Make a local friend in the area you will be staying. Use sites like Couchsurfing.org to find local residents who enjoy playing tour guide in their hometown or just meeting a new friend for coffee. I once met a young lady (Cristina) from Italy through Couchsurfing. She was staying in Annapolis for a month or two as her husband was working and she joined him on the trip. She couldn’t work, had no car and had all day, everyday, to herself.
Cristina trying her first cheesesteak in Philly
She contacted me and asked if I wanted to meet for coffee. I was fairly flexible with my schedule at the time and we ended up spending LOTS of time together. She was just like me, a world traveler who loves meeting people and experiencing cultures. I gave her the personal tour, had them for meals, taught her how to make apple pie, took her to Philly for an overnight, etc. We really had the best time together!
She invited me to come to her town in the Piemonte region and so we did! See my blog “Red, Red, Wine” for more about our trip to “surf” with her.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.