Living vicariously through others’ travel experiences this year?
We get it these years have been rough for everyone. It’s not safe to fly on airlines. Quarantine periods are required at many destinations, eating up all the time you would spend vacationing. Wearing masks in public makes you want to go home just so you can take them off. Traveling is not what it was even a year ago.
But pandemic or not, you can’t take the love of traveling out of the traveler. That’s why we’ve rounded up 16 of the best travel blogs of 2023, so you can find a way to immerse yourself in the travel culture that runs through your veins.
I May Roam
Brian Cicioni’s travel blog has been on the web since 2016, where he’s shared his traveling experiences. He gives tips to readers on enjoying various cuisines and how to navigate through cities as you travel via car or public transportation.
“The main focus is on exploring different neighborhoods along the subway lines. My posts integrate effective use of public transport into every itinerary. Beyond encouraging people to navigate the city the same way that most locals do, I also focus on food (mainly pizza), musical landmarks, film locations, and quirky museums. I also recommend my favorite walking tours and other culinary experiences to help people get the most authentic New York experience beyond going to the top of the Empire State Building or sitting atop the Hop-on Hop-off bus,” Brian told us.
He recommends using cars in small towns and public transportation in larger cities. If you’re looking for a blog with helpful travel tips and local places to enjoy, check out Brian’s blog.
Ahoy New York Food Tours
Ahoy New York Food Tours has successfully adapted to COVID-19 by offering virtual kitchen cooking tutorials and tours, as well as private tours in outdoor spaces that last for three hours.
“Ahoy New York Food Tours after a few years in business created a blog. It was determined that our customers needed a way to stay in touch with us, NYC, and of course its food scene. We began posting weekly—sharing the latest trend in NYC, talking in depth about the neighborhoods on our tours and of course including wonderful photos of food, NYC and our tour guests. Our blog quickly became a resource for those looking to have an ultimate foodie NYC experience. We find that by writing these useful posts, it helped us stay in touch with past customers and also find new connections.”
You can book your virtual experience and enjoy NYC foods from the comfort of your home. Or, if you’re brave enough to venture out, try the Little Italy experience.
Cool NYC Events
This website is currently on hold due to COVID-19 canceling any and all events in NYC. But before COVID ruined everything, this fun blog kept you informed on free and/or cheap events that were happening in the Big Apple.
“Cool NYC Events is the go-to site to discover fun talks, programs, workshops, lectures and experiences for lifelong learners in New York City. On CoolNYCEvents.com, you can find a curated selection of only the coolest, geekiest and most affordable (or free!) events and happenings in all five boroughs. Discover the top hand-picked events in the Weekly Roundup or click on the Calendar to browse all the listings at a glance. The site also features frequent interviews with the speakers of the events featured on the site so you can also read interesting Q&As with top scientists, authors and experts before going to their talks,” said Termeh, the blog’s communications manager.
So, whether you’re a local looking for something fun to do or vacationing on a budget, keep this website bookmarked for when COVID is gone and NYC events are back.
Central Park Tours
This company makes Central Park easier to navigate. Customers can choose between pedicab and bicycle tours, enjoy a nice picnic and choose between 33 different attractions to see, like the Belvedere Castle, Delacorte Theatre or The Great Lawn. With everything it has to offer, Central Park is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
Bushwick Daily
Bushwick is an NYC neighborhood. Along with the neighboring Ridgewood and East Williamsburg communities, the Bushwick Daily focuses on small-town news and events. It’s updated five days a week, so there’s always fresh content to check out. If you’ll be in the area and want to know what’s happening ahead of time, this is a great resource.
Your Brooklyn Guide
Did you know that there are 66 neighborhoods, 170 subway stops and over 1,000 restaurants and bars in Brooklyn alone? Those are the kinds of fun facts you can learn while perusing through Your Brooklyn Guide.
“Your Brooklyn Guide is an essential guide to traveling and exploring Brooklyn as well as tips for visiting NYC for not only visitors but for those who live here and want to get to know other neighborhoods better and explore the highlights, historic sites, top attractions, and best food! The guides are informative and essential to those trying to plan their next outing in the city!”
While there’s a lot we can’t do right now, there’s a lot we can do, like seeing Christmas lights or figuring out which pizza is best. Check out Your Brooklyn Guide next time you’re hungry or looking for something safe to do!
NYC Insider Guide
For over 12 years, NYC Insider Guide published by a 4th generation native New Yorker, helps both locals and tourists find the best things to do, events, hidden treasures, deals and discounts. Whether it’s martinis @ The Met, sample sale steals, unique holiday events or the best of Broadway, NYC Insider Guide has you covered with its top ranked monthly event guides highlighting the best of NYC.
The NYC Insider Guide focuses on all of New York City, not just a neighborhood or suburb. Not only do they feature blog posts, but they have a Map Guide Book that you can print out, coupons and budgeting ideas to tour NYC without your wallet and a list of events to choose from.
America Josh
America Josh is a super cool website that focuses on moving to the United States and, more specifically, New York City. This website covers real-world topics like transferring international money into US currency, getting your first credit card and finding a place to live. They even have a buddy system to help you get acclimated to the City that Never Sleeps.
Make Time to See the World
Creator Vicki has a vision. She wants people to enjoy traveling the world without thinking that they have to quit their day job to do so, which isn’t even an option for many people. She provides helpful links like what to pack and where she’s traveled.
“A former lawyer, I started MakeTimeToSeeTheWorld to create content around combining a full-time job with part-time travel, because at that time practically all blogs were about quitting your job and selling everything to travel (which I never had any intention of doing). My NYC content was created following my own visits and elevated with local knowledge from friends who live there, providing helpful resources and information for first time and repeat visitors,” said Vicki.
Vicki also has a fun page with travel quotes to get you hyped up for your adventure.
I Love NY
This is another website that has been interrupted by the pandemic but has found ways to adapt. For example, while you can’t travel, you can at least have beautiful screensavers of the places where you’d like to be. I Love NY is a great resource to bookmark for when NYC re-opens. It’s chock-full of information with categorized places to go, things to do and places to stay.
NY to Anywhere
NY to Anywhere is a blog that focuses on New York travel and beyond. Creator, Lauren McGill, is based in Queens, NY and aims to provide practical travel tips to attainable destinations for New Yorkers as well as fun things to do in NYC.
NY to Anywhere has been featured in Forbes, Elite Daily and BuzzFeed. They have great articles like a four-day NYC itinerary, a guide to boutique hotels and information on New York state as a whole. This is unique because most blogs focus on NYC and its suburbs instead of the whole state. Lauren, also offers photography and videography services, if that floats your boat.
On Location Tours
On Location Tours is in a category all its own. Their tours are focused on locations where television series and movies were filmed. If you’re a fan of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Friends, Sex and the City or Gossip Girl, prices start at $150 for a group of two people or $75 for a larger group.
“On Location Tours launched 21 years ago, and we quickly realized that people aren’t only interested in going on tours, but also being up to date on What’s Filming Now in New York City. Our What’s Filming Now page for New York City is often the number one page of our entire website. New York is the most filmed city in the world according to a lot of research, so there’s always a lot of film shoots taking place all over the city. Current productions on the TV side include The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and New Amsterdam, and on the movie side Good News and Russian Room. The blog posts are always about current productions, so it’s a great way for us to provide useful content to readers. In addition, it’s a great way for people to explore the different neighborhoods of New York City where the filmings are taking place, and if they’re lucky, they may spot a celebrity,” said Georgette from On Location Tours.
This could be perfect for you or perfect as a gift for a family member or friend. Who doesn’t want to tour places where famous scenes have been filmed? What a great vacation destination!
The Blonde Abroad
Blonde-haired Kiki (hence the name) created her website as part of her love for traveling, not just to NYC, but globally. Her ultimate NYC travel guide covers everything you could imagine: language, currency, culture, transportation and hotels. If you feel hesitant about traveling because of all the little details, Kiki’s advice will help you feel more prepared.
Nomadic Matt
Like The Blonde Abroad, Nomadic Matt also travels all over the world, and he created an NYC guide of his own. Where Kiki focused on currency and hotels, Matt focuses on what to do in NYC. After years of traveling on his own, he has tips to save money, a suggested budget for your trip and advice on how and where to travel. He has a Table of Contents for his guide, making it easy to click right where you want to go.
Tracy’s New York Life
Unlike travel blogs from world travelers who love NYC, Tracy lives in NYC. She also has a diverse background. She started out as a ballet dancer before taking interest in interior design. She’s been a resident of the Big Apple for 13 years and currently lives on the Upper East Side. Her website is focused exclusively on New York and has different categories to browse through. Her style section is unique, featuring popular clothing and fashion styles, and her food section categorizes restaurants with different types of food instead of her favorite restaurants. Waffles, anyone?
New York City Informer
New York City Informer is a new NYC blog attempting a unique attempt at exploring the city. Started in 2019 by two local comedians, NYC Informer provides visitors with guides that combine usefulness with humor.
Conclusion
We like to keep this post up-to-date with the latest and greatest, so feel free to contact us if you find a new blog that you love! Email [email protected].
Store Your Luggage with Stasher!
Hopefully, these blogs will help you vicariously live through others’ past adventures until you can venture out again! When that time comes, should you need somewhere to put your luggage while you roam the city, check out Stasher.
Stasher works with NYC-area businesses to offer affordable luggage storage for the day. Check us out next time you’re planning a trip, or if you have a trip coming up. It’s so much easier to check the city out without dragging your luggage everywhere you go.
Hi! I am George and I am the Content Lead for Stasher.com. I love travel, writing, making music and meeting new and interesting people.