Research
How we research new locations
Wanna know how we research new locations, destinations, trips, and hotspots? We´ll tell you all about it!
We are planners at heart, and we love coming prepared to a new location. Before we arrive, we can speak the basics, we know the population density, know what we have to see there, and know where we have to go when we arrive. We even roughly plan out what we are gonna do per day. But we stay flexible with our to-see and to-do list, because in real life, life happens.
How we research
These are the main sources we investigate for researching a new city, country, or hotspot:
This is a pretty easy and straightforward recommendation that provides you with so much great information about your next destination. These entertaining vlogs and short informative reports are an excellent source to get acquainted with the culture, the names, the locations, the transportation there, the food, and all sorts of interesting details. We usually check about 5-8 videos to get acquainted.
This heavy commercial site might feel like visiting the most tourist place on earth, but we always browse the top 10 to do and see about our next destination. This top 10 list gives you an easy overview of the most popular attractions, museums, hotspots, and must-sees. They also have a great top 10 list with recommendations for the best restaurants in town!
We provide information about all sorts of epic locations, but when we haven´t been to these places, we need to study it first. We love to use all sorts of similar blogs that provide noteworthy information and inspiration about our next location. Sites we love to check out regularly for this purpose: Nomadic Matt, Reisjunk, Conde Naste, Travel + Leisure, Salt in our Hair, and The Blonde Abroad.
This amazing site provides so much valuable information, your mind will be blown. I won´t even spoil what they all offer to us free birds. Check it out now, and be amazed. We always scour this site before we book our tickets and hotel.
This might be a basic b** move, but Wikipedia always has a quick answer to some back know-how. We always want to know how many people live on that next destination, what their general history is, and all sorts of basic information like language, the capital, religion, etc etc.
We have a large network of fellow free birds that we can ask all sorts of things. They provide you with great insider information about where to stay, eat, drink, party, and work. Join our Free Birds Telegram Community!
Language
Feeling lost in translation? We do too! We feel very confused every single time when we enter a new country with a vastly different language. But luckily, we have helpful apps nowadays to help with translation or help you with speaking this language yourself.
We couldn´t travel without Google Translate. This awesome and free service helps with any and all languages. And you can even point your camera towards written words (like Japanese for example) and it will translate what it says in your language. Works like magic, and it´s a must-have. Be sure to download the app. Also: iTranslate works similarly and maybe even better.
Learning a new language
The older you get, the harder it is to learn a new language. But man is it worth it to see a big smile on a human from another culture when you talk with each other. Just knowing some basics like saying hello, thanking them, and some funny cultural sayings people tend to use there. We also have written many articles about the basics 25 words to know in the most common areas of the world, like Spanish, Japanese, French, Hindi, Dutch, Arab, Portuguese etc etc.
These great playful apps help you with learning the basics fast!
Cheers, insults, and taboos!
- How to say Cheers in 30 different languages!
- Make sure to avoid these taboos
- Funny and helpfull at times: insults around the world
Now it´s up to you!
Now you know how we prep, plan, and execute our next trip. We come prepared with the basics of where to go, what to see, and how we can thank the locals for a cold beer. So now you know, it´s your turn! Let´s book that next trip!
Also check out our other tips, hacks, and recommendations on:
Your favorite tool?
If you have a great suggestion you use as a tool, or some tip or hack, and it´s not on this list, let us know! > info@freebirdsmagazine.com
* Disclosure: some of our recommendations are affiliate links, and we earn a commission if you make a purchase. This keeps the magazine up in the air and us on the road. Thanks in advance!