How to make the best of a city visit: travel tips – money, accommodation, transportation, shopping, etc.

While traveling we want to make the best of every place we visit. Sometimes we realize after getting back home or reaching in another place that we could have seen/done more in our trip. This is why I decided to share with you today my travel tips for enjoying a visit in a city – no matter where in the world. Please feel free to add any comment or suggestion that may improve/complete this list.

I’ve decided to group these tips and tricks following the main directions important in a visit.crayons

Tips and tricks to make the best of a city visit

Transportation

  • inform yourself about the local transportation – is it well developed? You should rent a car or public transportation will do? Are the costs for parking so high it doesn’t worth taking your car in the city?
  • inform yourself about the parking places – where can you find parking, costs and so on
  • always try to optimize your staying – if you go visit a part of the city research a little about the touristic objectives and then about places to eat near by, to go shopping and so on in order for you not to waste time and money transporting yourself from one place to another;
  • when using public transportation make sure you know what type of tickets you have to buy – in different cities and different countries are different rules so please inform yourself in order to avoid paying fines;
  • try to find out if there are some interesting options for you – for instance in Vienna I recommend using Vienna card – free access to public transportation for 72 hours and important deductions when visiting different museums, eating in some places etc. – read a dedicated article to Vienna card here.
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Money

  • pay attention to the conversion in the official currency – you must know the local rate, the equivalent in your currency and so on in order for you not to get robbed (to end up paying 10 euros for a Cola for instance);
  • keep in mind that sometimes paying using a card is better for you – lower rates for conversion, correctness etc.
  • pay attention to the banks and their services – inform yourself online about the local banks, what types of cards do they accept and so on;
  • have some cash – yes, it’s important to have some cash for you never know when a POS won’t work and you won’t be able to pay for what you bought or, even worst, what you already consumed (for instance for dinner).

Visiting

  • as I already mentioned it is a good idea to group some touristic objectives in a given area. Document before visiting a city or at least ask for directions at the hotel or inform yourself from different flyers about sights to see.
  • find out  what can be visited for free – there are different museums, exhibitions, concerts and so on. Why not enjoy them and save some money?
  • act like a local – try to simply walk in other areas than those promoted. Try to notice the locals, to see the way they live and what they do in an ordinary day;
  • speak to the locals – sometimes this is the best way to find out information that are not included in any flyer! Try to know them, enter their world;
  • see also the tip regarding some cards that allow you to benefit from some deductions;
  • pay attention to laws and regulations – sure, we are all interested in getting the best in our trips/travels, but we always have to be careful to obey the law. As you may know, there are different laws and customs across the globe, so it’s important to find out all relevant laws before traveling (taking photos, words/expressions to avoid, etc.)
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Accommodation

  • when choosing a place to stay make sure first that it is localized in an accessible area. You have to be able to get anywhere you want in a simple manner, not to need to spend money on taxis or something like that.
  • make sure your room is near public transportation – in many cities this is a plus;
  • look for the best offer and maybe even book it in advance. I use Booking.com and I was pleased with the offers I found each time. There are of course other similar sites. Compare prices before actually book something.
  • make sure that what you choose is what you need – if you need internet access or air conditioning make sure the room has that. Also for  kitchen utilities.

Eating

  • document yourself about the local famous foods – you might be tempted to try some of them;
  • try to find out recommended restaurants or places to eat – the internet is a vast source of information. Try to find out what other people recommend, possible budgets, areas – in order to group them with visiting sights and so on.
  • remember that usually downtown is pricey, towards periphery the prices are lower.

Shopping

  • if you want to go shopping inform yourself first of all about the sales seasons.
  • document yourself and find out what discounts or outlets stores are in the area – outside a sale period these shops might be a better solution – here’s an example of analysis of Vienna.
  • usually the prices are lower toward the periphery.
  • compare prices – if you don’t have to buy from the first moment, it might be a good idea to compare prices before buy something.
  • check the quality – just because it’s cheaper it doesn’t mean you have to buy it.
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So these are my tips and tricks. Do you have others to add?

How to make the best of a city visit: #travel #tips - money, accommodation, transportation, shopping etc.

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Lori

I’m offering public relations, communications and image counseling in everyday life and I have a PR agency – PRwave INTERNATIONAL. I am passionate about reading, blogging (I also have a blog in Romanian) and traveling. Follow me on Twitter - @violetaloredana (Romanian) and @TravelMoments.

17 thoughts on “How to make the best of a city visit: travel tips – money, accommodation, transportation, shopping, etc.

  • 26 September, 2015 at 13:48
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    It’s definitely important to do as much research as you about the place you’re travelling to. These are great tips, it teaches travelers how to make the most out of their trip.

    Reply
  • 26 September, 2015 at 14:57
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    You are right, these are great tips every traveler new or old can make use of. Thanks for sharing it

    Reply
  • 26 September, 2015 at 18:43
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    These are indeed great tips on how to maximize when traveling. I stay at home most of the time, but I’ll keep these in mind for the rare occasions I go out. Thanks!

    Reply
  • 26 September, 2015 at 19:22
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    Great tips! I agree, the best way to enjoy traveling is to know how not to waste every resource you’ve got on stuff you can save up on…like the types of transpos, where to eat and all. I want to travel with my husband and kids soon, but I don’t want to join any tour, so these is a great guideline/reminder to keep with me.

    Reply
  • 26 September, 2015 at 20:54
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    It is different if my wife and I travel as a couple or with the kids. We tend to be more adventurous by ourselves, trying out the public transport more. With the kids, I tend to rent a private car with guide to bring us around, especially in a country where they do not speak English well.

    Reply
  • 27 September, 2015 at 12:18
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    Whenever I plan me and my hubby’s vacation, I really research so much about the place and write it down/save it in a word doc. It really is the best thing to do especially when it is your first time to travel to that place. Will definitely take note of your tips. It would really be a big help. 🙂

    Reply
  • 27 September, 2015 at 14:47
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    Great advice! I will be saving this on my travel this December, Such a huge help for me. It’s always an advantage if you know the place more.

    Reply
  • 27 September, 2015 at 20:54
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    great tips! i always research everything or id get paranoid about an unfamiliar area

    Reply
  • 28 September, 2015 at 05:03
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    It’s very vital to have these tips to travellers and readers too. More than anything else, be prepare for everything and anything when travelling.

    Reply
  • 28 September, 2015 at 11:13
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    These are definitely great tips. I love by most of these. I’m sure it’ll benefit a lot of people.

    Reply
  • 28 September, 2015 at 11:14
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    Extremely useful tips – I think most are what season travellers would already use. But it’s nice of you to organise the advice in a list that’s comprehensive 🙂

    Reply
  • 28 September, 2015 at 11:22
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    I always try to learn the public transport in the places I visit. It also gives you a better journey aside from the destination. It also helps that you are living in a place that’s accessible to transportation.

    Reply
  • 28 September, 2015 at 12:29
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    Wonderful tips you have shared in your post. It is like making full use of the available time and exploring the best.

    Reply
  • 28 September, 2015 at 14:05
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    Very helpful tips and will come in handy every time you a visit a foreign place.

    Reply
  • 28 September, 2015 at 18:36
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    You are so correct with your tips. Getting the transportation mode while visiting a place is so vital to know.

    Reply
  • 29 September, 2015 at 06:20
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    Great tips! 🙂 As an avid traveler, I still learn new things and tips during my travel.

    Reply
  • 2 October, 2015 at 23:06
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    Thanks for the travel tips. It is very important to plan and do research before we head for any trip. That will help in saving money, time and also stress.

    Reply

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