People Are Sharing Their Weirdest and Most Wholesome Travel Traditions
Traveling is a deeply personal affair, and people make the most of it by creating their to-do lists. These habits don’t always start with intention, but they grow into traditions that shape how each trip feels.
Sampling McDonald’s Specials
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
In Tokyo, McDonald’s menus include shrimp burgers. In Delhi, you’ll find McSpicy Paneer. In Dubai, there are McArabia wraps. Travelers often notice these local variations and use them as a way to learn about the culture. It’s familiar fast food, but each country adds its own twist.
Mailing Postcards to Themselves
Credit: iStockphoto
One tradition people swear by is mailing themselves postcards instead of keeping a journal. Each one carries the exact mood of the trip, frozen in the moment it was bought. Opening it years later brings those memories rushing back in a way no Instagram filter ever could.
Wearing a Different Scent Each Trip
Credit: iStockphoto
Scents often outlast photographs. A cologne from Florence or a soap picked up in Istanbul can bring a trip rushing back with a whiff. Many people make it a ritual to buy a new fragrance in every place they visit, knowing that smells stay in the memory far longer than pictures do.
Meeting Global Hobby Groups
Credit: iStockphoto
The best way to connect with local people as a tourist is through shared interests, and a seasoned travelers know that. A chess club in Barcelona or a Star Wars celebration in Tokyo can create friendships that last longer than the journey itself.
Riding Trains for Fun
Credit: iStockphoto
Riding trains for fun has become a tradition of its own. Metro lines offer a glimpse into local culture—whether it’s the chandeliers of Moscow’s underground, the clockwork precision of Tokyo’s system, or the graffiti-covered cars in New York. In these places, the trains are part of the experience.
Buying Christmas Ornaments Abroad
Credit: iStockphoto
Travelers who collect Christmas ornament decor on each trip and put them on the tree at home relive the trip each December. As lights twinkle and familiar songs play, the tree becomes a map of places visited.
Collecting Local Newspapers
Credit: Getty Images
Some travelers habitually collect a newspaper from every destination to create an archive of world events. Even if the news is unreadable, the headlines show what mattered to people at that moment.
Visiting Cemeteries
Credit: iStockphoto
Museums charge an admission fee, but cemeteries are free and profoundly human. In Buenos Aires, Recoleta’s ornate crypts seem like sculptures. Père Lachaise in Paris draws crowds to the graves of artists and poets. The headstones are works of art.
Buying Local Board Games
Credit: Getty Images
A cardboard box with dice and cards in it may not look like much, but board games are embedded in local DNA. People who collect them bring home a new language, novel games, and new ways to play.
Learning a Local Song
Credit: iStockphoto
Music slips past language barriers. That’s why a few travelers make it a point to learn just one song wherever they go. It could be a folk tune or something from a street performer. Back home, singing it again feels better than any souvenir.
Browsing Pharmacies
Credit: iStockphoto
Every country’s pharmacy shelves tell a story. Travelers look through lotions, toothpastes, and other products specific to each culture. French skincare products, Japanese cold medicines, and Turkish herbal balms often end up in suitcases.
Collecting Stones or Sand
Credit: iStockphoto
Some people prefer souvenirs that can’t be bought. One such item is a pocketed pebble from a remote beach. A jar of sand layered with colors from different deserts. They can then be used to design a small atlas.
Visiting Libraries
Credit: iStockphoto
Libraries are the beating heart of a city. In Vienna, you can walk through ornate halls under frescoed ceilings. In Manila, you’ll find air-conditioned spaces buzzing with kids doing homework. To travelers, these corners reveal a country’s soul far better than any tourist attraction.
Sketching Instead of Snapping Photos
Credit: iStockphoto
People who can sketch often prefer sitting down with a pencil instead of clicking photos. Drawing the scene in front of you forces you to slow down and really take in the details. Even a rough sketch of a market stall or city skyline captures details you’d otherwise miss.
Collecting Hotel Stationery
Credit: iStockphoto
Talk to any traveler, and they’ll admit to having freebies tucked into drawers back home. It could be a branded pen, a matchbook, and a tiny notepad. Over time, they pile up and form a stack of little mementos tied to places you’ve stayed.