Travel writer William Least Heat-Moon in his stunning 1982 memoir, Blue Highways: A Journey into America, said you could once tell what side of the Mississippi River you were on by how the catfish was prepared. Some cities and regions have cuisines so distinctive that when blindfolded you can actually tell exactly where you are in the world.

Year after year, holiday travelers often believe numerous holiday travel safety myths that are passed down through anecdotes. Although these tales may have at one time held some truth, the actual holiday travel hazards can create even more problems – or potentially be fatal.

I just returned from a spectacular vacation to vibrant Milan. Thanks to With Locals’ guide, Francesca Giorgetti, I was introduced to a Milan that I never even knew existed. Francesca personalized my family’s walking tour to our interests, which covered historical sites, unique architecture, daily life in Milan and secret insights in which we would have never known on our own.