When researching a trip, you probably have some idea of where you would like to go as well as some things you would like to do once you get there.  However, you are probably not aware of all there is to see and do at each location and that's why researching your destinations is so important.  Walking around and exploring on your own is great...and you should, but if you take the time to do some pre-location research, you can be more sure you do not miss out on something important.

Our goal is not to provide a list of links to popular websites for you to click and search for your activities (although we have listed a few), but rather to provide alternatives to the normal thought process when it comes to researching what you plan to see and do.  Wherever you are going, look for opportunities to do something different and adventurous...something out of the ordinary that will give you a story to tell.

See our Destination Research Ideas page for additional ideas on sites and activities to consider when researching a location such as day cruises, food, wine cellars, local crafts, markets and more.

Below are some examples of what we uncovered while performing pre-travel research.

Tour Groups

As you research the different locations you plan to visit, most activities can be done independently on your own.  There are however times when it makes sense or the only way to see something is to join a tour group.  In fact, some places will only let you go with a group and not on your own.

In some cases, you may be able to save time by joining a tour group to enter a location, but then you can venture off on your own.  Here is an example.  You were planning to visit the Vatican Museums in Rome and when you arrived you found the line hundreds of yards long, stretching around the corner from the entrance and down the street.  At the same time, you notice tour group leaders asking people to join them and for a small fee, they will be able to skip the line and go right in.  This is one location where you are not required to be with a tour group to tour the museum.  So by paying a small fee to join the group, you get right in and then have the option to stay with them, or venture off on your own.  He did this on a trip and stayed with the group part of the time, ventured off on our own, then rejoined them later.

Michelangelo's Moses and the Chains of St. Peter

Did you know that just a short walk from the Coliseum in Rome sits Michelangelo's statue of Moses in the San Pietro in Vincoli (Saint Peter in Chains) Basilica?

Most people are not even aware that the statue exists or that it is right under their nose.  How many people (especially tour groups to the area) completely miss seeing this magnificent statue?  With a little research, you may stumble upon this great work of art and can add it to your itinerary.  Also housed in the basilica with the statue are the Chains that Bound Saint Peter.

Michelangelo's Moses	Chains that bound Saint Peter
San Pietro in Vincoli Basilica - Rome, Italy

The Labyrinth of Budapest

Here is another reason why research is important.  On Castle Hill in Budapest Hungary you will find the Labyrinth...if you know about it.  If you don't, you will walk right by without ever noticing it.

We cannot recall ever seeing this mentioned on any travel show nor is it mentioned in most guide books.  We did however find a reference to it in our DK Guide Book for Budapest.

The entrance to the Labyrinth is through the front door of one of the houses on Castle Hill.  Walking past the row of houses, you would never know the place existed.  The Labyrinth is an expansive complex of cellars, dungeons, springs and caves that run beneath Castle Hill.  You pay a small entrance fee and you are free to explore on your own.  This is one of the coolest places that no one knows about...but you know now.

Labyrinth - Budapest, Hungary
Lord's Street - House Number 9

St. Peter's Necropolis at the Vatican in Rome

Everyone tours The Basilica of St. Peter in Rome, but did you know there are special tours that will take you beneath the basilica?  Private tour groups will guide you through the necropolis, a Roman cemetery that’s said to house the relics of St. Peter the Apostle.  You will walk amid tombs that trace pagan Rome to the start of Christianity.

You must sign up for these tours far in advance and bring your voucher with you to bypass the Swiss Guard to a special side entrance of the Vatican where typical tourists are not allowed to enter.  Photos were not allowed in the necropolis, so the photo on the right is a stock photo we found on the internet.

Swiss Guard	St. Peter's Basilica Necropolis
The Vatican - Rome, Italy

Da Vinci's Last Supper in Milan

At the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan Italy, you will find Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper.

You must purchase tickets ahead of time to view the painting, so we purchased our tickets online prior to departing on our trip.

Photos were not allowed, so this the photo below on the left is of The Last Supper we found on the internet. The actual painting is in much worse condition than this photo depicts.  If fact, even with restoration much of it is barely recognizable anymore.

Our advice is to see the painting before it becomes totally unrecognizable due to continued deterioration.

Vienna Austria - Minoritenkirche - We just happened to stumble into this church and found a few interesting things.  The church contains a mosaic copy of Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper and a faded fragment of the 16th-century fresco of St. Francis of Assisi.  The mosaic shows how the original painting by Da Vinci must have looked.  It is so detailed that you may not even notice it's not an actual painting until up close.

The Last Supper - Milan	The Last Supper - Vienna (Mosaic)