There seems to be an ever increasing fad these days for tourists to want to travel like locals. As a result, there have been many companies that have capitalized this new way of travel. I’ve put together a list of Apps, Websites and tools to help you really integrate yourself (or at least try your hardest) into the culture of the countries and cities you’re travelling to.
Lokafy
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting the founder of this website and write guest posts on the blog as well. This genius startup is aiming to bridge the gap between locals and tourists by offering local residents in either Toronto or Paris (hopefully expanding to new cities soon) as tour guides for travellers. By visiting the website you can browse the profiles of tour guides to determine who your best fit would be based on likes and interests.
Like a Local
This website / app is really good for getting tips and tricks from locals in the cities that you’re travelling to. You’ll get insight into a range of topics like; activities, bars, restaurants, sightseeing, day trips, and accommodations. It’s also a really good website to find easy and fun tours or classes to do to get a feel for the culture in the cities you’re going to. Take for example a waffle making class in Belgium or enjoy a dinner at a local Artist’s home studio in Amsterdam!
Rome2Rio
I’ve mentioned this website and app before. It’s one of my favourite platforms when researching to how to get to where I need to be all over the world. You’ll no longer be stuck on a strange street wondering how to get to your next destination. Make sure to download your route and itinerary before leaving your hotel!
CityMaps2Go
I discovered this app just before my trip to Italy and I was really glad I did! This app was amazing! Once you download it, you can choose the city you are venturing to next and download a map of the city so that you can use it offline. That’s not the best part though. The best part is that you can choose the popular tourist destinations you want to visit and ‘star’ them on the map. Then when you’re at the location follow the map to your pit stops. The only downside I found is that the map doesn’t actually follow you so you’ll have to rely on your super skills of geography to get you from A to B!
Vayable
Similar to Lokafy this website and app help connect you with locals looking to help make your experience in their city better (and also make a dime or two). There are a number of different tours you can use to help you “experience local culture” by “independent insiders”. It’s worth a look around, you never know what kind of experience you might find that will, tickle your fancy as they say.
Uber
I’m a very big fan of Uber. It’s cheap, easy, and in most cases (from my experience) reliable. Make sure you do a quick search about Uber in the city you’re going to be travelling to. There are still some cities that do not favour the service and there are other cities where safety has been concern. Just be smart about it. Other than that it’s a great way to travel cheaply!
Airbnb
The biggest and most popular of the tools I’ll mention today Airbnb not only helps you feel like you’re living like a local, it’s cost effective as well. On my most recent trip to Rome we stayed in a very traditional Italian apartment. While it may not have been an apartment I would choose to live in full time, it was interesting to be able to experience. Hosts of Airbnb are usually really great in supplying you with tips, places to eat, or advice on navigating their public transport systems. The customer service you’ll receive from Airbnb is also incredible.
Have I missed anything? How do you travel like a local?
Thanks for the heads up about Rome to Rio! That’s a great little website I’ll definitely be using 🙂