Reasons Why We Should Travel Locally
Local travel is a great way to get to know your home country. Here are the reasons why you should travel locally. Even though traveling is mainly about exploring new destinations and exotic countries, travelers should not forget to explore their own backyard. Discover with us the pros of traveling locally and support domestic tourism.
Lately, it seems that more and more travelers are interested in traveling like a local. This topic resonates with today's modern travelers who seek exotic countries, remote places, and unique experiences.
We all want to go to Machu Picchu, Petra or Patagonia.
We want to feel the authentic life, see it with our own eyes, capture it on our cameras, and be accepted by local communities, to create a bond we can share later through our stories. But there is still something missing.
It seems that many people, ourselves included, kind of forgot, that there is always a place where we can travel like a local.
Actually, it is a place where it is not possible to get a more raw, more real, more authentic travel experience.
It is our home country, our own backyard.
There are so many reasons to travel locally and so many benefits of traveling in our home country, yet we rarely do it. Or when we do it, we do not consider it as an adventure.
Sometimes, people even think that their experiences from traveling in their country are not worth mentioning. Or they even feel ashamed that they did not save enough money to visit a foreign country, as their neighbors did.
One of the reasons why we often skip exploring our home country is that it is so close, it is so familiar that we keep postponing it for later. Once we settle down, once we have kids, or once we grow old.
Maybe the time to travel locally more has just come.
LOCAL TRAVEL
Sure, we love traveling abroad, but we also appreciate the beauty of our country. We do not enjoy only the cultural, architectural, and natural highlights, but many other things that we cannot take for granted in a foreign country.
We know that our readers come from different countries.
Some are small, compact, and easy to travel. Some, like the USA, are large, and it is not that easy to explore it during one a trip.
But no matter what is your home country, one thing is given. You know the culture, language, customs, and this trip can give you so much. It can feel like returning to your roots.
Our home country is the Czech Republic, which is a small country in Central Europe.
Even though we think we've been to quite many top places in Czechia, there are still for sure corners that would deserve our attention.
Exploring our own country and enjoy all the benefits is our goal for the upcoming years.
In this blog post, we would like to share with you reasons why we should travel locally, why it is great to travel in our home country more, and why we should support domestic travel and local people.
TRAVELING LOCALLY IS CHEAPER
Whether you are a budget backpacker and strictly follow all budget travel tips or can afford to pay more for your trip, there is one undeniable advantage of traveling locally.
It is much cheaper.
When you travel abroad, there are so many things you need to arrange that cost money - travel insurance, visa, flight tickets, equipment, just to name a few.
Of course, traveling in your home country is not for free. And regardless of the destination, you still need to save money for traveling.
You need to pay for fuel or bus tickets, entrance fees (some countries have cheaper rates for locals though), and unless you live in such a small country as we do, you will most likely have to pay for accommodation as well (consider staying at your relatives).
Nevertheless, the cost of traveling locally is undoubtedly much lower than what you would pay for a trip abroad.
What we see as the biggest pro is the fact that you also know the value of things.
You know how much approximately meal in a restaurant costs, how much should you pay for fruits on the market, and you can distinguish a good deal from bad one much more quickly.
This is what we like about traveling around our home country.
We spend less time recalculating how much things cost, and we know that we do not have to break a bank to enjoy a few days on the road.
YOU CAN REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT
Let's say it frankly. Traveling to a foreign country is usually not the greatest example of being a sustainable traveler.
One of the reasons why to stay home and travel locally is our environment.
Local travel and exploring your own backyard is more eco-friendly, and if you stay really close to your home, you will reduce the carbon footprint significantly.
We live in a small country where taking domestic flights makes no sense.
But if you are from the USA, Canada, Australia or any other huge country where domestic flights are super popular, have you thought of exploring your state or department more thoroughly and skip the airplane part this time?
Usually, when we travel to a place where we know it, we can afford to travel slowly, not to rush between sites, that is also much better for our environment.
YOU CAN TRAVEL MORE OFTEN
The trend is to work hard all year and then set off for a long-desired one or two weeks long vacation a couple of times per year.
Once you arrive back home, you must go to work the very next day, and it starts all over.
Well, domestic travel could be a bit different, right?
One of the top reasons why we should travel locally is that we can enjoy more mini-breaks. You can take Friday or Monday off and have a lovely long weekend in a place that is only several hours' drive from your backyard.
We do not know about you, but after such a short trip, we feel really refreshed and motivated to work even harder.
There should always be something you can look forward to, that is not that far, so we are not afraid to say that local travel is also favorable for mental health. It does not mean you always have to stay somewhere overnight.
Take a one-day trip to a nearby city, or hike local paths where you will meet no one but people living in the area.
Again, Czechia is a small country, and there are many day-trips from Prague we can make (where we live) and we are very grateful for that.
SUPPORT LOCAL ECONOMY AND LOCAL PRODUCERS
Tourism is a vital industry of every economy that generates billions of dollars annually and employs millions of people worldwide.
But isn't it great when you travel locally, and you know exactly where your money ends up (yes, we know this is questionable, but we want to be positive here)?
Isn't it great to know that your money will support the local economy? Plus, you can see the real face behind every product.
You can meet local producers on the market, get to know the owner of a family guesthouse; you can learn more about the country's economy.
Sure, foreign travelers maybe bring more money, but this way is much more sustainable.
It is beneficial for both customers and service providers. They can create a long-term relationship and support each other.
Only a small percentage of travelers return to the country they had already visited, but a local traveler will explore their favorite regions over and over again.
YOU ARE MORE FLEXIBLE
If you are not a fan of planning or prefer traveling on a more open schedule, you will probably enjoy traveling locally.
This travel style is much more flexible. It encourages spontaneous trips; it is enough only to be in the mood for visiting new places.
Also, you can plan your trip outside the main season, which is excellent. Just check your weather app. It can be snowy February, but once you see that the sun will shine for three days straight, why not take the opportunity and travel outside the city?
Domestic travel is much more laidback.
You can hear an ad on the radio that there will be a food festival, a colleague at work can mention his favorite winery, and the best thing is that you can attend all those events without planning them for months.
Traveling in your home country can be much more adventurous than you would have thought.
YOU KNOW THE BACKGROUND
Traveling abroad is fantastic, and we, for sure, learned a lot of things about other countries' culture or history. But to be honest, traveling, especially the long-term one, can often be exhausting.
Chances are, that you do not understand the local language, you can unwantedly offend a local because of your opinions that come from lack of understanding, or you can dress inappropriately.
Regardless of whether you go to Nicaragua or Colombia, there are many things you need to learn before you go.
Simply put, visiting exotic countries is fun, but it is not your home, and it takes time to fit in, which is quite impossible for most of the regular travelers who visit the country on a strict schedule.
In your home country, you understand the language, you know the political, social, and economic background, you know what is right and wrong, what is fine to do, and you even recognize quickly when you crossed the line.
Travel locally gives you the opportunity to feel relaxed, and focus solely on the experience and visiting new places.
GOING OFF-THE-BEATEN-PATH IS MORE NATURAL
Always when we travel abroad, we do not want to visit only the top and crowded highlights, but we also want to get off-the-beaten-path. To travel to places that are not that heavily visited.
It has its pros, but also cons.
As people do not travel there that often, the transport is usually not that reliable if it even exists, it is more expensive, and it takes a lot of time, which is quite a downside when traveling for a short period of time.
You will see more while simultaneously avoiding crowds while traveling.
It is much easier to explore places foreign travelers either do not know about in your home country, or it is for them too much hassle to plan the trip and get there on their limited vacation time.
Take advantage of it, and visit remote corners of your country.
It will be much easier for you to find all the necessary information, and it will be very rewarding.
CREATING AN ITINERARY IS MUCH EASIER
Creating a travel itinerary can be painful. You need to find all the best places to see and top things to do, wrap them in a few weeks, and make sure that everything will later go smoothly according to the plan.
When you travel around the country, which you know by heart, you know where to go.
You are familiar with the top attractions, you know what the must-visit places are, you've heard about the underrated gems, and you also can tell if something is just a tourist trap not worth visiting.
If you are from a big country, it’s impossible to know all these things. But it’s much easier to find all the information about the place.
Whether you are planning a day trip or a more extended stay, it is much easier to figure out your itinerary. If it is necessary, all unexpected situations such closures will be solved more naturally.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE COMPROMISES
Traveling in the country where you live does not need to be once in a lifetime experience. Thanks to it, you do not have to make any compromises.
It is always impossible to visit all the exciting sites in any country we plan on visiting.
Therefore the final itinerary is just a selection of must-see places, and you never get to visit beautiful locations that are somehow not that popular.
When you travel locally, it allows you to see much more than a typical tourist, and it absolutely does not matter that it would have taken several years and several separate trips.
You are home here, and you can take as much time and as many attempts as you want.
Also, you will be much more comfortable and confident when creating your travel budget so you can have a better vacation.
YOU WILL LEARN A LOT ABOUT YOUR HOME COUNTRY
Our school days are long gone, but we still like to learn new things. The best thing about traveling is that we can gain information along the way, and it feels very natural.
Domestic travel is here not only to entertain you by wonderful architecture and tasty cuisine but serves as an essential source of education.
We should all know what our home country is unique for, the historical background, and why things work the way they do.
Castles, museums, exhibitions, or even theaters are places where you can learn more about the specific area or time frame of your nations' history.
Once you know the context, the place seems much more appealing.
IT IS EASY TO GET AROUND
When we choose a travel destination and plan an itinerary for the place we've never been to, usually, the hardest part is to figure out how to get around.
As we regularly travel independently, we have to find out where is the bus or train station, what the timetable is, and make sure that everything fits together.
In your home country, you can finally feel how traveling like a local is.
It won't make you a problem to find the right bus line; you know websites for finding the schedule, and when the bus is late, there is often a person who can tell you what to do, so there is no more confusion.
YOU CAN MAKE A ROAD TRIP
Road tripping is one of our favorite ways to get around. It feels so natural that we can stop wherever we want, and we are not dependent on public transport.
But renting a car in a foreign country is often expensive, and it is a bit of a risk that something happens with the car that is not yours, which can entirely ruin your vacation.
Traveling around your home country in your car is much more comfortable as you know the road rules, and you can finally experience the road trip you've never done before.
We made quite a few road trips to places all over the world, such as the Canadian Rockies, Ring Road, Australia's Red Center, or the Yellowstone National Park.
So if you live in one of those countries that were made for road trips, then it's a no-brainer to go there.
YOU SPEND LESS MONEY ON TRAVEL INSURANCE
When we travel in our home country, we do not buy travel insurance as we are automatically covered by monthly mandatory health insurance that's deducted from our taxes.
It is necessary to check the conditions in your country, though, but we believe it's similar in many countries.
As we think that traveling without insurance to a foreign country is foolish, local traveling has one more advantage. There is one less thing to care about, and you save money.
Once again, always double-check that you are covered.
We also have a quite specific example where you need to consider when traveling even within your country.
The Czech Republic is a relatively small country, and we do a lot of biking in the Lipno area near the Austrian borders. A lot of trails are crossing the borders from one country to another from time to time.
So if something happens to us on the Czech side, then we are covered by the Czech health insurance. However, if we get injured on the Austrian side, then we surely need proper travel insurance.
That's one more thing to keep in mind.
World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers to cover their trip essentials, including sports and adventure activities.
SafetyWing is affordable travel insurance for backpackers, long-term travelers, and digital nomads.
Travel smarter and safer!
YOU'LL BE MORE GRATEFUL FOR WHERE YOU LIVE
The most important reason why you should travel locally? It will open your eyes.
We've been traveling together for some time now, and even though we do not want to brag here, we have visited quite many countries already - check our post on best countries to visit for more inspiration..
We also tried couple of times how it is like to live in a foreign countries, Canada and New Zealand to be specific. And we can't stress enough, how grateful we are for these life-changing travel experiences.
Go and travel abroad.
But once you come back, you will realize that your country is actually not that bad. On the contrary, it’s quite fascinating.
Take your time, explore the state you live in, and find out that the place you have the privilege call home is lovely.
Every country is beautiful. In the Czech Republic, we have Karlovy Vary, Cesky Krumlov, Terezin Memorial, or Kutna Hora, to name a few places that are worth visiting.
It is undoubtedly not perfect, but after traveling it extensively, you will appreciate the advantages of living in this country, and you might forget the negatives for a while.
Nothing is black or white, but we believe that local travel has its future, and hopefully, you see its advantages now too.
It does not mean we will never travel abroad again, but we will, for sure, explore our backyard more thoroughly because it is worth it.
Travel Resources
Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.
Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.
Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.
We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.
Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.
Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.
Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.
