How do you tell the good, authentic local restaurants from the tourist traps? It’s not always easy…but first, be sure authenticity is what you’re really after. Give yourself a break: there are times when even the most experienced traveller just needs comfort food — a sandwich, a burger, a bowl of soup. And frankly, there are places where the local food is just plain awful.

If you’d rather stick a fork in your eye than go on a guided tour — of any kind, anywhere — I understand completely. A mediocre guide fills you with misinformation, tap dances when he doesn’t know the answers, and eventually turns mere tedium into slow torture.

You sound like one of those people who’ll spend the whole time asking for gluten-free burritos and vegan chili con carne, brushing your teeth with Sprite and worrying that the hotel maids are stealing your stuff.