Last Saturday, I left my office at 5\u202fp.m. and drove a half\u2011hour to a small town in the hills. I had booked a hotel room for the weekend, but the real draw was the town\u2019s historic downtown, which I\u2019d only seen in a travel blog. I spent the evening wandering past a 19th\u2011century theater, a bakery that still uses a wood\u2011burning oven, and a river that runs under a stone bridge. The experience was vivid, but the time and money spent getting there felt excessive for a single night.<\/p>\n
In the past year, a handful of travel companies have launched 360\u2011degree virtual tours that let you walk through museums, hotels, and even entire towns from your living room. A recent tour of the same historic downtown I visited used a stitched\u2011together panorama that ran for 12\u202fminutes. The audio guide explained each building\u2019s history in under 30\u202fseconds. The result? I could decide whether to book the hotel or skip the whole trip before I even packed a suitcase.<\/p>\n
After reviewing the virtual tour, I booked the hotel for the night and added a day trip to the nearby lake. The experience was a blend of pre\u2011planning and spontaneous discovery. I saved roughly \u00a380 on travel costs and avoided a two\u2011hour commute. The virtual preview also helped me pick a room with a balcony that offers a sunset view of the river\u2014something I would have missed otherwise.<\/p>\n