Cities are hubs for entertainment, art, history, architecture and food. They are packed full of exciting sights and attractions that many of us are eager to tick off our bucket list. But fail to plan ahead, and you may not be able to enjoy these attractions due to high prices, hectic crowds and ticket shortages.
To help you get the most out of your trip, it’s useful to know a few seasoned city-breaker secrets. Knowing these secrets will save you a lot of money and help reduce wasted time dealing with crowds and queues. We’ve shared a few of the best kept secrets below (shh, don’t tell anyone!).
Visit during the shoulder season
Two months stand out as the best times to visit a city: May and September. These months offer a high chance of good weather and plenty of events like festivals and exclusive exhibitions, while being much cheaper and less crowded than peak summer months.
Obviously, there are exceptions – cities like Bangkok are hottest in May and wettest in September, while some European cities are still very crowded. However, most cities reach their perfect state during these shoulder seasons.
Pre-book tickets to popular attractions 1 to 3 months in advance
While it’s sometimes possible to get next day or same day tickets to theatre shows, landmarks and major museums, there’s a high chance they will run out. Either that, or you’ll have to queue up for hours to get access or pay extra for admission.
Booking tickets online 1 to 3 months in advance often secures admission and could allow you to skip queues while also potentially allowing you to explore discounts like vouchers. For theatre shows, it can also give you more freedom to choose your seats. Check out apps provided by companies like Go City and CityPass, which can offer discounts to multiple city attractions.
Look into public transport cards and discounts
In some cities, public transport is very cheap (or even free as in Belgrade). However, in other cities, it can get expensive if you keep using it. This is where it can be useful to look into public transport cards and discounts.
Examples include Paris Visite (Paris), Octopus Card (Hong Kong), Opal Card (Sydney) and Visitor Oyster Card (London). Some of these cards can also include free access to attractions.
Make use of luggage drop-off points
Got an early arriving flight but can’t check in to your hotel until mid-afternoon? This can be an issue if you’ve got a suitcase – either you wait at the hotel until you can check in and waste a day, or you heave your suitcase around with you. Fortunately, there is another solution, which is to look into luggage drop-off points.
The likes of this Dublin luggage storage service allows you to leave your bags at a secure location so that you can spend those first few hours sightseeing without pulling along baggage. This could also be useful when you leave if your hotel requires you to check out early and you have a late flight.
Take advantage of free attractions
Many people don’t realise that cities are teeming with free things to do. Researching these free activities before you arrive is worthwhile if you are on a tight budget.
What are some examples of free city activities? A few things to look out for include:
- Free guided tours: Many cities around the world have free guided walking tours available at specific times including Amsterdam, Rome, Barcelona, Tokyo, Mexico City and New York.
- Free museums: Some cities have a select number of museums that are free to enter including London, Rome, Madrid and Washington DC.
- Public parks: Public parks are often free to access and can be fantastic places to explore on a shoestring budget.
- Sightseeing: You may need to pay to access landmarks, but you don’t need to pay to see them! Look online to find the best viewpoints for excellent vistas and photos of landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, The Sydney Opera House, The Statue of Liberty, The Golden Gate Bridge and Burj Khalifa.
Avoid touristy areas when dining out
Restaurants in touristy areas are often overpriced, noisy and difficult to get a table for. Some of these restaurants may also cater for tourists – so you’re not getting an authentic cuisine experience.
Instead, plan to dine out in a less visited neighbourhood and look up some of the best restaurants there. This is where you’ll find fairer priced, less crowded spots where the locals go. World of Mouth is an online restaurant guide that could be worth checking out. Alternatively, speak to locals and see what they recommend.
Make room for spontaneity in your itinerary
If you’ve only got a couple days, you might be tempted to cram as much into your itinerary as possible. However, rushing from one place to the next could get exhausting. On top of this, you won’t have any time for spontaneous detours and adventures.
While it may only take 1 hour to get from one attraction to the next, consider giving yourself 2 hours in case you stumble across an interesting shop or street entertainer. Consider also sparing yourself a free morning or evening to wander around somewhere – give yourself a simple objective such as finding a bar or a cafe to stop at, and see what you uncover en route.
Pre-download maps, tickets and media
A lot of cities now have public Wi-Fi, but it’s not always reliable or secure. The alternative option is to use public data, but this could come with expensive roaming fees when travelling abroad.
Just in case you can’t or don’t want to access the internet, consider saving maps and tickets onto your phone. Many tickets can be saved directly into your smartphone’s wallet, allowing you to quickly show them to staff when accessing attractions without having to worry about a connection. You could also consider downloading movies, TV shows and music onto your phone, so that you can watch/listen to it on the plane there and back.