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No matter how many people claim that spontaneous, impromptu trips are the best, it’s better to have everything planned than face complications later.
When traveling with your family, it’s even more vital to have all of your details planned out, or at least have an idea of where you’re heading.
Good meals can make a trip memorable, and part of having a good time is trying new cuisines and local foods to broaden your taste.
However, finding a place to eat in a foreign country can be confusing; a lot of the time, you can end up eating food that is sub-par, or worse, making you sick for days.
Here are some pointers to help you choose a restaurant that will appeal to everyone’s tastes.
- Plan Ahead
The best thing you can do for your vacation is plan the restaurants you want to visit ahead of time.
This way, you won’t have to look around trying to find a good place.
You can also book a culinary tour for your trip which will help you explore different restaurants throughout your vacation.
This way, you’ll be able to sample many dishes with your family, get an idea of the taste and quality of food, and then come back if you like their food.
Plus, you’ll also be able to get a second set of eyes or more accurately taste-palate to get a local’s perspective and more tailored recommendations.
Because every country has a specific cuisine or special dishes, it’s good to try local food when you’re on vacation.
However, not everyone is up for new food, and you should therefore narrow down the restaurants that serve your usually preferred food as well.
- Read Food Reviews
Food reviews and blogs usually give a fair estimation of how good the food taste and quality are of a certain restaurant.
Read up on posts from local food bloggers before you leave for your trip. If you’re creating an itinerary, it’s a great idea to add restaurant suggestions to it as well.
Just a quick google search or some exploring on Instagram or Facebook can lead you right to a local food guide and you won’t have to do any more research for this throughout your vacation.
Save up the different addresses on google maps and enjoy.
You can also simply follow a travel food blog and you’ll get a proper food guide from there.
- Ask The Locals
Who better to ask about good food options than the locals. Even if you don’t personally know anyone from your destination, you can always just ask the hotel staff for good places to eat at.
Moreover, cab drivers and employees at tourist destinations usually know a lot about good restaurants to go to.
You can also ask for local suggestions on social media like Facebook or Twitter and get instant replies.
You don’t have to trust strangers for their word, so you should always check out the reviews before you go.
- Download Essential Apps
The best part about traveling in this century is that there are countless resources and helpful apps that assist and guide you through your journey.
Not to negate the ease of travel through planes and the like.
Before you leave for your trip, it’s a really good idea to download the relevant apps that will help you along your way.
These apps can include food review apps, best restaurant apps, and other similar apps; they will also help you find the best places in your destination.
For instance, if you’re traveling to California and are looking for the best restaurants in Paso Robles, these apps and blogs can help locate them easily.
From there you can read reviews and make your decision.
- Avoid Restaurants Near Tourist Attractions
Restaurants have an easier time being popular just because they’re located near tourist attractions.
Just because a restaurant has long lines to get inside doesn’t mean their food will have good taste or quality.
Similarly, just because a restaurant is close to a tourist attraction doesn’t necessarily mean that they’d have bad food or dissatisfactory service.
You shouldn’t steer clear of every restaurant near a tourist attraction, but it’s generally a good idea to try other places rather than waiting in line for hours to get into a restaurant that’s close to a popular location and get disappointed by their food.
When traveling with family, you should familiarize yourself with your destination, the cool hang-out places, and attractive tourist spots.
You should also find the best restaurants and eateries to make sure that your trip goes perfectly.
You won’t be able to enjoy much if you get sub-par food, or end up getting sick.