Been reading up on fodors lately and got to thinking...

What do you love to hear in a trip report? What makes you dream and long to travel?

I appreciate hotel/restaurant reviews, quick tips, etc. But there was a report awhile back that I thought was very poignant. Couldn't tell you the poster, or where she even traveled to...but she told a quick story of watching her daughter dance for her in a quiet place. It was touching, strong imagery, and a unique experience that made the trip all hers.

What do you love to hear?

As much as I appreciate reading and hearing about everyone's experiences both good and bad (and the time and effort that goes into the report) I appreciate it when the reporter says WHY something was good or bad and not just that is was "good" or "bad." I think this helps others make decisions abouth whether or not they might like to do the same things/go to the same places when they travel themselves.
Another, and perhaps "picky" point: characterizing these "tips" as "invaluable" seems a bit presumptuous..as if everyone reading the report is going to feel the same way as the reporter did and have the exact same impression or experience. Better to just call them "tips" and let others decided for themselves how valuable (or not) they truly are.
Thanks for posting this interesting question.

I too like those vignettes that are not so much a complete description but give you the feeling of the moment, of the place.
Some who have sent me trip reports personally, have made me laugh out loud and have tears in my eyes, so it might be the ones that I love to hear are the reports that I can 'feel'.
What I do not enjoy are the bite by bite reports of each and every meal

Hi Mina:

Great question! I love long, detailed reports. My favorite trip report was written last year by a poster named "Belinda" who wrote a GREAT, detailed report on her experiences as a first-timer in Europe. It had a lot of great information on everything from what to expect on overnight trains to hotel recommendations, etc.

Now, as for what I don't like to see in a report . . . I'm with Intrepid. I understand that someone might not like a certain place, but it's always helpful if someone says WHY they don't like it. Rather than just say, "Rothenburg sucked. I hated that town! It was boring!" it's more helpful to say, "Now, I'm not really one for small villages. I kind of like the nightlife. As a result, I really didn't like Rothenburg at all." Doing it that way helps people who might never have been there make a more informed decision about whether or not THEY want to go there. (i.e. if I like small villages and don't care about the nightlife, I'll probably like Rothenburg.)

Thanks for posing this interesting question!

Jennie

Hi Mina, I like reports that recommend different hotels and restaurants and, like many of us, say the reasons why. And those reports who don't recommend a certain place and calmly, logically explain why it didn't work for THEM.

But I love the reports that add something personal and make you want to know more about the writer and care about her/his feelings.
Feelings, nothing more than feelings.....oh sorry.
I liked your report because it was personal but not saccharine.

So many things to like about trip reports! I like the ones that feel like "stories," not term papers. I enjoy finding out about places and things, of course, but basic facts I can get from guidebooks. If you saw something, describe how it looked from your perspective and how it made you feel. We've had some priceless opinions of Michaelangelo's David lately, a few of which would never hit the guide books! Those are great to read about.

I like a good laugh. Part of the joy of travel is seeing things that are different, and a good sense of humor can make or break the foreign-ess. I enjoy a funny take on life. On the other end of the spectrum, it gives me deep pleasure to know that things that have moved me have evoked that feeling in others. It makes the world so much smaller and more human when you read that someone has walked the same path as you and felt the same emotions, though you may live in different countries and have different life experiences.

I like opinions linked with reasons. I'm not bothered by a negative reaction, but I am bothered by a putdown that offers no explanation. A negative view carefully expressed can save fellow travellers a world of grief; a blanket "don't bother with X" offers no assistance. Conversely, if you love a place, share that love! I don't mind enthusiasm and description. Make me feel like I have to go there. Sinan, who writes about his country, Turkey, is a great example of this. You can feel the love of place this man has. His pride in Turkey shines through all the time. That's a great thing to feel in a trip report.

Lastly, I like a trip report where the original poster writes in such a way as to encourage dialogue. You can tell with some people that they don't mind answering specific questions, that they've written not to say "we did this, we did that, we went here, we went there" but rather to share their experience so as to make yours better.

I say hats off to all those world citizens who tell the tale!

I'm sure glad to see this thread. Now I feel less like my Italy report is getting far too long with far too much personal humdrum for anyone to have any interest. I guess I'll keep working on it and hope to post soon (for those who might care to read it).

crazymina - My favorite trip report so far has been yours when you went to Ireland!

I don't care at all about food reports, so just pass over those parts of reports that I am enjoying otherwise. I like hotel reports as I'm a hotel junkie, and I very much agree with everything Intrepid said. (Very well said, by the way, Intrepid!) But basically I love to hear about personal experiences more than anything, and especially those that are written by a person who has not necessarily rose-colored glasses, but somebody who seems like they would make lemonade out of lemons rather than be soured by them! I especially like reports by people who can laugh at themselves, and aren't afraid to share with others when they've made a travel faux-pas, even if (especially when?) they're a veteran. Also, photos are always an added bonus!

When I find a trip report as I've described above, it's like reading a good book, and then I don't want it to end...I want that person to travel more so I can live vicariously through them until my next trip!

oops! Posted too soon, as dinner was ready and my stomach was growling!

But I'm back now and just read what I wrote earlier and thought I should elaborate on the statement that I "love to hear about personal experiences" because of course they're all personal experiences! (Duh!) What I meant to say is that I enjoy it when people pull you into their personal experience through description, excitement, attitude, and as dln said earlier, "opinion linked with reason" rather than just saying "We got up at 8 a.m. and went to the Louvre. After that we took the metro to the Eiffel Tower. We were tired so we didn't go up, but walked around the base and then went back to our hotel."

But with that said, I am thankful people take the time to post their reports, no matter if they are to my taste or not! Trip reports are probably my favorite thing about this board, and I applaud those that do post them.

I like all kinds of trip reports - if a poster is principally interested in shopping, say, then I would quite happily hear about their experiences in the shops of Europe. However, while I consider all emotional reactions to be valid ("the shopping sucked&quot I want to hear just why, in the posters opinion, the shopping (or the museum, or whatever) was a disappointment. But I'd rather see the report than no report at all. I can always ask the poster for the detail I want to hear.

As a preference I like a mix of personal experience and practical. In particular, I enjoy reading about problems that the poster had to surmount, especially the personal ones. My favourite trip report I actually found posted on another board - the poster was leading a three-generation family group through Italy, and she told about the challenges of trying to meet the differing requirements of the three generations. I loved her candour about how she came close to losing patience with the lot of them, and yet found memories to cherish, such as the time she discovered what her 70 something mother-in-law had really, really wanted, but had been reluctant to request (a gondola ride.)

But I wouldn't want to discourage any trip report. I always learn something - about people, if not about place.

Good thread crazymina, but from the title I thought it was a completely different question~ haha...

"What do you love to hear??"

I was ready with answers like: church bells, train whistles, market vendors, etc.!!!

True Suze...I didn't think about that. There was a thread about five senses awhile back that was good for that. This thread's title could be construed in all kinds of ways, I'm sure.

It is nice to read these replies. I always appreciate trip reports of every kind, because at the very least they take effort. When researching a trip, it's amazing what kind of stuff comes in handy, and the beauty is that the info is archived here for all eternity (well, sort of.)

I like a report that will be helpful to
me when and if I go where they have been. I also really like one that includes photos?

I like a combination of impressions and facts, but not a minute by minute running account of the trip.

some go on too long but there is always something whether they write well or not. This is not a travel magazine where we must be perfect and all aren't as talented as some in writing.But to me, all is appreciated, except the nasty posters and spelling police.

negative comments

den I getz to see the resulting banter that leaves my stomach in knotz. sort of like watching a foodfight in a cafeteria.

&gt

I like to hear reports from people who are able to scratch the surface of a destination. I want to hear about what the locals were like, how they were treated, what the hotel was like, what was the most exciting part of the trip, why would or wouldn't they go back, what the food was like, the wine, local customs/oddities and just like I ask my kids when they come home from school each day, "What was the best part?"

Mizzeve has a perfect example of what I like to hear on the thread "What not to see." Very touching.

Hi

Good question I like to travel and before I go I like to buy a guidebook...the guidebook gives me the facts but it doesn't really give a personal view of the different attractions. So when I post my own trip reports on my homepage I try to include some facts, some history, some odd things that might have happened, what's good to eat, how to get around, things that really impressed me and so on. The problem is that the trip report can be too long or it might end up being...eh..boring

Regards
Gard
www.gardkarlsen.com

Thanks Calamari, I would have missed that one! It was very touching to read indeed.