One Writer’s Best Travel Tip is One You’ve Never Heard Before

I travel to 20+ countries a year sharing my firsthand knowledge of reward travel, travel credit card deals, travel tips and more.

One of my wife’s good friends and former colleague at a Canadian magazine recently shared some unique travel tips in her free Substack newsletter. Helen Racanelli, who has written travel pieces for JohnnyJet.com in the past, started her article with something many people can relate to: “So I’m not the world’s most frequent traveler nor do I ever find myself in far-flung places, but you know what I am? Thrifty AF! I love a discount, and I love researching trips AND saving money.” RELATED: Never Be Afraid to Ask This Question at a Restaurant

Use Reddit to get food recommendations from locals. I was certainly one of those people when I began my travel career. I was bitten by the travel bug when I was in college but I didn’t have the money to fund my travels so I had to figure out a way to see the world. After my first trip overseas with my college girlfriend, I was hooked on exploring new places, meeting new people, trying different foods and experiencing things I’d only ever dreamt about.

I was able to achieve some of my travel dreams by working hard, doing lots of research and accruing miles and points. Some of my research strategies back in those days included reading local newspapers, observing frequent travelers and asking questions of pilots and flight attendants.

On a related note, one thing I learned from flight attendants and pilots is that if you ever see flight crew standing in a long line for food, then you know it’s good, cheap and worth the wait. No one knows airports better than flight crew.

I wish social media, blogs and newsletters were around when I first got started because if you spend the time, you can find some great information … like what Helen has to say in her paragraph about her BEST EVER travel tip: Use Reddit for restaurant recommendations from locals.

She writes: “I hit up Reddit for restaurant recommendations all the time and it always works out. I typed in “Best Mexican Restaurant Palm Springs Reddit,” and I quickly found an amazing spot we all loved: La Perlita. Redditors who are locals will always recommend non-touristy, more affordable home-style food and you’ll know it’s good if lots of people are agreeing in the comments. One year later, I did this again in Miami: “Best Cuban Food North Miami” and Little Havana came up and it was really good! This is also good research tactic if you like pizza but feel confused about where to go. Every city has pizza joints but it can be impossible to tell which are the decent ones.”

I use Reddit daily but never to ask locals what the best restaurants are. I typically scroll through Reddit to see viral videos and read funny comments. But that’s all going to change thanks to Helen. BTW: Helen says she also uses Uber Eats to SEE what the food looks like, even if you don’t use the app to order. Read more of her best travel tips here and subscribe to her newsletter here.

KEEP READING
–How To Make Sure the TSA PreCheck Checkmark is On Your Boarding Pass
–Did You Know Your Electronic Devices Should Always Be Charged When Going Through Security?
–10 Airport Security Hacks Every Traveler Needs to Know
–Mom Shares Hilarious Reason She’s Not Getting TSA PreCheck Anytime Soon
–How to Get a Full Bottle of Water Through Airport Security