Miscellaneous - strangethingstraveling

Anecdotes, organized by type in my travel stories

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Sleeping in Hostels and Dorm Rooms: More Anecdotes

Fabio Viroli — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 07:17:03 +0000

The main reason for staying in hostels is supposedly financial, but that’s not quite true. Among other things—as shown in the featured photo—I’ve seen the funniest signs in hostels.

First of all, it’s worth noting that some hostels offer single and double rooms, which—even if they don’t always have private bathrooms—can be better than many hotels or apartments. I’ve chosen this option several times, even when traveling with others. For example, at a beautiful hostel overlooking Lake Bohinj and nestled beneath the peaks of Triglav National Park in Slovenia.

So, the real inconvenience may not be so much sleeping in hostels as it is sharing a dorm room. But for certain very expensive destinations, like Canada and Australia, I’ve had to adapt even recently. Even though, at my age, I need my own space much more than I did when I was younger.

Hostels these days aren’t the shacks that some people imagine. They’re often modern and highly functional. They frequently have great common areas where you can prepare your own meals or meet interesting people.

In my early years as a traveler, I always stayed in dorm rooms. It’s become harder and harder to meet people, partly because everyone is always so busy looking at their cell phones.

But also because these days, in hostels, I could be the father of almost everyone there. In fact, in Banff, Canada, while I was doing a paper Sudoku puzzle sitting in the common area, the guy sitting next to me on the couch—thinking he was being funny—said to me, “My grandma does that all the time, too.”

Is it better to stay at a hostel or here, on the beach in the pine forest at Lido di Classe, near Ravenna?

Staying in hostels leads to lots of new acquaintances

Especially during my first trip—a solo Interrail journey in September 1996—I met so many wonderful people at hostels. The world was opening up to me, and as a kid from the provinces, I was curious to meet people from all over the world. Now I’m much less so; I mostly mind my own business, and that’s pretty common these days. I remember this American woman who insisted that pizza had been invented in the United States. Her reasoning was that since it tasted so good, it had to have been invented in her country. Nowadays, I could do without ever having met her, whereas back then I was excited by everything.

In London, I had my first experiences staying in hostels

How could I ever forget my roommate in Inverness, Scotland? Thinking I was asleep, she changed her underwear right in front of me.

In Dublin, no underwear—just romantic kisses on the bridge over the River Liffey, so often mentioned in songs and poems. Too bad she talked all evening about her boyfriend in the U.S., and the next morning she disappeared without even saying goodbye.

Another river that has stayed in my heart is the Clyde in Glasgow. I was recruited and placed in a multiethnic group: a German, a Frenchman, and a Swiss guy. We went to an amazing dance party at a dance hall set up on the river, where the Scots—all strictly in kilts—even got us, the only foreigners there, involved in fun group dances.

In Jerusalem, I found myself at another party—yet another multicultural one—and this time, in addition to the usual German guy, there was also someone from New York and a woman from Colombia. It was one of the most fun New Year’s Eves of my life, and I celebrated it in the hostel’s packed bar.

When I was 30, for some reason it was easier for me to meet people

Sleep Problems in Hostels

I can’t deny that, especially in the past, I’ve had a few negative—or nearly negative—experiences. On one of my first trips, in Rotterdam, I remember staying in a large room with 18 bunk beds. Obviously, even though not all of them were occupied, the situation wasn’t very sanitary.

In New York, I’ve always slept terribly, even when I had a private room. But I remember my first time there as a nightmare: a crowded, sweltering room with a fan blowing an annoying gust of air along with an eerie squeak—it was impossible to sleep.

In hostels, you sometimes find workers staying there—perhaps people who’ve just arrived in the city—and they may be less willing to share the limited space with others. For example, in Cairns, Australia, in a six-person room, two people had scattered their belongings all over the floor. Different schedules (even among travelers) often cause problems. In that case, I left very early in the morning; the others were still asleep, the light was dim, and to get out of the room I had to step over their clothes.

One night in Milan, my roommates took turns keeping me awake.

First, there was a Chinese woman who wouldn’t turn off her laptop (you always have to wear a mask to cover your eyes—and your ears, too!)
A French man was snoring really loudly; he woke me up for the first time
Another Italian guy woke me up because the guy who was snoring was complaining
The Frenchman had left, but now it was the Italian who was snoring

It happened that I was the one causing the trouble. I arrived in Copenhagen with a bad flu, and I think I snored really loudly the first night—so much so that during the remaining two nights at that lodging, without saying a word to me, the front desk staff moved the other guests to another room.

The Most Memorable Hostels

At both of the hostels I consider my most memorable, I didn’t get a wink of sleep, but I rank them that way for very different reasons.

In Ottawa, Canada, I was in a picturesque and well-organized former prison. I had a strange feeling. Maybe I was influenced by the stories that said it was haunted by ghosts—former convicts.

In Dubai, I couldn’t sleep because of the noise and smells in the crowded room; I didn’t even think about going into the bathroom, but the most unforgettable part was the front desk. When I arrived, around noon, I barely managed to figure out who I could consider the assistant to the hotel manager. The first one was sprawled out on one of the beds playing with his phone, while the second was sleeping in the bed next to him and wouldn’t wake up. It took me a while to figure this out; in the meantime, I waited a long time in my room (on another floor) for them to bring me the change from when I’d paid.

Steel Doors in the Former Prison Hostel

Links

In this list, you can learn more about some of the anecdotes mentioned:

My roommates—not at a hostel, but in an apartment in Calabria

This more institutional website also contains some equally interesting examples. Finally, here are the links to the general topics under which I’ve grouped the articles

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Staying with Strangers: Stories from Couchsurfing

Fabio Viroli — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 20:58:32 +0000

For most people I know, staying with strangers is somewhere between crazy and inconceivable; I’m happy to have a few stories to share about Couchsurfing. This article explains in more detail how it works.

I signed up in 2016 when it was quite popular. Now, however, it’s on the decline, and the COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll on it.

I was also motivated by the need to cut down on the expenses of the trip I was planning to take a few months later in Australia. Paradoxically, this desire to save money is actually one of the reasons why I’ve distanced myself—at least for the time being—from this world.

In fact, for far too many people, the financial aspect is the only thing that matters. But what should matter most is getting to know others and sharing moments and experiences with the people you meet, whether you’re the guest or the host. Frankly, I’m not interested in having a penniless person in my home and, in a sense, giving them charity, without having anything to offer in return. As for being a guest, another problem is that it sometimes involves a restriction of one’s freedom. If, as often happens to me, you have little time to do many things, you want to experience them independently, on your own schedule. So, hosting strangers or being hosted by them isn’t always a good thing.

Here, my Australian friend took a photo of me in Granada. My encounters with her and her Polish friend were the most meaningful, so much so that I ended up meeting them again later

A variety of experiences with Couchsurfing

I’ve also hosted people through Couchsurfing. But the way I still enjoy it most is using it to meet locals in the places I visit, rather than being hosted myself. So, for example, in Belgrade , I was able to meet two locals with the same name at the same bar ; they took turns sitting at my table and told me about their lives and their country. Talking with locals is always the best way to understand the reality around us.

Beyond that, you might also meet some interesting people. In Cyprus, I spent a couple of hours having a great time with a girl who, in addition to helping me better understand her country’s complicated situation through her firsthand experiences, conducted a sort of interview with me. The funny thing was her knack for asking absurd questions, such as:“If you could be an animal, what would you want to be?”

The only black-and-white photo from a very colorful trip to Cyprus. I had quite a few couchsurfing experiences on the Mediterranean island, but I can’t tell you all about them!

Some acquaintances have turned into friendships, and I’ve even shared other travel experiences with them. Take my Australian friend, for example. Not only was I her date for one night in Brisbane, but I was also her travel companion in Andalusia. Or take my Polish friend, whom I hosted at my place and whom I later went to visit, even though her house is full of snakes (in boxes, see featured photo).

Being Hosted by Strangers: Me as a Guest

When I hosted guests, I really enjoyed helping them discover some of the lesser-known or more authentic aspects of my country. I remember with great amusement the three Swiss girls who were so enthusiastic about my dinner. They described it as: “We had a real Italian dinner with four courses! ” I decided that would be the last time when I drove one of them all the way to San Marino—practically just for a selfie.

Couchsurfing stories also happen when I’m hosting. In those cases, I often take my guests to the nearby pine forest in Classe

I can’t say I’ve had any negative experiences; if I almost gave it up, it was because of my own personal disposition. Talking to others, I’ve heard some gruesome stories—like the one about a Frenchman whose house was full of vases filled with brackish water and rotting plants. But I’m convinced those were just isolated cases. Reviews are important, and in fact, if you don’t have any, it’s unlikely that anyone will come to stay with you or host you.

Being Hosted by Strangers: My Experiences

My most memorable encounter took place in Vilnius, and the fact that the person who had hosted me was no longer on the platform the next day only added to my unease. Not to mention the email in which I was urged to exercise the utmost caution and to call the authorities if necessary. Years later, back in Vilnius, I met the same person again and received a sort of posthumous reassurance, along with an equally memorable family dinner. But I also met another traveler for yet another dinner. I couldn’t finish the enormous Lithuanian meal, but we shared many stories.

In the Baltic countries, there was a whole slew of couchsurfing stories, but in Tallinn I met a girl in a different way and went to see this concert

Couchsurfing users are often avid travelers with plenty of travel stories to share, and I’ve experienced this several times in Italy as well. But for example, in Caserta, it was wonderful to stay with a couple who, even though they didn’t speak a word of English, kept their son’s profile active—even though he’d moved abroad—and continually hosted multiple people from all over the world at the same time. So I found myself at a sumptuous family dinner with strangers who spoke different languages—a situation I absolutely love.

The last incident I simply must mention (see the links below for more details) was the one in Helsinki. I was staying with a young woman who told me an incredible story about something that happened to her when she was living in India: after her husband died, her mother-in-law hired a hitman to kill her.

The Antonellian Monument in Turin. In Italy, it’s not easy to stay with strangers through Couchsurfing

Links to anecdotes about Couchsurfing

Here are some links to articles where I’ve gone into more detail about what’s written on this page.

Me in the Casentino Forest Park, a beautiful, lesser-known area that I love to show my guests

Finally, links to the general pages into which I have divided my articles:

A statue in the park of the Royal Palace of Caserta, where the multilingual dinner provided the setting for a hilarious anecdote

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Must-see museums? For me, it’s the open-air ones now

Fabio Viroli — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 15:53:58 +0000

No, I don’t want to list the world’s must-see museums. After all, they’re simply the most famous ones—the ones everyone already knows.

I don’t think I’ve managed to give a single piece of advice in this blog post. If one slipped out, I apologize—I didn’t mean to.

I believe that every traveler, like every healthy person, changes over time and through experience. As an over-enthusiastic, eager young boy, I wanted to see everything. As a 53-year-old who no longer has the energy to walk nonstop for 14 hours a day, I have to make choices. Besides, I’m also a 53-year-old who’s been lucky enough to have visited so many important places.

Mosaic featuring a dog at the entrance to a house in Pompeii. The highlight is a plaster cast of a real dog, a victim of the eruption of Vesuvius

Art galleries and real life

It is rightly pointed out to me that, in order to fully appreciate a work of art—and not just that—a guide is necessary. I admit that I don’t often make use of one, both because sometimes a certain lack of knowledge can be remedied through reading, and because I don’t want to know absolutely everything about everything.

When it comes to painting, for example, I think I’ve visited the world’s major art museums, but I’m still a complete novice in the field. I certainly wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between a lesser-known painting by some phenomenal artist and a print from a well-known Swedish store. My favorite painter remains Francisco Goya, especially his most dramatic works, which stir strong emotions in me.

But if I had to name some paintings I’ve seen in my life, Caravaggio and Van Gogh come to mind. In particular, Caravaggio’s works in Valletta Cathedral, because they aren’t displayed in a cold hallway but are set within the context of the artist’s own dramatic reality. The Italian painter was a fugitive and went to Malta seeking protection. He painted those beautiful works precisely to survive. Then he ran into trouble there as well, and they drove him away.

What I remember most vividly about Van Gogh isn’t so much his paintings as the walk in Arles, France, where he found the inspiration to paint some masterpieces—though at the time, no one considered them as such. I imagine him, in his madness, wandering through the cobblestone alleys and looking up to see the starry night reflected in the river or blending with the lights of the inns

The whole city of Istanbul is an open-air museum

The Unmissable Museum Marathons of Yesteryear

I certainly don’t regret spending entire days in famous, world-class museums. On my first solo trip to London, I think I saw more than I could have ever imagined. Even recently, I was moved by the Riace Bronzes in Reggio Calabria.

Speaking of must-see museums, the power of the Riace Bronzes is rivaled only by the expression on the face of the person looking at them

Or I really enjoyed myself at the Portuguese Center for Photography in Porto, where there are incredible examples of cameras disguised as spy gear from years past.

But for example, these days I’m only interested in the exteriors of castles and palaces; their opulent interiors bore me, since they’re mostly just displays of precious objects, but without any soul.

I wonder if James Bond had something like that

Must-see outdoor museums

Nowadays, what I appreciate most are the so-called open-air museums, especially archaeological sites where you can really imagine what life was like for the people who lived there. Where the traces of the past are more than just an abstract concept.

The first place that comes to mind is undoubtedly Pompeii; I remember being deeply moved when I visited it as a child. As often happens when you return to places you loved so much, I was afraid I’d be disappointed the second time I went. Instead, I liked it even more, with a greater awareness of the tragedy that unfolded there.

Exploring the fairy chimneys in Cappadocia is about more than just admiring an incredible natural phenomenon. In ancient times, those rocks — now Instagram-worthy— were nothing more than shelters, carved out to provide refuge and safety from raiders.

The Angkor site in Cambodia is both an art museum and a natural history museum. The ancient temples are, in fact, literally embraced by the trees of the forest.

The places I’ve mentioned aren’t just objectively beautiful; I also have specific memories that make them particularly memorable to me. In fact, in Pompeii I lost a brother, in Cappadocia I lost myself, and in Angkor I found an excellent travel companion.

Links where I share more detailed stories about my must-see museums

Greek Temple of Segesta in Sicily

The main categories into which all blog posts are divided

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Traveling by public transportation, unforgettable experiences

Fabio Viroli — Tue, 19 May 2026 15:45:49 +0000

Traveling by public transportation is taboo for many Italians. Often my compatriots ask about a trip online and do not even consider any alternative to renting a car. Of course it is a mode that saves money, but I think I would travel by public transportation even if I were rich.

In my opinion, the main advantage is that it allows you to experience at least part of the life of the locals. It also gives the opportunity to meet people, both locals and other travelers. Unfortunately, this used to happen more easily. Now people are too focused on their smartphones. If you are alone, but also as a couple, traveling by public transportation can make you accomplish itineraries that driving would be too long or, in some countries, potentially dangerous.

Some particular means are indicated in this article.

Some trips have to be made by car, and I like it

Trains

My first trip and first solo trip was theinterrail in the summer of 1996. I went around Europe by train, and it was a great experience. I met a lot of people, and it gave me the impetus to become a traveler. At that time it was also more difficult than today to get around in a rental car in a country you didn’t know, especially because there were no online maps.

Now, even solo, I happen to rent a vehicle, especially if I plan to do a lot of traveling in small places (see Cornwall). In some countries, like Australia, I used both modes.

Returning to the interrail it was there that, although I felt very insecure with my English, I discovered that I could actually hold a conversation. I was with a Scottish biologist and a Sudanese doctor talking about international arms trafficking! If my high school teacher who was always putting me off had seen me.

London, here St. Paul photographed many years after my first time in England and traveling with the interrail

Buses

A traveler cannot call himself a traveler if he has never been to one of the colorful and chaotic bus stations in South America. The funniest element is the constant chanting in the background of the many ticket sellers shouting out destinations at the top of their lungs. In Bolivia I book everything online, but the vast majority of people take tickets at the last minute because you can find discounts made to fill the buses. There can be many vehicles leaving at the same time and you hear 15-20 people shouting out all the possible destinations in the country: Cochabamba, La Paz, Potosi, Uyuni, Sucre, Oruro, Quillacollo, El Alto.

Most of the time I get to make friends with other travelers. It is also a way to compare notes on what are often amusing anomalies for us Westerners. I remember a dialogue with one from Rotterdam with whom I shared how difficult it was, for us spindly people, to get around the tiny bathrooms in Laos.

In Iran, public transportation works very well and people are extremely friendly. Forever I will remember chatting with the gentleman in the Yazd station who told me that he had never seen an Italian from life. He was fond of our cinema, especially Bud Spencer and Clint Eastwood. He was very hurt when I explained to him that the former was dead and the latter American.

Several alternatives for traveling by public transportation

The ultimate in public transportation travel for me is the subways. Always full of cues, easy and comfortable. Although like the Toledo station in Naples, there are none in the world

Toledo metro station Naples

In Thailand I think I used every possible means of transportation, from getting on an elephant to a raft made out of bamboo canes to certain tuctuc (adapted bee cars) filled to capacity.

The strongest experience was with the motorcycle cab. I sped through Chiang Mai traffic with a helmet too small for my big head. The most annoying experience was with cabs, which I normally avoid. In particular, in Bangkok I noticed that the taxi driver was going around the goose and we were always going back to the same place.

Boathouses in Vancouver. In Thailand I moved around a lot on the water, but the featured photo I took in Sicily in 2011.

Speaking of cabs, in Senegal it was all anecdotes to remember. But unmatched is the episode of the fake taxi driver who did not even have a car.

Public transportation in Africa can be difficult and tiring. Tackled in the right spirit and therefore absolutely unhurried, they can also be fun. It is certainly the best way to see for yourself the reality of the country you are visiting.

This was at an event in Washington, the kind you see in South America, not Africa

Links with anecdotes concerning traveling by public transportation

The interrail in 1996

The vehicle that gives me the most sense of freedom is the bicycle. I am all right here in the Egadi Islands in Sicily.

The general pages on which I have grouped articles by main themes.

Traveling in southern Italy: cannoli, cassate and pasticciotti

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Lesser-known Italian wonders

Fabio Viroli — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:34:20 +0000

The ranking that lists the Italian wonders, i.e., the most visited cities in 2026 is surprising in some ways. You can find it here.

After the big 4: Rome, Venice, Milan and Florence; among the top 25, as many as 12 are from the northern Adriatic coast, from Friuli to Romagna. They are almost all classic seaside shores with organized beaches as their main feature. Of these, Ravenna and Rimini stand out (highlighted by the Tiberius Bridge), which can also be considered cities of art and if nature, not only because of the beaches but also because of the greenery and the nearby Apennines. There are also three towns around Lake Garda. This geographic concentration is also explained by the proximity to Germany from where the majority of tourists come.

They can also be lesser-known wonders of Italy that are known but out of season. Here a beach in Sardinia

Rounding out the list are other cities of art: Naples, Bologna, Turin and Verona, and Genoa. Finally there is Sorrento, the one furthest south and the only southern shore. I have been to all of them, even several times, and in four I have even lived there, so I can consider myself very lucky. Also, almost all the others are easily accessible from where I live (Ravenna).

Reggio Calabria waterfront, the south is home to the majority of Italy’s lesser-known wonders

Italian wonders that deserve more attention

Considering how crowded the cities (and thus the surrounding area) mentioned in the ranking are, but also some not mentioned, it would be fair to say that this is okay. That way the other places would remain more livable. So good that they are among the lesser-known wonders of Italy.

Poetto beach and salt pans in Cagliari, a much underrated city

I don’t think I would return to almost any of those destinations. Also because I’m focusing more on the more naturalistic part of my country, so the mountains: the Alps and the Apennines. But also southern Italy and the islands, which are almost completely missing in the ranking. Below is a video from my you tube channel of the Chalk Vein Park, inland in Romagna.

Italy is the country in the world with the greatest artistic and cultural heritage, and no one can question that. But mountains, forests, hills and beaches are also beautiful. Moreover, it is in the perched hamlet or fishing village that one can still taste the Italic authenticity, less watered down by tourism.

CAI signposts, in Italy indicate routes to hike in the mountains. Monte Gratta culo and Belvedere Mal Vento are in Calabria

Speaking of artistic beauty, the ranking lacks some large or medium-sized cities that deserve, in my opinion, much more, I mention the first ones that come to mind: Palermo, Trieste, Siena, Pisa, Feral, Bari, Padua, Matera, but there would be many others.

German cemetery at Monte Cassino, a place steeped in history

My resolutions

There are some regions that have smaller cities, which can be visited in not so much time, but which can be combined with each other and also with natural beauty. I am particularly referring toUmbria and Marche. Being areas close to where I live, I have done countless weekends there, but they would also be fulfilling for a week on the road.

Around Naples, also this

Reiterating that I find the entire Apennine ridge lovely, I am hardly an innovator if I say that the most beautiful sea is in the south and the islands. For the mix of cities and nature, perhaps my favorite region is Sicily, but an incredible place where you can go from orange groves to fir trees with an hour’s drive is Calabria. Finally, one area I really like is the even more remote part of the country, the southern Apennines betweenAbruzzo, Molise, and Basilicata.

One of my good resolutions, is to visit all the provincial capitals of Italy, there are 107 of them. As I often happen to say, you can find more beauty even in certain small towns in Italy than in the capital of most countries.

Even considering the absurd prices of single rooms in my country, unlike I often do abroad, I really think I will visit them as a couple. By the way, it is the best way to enjoy one of the most important aspects of the boot, the food!

I discovered the pleasure of nature as an adult, even though I have always experienced it

Links

Typical alley in southern Italy

Links to sets of articles with lesser-known and better-known Italian wonders

Going to the Dolomites: the most beautiful mountains in the world

On the road into central Italy, marriage proposal (Italy and Vatican)

Visiting San Marino and especially Emilia-Romagna

Meetings during trips to northern Italy

Everyone knows Sicily, but it can be considered among the lesser-known Italian wonders. Here they are near San Vito lo Capo

General page links

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How to plan a trip? (mine ways and mistakes)

Fabio Viroli — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:58:03 +0000

The question about how to plane a trip is for those who plan to do it on their own, so no agencies or groups.

From an early age I have always been fond of maps. I remember car vacations in the 1980s with my parents and 3 brothers. Crammed into the hot car, I was always intent on tracking our movements on the road map. For those who are fond of maps and charts I recommend this fantastic (in every sense) publication: the imaginary atlas by Edward Brooke-Hitching.

Puzzled as I look at the phone. Featured with my father and siblings, even in those distant days I found it exciting to ‘organize a trip

As a traveler my most glaring mistake was on my first solo trip; the interrail back in 1996. At that time it was much more difficult to organize a solo trip, and I was very young as well as naive.

One of the goals was to visit the beaches of Normandy, the scene of the Allied landings in World War II. Armed with much ignorance and only a road map (for cars moreover), I headed to the Calais area. I soon realized that I had made the same mistake as the Nazis in predicting the landing sites 40 years earlier.

Calais as seen from Dover, after many years I succeeded in what I had left undone on my first trip

Me and maps: a passion!

I like maps so much that a game with my granddaughters consists of creating them by scattering treasures in my mom’s garden for them to find.

Even now I prefer paper maps to apps. Especially for mountain treks, but I am not so old-fashioned as to disregard more modern systems. On a trip to southern Italy, with a very old-fashioned companion of mine who wanted to be a navigator, we mistakenly skipped the Tivoli stop because of her antiquated road map. The paradox was that I met her just after getting lost in a forest, where I met her while she was fiddling with a map.

The last time I took a trip without a connection, and thus google maps, was on the trip to the Emirates and Oman. For the part in Oman, where I moved by rental car, I actually had no problem since I had downloaded the map off line. On the big roads through the Omani desert it is impossible to get lost-just avoid the sand!

But I found myself almost in trouble in Abu Dhabi. Arriving in the city in the evening, I had previously seen that the bus station was not far from my accommodation. I had overestimated the accuracy of the map in the printed guidebook. Above all, I had not considered how the modern avenues all looked similar, had names of related emirs and were also very similar.

I seriously risked sleeping on the street (I didn’t even have a phone line) . I managed to find lodging and owner just as she was leaving.

I still like to study maps, but I am an amateur!

Me and paper guidebooks, perhaps indispensable to plane a trip

For a lifetime I have considered owning a printed guidebook to be an indispensable element of any do-it-yourself trip. Like many I am proud of the shelf of my neat guidebooks.

Even in the past, especially for certain countries, they had to be taken a bit lightly. I remember how in a city as effervescent as Berlin, the laps and hours wasted getting to a certain locale, which had meanwhile been moved if not closed. Usually, upon returning from a trip I would buy the guidebook for the next trip, and study it well. So much so that for my first tour of the United States, although I forgot it at home, I had everything in my head.

It was different for the trip to Canada. I deliberately decided to leave it at home, finding it useless, full of photos and superfluous information and not the kind so dear to DIY travelers, like where to catch a bus!

Print guides have changed. Also because the readers have changed, who have remained the aging and perhaps (not me) enriched ones of yesteryear. Now it is easy to get up-to-date information by searching the web. Despite this, I think it would still be important to find an objective source, which institutional sites often are not. But neither are travel sites, where there are bloggers funded by sponsors. In others there are also people who write that they have never even been to the place.

For my trip to Laos I relied on the usual paper guidebook, which turned out to be a disaster. The most salient element that emerged from reading it was the extreme slowness of travel in a country that was still authentic. In fact there is now a super rail line that is turning the country upside down, even in terms of more tourism.

Even when I had hair, I used to wake up having breakfast in front of my planisphere.

The choice of itinerary

To plan best, it is necessary to draw from multiple sources, and evaluate them well. For example, it seems that all Italian travelers always travel by renting a car. This is a fixation that excludes the many thrills and discoveries (as well as less expense) that traveling by public transportation can provide.

And then there are the phenomena who write for example that it takes at least 2 weeks to visit Armenia. Then I always think it would take 12 months to visit Rome. Too bad I have 30 days off a year. I think it is better to sample as many pieces of the world as possible than to get lost in the details of a single place.

We would need to find a blogger who travels exactly like us, on our budget and with the same vacation days at the same time of year. In the absence of that, I think it is useful to draw a little from everyone.

True, classic itineraries usually show you the most beautiful places, but sometimes the most touristy and commercial ones are not necessarily also the most interesting.

For both Bolivia and Canada I planned an original itinerary, which I found nowhere else, but which suited me just fine. In particular, in the Andean country I experienced days in areas where I was the only tourist. Above all, I had no health problems, climbing the plateau gradually.

In Canada I did a coast-to-coast tour in a little over two weeks, discouraged by all, but for my pace doable; in fact, I found it almost restful.

Postcard image of the Canadian Rocky Mountains

Tour guides

Another important topic is personal guides. True, they can give you more insight into people’s lives as well, but I just don’t like having someone around all the time. A few times I go on tours with guides, but I have not always found them memorable, quite the contrary.Often I think it is more fun and interesting to go around on one’s own. To visit the temples of Angkor in Cambodia, everyone relies on tuctuc drivers, instead, I had decided to rent a bike.Apart from the freedom, I also had the good fortune to meet a very nice and also beautiful French woman who made those days even more enjoyable.

For example, on the climb up Stromboli we found an almost embarrassing guide, I invite you to read the story in the last link at the bottom of the article. Besides throwing away money without getting any information in return, he took us on a dangerous route.

Stromboli as seen from its harbor

Links to articles with anecdotes mentioned in the article on how to plan a trip

Snow-covered Po Valley as seen from above

Latest stories and excitement not to be missed

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Why travel alone? Predisposition and advantages

Fabio Viroli — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 17:02:23 +0000

To the question of why to travel alone, one main answer could be given: one is predisposed. There are people who by themselves do not even go to the bathroom in a restaurant. Some people would go, but they would be unable to organize or orient themselves. On the other hand, there are people who are unable to relate to others and therefore are fine alone.

Philosophical sign. There are also those who say they travel only to find themselves. I am much more prosaic.

But there are also those who enjoy the solo travel experience too much. Having to know how to make do and the putting oneself out there can have a very strong attraction for some. Arriving in a place you don’t know, and where everything/thing is different; trying to figure it out, settling in, sharpening your eyesight to learn, I find it thrilling. If you are alone, this is heightened.

So it depends on character aspects, not to mention that someone may feel this need at certain times in their life.

Finally, there are also those who set out alone, but for experiences that are not actually solo. For example, in walks more or less inevitably then one shares the journey with strangers.

I admit that to take certain photos, you have to have someone to help you. Here in a nice bar near Taormina.

Go where and when you want

A great advantage of traveling solo is the ability to choose the time and destination, without having to debate and negotiate with others. I happened to realize crazy tours that I had in my head. If I had proposed them to someone, they would have called me crazy.

Palermitan breakfast, here for two, but often it is alone that I overdo the food

For example, I want to visit all provincial capitals in Italy, and for this goal I have devised itineraries that are difficult to share. Like the one that made it possible for me to say that Fabio stopped at Eboli. This was a nonsense that had been in my head ever since I read author Carlo Levi‘s famous novel: Christ Stopped at Eboli. In this regard I have to say that anyway, the southern Apennines is a little celebrated but really beautiful part of Italy.

Other times it happened to me that I wanted to go somewhere unusual, or at abnormal times. For reasons including work, I was often in the summer in very hot countries, I would hardly find someone who would agree to follow me. And what about my Canada coast tocoast? Itinerary was discouraged by everyone on the net.

Alone, it is also easier to choose alternative lunches

Do whatever you like and get along with your traveling companion

Besides agreeing on the destination and period, then there are the difficulties about what to do/see and how. In theory, before my trip as a couple to southern Italy, we had agreed on everything, but in reality, my girlfriend and I argued all the time, and not only about travel matters.

On my own, I happened to sport embarrassing looks

In fact, at home one can be fully in tune, but with partner/friends it is indifferent, living h24 on the road, is the litmus test to assess real compatibility. I also had confirmation of this on a long weekend in Normandy with a friend, who, although I had known him all my life, from that time I could not help but see him from a different perspective, to the point of avoiding him.

There is no right or wrong way to travel, which can then change over time. As a kid I explored every museum and in Europe I didn’t miss a church. Now that I have visited practically every country in the Western world, even several times, I am more interested in what is really far from my comfort zone, and it is not superficiality if it takes much less for me to deem half a day to visit a historic center sufficient.

Of course each destination would deserve more, and I think Rome alone would not be enough for a month. Also, it would be nice to really experience the places. But having my vacation days numbered, I would rather taste different places than delve into a few. If you leave me in front of a set table, I taste everything, I don’t just binge on what I know I like.

The Cornwall tour was one of my crazy itineraries that hardly anyone ‘else would accept

Why travel alone? Also to make acquaintances

Those who do not understand or have never experienced solo travel argue that you lose the sharing in this way. Except that now you can very well share at a distance, although it is not the same, it is not bad and you can do it with many people. In my first time in the U.S., without the current means, looking for internet points to write email updates gave flavor to my trip.

Especially in the past, traveling alone allows you to get to know and share the excitement of the trip, with new people. If it happens with local people, this can also enrich the experience. Early trips were really rich in knowledge, but also quite recently.I did one in the Baltic countries that was really intense and with both planned and improvised knowledge.

One regret I had was in Iran, where I chatted with so many, but did not delve deeper because of my tendency to schedule so much (another trait that can be a limitation in company), and because of suboptimal timing. I regretted not accepting some invitations, from strangers I met on the street. I knew it was possible in a country where hospitality is sacred, but I always had a bus to catch or a visit to make.

The majority of people in Cappadocia take guided tours. I thoroughly enjoyed it by walking around and leaving directly from my hotel

Some links on why to travel alone

Those to the experiences mentioned in this article

Me in the “umarell” version on the road.

Links to the macrocategories by which I have divided the articles

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Mishaps on the road: theft, loss and more

Fabio Viroli — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 17:25:27 +0000

Me as a young man in Washington, when perhaps certain travel mishaps were more common.

But even as an adult I got hooked. But here I was performing in an improvisational theater show.

Of mishaps on the road I have had many; often it has been through my own negligence. In general, I have been both good and lucky, and I have also been able to cope because of a certain cool head that I have always had.

The first time was as a child, with my family in the excavations of Pompeii. We lost one of my three brothers, in what is a very large area. I was nine years old and I remember rolling up my sleeves and moving to look for him. I admit that I enjoyed it.

The photo of the featured mural is by Agim Sulaj. It is located in the village of San Giuliano in Rimini, where I spent my childhood.

Who helps you if mishaps happen on the road? Yourself first

Not panicking is crucial, but it is also a character issue. On one ski trip we went little skiing but had a great time, me and my other nine friends. I risked compromising everything when we went to the slopes the first time. I had been given custody of the keys to one of the cars and lost them rolling down the slope. Not only was I incapable of skiing, but more importantly I had left my jacket pocket open.

I trappings. Often the crooks don’t look it at all

Here I have the sly look on my face, but I wasn’t always

Before alarming the rest of the troop, I tried to solve the problem myself by going up the trail. To think about it was madness, but one must believe and struggle, also because there is always time to despair. Of course, I couldn’t find them, but as a matter of fact, before I despaired, I tried the last card, to go and ask at the bar. Bingo!

As soon as I arrived in Budapest, sleepy after a sleepless night, I managed the feat of getting both ATM and credit card blocked. I did this by getting the withdrawal codes wrong too many times. I always carry the emergency numbers with me, which I also needed in Bolivia. In that case, in the middle of a long trip and in a distant country, it was also crucial to keep money in different places. So in these cases I was guilty, but my organization helped me.

I was also good at Sofia, when an exaggerated man threatened me for no reason at a traffic light in broad daylight. I looked at him unconcernedly and slipped away at a fast pace, but without running, as soon as the green light went off.

But even from home they can lend a hand

Sometimes being good is not enough, and for really serious issues it is good to be in contact with the Italian embassy by registering in theappropriate link.

To be honest in Cuba, the embassy even made our situation worse. In that case my brothers from home helped me. I was with a friend and we really didn’t get up to any good, getting drugged and robbed of practically everything like two chickens. The whole trip was compromised, but that time I risked worse, as the substances they made us drink could have done great damage.

In addition to skimpy wenches, around you have to pay special attention to taxi drivers and accommodations, especially privately run bnbs. From those who hassle you on the street, I must say that I have never been fooled, partly because I often use my special phrase to ward them off, namely that “I like piadina with prosciutto” in Romagnolo dialect.

Ankara Mosque. In Turkey I had one of the most resounding travel mishaps.

Cab and bnb

While always looking for the cheapest solutions, in hotels I have never had big problems, with the private improvisers, sometimes I have.

In Istanbul it took me a while to discover the incredible reason I had struggled to find my lodging. It had been closed by the authorities for a few hours, and the owner had not even notified me.He was at least quick to refund me. With the host in Bucharest, on the other hand, I had to bring in Booking’s always excellent customer service. He had bailed me out of possible damages for no reason and without even responding to my requests for an explanation. I later learned that this was his custom and he even occasionally changes his name online to zero in on reviews and complaints.

One of the most memorable scams was what I called the invented cab in Dakar. I used an app for the first time, which in theory would be used to get a more serious taxi driver, without bargaining and therefore who could not cheat you on the price. The guy who came up waving his cell phone and pointing at me was not only not registered on the aforementioned app, he didn’t even have a car. When I realized that he had gotten a ride from a stranger and that he was an impostor, I played along because it was so late and I was in the middle of nowhere, somehow I was supposed to get to the hotel.

Thai taxi drivers are also bad; in Bangkok one would have made me miss my plane if I hadn’t realized that he was doing the goose run on purpose. The thing that annoys, besides the lost time, is that they necessarily think you are stupid. A good rule of thumb is to lie that you have just arrived; better to brag that you know the country well.

Dogs and monkeys

All sorts of things happened to me in Thailand, including tipping over in a kayak and falling off a bamboo bridge, giving me a cut that became infected and gave me some trouble. But I was mostly chased by both a monkey and stray dogs, twice and by the same ones within minutes. I got away thanks to the sinister noises made by the very unhinged bike I had rented.

Fortified by these experiences, I have since learned not to give animals too much credit. As for health problems, on the other hand, I have definitely convinced myself to always have a health insurance policy with me in Egypt. For a tiny cut, which got infected by mistakenly brushing against a rock in the water, I spent an absurd amount of money.

But my animal troubles have been with dogs and monkeys.

Sometimes mishaps on the road basically just more

Also in the water, a very serious event happened to me for a blinded person like me. It is dramatic to lose passport, credit card or cell phone, but even without glasses where do you go if you are nearsighted? Fortunately it happened to me close to home. The really funny thing was that passing through the pine forest behind the beach, and seeing absolutely nothing, I did not notice that a person was in front of me. She thought I was following her and was even happy about it. Her technique was to crouch down in the path to pee. When, getting too close, I apologized to her, saying that without glasses I could not see, she invited me to take a closer look. But she was not my type, in fact, just gender, since she was a male!

Still speaking of the woods, one who was definitely my type, however, was what I later renamed just the lady of the woods. I got lost in the Tuscan-Romagna Apennines, and in a clearing, where, sitting on top of a boulder was a blond girl with a map. I asked her where we were, and a short but very intense story was born.

Links with my travel misadventures

The articles where the anecdotes I mentioned here are more in-depth and contextualized

What could be considered an ancient bar in Pompeii. I wonder if it was frequented by shady types. Of my travel misadventures, almost none have happened to me in bars.

The general links with which I group all the articles

Cruise for singles in the Mediterranean

The post Mishaps on the road: theft, loss and more first appeared on strangethingstraveling.

Group travel: dynamics and also critical issues

Fabio Viroli — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 17:55:32 +0000

There are many reasons to choose group travel:

Here as featured, on a school field trip. A type of group trip that is best not talked about but on which I had a great time

Don’t even contemplate alternatives
The company matters more than the destination
Alone I get lost even at home
Wanting to make new acquaintances while traveling
Economic savings
Complex destination to organize
Dangerous country
Having to manage a particular traveling companion

Some trips I went on as a group, leaving alone, others as a couple. For example, the Nile cruise, at that time it was only done through an agency, but still you are in a group even if you don’t want to.

One trip that seems very sui generis among what I have done is the singles cruise. We were basically in a mini group within the larger group. That time I don’t deny that it was also to meet people, but not only that. In fact it was also a way to check out places that interested me but where I wouldn’t want to spend too much time, like Santorini and Mykonos.

I probably have a temper even though it doesn’t seem like it. However, I also listed the personality types I can’t stand on the road.

Pros of group travel

I have done a few, and I have done them mostly for the last four reasons I listed. Of the first three I’m not going to say anything, it’s a character predisposition and there can be no right and wrong.

Having the Blue Mosque in Istanbul all to yourself, and you can only do it if you are on your own

Some destinations, if done independently, and even more so solo as I often do, reach exorbitant costs. I am referring especially to African safaris, where in the parks you pay for car entry and then if you are in a group, much less. I am told that an intermediate solution, is, to look for a tour locally, but I would only consider doing that if in a couple or already with other people. A private tour, me and a guide with whom you are obliged to converse for days, I would absolutely not do it; it already cost me a lot to do it a few times for day tours.

I chose to do a group experience with agency for the trip to Guatemala, Honduras and Belize, because it seemed complicated to organize by public transportation having numbered days and wanting to see many things. While for Peru I was concerned about the altitude issue; I suffer from hypertension and knew that, as it happened, I was in danger of getting sick. I had believed that being in a group would help me. It was partly true, because the coordinator bothered to notify the medical insurance company, but then when I returned to the Andes, I had a great time on my own, avoiding really getting sick thanks to a less classic but more gradual itinerary.

While in Russia I chose this option so that I would not have to constantly urge my brother, who is a much slower pace guy than me, to move; the organization would take care of the timing.

Cons of group travel

As I mentioned above, I visited Bolivia by choosing an itinerary different from the classic agency ones. Of course, one has to inform oneself about planning and wasting time, which, however, I like. But that way I avoided any health problems and also avoided going to places I was not interested in. I saw others that were less beautiful, but at my age I think it’s normal to prefer something non-touristy and very authentic, rather than biking down the carretera de muerte. To me, I thought the evening in Cochabamba watching Wolverine in a Bolivian cinema was definitely interesting.

In Tanzania I went as a group to limit the cost of the safari, but I so regretted the freedom of itinerary choice. We did 5 endless days in Zanzibar, instead of doing at least one easy hike on the mythical Kilimanjaro, which we skimmed.

Group travel also leads you to forced, fake and hypocritical experiences. So was the visit to the Maasai village in Tanzania.

The composition of the group

In my experience, during the first week of the trip the companions all seem super, then you get to know each other better and problems pop up. I am talking mostly about agency trips that offer at least theoretically adventurous travel, where you would expect to be with people who are knowledgeable, open to diversity, and ready for discomfort. In reality, the ways of traveling and experiencing travel are many, and it is not easy to find someone totally in tune, at least for me.

Stopping over on one of my group trips to South America, my companions took a touch and go to see Niagara Falls on a tour. I saw them by going there years later by public transportation, spending a tenth of a

Before departure I am very curious and tend to have silly fantasies, which are punctually disproved by reality. Once I had christened a male couple as gay; instead they were father and son. Another, noting the high number of women, I had imagined that they made great conquests, but instead they were almost all lesbian couples. The coordinator plays a key role and is expected to be a trained one. With some agencies it is someone who has never been where you will travel. By far the best coordinator I ever had was one who spoke neither English nor Spanish.

That time I didn’t go to see Niagara Falls, I took a tour of Toronto and ended up in a bar with this curious wall

The characters I would gladly avoid

In Peru, while my companions wandered through the markets I admired colorful parades with traditional dress

The know-it-all that claims to explain to the world how it works, even to a bartender how he should make tea
The well-off woman in the hut in the middle of the jungle demands chicken cooked the way her personal cook does at home
The gift fanatic and souvenir hunter who loses hours in markets and ponders every detail, despite the fact that they are all the same for 2 weeks
Sensitivity to the poverty of those who live in the country she visits, who do not want to tip the driver who has been escorting her for a week because her backpack got buried
The one who risks breaking his neck to be a spectacular sefie
The chick who gets a thousand photos taken for each pose and then considers for hours which one to post on her profile
Those who ask to take a group photo (with a thousand attempts) at every half-new panorama
The super negative that starts every sentence with a no
Those looking for pasta all’amatriciana on a Caribbean island

Links

Below are the homepages of the group trips I mentioned in this article:

Tanzania

Russia

Nile Cruise (Egypt)

Guatemala, Honduras and Belize

Peru

Another type of group travel is with friends. I have not done many of them because I have never had really compatible friends, but I have had a lot of fun

These are the generic links with the large divisions by which I grouped the blog articles.