15+ Unpopular Travel Opinions You Might Secretly Agree With

Ever watched EuroTrip and thought, "Yeah, I’m going to have a crazy time just like that!"? You’re not alone. Many of us have dreamed of wild adventures on a spontaneous getaway. But let’s be real—that movie isn’t exactly a guide to stress-free vacation.

And that’s okay. Travel is still worth it—even when it’s messy, unpredictable, or doesn’t go as planned. Let’s dive into some real opinions from people who’ve lived it firsthand.

• No matter how hard you try to pretend you're not, you're still a tourist. - I_are_facepalm / Reddit
• I really love it when unexpected things happen in public that make strangers laugh and exchange glances like, “Did you see that?” And even more so when it happens while traveling somewhere that doesn’t speak your native language. It makes you feel like you’re "participating" rather than just observing.
  Bratislava; my friend and I are waiting in line for ice cream, and we overhear (well, she overhears; I don’t speak Slovak, so I "oversee") an offer to a kid for a free scoop if he’ll take it without a cone. The line busted out laughing watching this mischievous 10-year-old scurry out of the store triumphantly with a fistful of ice cream. Kids are kids everywhere! - TheNahh / Reddit
• Some of my favorite travel experiences were not exactly pleasurable. What I liked most about travel as a young person was how much I learned. There were plenty of pleasurable moments, but the sense of a better understanding of the world and my place in it was invaluable. Now, as a middle-aged dude, for better or worse, I learn less and enjoy myself more. - mbfunke / Reddit
• Traveling doesn't automatically make you open-minded. :0 - Kind_Mirror_8339 / Reddit
• Sometimes, the best way to see a place is to book the tour with the bus and a guy with a microphone talking about the scenery. - KommieKoala / Reddit

• The best way to see the Mona Lisa is to get the first entry tickets to the Louvre (I believe it’s the 09:00 AM session). Then, as soon as you get in, beeline it straight to the Mona Lisa. It won’t be crowded as people are only starting to get into the museum, so you can take your time and get up close and really enjoy it. After you have seen it, you can take a leisurely tour of the rest of the museum at your own pace. - Soccermad23 / Reddit
• There's something fun hearing about the Trevi Fountain or seeing the Mona Lisa on TV and saying, I've seen it, even if the crowds were anxiety-inducing and made it unpleasant. - Unknown author / Reddit
• We didn't go up the Eiffel Tower because we didn't want to wait 6 hours to go up. - GibsysAces / Reddit
• I won’t do anything I have to wait in a long line for. I’m not wasting an entire day in line when there are so many other experiences. - infinitebest / Reddit

• Poor planning also plays a big part. An inexperienced traveler would go to the Trevi Fountain at 11 AM on a Saturday and be disappointed that it was crowded with hundreds of people. What I did was go at 8 AM on a Tuesday. There were maybe 30 people at the Trevi, and I even got to sit down and enjoy a coffee on the steps. - Unknown author / Reddit
• There is nothing wrong with visiting tourist destinations or using tourism infrastructure. I used to pride myself on going to "off-the-beaten-path" types of places and sort of "roughing it." But as I’ve gotten older, I don’t really feel the need to impress anyone.
  There’s a reason tourist destinations are popular. And if a city/country/etc. has good tourism infrastructure (hotels, sightseeing, tour guides, etc.), there’s no harm in utilizing them. I’m not in college anymore; if I can afford to travel in more comfort, I’m going to. - CountChoculasGhost / Reddit
• I got caught driving in extreme whiteout conditions in Iceland, with no place to pull over, and just had to keep trekking forward. I was in tears; it was so stressful for me. I happened to be on my way back to Reykjavík and immediately turned in my rental car and signed up for some bus tours instead.
  Spent the next two days doing some stress-free guided tours. Sure, it would've been nice to go at my own pace, but it was a huge weight off my shoulders and totally worth it for my situation at the time. - thehaenyeo / Reddit
• I was told to skip Stonehenge; it turned out to be one of our favorite stops. Let me be my own judge if something is overhyped. - JustGenericName / Reddit

• When I was younger and traveling places, I used to wish I had a "good" reason to travel, like some high-powered meeting or because of work or something. I wanted an "important" reason to go to these new places. Now I realize that the single best reason to visit somewhere is purely for pleasure. I totally embrace being a tourist now. - 121gigawhatevs / Reddit
• That’s so funny; I’m the total opposite. When I was young, I liked going anywhere just because. Now I’m like, "Okay, this new place is a carbon copy of this other place."
  Now, when I’m going somewhere, I need a deeper reason, like I am learning a specific skill or seeking a specific experience. I thought this change was because I was maturing, but I guess everyone’s different. - Quepabloque / Reddit
• I've only ever traveled for work. It's rarely fun, often very stressful, and usually involves lots of sleeping or lying in bed. I was in Cannes for a few days once, on the Mediterranean. I spent the entire time watching Netflix in bed because I was so exhausted from what preceded it. - his_purple_majesty / Reddit
• When he was young (right after college), my father traveled the world, setting up satellite tracking cameras. Peru, India, South Africa, Kwajalein, etc. Later in life, he still traveled for business, conferences, and meetings, and he liked it. After he retired, he never wanted to travel.
  He said he was only interested if he was there for a reason. Makes sense, too. Traveling on business gives you a local host to show you around and takes you to more random places than traveling for tourism. Also, you get your expenses paid. - CoolBev / Reddit

So before you book that next flight, just remember—your trip doesn’t have to be Instagram-perfect. Sometimes, the best parts of travel are the detours, the weird moments, and the stories you never saw coming.