Exploring the European Mediterranean like a local
Planning to explore the European Mediterranean? Find out how you can travel like a local and make the most of your trip.
Having the opportunity to visit the beautiful European Mediterranean is a chance that you don’t want to miss. You can expect to immerse yourself in an endless supply of fascinating culture, delicious food and extraordinary surroundings, whichever country you choose to visit.
Learning how to plan the perfect trip doesn’t have to be difficult. With just some simple preparations you can follow travel like a local and make the most of each day. So read on for some quick advice to help you enjoy a memorable European Mediterranean vacation.
Choosing the perfect location
Before you leave for your Mediterranean adventure you need to decide which countries and cities you want to explore. Each island and destination boasts its own unique heritage, landscape, food, culture and people.
Choosing the perfect location for your individual preferences doesn’t have to be difficult, as the Mediterranean has something for pretty much everyone. Whether you choose to throw yourself into the hustle and bustle of Napoli for a food-focused Italian getaway, or book luxury Mykonos villas that allow you to enjoy the warm Greek sun, there are so many different options that you can explore.
Portugal, Spain, France, Malta, Greece, Croatia and Italy are all brilliant destinations that you can look into further, as these spots are tourist friendly and can easily provide you with the vacation experience that you are searching for.
Once you’ve decided on your destination it’s time to do some research. While it’s always worthwhile asking locals for recommendations when you’re there, you don’t have to actually land in a country to get insider tips. Even a small amount of online research will turn up recommendations for the must-see tourist sights, as well as lesser known local tips.
Look for travel blogs written by fellow adventurers, and forums populated with locals and expats. You can also seek out travel articles on the areas. Even in-flight magazines and airline blogs can sometimes contain excellent recommendations.
With some insider tips you can discover tucked away restaurants, little-known coves and brilliant day trips in which you’re not competing with dozens of other tourists for the perfect snap.
Try to learn (at least some of) the language
European languages are some of the easiest languages to learn, especially when it comes to basic conversational phrases that you can use without too much thought.
One of the worst things that you can do as a tourist is to ignore a person’s culture when visiting their home town, so shouting your order in English to a confused waiter is something you should aim to avoid! Attempting to learn a little bit of the language before you head out to your chosen Mediterranean paradise will help you to access a world of possibilities, as many people will notice and appreciate your efforts, and they may even provide you with a better service as a result.
Learn how to introduce yourself, as well as how to ask for important things like directions, grocery stores and public toilets. Investing in a phrasebook will help you dramatically, as you can even refer back to your book whenever you need to so that you can jog your memory and find out what you really want to say!
Exploring the European Mediterranean like a local has never been so simple when you can take the time to use the recommendations detailed above.
Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel
