Debunking the Worst Travel Myths You’ve Been Sold

Our social media feeds are an endless barrage of — let’s be honest — lies. Myths, tips and tricks from “influencers” promising to help you optimize, improve and get ahead. And they touch just about every corner of life, from work to wellness, fashion to finance and, of course, travel.

In fact, travel influencers may be the worst offenders on social media, save anti-vaxxers. So let’s clear the air and call out some of the biggest culprits! From clickbait to outright lies to just plain bad logic, these travel myths really grind my gears.

The Dressing for the Upgrade Lie

This same story has been posted and reposted and rejiggered and reshared more times than I count — and it’s a complete fabrication. Do you know the outfit you need to wear in order to receive a coveted upgrade? It’s the one with pockets. You know, to hold your wallet containing your airline status card giving you access to the upgrade and/or the credit card you’re using to pay for it.

There’s no such thing as dressing the part. It has no impact. It’s not a consideration. It’s not one of the many factors that come into play, it’s in no way a small but important part, or the final difference marker or tiebreaker.

Sure, I don’t doubt that the clothes you wore may have had a role in getting you to the front of the plane back in the halcyon days when said planes were filled with cigarette smoke, and miniskirt-clad stewardesses were slinging martinis. We’ve evolved a helluva lot since then. There are also exceptions, such as when you’re a family member of an airline employee and hopping on a free standby flight, in which case dress codes may indeed apply.

For everyone else, that designer outfit isn’t doing you any favors in the upgrade game — especially when you’re up against dozens of passengers with actual priority, whether through airline status or a willingness to pay. You’ll look great at 47K, though. I’ll wave from my middle seat, 41B.

The Girls Weekend / Guys Trip Dichotomy

You know the ones: “Best destinations for a glitzy girls’ weekend” or a “bros’ getaway.” But what, exactly, makes a place good for one and bad for the other? We’re a quarter of the way through the 21st century — plenty of women drink whiskey and watch sports, plenty of men are perfectly happy with a weekend of spas and indulgence. Call me crazy, but most groups could have a great time in the same places: Nashville, Napa, New Orleans, take your pick.

How is a destination supposedly perfect for one type of person and terrible for another? It’s a flimsy premise. One built on search-friendly labels that have nothing to do with how people actually live or travel.

While we’re at it, most golf resorts have spas, and most spas aren’t far from a golf course. Turns out there are plenty of people — across backgrounds, interests, ages and genders — who are into one, the other or both, regardless of whether it’s billed as a girls’ getaway or a guys’ trip.

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The 17 Extra Trip Gadgets You Need (That You Don’t Need)

Finding the right neck pillow, carry-on and power bank can genuinely improve your travel experience. I’ll happily go down the rabbit hole researching options, and a trusted review can make a real difference. (Check out InsideHook’s Best Travel Products for a hundred of those.) There are plenty of other small items that can ease the misery of a long-haul flight or layover. A good book, for instance.

What I find to be outlandish, though, are the guides telling you about dozens of different must-haves, often for very specific purposes. “These 21 gadgets will keep you safe while you travel!” “These 17 accessories will ensure you look your best!” “These 14 items will keep you comfortable on the plane!”

Well, damn. I’m safe, I look great and I’m cozy as hell, but where am I supposed to pack the 52 products it took to get here? And at this point, I’m not sure I can even afford the trip. Come to think of it, the things meant to keep me comfortable don’t exactly do much for my appearance, and I’m pretty sure the people who saw me hauling all that “safety gear” are wondering what I thought I was protecting myself from in the first place.

If you need that many gadgets just to manage a normal travel day, you might need more help than whatever influencer you’re following can offer. But hey, kudos if you can actually fit them all in your bag.

The Too Cool for Tourism Traveler Myth

I’m all for traveling to new destinations, especially the lesser-visited ones. It’s important to support local economies around the world, and it’s part of becoming a more well-rounded traveler. But when you find yourself in an iconic, well-trodden place, there’s no need to act like you’re above doing the things everyone else came to do. If you go to Egypt and skip the Pyramids, I’m going to call that a mistake. And you’re going to regret it.

Maybe they’re stereotypical and overdone, but they’re also what made those destinations famous in the first place. Yes, you’re going to see Buckingham Palace and Big Ben in London. And it would be pretty strange to go to Paris and skip the Eiffel Tower.

We get it: a beautiful person on your For Your Page feed told you about the “real” cafes down hidden alleys in the trendiest arrondissements. I’m sure the croissants are delicious, and I’m just as sure you’ll impress the discerning Parisians with just how enlightened a traveler you are. Or you could just stop overthinking it and go to the Louvre!

As the saying goes, when in Rome…you go to the damn Colosseum.