There was a time in travel when the touring was simple. Arrive in a new city and consult with the thick travel guide (Fodor’s, Frommers, Lonely Planet, or Rick Steves), that always took up too much space in your day bag. Then, venture off to the main sites. Often, it was even simpler than that. For years, many first-time visitors to Europe and other parts of the world climbed onto buses and just went wherever the driver and tour leader took them.
These days, travelers want more. On your first visit to Paris, you’ll probably get to the top of the Eiffel Tower, walk along the Seine, maybe see the resurgent Notre Dame. In the past, that would’ve been plenty. But today, everyone wants to return home with a really good story. Preferably, one nobody else is telling.
