7 Tips to Travel Like a Temporary Local
For years, I’ve heard Rick Steves talk about becoming a “temporary local.” And I thought we were pretty good at it. But almost three months of living temporarily in Jackson, Wyoming (the major town in Jackson Hole, Wyoming) has taught me first that our “temporary local” skills could be improved and second, how to do it. Here are seven tips to help you live like a temporary local whether you’re in a major tourist area in Wyoming for three months, or in a major city in Europe for three days.
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming October, 2019
First, choose your lodging carefully. I used to choose our lodging based on proximity to at least one major tourist attraction we wanted to see (close to the Vatican in Rome, near Leicester Square (and the big theatres) or Borough Market in London). After looking at locations, I chose hotels where we could stay either for “free” using hotel points or for a reasonable price. We rented houses or apartments really only for stays with a big group (like traveling with friends).
Now, though, for a stay of longer than two nights (for one night stays, the cleaning fees are usually ridiculous), we check AirBnB at the same time we check hotels. Rather than solely looking for hotels near major museums or other attractions, we look for homes close to the reason we’re visiting that town and among people who actually live there. In León, Spain, for example, we were visiting because of the tapas culture, so we selected an apartment on the main historic street, around the corner from the cathedral, and a block from the major restaurants and markets. It was a great location and our neighbors were also having their coffee at the café downstairs every morning. Even if you need to walk a few extra blocks, being in a neighborhood versus a strip of hotels can make a big difference.
Second, don’t default to the easiest transport option; travel as the locals do. In Seoul, taxis are easy (though our lack of Korean language skills meant that communication was, shall we say, comical at times). But taking the subway means you’re exposed to local people going to work and living their lives. You also get to experience the underground 7-11s and other convenience stores that literally seem to carry everything a human being could need in spaces often no larger than a walk-in closet. (Good food, too!) Same with Japan – taking public transit means the opportunities to get lost underground, where you can find stall after stall of food being prepared, stores, and so much more that you’d never know was there if you were sitting in a taxi.
Third, don’t select restaurants based only on a guidebook. It’s ironic when you think about how many times we consult travelers – in the form of TripAdvisor reviews or most guidebooks – to plan our meals when we travel. While relying on those mean you are (generally) assured a good meal, you can end up surrounded by other travelers. That’s not always terrible; there are days when it’s nice to be able to meet other travelers and when a sign saying “English menu” may be appealing. But in general, you know that the locals aren’t on TripAdvisor or writing guidebooks. So ask them where they like to eat.
In Jackson, our best meals haven’t been because of reviews from travelers, they’ve been from recommendations from locals I met at the gym, Chamber of Commerce events, and who were driving for Uber. As long as you ask “where do you like to eat?” and not “where should we eat?” you tend to get much better recommendations.
Fourth, read the newspaper. Yes, the newspaper. In Jackson, the daily free paper is a wealth of information about special events, restaurant specials, and local news. Thanks to the paper, we’ve attended a huge list of lectures; educational movies (most notably the movie Artifishal about how dams, hatcheries, and other manmade efforts are leading to the extinction of salmon); a showing of Twister (ok, that may not be an argument for reading the paper); classical music concerts; a pork cooking contest raising money for the local food rescue charity; competing weekly farmers’ markets (one the “farmers market” and the other “the people’s market”); an event on Wyoming business women – which introduced me to one of our future Photographers in Focus!; art gallery nights; stargazing with an expert; and so many more. (I even attended the Spanish conversation club, which I learned about because of the newspaper.) I don’t think any of those events were more than $20 per person, and many were free. We also, of course, have done the activities full of tourists (rafting down the Snake River, the rodeo, etc.). But the most memorable – and the ones where we actually met locals – have almost all been events we found in the paper.
Just googling the city you’re visiting and newspaper will probably help you find listings of events online before you travel, but picking up a local paper will undoubtedly help you travel like a temporary local.
Fifth, use the grocery store. This is easier if you’re in an apartment or house with cooking facilities, but from Amsterdam to Wyoming, some of our most memorable meals have been picnics made by going to the grocery store and assembling local ingredients. (One time we even had a picnic in Germany made mostly of carbs because I discovered a magical machine at Aldi that spit out fresh, warm pretzels when I pressed a button. Again and again.) Even without a refrigerator, going into a local grocery store and picking up snacks or a meal can be different than at home, and you’re usually surrounded by locals. You’ll also save money for those more memorable meals.
Sixth, resist the temptation to frequent chains you already know. When we first arrived in Jackson, I was glad to see a Starbucks where I could work and get my caffeine fix. But when I grew tired of tourists asking me for directions and lines for the bathroom, I switched to the coffee shop much closer to our temporary home. At Picnic, I found myself eavesdropping on teenagers meeting with college alumni interviewers, networking coffees, a local mom interviewing babysitters, and lots of other people who appreciated a nice place to work with outstanding baked goods and beverages, without the din of cranky tourists.
The same goes for restaurants. Resist the temptation to have the same food you can get at home, and try the local restaurants.
Seventh and finally, slow down. When you’re running from museum to museum in London, you don’t have time to stand in line at the Tkts booth for same day theatre tickets with the other tourists – and the locals. An overpacked schedule means no time to go to a concert of local musicians or a reading by a local artist. While living like a local means you have all the time in the world, living like a temporary local can turn even a short visit into a chance to see a place through the eyes of its locals.