How to Find Good Coffee While Traveling: A Barista-Approved Guide

Getting stuck with a bland cup of hotel breakfast coffee can put a damper on your whole morning, especially when you’re exploring a new city. Most travelers have been there: half-asleep, reaching for that first hopeful sip, only to realize it tastes like burnt cardboard. The good news? Finding good coffee while traveling doesn’t have to be a gamble.

Whether you’re dreaming of Melbourne’s hidden laneway espresso bars, hoping to discover a pastelaria in Lisbon, or simply want to avoid another watery hotel brew, it is possible to find good coffee while traveling, no matter where you land. With a bit of planning and the right strategies, every trip can include memorable coffee stops.

This guide covers practical tips, insider tricks, and a few lessons learned from coffee adventures around the globe. With a little know-how, anyone can skip the letdowns and discover truly great coffee on the road.

Do Your Coffee Homework Before You Go

Pulling up to a new city with no coffee plan is tempting fate. Before heading out, many travelers take a few minutes to map out the local coffee landscape. It doesn’t take long, and it pays off every single time.

Here’s a proven research routine many coffee lovers use:

• Google Maps/Reviews: Instead of just typing “café,” search for “coffee roasters,” “specialty coffee” or “third wave coffee.” Scan recent reviews, especially what locals are saying, and look for photos of real drinks, espresso machines, and the actual menu (not just pastries or the patio).
  
  
• Instagram & Hashtags: Browsing #citynamecoffee, #specialtycoffee, or city-specific café hashtags often uncovers new spots. Cafés frequently share their latest drinks, unique brewing methods, or highlight guest beans. It’s the quickest way to spot trends and get a sense of the crowd and vibe in real time.
  
  
• Coffee Apps: Beanhunter and Sprudge’s café maps are popular tools for finding specialty coffee spots, especially in cities or neighborhoods you haven’t explored before. Even a quick scroll can help avoid tourist traps.
  
  
• Travel Blogs & Forums: Checking recent blog posts, Reddit threads (like r/Coffee), or travel forums for local recommendations, up-and-coming cafés, or red flags on places that have gone downhill is a trusted tactic. Many city guides focus on fresh finds, but there’s no shortage of honest coffee lovers sharing tips online.
  

What to look for in your search results:

• Menus with single-origin or filter options
  
• House-roasted or local beans on display
  
• Baristas using scales, pour-overs, or offering flights/tastings
  
• Crowds of locals, if it’s all tourists or influencers, dig deeper

Expert tip: Coffee pros like James Hoffmann recommend searching for local roasters and paying close attention to details in menus and photos. Keywords like “roaster,” “filter coffee,” or a specific brewing method can quickly separate the real deal from the copycats.

Example: Heading to a new city and want to go beyond the main tourist cafés? Searching for “coffee roaster” on Google Maps and browsing city-specific hashtags on Instagram will almost always uncover tucked-away specialty spots. These tools help travelers zero in on cafés offering single-origin pour-overs or unique brewing methods, often leading to hidden gems that might otherwise be missed.

Barista-Approved Signs of a Quality Café

Finding a café is easy; figuring out if it’s actually worth your time (and caffeine budget) is where the real skills come in. Here’s what seasoned coffee lovers look for before ordering that first cup in a new spot:

What to Look For

• Fresh, Local Beans: Cafés that display bags of whole beans, especially if they’re roasted in-house or by a reputable local roaster, show they’re serious about freshness and quality.
  
  
• Clean, Well-Maintained Equipment: A sparkling espresso machine and organized workspace often mean the baristas take pride in their craft. Seeing them use scales and timers is an extra good sign.
  
  
• Engaged Staff: Baristas who weigh shots, take their time with pour-overs, or are happy to chat about their beans usually signal a place that cares about quality.
  
  
• Menus with a Coffee Focus: Look for single-origin options, signature drinks, or regionally inspired specials. A menu that highlights coffee, rather than just a generic breakfast spread, is a positive indicator.
  
  
• Locals at the Counter: A steady hum of regulars, a short line, or baristas greeting people by name are all great indicators that a café has earned its reputation.
  

Spot-Check Cheat Sheet

If you’re scouting cafés online or in person, keep an eye out for:

• Roasting equipment visible on-site, or references to in-house roasting
  
• Baristas using scales or timers at the counter
  
• Slow bar setups, think pour-over stations, Chemex, or siphons on display
  
• Detailed latte art in customer photos or social media posts
  
• Rotating menus with single-origin coffees or “origin of the week” features
  
• Coffee-centric branding, rather than just “breakfast & brunch”
  

Red Flags

Skip spots that…

• Shout “Best Coffee in Town!” but it seems empty of locals.
  
• Have sprawling, generic food menus with little detail on the coffee itself.
  
• They are more interested in up-selling pastries than talking about their beans or brew methods.

On-the-Ground Strategies for Great Coffee

Even with careful research, some of the best coffee finds happen once you’re actually on the ground. Here are some strategies many travelers use to boost their odds of finding that standout cup, no matter where they are:

Ask the Right People

• Baristas: Striking up a conversation with a local barista is often a great way to discover hidden gems (and avoid tourist traps), since many are happy to share their favorite spots.
  
  
• Hotel Staff, Hosts, and Locals: Instead of asking, “Where’s the nearest coffee?” try, “Where do you go for coffee?” Locals usually love recommending their go-to cafés.
  
  
• Food Market Vendors & Guides: Farmers’ markets, food halls, and local guides often know where the best independent coffee is hiding.
  

Neighborhood Scouting

• Follow the Morning Crowd: Observing where locals go during the morning rush is a classic travel hack. Seeing people queue up at a tiny counter, reusable mugs in hand, is usually a sign of a worthwhile café.
  
  
• Explore Food Halls and Public Markets: Some of the best espresso bars are hidden inside lively food halls or tucked into corners of bustling markets, places that are easy to overlook without a bit of exploring.
  

Try a Coffee Crawl

Don’t settle for the first café you find! Many coffee lovers make a mini “coffee crawl” out of a new neighborhood, sampling espresso at two or three places, comparing notes, and even creating their own coffee map for future visits or to share with friends.

Quick Tip: Jotting down notes or snapping photos of the places you visit makes it easier to remember favorites, and you might inspire someone else’s adventure down the road.

City Snapshots

• Milan: There’s nothing like squeezing into a standing-room-only espresso bar, ordering a quick shot, and soaking up the energy of locals on their way to work.
  
  
• Portland: For example, in Portland, coffee lovers can hop between cozy Scandinavian-inspired brew bars and classic diners, finding everything from delicate pour-overs to bottomless mugs. Every city has its own rhythm; sometimes, it’s about following your curiosity and going with the flow.
  

What to Do When There’s No Good Café Nearby

Let’s be honest, sometimes you’ll land in a small town, an airport terminal, or a remote village where “good coffee” simply isn’t on the menu. But that doesn’t mean you’re stuck with stale hotel packets or bland convenience store brews. With a little preparation, you can still enjoy excellent coffee just about anywhere.

A Traveler’s Coffee Kit

Many coffee lovers assemble a simple travel kit to brew quality coffee wherever they go. Here are some popular options:

• Portable brewers: Lightweight, sturdy tools like the AeroPress (or AeroPress Go), compact pour-over drippers, or travel-friendly French presses work wonders in hotel rooms, Airbnbs, or campsites.
  
  
• Hand grinder: A small manual grinder means you can grind fresh beans on the road, an instant flavor upgrade that’s worth the extra space in your bag.
  
  
• Filtered or bottled water: Even the best beans taste off with bad water, so many travelers opt for filtered or bottled water if unsure about the tap.
  

• Specialty instant coffee: Don’t overlook the new wave of specialty instant brands like Swift Cup or Cometeer. These aren’t your average grocery store instant; they actually taste like real coffee. Perfect for early flights, long train rides, or situations where hot water is all you have.
  
  
• Coffee bags and steepables: Single-serve “coffee tea bags” deliver a surprisingly solid cup and are incredibly easy to pack.

Quick Hotel (or Hostel) Hacks

• Bring a few single-serve sachets of specialty instant or steepable coffee bags.
  
• Most hotels have a kettle or can provide hot water at the bar, just ask.
  
• For a DIY AeroPress recipe: try 15g of coffee, medium grind, 220ml hot water, 2-minute steep, plunge, and enjoy. Adjust to taste.

Adapt to Your Environment

• Headed off the grid? Many travelers prepare a cold brew concentrate in advance, which they keep in the fridge or cooler for days.
  
  
• On backcountry adventures, even a minimalist kettle and a little “cowboy coffee” (grounds plus hot water) can do the trick for those willing to improvise.
  

Pro Tip: Having a reliable coffee routine while traveling isn’t just about caffeine. It’s a small comfort, a way to start the day with something familiar, no matter how far from home you are.

Coffee Apps, Maps, and Communities

A few smart digital tools and online communities can turn a good trip into a great coffee adventure. Here’s how I use them to streamline my search for standout brews, no matter where I’m headed.

Coffee Apps & Digital Tools

• Beanhunter: A first stop for many coffee lovers when planning a coffee crawl. You can search for specialty cafés worldwide, read real-user reviews, and scope out what’s trending in your destination city.
  
  
• Sprudge Café Guides: These curated lists highlight notable specialty cafés and roasters, especially in “coffee cities” around the globe. Great for getting an overview of the scene before you arrive.
  
  
• Google Maps (with layers): Many travelers create custom map layers or “star” favorite cafés before a trip, keeping their options handy and organized, especially if hopping between neighborhoods or saving spots for jet-lagged mornings.
  

Get Social: Coffee Communities

• Reddit (r/Coffee): Search for “[city] + coffee” to find threads with up-to-date tips from locals and fellow travelers. It’s a goldmine for hidden gems and honest reviews.
  
  
• Facebook Groups: Many cities have their own coffee enthusiast or foodie groups. Join one before your trip to tap into recommendations and even local events or meetups.
  
  
• Instagram: Browsing city-specific hashtags (like #pariscoffee, #montrealcafes) uncovers new cafés, seasonal specials, and real-time updates. It’s also a great way to see what’s trending and what drinks look like in the cup.
  

Make the Most of Coffee Apps and Communities

• Pin must-visit cafés on Google Maps before your trip so you’re never far from a good cup, even if your plans change unexpectedly.
  
  
• Need a recommendation on the fly? Posting in a local Facebook group or checking recent Instagram updates often yields fast, up-to-date tips from people in the know.
  
  
• Sharing finds, through photos or honest reviews, helps support small businesses and creates a more reliable, community-driven resource for other travelers.
  
  
• These tools aren’t just for the ultra-organized. Even a little digital prep can take the guesswork out of your coffee adventures and help you discover hidden gems along the way.
  

Share and Give Back: Helping Other Travelers

Coffee culture is built on community, both in cafés and online. By sharing your discoveries and supporting local businesses, you make future coffee adventures better for everyone.

Leave Helpful, Honest Reviews

• Be Specific: Mention what you ordered, how the staff treated you, or whether the café offers single-origin or locally roasted beans. A little detail goes a long way.
  
  
• Share Photos: A quick snapshot of your drink, the café menu, or the brewing setup can help fellow travelers make informed decisions.
  
  
• Keep Reviews Updated: If you revisit a spot and things have changed, updating your review can help others have the best experience possible.
  

Share Finds on Social Media

• Tag Cafés and Use Hashtags: Tagging the café and using city or coffee-related hashtags can help others discover quality spots and boost visibility for independent businesses.
  
  
• Highlight the Unique: Share what sets a place apart, maybe it’s a creative signature drink, an ethical sourcing story, or just a genuinely welcoming staff.
  

Encourage Responsible Coffee Tourism

• Support Local & Small Businesses: When possible, spend your coffee dollars at independent cafés and local roasters.
  
  
• Make Ethical Choices: Look for cafés that prioritize sustainability or direct trade. If in doubt, don’t hesitate to ask staff about their sourcing and values.
  

Tip:  Even a short, honest review or a tagged photo can make a real difference for small cafés. It helps future travelers, and often brings a smile to the people running the shop.

Final Thoughts

Scoring great coffee while traveling is part research, part adventure, and part community. Each cup tells a story, and with a little curiosity and the right strategies, every destination becomes an opportunity to find something memorable.

Whether you’re mapping out a city coffee crawl, trying to avoid another bland hotel brew, or simply hoping for a taste of local culture, the right cup is out there, sometimes just a conversation or a quick search away.

Now, I’d love to hear from you:

What’s your all-time favorite travel coffee find? Have you stumbled across a hidden gem, discovered an unexpectedly great cup in a remote spot, or brewed something special on the road?

Share your story in the comments, or tag @AromaExpeditions on social to inspire fellow travelers.

If you found this guide helpful, bookmark it for your next adventure and share it with a coffee-loving friend. Here’s to more good coffee, wherever your journey takes you.