Honest scores, clear verdicts and practical notes from someone who actually goes.
No fluff, just the parts that help you decide.
I travel, I stay long enough to feel the rhythm, then I score what actually matters. City feel, food, value, how easy it is to walk, whether families can breathe, and how loud the tourist traps get. The final number is only part of it. The verdict and the tips that come after are where the real use lives. Some places pass cleanly. Others need warnings before you book.
Most travel writing sells the highlight reel. I care more about the days that sit between the big sights. The quiet street that turns golden at the right hour, the meal that costs less and tastes better two blocks over, the moment you realise the crowds were optional. These are the pieces that decide whether a place is worth returning to. The scores help you compare. The notes help you travel smarter once you are there. I keep the language plain because the decision itself is already complicated enough.
Every destination gets the same categories so you can compare without guessing what the score actually means.
Tourist traps and weak value get called out instead of being buried under nice photos.
The tips that follow each verdict tell you where to stay, when to go and what to skip.
The rankings stay independent. If a place scores low, it stays low.
Nothing is rated from a single afternoon
I stay long enough to walk the same streets at different hours and eat where the lunch crowds actually go.
City experience, food, value, walkability, family fit and tourist-trap pressure. The list does not change.
If the beaches disappoint or the centre is pure noise, the score reflects it instead of hiding behind pretty words.
Where to sleep without the racket, which month gives better value, how to eat well without the mark-up. Practical over poetic.
New places get tested as the trips happen. Old scores get another look when I return. The goal is not to build the biggest collection. It is to keep the information honest enough that you can trust the number when you are choosing between two destinations. Some cities climb with time. Others drop once the novelty wears off. Both results stay visible.
Leave your email and I will send new scores, updated tips and the occasional side note from the road. No daily noise, just the pieces worth reading.
© 2026 Rory Trotter LLC. All rights reserved.
