As lockdowns begin to ease, people are finally starting to get some relief from the four walls of their abodes. This can mean different levels of excitement depending on where you are and what your situation is. Some of us have been able to spend time in our gardens, while others have been stuck in tiny urban apartments. Now we’re finally able to walk those beloved city streets… Or maybe we live in the middle of nowhere and our situation hasn’t changed much. While I’m grateful to have had plenty of outdoor space to enjoy during this time, I am itching for some good old-fashioned city exploration. Who knows how long it will be before we’re able to hop on a flight to go somewhere exciting? To take the sting off of the fact that I am not filling my time with masked strolls along the Seine, I am living vicariously through Instagram accounts that are taking followers along for regular walks through beautiful places, because not being able to leave your town looks very different from different places.
Sophie of SoloSophie
Sophie’s blog, SoloSophie.com, is a vast European travel guidebook, focused heavily on France and Paris, where she moved shortly before the coronavirus outbreak hit. Sophie’s Instagram content has always been a beautiful love letter to Paris; during the strict lockdown it showed the reality of life alone in confinement. Back then, she dug through her archives to put together neighborhood tours (still available in her highlights!), and now that restrictions are lifting, she takes her followers with her for long walks through the city.
IG: @sophieannenadeau
Website: SoloSophie
Christina of Happy to Wander
Another European travel blogger with an Instagram full of beautiful pictures, Christina hails from Canada and lives in Munich (or München, if you’re a German-speaker). Her account is heavy on destinations in Germany, which I feel really don’t get enough attention. As you can see from her pictures, Germany is a varied and beautiful place! Christina has filled her lockdown content with delicious-looking food (I really want to be best friends with her so that I can eat some of her homemade dumplings) and her boyfriend’s daily coffee art. Now that she’s able to go outside, she’s taking her followers on daily walks around München. It’s a lovely city that doesn’t get the same amount of exposure online as some, so you feel like you’re seeing something new every day.
IG: @happytowander
Website: Happy to Wander
Julie of A Lady In London
Julie jumped into the blogging game early on, starting her hit blog A Lady in London when she moved to the Big Smoke back in 2007. As such, she has plenty of experience in giving us what we want from a location-based Instagram. Every day she posts a new series of photos from a neighborhood walk in her stories, as well as a daily grid post and frequent additions to her travel blog. If you want tons of London content, including self-guided walking tours that you can follow next time you travel to London, Julie has got you covered.
IG: @aladyinlondon
Website: A Lady in London
Katie of Look Up London
Along with running an Instagram account highlighting interesting and important spots around London, Katie is a Blue Badge Tour Guide. Just what is that, you may ask? Blue Badge Tour Guides are the officially accredited tour guides of the United Kingdom. To qualify, they must complete course work and a series of exams to prove their knowledge. So in other words, she knows what she’s talking about. She usually runs in-person tours in London, but during lockdown she has put together virtual tours, comprised of images, virtual street and building views, and tons of information about the area and its sites. She is definitely the girl to follow for history buffs and those who want to get a deeper knowledge of London’s past and present.
IG: @look_uplondon
Website: Look Up London
Georgette of Girl in Florence
Georgette is an American who is pretty much living a dream in Florence, Italy, with a French husband, cute pooch, and creative career as a blogger, magazine content editor, writer, and social media strategist. She also fills her Instagram with pictures and captions detailing her fairy tale life in Florence; her feed feels comfortable and homey, like sitting down with a friend and chatting about life – except that you’re in Italy eating mouth-watering plates of pizza and pasta. Georgette is a great source for seeing what’s going on in the city, whether you live there or are just daydreaming about your next visit.
IG: @girlinflorence
Website: Girl in Florence
I hope you enjoy visiting these websites and Instagram accounts to vicariously get out of the house! If you have your own favorites, or are posting about your area, let me know. We’d all love to come along with you!
