vacation or travel!

We are blessed with lots of weekend spots pretty close by. “Going to the lake” for us is a 15 minute ride or a 30 minute ride depending on which lake we go to. So during the summer a great weekend spot.

We are actually less than an hour from the MS beach. If we just want a weekend (and don’t plan to get in the water) of beach, we go there. Just for the coastal atmosphere, the beach and the food.

Another weekend get away but more for fall and winter is NOLA. It’s 2 hours away.

The 5 hour trips are more a week long vacation for us lol. We have done a couple of long weekends but love it so much, we wanted more time!

 

[MrsPete]

Unpopular opinions? Yeah, I have a few:

- Camping is great, but only if camping IS your destination; that is, if you're going camping for the purpose of hiking, fishing and sitting around the campfire. Camping to make a road trip cheaper is false economy.
- It's better to stay in basic rooms and travel more frequently.
- Taking babies to Disney is nuts.
- New Orleans is filthy and the worst place I've ever been.
- Shopping for souvenirs on vacation is insane; spend your time on experiences instead.

 

[java]

May I ask why, just so I can determine whether I'd like it or not? We've thought of taking a trip there someday. Did you find it boring, or not like the beaches there maybe?

Really was more of the beaches being not my thing. I grew up going to Jones Beach on Long Island. It seemed like the same thing. And it was too much boardwalk atmosphere for my taste. But really it’s an unpopular opinion I know people that LOVE it. Just not my beach of choice.
I like Siesta Key or Kiawah Island.

 

[katie01]

Really was more of the beaches being not my thing. I grew up going to Jones Beach on Long Island. It seemed like the same thing. And it was too much boardwalk atmosphere for my taste. But really it’s an unpopular opinion I know people that LOVE it. Just not my beach of choice.
I like Siesta Key or Kiawah Island.

Oh I see, thank you. We live in the land-locked Midwest and it’s been so long since I’ve been to the ocean, I want to choose a good spot when we do go

 

[TipsyTraveler]

Fair enough. We've got no burning desire to ever go back to Hawaii, unlike tons of our friends who go every year. We feel like we've been-there-done-that the best possible way for us, which was just pure luck because we went totally against the grain of all the advice we got.

And just curious - is Costa Rica just a metaphor for "somewhere better than Hawaii" or do you really like Costa Rica? It was on the table as an option instead of our SoCal trip this year but I'm not wild about the tropics so we passed.

No, I really mean Costa Rica. That place is a gem. It’s in my top three places I’ve ever been and I came thiiiiisss close to buying a vacaction home there. If you’re ever serious about going, talk to me.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I completely agree! When I went to the UK, I was so excited about the weather because I was under the impression it rains pretty often. But the ONLY time it rained during my two week trip was when I was on the top deck of the Thames River boat and of course had zero shelter lol

geez. what crummy timing

 

[officerjudyhopps]

We hated POFQ.

 

[Sparkly]

I have no interest in Disneyland after reading about the crazy crowds.
I have no interest in China or India, either.

 

[TartanFan]

Even though I live on the Mediterranean coast I hate the beach. Sand goes in places sand shouldn't!
And the thought of trying to plan another WDW vacation if enough to give me palpitations!!!

 

[ronandannette]

I have no interest in Disneyland after reading about the crazy crowds.
I have no interest in China or India, either.

I have a number of Indian friends that go back periodically - they say people there either live in poverty or live like kings. Squalor and splendor with nothing in between. It's not something we can really even fathom. And apparently the entire country smells funky. No thanks. I've never had a "yen" to see Asia either but lately I've seen some ridiculously good deals on reputable package tours to China and may just actually do it. It's pennies-on-the-dollar to vacationing in the US or Europe; China is apparently rapidly developing their tourism industry and now is the time to take advantage.

 

[kirstenb1]

Oh I see, thank you. We live in the land-locked Midwest and it’s been so long since I’ve been to the ocean, I want to choose a good spot when we do go

I hate the Outer Banks in summer time. It's become like Myrtle Beach, super crowded. The drive to get there is crowded and stressful. I do love the Sandbridge area of Virginia Beach, Amelia Island, and Cocoa Beach.

 

[dish rag]

I hate the Outer Banks in summer time. It's become like Myrtle Beach, super crowded. The drive to get there is crowded and stressful. I do love the Sandbridge area of Virginia Beach, Amelia Island, and Cocoa Beach.

I never go the appeal of Cocoa Beach. My children played sports against Cocoa Beach High School and Cocoa High School and it was not an enjoyable drive at night, or place really. That could be why. But a friend goes to the beach there most weekends and loves it. I like Amelia Island.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I have a number of Indian friends that go back periodically - they say people there either live in poverty or live like kings. Squalor and splendor with nothing in between. It's not something we can really even fathom. And apparently the entire country smells funky. No thanks. I've never had a "yen" to see Asia either but lately I've seen some ridiculously good deals on reputable package tours to China and may just actually do it. It's pennies-on-the-dollar to vacationing in the US or Europe; China is apparently rapidly developing their tourism industry and now is the time to take advantage.

I used to be a tour guide and had to deal with incredibly rude Indians on a regular basis. After a particularly obnoxious encounter, one guide remarked, “You have to remember, these are the tiny fraction of their population that can afford to travel and at home they are treated like kings while you are just the working stiff”. Was a real eye opener. To be fair, I haven’t had the same negative experience dealing with Indians who live & work here, nor was it “all” of the Indian tourists who acted like this.

 

[sunshinehighway]

Unpopular opinions? Yeah, I have a few:

- Camping is great, but only if camping IS your destination; that is, if you're going camping for the purpose of hiking, fishing and sitting around the campfire. Camping to make a road trip cheaper is false economy.
- It's better to stay in basic rooms and travel more frequently.
- Taking babies to Disney is nuts.
- New Orleans is filthy and the worst place I've ever been.
- Shopping for souvenirs on vacation is insane; spend your time on experiences instead.

Totally agree about souvenirs. I'd rather use that money on experiences and future trips than on stuff that'll just sit in a drawer or on a shelf.

 

[maxiesmom]

Totally agree about souvenirs. I'd rather use that money on experiences and future trips than on stuff that'll just sit in a drawer or on a shelf.

I have roughly 20 Disney mugs. It makes me smile whenever I make a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, opening the door and getting to pick out which one I want to use.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Totally agree about souvenirs. I'd rather use that money on experiences and future trips than on stuff that'll just sit in a drawer or on a shelf.

I'm going to guess it can also depend on just how much you're spending on souvenirs.

Souvenirs to many people help provide that tangent memory attachment to a place.

Not a day goes by that I don't look at my You Are Here Starbucks mugs (all 6 that I got--DHS, AK, MK, Epcot, Universal, and Orlando) and smile. Or every time I wear my Disney t-shirts I got brings me back to my trip or everytime I open my fridge and see the Universal (including Islands of Adventure) magnets which makes me think about how much fun we had--all from our most recent trip and it is my hope that those memory attachments stick with me for a while.

So probably a healthy balance for me rather than a 'souvenir is a waste of $' viewpoint. I don't always get a souvenir either from all places and generally speaking I don't spend a ton of souvenirs anyways. Heck my Vegas souvenir was a $5 ornament but it's added to my collection of ornaments obtained on vacation.

 

[kydisneyfans]

Beaches where you can drive on the beach itself suck. That includes part of Daytona and New Smyrna. Nothing says relaxation more than smelling exhaust and worrying about being hit by a car.

Myrtle Beach is seriously overrated. Crowded, commercialized, just not relaxing, nor fun. I'll take the panhandle beaches, or even Virginia Beach instead.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I used to be a tour guide and had to deal with incredibly rude Indians on a regular basis. After a particularly obnoxious encounter, one guide remarked, “You have to remember, these are the tiny fraction of their population that can afford to travel and at home they are treated like kings while you are just the working stiff”. Was a real eye opener. To be fair, I haven’t had the same negative experience dealing with Indians who live & work here, nor was it “all” of the Indian tourists who acted like this.

Insightful of your coworker, but still -

 

[ajlsjl]

I have no desire to travel internationally. Unless it's on DCL to some place tropical. I have no desire to go to London, Ireland, or anywhere overseas.

 

[Pumbaa_]

I like to cruise, to be in a floating resort. Ports are not important. Until we do Alaska. But for islands, it’s all about the ship and being pampered.