The beauty of traveling these days? You can almost always shave off a few expenses without sucking the fun out of your trip. Start with your accommodation — book your Airbnb early to snag better deals or dig up one of those genius TikTok hacks for budget-friendly rates. When it comes to flights, ditch the dream of extra legroom and go full economy on a budget airline. Yes, you’ll be wedged in like a sardine, but airfare usually eats the biggest chunk of your budget, and let’s face it, flight prices are only getting more expensive. And sustenance? If you’re not a die-hard foodie, you can absolutely survive on grocery store sandwiches and the occasional fast food binge. But if you must experience the local cuisine, there’s a hack for that, too: the five-block rule. The premise of this so-called rule is pretty simple — don’t eat anywhere within five blocks of a tourist hotspot.
According to travel writer Matt Kepnes, the one behind the famous blog Nomadic Matt, most tourists never bother going that far — and that’s exactly why you should. Restaurants just a few blocks out tend to be cheaper, better, and way less packed. “Sure, you might find a good meal in a tourist area, but you’ll find a better, cheaper meal outside it,” he wrote on his blog. “Go where the menus aren’t in multiple languages. Go to those little tiny hole in the wall places that you are unsure about. The meal might not knock your socks off each time but it will be a memorable and more local experience.” While it may be tempting to just go for the overpriced pasta next to a major landmark — like the Trevi Fountain or Eiffel Tower — it doesn’t hurt to wander a little. You might just discover the best food you’ve never heard of — at half the price.
Follow the five-block rule and ask locals for recommendations
Avoiding the tourist traps is a solid start — but if you really want to level up your food game, talk to the locals. That tiny restaurant with a mile-long queue might actually be worth the hype, but don’t just rely on Google ratings or what’s trending on Instagram. Do what the late, great Anthony Bourdain swore by: ask real people. He often relied on this trick for finding the best local eateries during his travels.
Bourdain once told food writer Dianne Jacob that the best meals usually don’t come from the fanciest of places. “Find where local people are eating, not the best restaurant in town,” he said. “Ask a taxi driver, someone at a market, say ‘Where do you eat?’ People tend to be happy and pleased that someone from far away would be interested. People drive me to their homes when I take that attitude” (via Dianne Jacob).
Matt Kepnes agrees. He also takes it a step further and recommends tweaking the question entirely. Instead of asking where you (the visitor) should eat, he suggests asking where they (the locals) eat. That way, the locals are less likely to steer you toward a tourist-friendly spot they think you’ll enjoy and more likely to share their actual favorites. “You will get recommendations for more local restaurants because they will tell you all the hole in the wall spots they eat at on a day-to-day basis,” he penned on his site. “Small word change, much better results.” So when you’re on the hunt for a great yet affordable dining experience, walk a few blocks, ask the right questions, and trust the folks who actually live there. Your wallet will thank you — and so will your taste buds.
