Why Second Trips Are Better than the First

Travel can be wonderful. It introduces us to fresh experiences, local food, jaw-dropping scenery, unique culture, history, and new friends. As the author Lailah Gifty Akita eloquently writes, travel is a journey that “not only broadens our horizons but also sharpens our minds and feeds our souls."

The downside is that travel takes time, can be expensive, and often requires extensive planning. When you are visiting new places, there’s that pesky feeling of being a tourist rather than a part of a community. Our solution is to consider a return trip to a destination you’ve visited before.

If you’ve traveled a lot, there’s the point when a hotel room, regardless of how nice, is just a hotel room. And being a tourist can become tedious. We wholeheartedly support visiting museums and historic sites, but sometimes it feels robotic, like ticking off boxes. In a perfect world, you’d spend a couple of weeks in a destination, exploring the obvious attractions and then diving deeper into more off-the-beaten-path activities. But that’s not always possible. One way to plan the perfect trip is by revisiting a place you’ve already been. In fact, after years of travel and outdoor adventure, we’ve learned that second trips to a destination are often better than the first.

Patrick Warren, a fly-fishing and mountain guide, reports that “Familiarity and comfort are bred from knowledge.” To make the travel experience rich and safer, I view first trips as recon, building the base knowledge of an area, keeping my eyes and mind open to the possibility of new objectives,” he says. “One needs to get out, poke around, get lost, find one’s way back, and peek around the next corner. Learning an area is not just the one singular objective, it is the accumulated knowledge from making more than a single visit that holds true value.” 

Sam Lightner, guidebook author and international travel journalist, agrees. “Essentially, people who travel are explorers. On a second trip, you can extend that natural exploration a bit further,” says Lightner. “You get much more out of a place than you did on that first trip. And you may well end up making friends as you’ll inevitably run into some of the same locals who you met the first time around.”

If you return to an area you’ve already visited, you’ll have the advantage of familiarity. You’ll know where to stay, how to get around, and what restaurants you want to return to. First trips are all about figuring out how to get there, where to stay, locating the best trails, or asking about good fishing holes. On your second trip, those concerns are gone. You can spend more time relaxing and enjoying the location.

Hiring a guide is often the best way to get the most out of a new destination, whether you are strolling the historic districts of London, hiking around the ruins of Machu Picchu, or catching trophy trout in Montana’s gold medal rivers. However, once you’ve been to these spots once, the second time, you’ll have more confidence in your own ability to get around on your own. Nicki Bruckman, CEO of  Explorer Chick, says that many clients initially visit an area with a guide and then return on their own, driven by the desire to uncover the layers they missed the first time. “It’s a yearning to go deeper,” says Bruckman. “There's a unique charm in revisiting a place that feels like home, discovering new adventures, and immersing in experiences that a guidebook can never fully capture."

Generally, a first trip involves renting a car. But after your initial visit, you’ll have a better feel for public transportation. Trains and buses cost a fraction of what you’d pay for a rental car or ride-share. This is true of Europe, Asia, and big US cities like Washington D.C., New York City, Atlanta, and San Francisco. Check out public transportation on your first trip, and then, on your second trip, ditch the car.

You’ve probably heard of location scouting for films, photographers, and celebrities. This person visits a destination in advance and picks the perfect hotel and activities. Consider your first trip location scouting. Did you like your hotel on your first trip? Was your room the one you wanted, or would you have preferred one with a view? Did you wish you’d have selected a campsite with shade and access to the river? Keep a journal of your first trip, so you’ll know what you’d prefer on your second.

On your first visit to a destination, there is generally a tick-list of must-visit things to do. It probably includes scenic viewpoints, historical buildings, museums, and spots that every guidebook author has been touting for years. If it’s a trip to a National Park, it might be visiting Yellowstone’s Old Faithful or Yosemite’s Bridalveil Falls, or the Eiffel Tower in Paris, or London’s Big Ben. But on your return trip, you can search less visited hidden gems. For example, in Miami, you might return to that special spot along South Beach or a great restaurant in Little Havana, but then add in learning to fish in the Everglades or birding in Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden. 

You can make friends around the world, and if you return to a spot, solidify those friendships. On your first trip to an area, you’ll probably meet some locals. It could be your guide, a bartender, the proprietor of an art gallery, a fellow skier, angler or hiker. When you are a one-time tourist, it’s easy to not make connections or remember names. Get in the habit of jotting down people’s names and contact info or adding them to your social media circle. If you return to a destination, chances are that the locals will be happy to see you, and you’ll be much more than just a passing face in the tourist crowd.

Packing for a second trip to a destination is a snap. You’ll know exactly what to bring. Is the destination dressy or casual? Do you need a raincoat and fleece jacket ? Were the cobblestone streets too much for your leather-soled shoes and heels? What apparel and accessories can you bring so you blend in with the locals?

Your second trip is a chance to immerse yourself further in local culture. You can volunteer to help with a local trail building project. Or sign up for cooking classes, language immersion, or group hikes with an outdoor club. 

You don’t need to jump on a plane or drive long distances to relax. In fact, the opposite might be true. Repeat trips to favorite spots near where you live can be the most rewarding. Taking an annual trip to your family’s favorite lake, national park, or alpine meadow can not only be rewarding, but also a great way to make memories and hand down traditions from generation to generation.