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7 Ways to Add Fun to Your Vacation

How to skip the tourist traps and find the free entertainment. Plus, why a used book might be the best thing to bring home from your travels.

Corrie Evanoff

Read when you’ve got time to spare.

Make your vacation even more enjoyable—and meaningful—with these travel tips, from how to take better pictures on your phone to making sure your trip memories stay vivid.

Image by Tanja Ivanova/Getty Images

Up the Spontaneity Quotient on Your Next Trip

Seth Kugel

The New York Times

Predictable vacations are so, well, predictable. Here are five tips on how to increase your chances of unexpected encounters and surprising moments.

Find the Free Things to Do on Summer Vacation

CNT Editors

Condé Nast Traveler

The best things in life are free: Here are 32 free things to do to make the most of your summer travels.

Think Like a Foodie to Find the Best Places to Eat

Marlen Komar

The Kitchn

Five tips for finding the best places in town and avoiding the tourist traps.

BONUS TIP: The Key to Eating Like a Local Abroad? Learn Food Phrases. via The Washington Post.

Send Yourself a Postcard

Francesca Street

CNN

Debra Dolan’s been sending postcards to herself from her travels for over forty years. Here’s a selection of her collection.

Pretend You’re a Professional Photographer

Becky HarlanAudrey Nguyen

NPR

How to take better (and more distinctive) photos on vacation.

Manipulate Your Memories to Recall Vacations More Fondly

Ilana E. Strauss

Popular Science

Don’t let that terrible flight home outweigh all the fun stuff you did.

Buy a Used Book as a Travel Souvenir

Hannah Sampson

The Washington Post

Come for the book. Leave with a little piece of your destination’s history.

BONUS TIP: The Best Travel Memento Smells Like Vacation via The Washington Post.

Want More Tips? Here‘s How to Make the Most of Time Off

Amy Maoz

Pocket Collections

Everybody needs a break. And whether your next one lasts a week or a weekend, there are steps you can take to maximize enjoyment and minimize the stress of returning to work.