Travel: Staying Sane on City Breaks
UK writer, David Showell, is here with a great travel guest post, but these tips can be applied to any major city. Enjoy!
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Stay sane on city breaks with these great travel tips.
Across Europe, many of the continent’s iconic cities play host to thousands of visitors from all over the world on a weekly basis, and the destinations provide a memorable opportunity to discover some of their heritage and intrigue. However, it’s important to remember that city breaks can also be exhausting, so here are a few tips on how to get the best from these odysseys.
Don’t forget to rest
Whether you’re walking around Warsaw or strolling through Stockholm, it’s important to bear in mind just how tiring a city break can be. The best way to soak up the sights, sounds and smells of any metropolis is undoubtedly to use your feet, but you need to pace yourself from the first day to the last. Regular breaks for coffee or a sandwich are highly recommended, so make the most of the dining establishments along the way.
Take the bus
Almost every tourist-friendly city has a fleet of hop-on hop-off sightseeing buses which allow passengers to enjoy up-close views of the local landmarks for an inexpensive fee. As well as a means of seeing the attractions, they also provide visitors with a chance to get from A to B and beyond during the stay, so it often makes sense to purchase a ticket that remains usable for a few days.
A view from the river
Many of Europe’s great cities have a river located in their very hearts, and these waterways were often the reason for the rise in each city’s influence and importance. An afternoon cruise provides a wonderful way to see the destination from a unique perspective, and would usually be accompanied by a helpful and informative commentary. From the Thames to the Seine, and from the Danube to the Rhine, the charms of Europe are just waiting to be discovered.
Do some research
Whichever city you are planning to visit, it’s always a good idea to investigate the destination’s landmarks beforehand. In the Internet age, we now have a hugely comprehensive information source at the touch of a mouse button, so you should make sure you use it. There may be some hidden gems which you hadn’t perhaps thought about seeing.
Draw up an itinerary
Because most city breaks only last a few days, it’s important to do and see as much as possible. Therefore, it’s an excellent idea to compile a schedule, even if it’s only a loose one. By the time you pack your suitcase at the end of the trip, you don’t want to have any regrets, so take a little time to make a workable itinerary.
About the author: David Showell lives in the UK and has enjoyed several city breaks across continental Europe. He works for a company that offers excellent car rentals bargains to tourists from all over the world.
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Thanks, David, for a great post. Come back again sometime!
For everyone else, do you think these are fairly practical travel tips? Tell me in the comments!
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Promoted, Amberr. Like the perspective of the picture.
Carole, the perspective was my favorite part. Thanks for sharing this!
Is it best to travel with someone?
Irene, for safety purposes, I would always travel with someone. You never know what might happen to a lone woman.
I will admit I don’t recommend the Hop on, Hop off buses. They’re everywhere, and they just seem like such a rip-off. The fee is NOT inexpensive, it’s absolutely crazy expensive for what you get, at least it was in London. A friend insisted we try them there, and so here we are in, in a great city with a terrific fleet of buses and underground and trains, and we are basically paying this huge inflated price for a bus that screams tourist. Yes, if you like, you can use the audio device and have someone chattering in your ear while you’re riding. I wouldn’t call that exactly restful. So, I vote against Hop on, Hop off buses and in favor of the real public transportation. Yes, even in Tokyo, where I don’t speak and can’t even read the language. The subways and trains are easy. I could see the tourists on the Hop on, Hop off bus, but I felt a bit as if they were upfront admitting that they were intimidated before they even gave it a chance. Just my opinion…but I think it pays dividends in the long run to use the “real” public transport. It probably isn’t that scary, and if you really need a device chattering in your ear, I guess you could bring your iPod.
Peachfront, thanks for the insider advice. I will keep this in mind for future travels!
I always look forward to your travel and destination posts by your guest’s writers! I find them informative and they always make me want to travel more (maybe someday…sigh.) The one tip I might add is associated with the section don’t forget to rest. Experience in traveling has taught me not to take new shoes on a trip. I try to make sure they are a comfortable pair that I can do lots of walking in, if I must take a new pair of shoes I make sure I have worn them for several weeks before I travel (try to break them in to save your feet from major discomfort)
Aaron, rest is crucial. As a matter-of-fact, I haven’t been traveling much, but my body was tired, so I took a three hour nap. Blissful!
The first tip to rest is important, and it’s something a lot people like myself forget because we want to do so much when visiting places. Great post!
Maria, every time we go to Jekyll and Tybee Island, we always end up exhausted, because we don’t want to miss a thing!