Thursday, March 4, 2021

The 4 Best Ways To Explore a New City

Quick tips for when we can all safely travel again 



Arriving in a new city is both thrilling and daunting at the same time, especially in huge metropolitan areas like New York or Tokyo. When you land, you want to see and do everything there is, but diving in headfirst can be too much, and there’s a chance you could miss the golden nuggets that make the city unique. With that in mind, here are the four best ways to explore a new city so you can make sure you get to see everything and more. 


Take a Walk
Free walking tours are one of the very best ways you can explore a city and see things that you wouldn’t get aimlessly wandering around. These tours are run by volunteers who grew up there, and they can tell you everything you need to know about the city you’re visiting. They can provide advice for the best places to eat, give you information on local history and culture, and give you inspiration for where you want to spend a lot of time. Most major cities have walking tours available, and even if they don’t, you can almost certainly find tourist-made guides online. 

Don’t Be Afraid of Public Transport
Public transport is often a cheap and efficient way of getting from one place to another, no matter how unreliable the bus or train system is. Researching the local Passenger Transportation industry is perfect if you don’t have a lot of time in a city, as you can get from one side to the other (traffic permitting) in under an hour. While it might be tempting to take a taxi in some instances, this doesn’t give you the same authentic feeling, but at least you’ll probably get a good chat with the taxi driver on the way to your destination. 


See It Day and Night
One appeal of big cities, or indeed any city, is that the difference between the night and day is often, well night and day. Major cities tend to come alive once the sun goes down, and this gives you insight into what makes the city such a popular place. With the bars and restaurants opening their doors and locals and tourists alike spilling onto the streets, you’re thrown into the middle of a certified party, and that’s even before night-time street performers and shows get started. 


Trust Social Media
Social media can be toxic, everyone knows this, but it is also an indispensable solution for learning more about the city and exploring different areas. Before you depart for your next vacation, join tourist groups to get an idea of where to go and where to avoid, whether because of potential danger or because it’s full of other tourists. You might even find meetup programs that will bring many like-0minded people together so you can feel more comfortable exploring. 

New Discoveries
With so many ways to enjoy and explore a city, you are spoiled for choice. Whether you only have a day, a weekend, or can take your time, the opportunities are there for you to embrace the culture and perhaps uncover something that no one else has seen before, no matter how unlikely that might seem when you first arrive. 
-
Don't forget to follow me on Instagram and like my Facebook page for more stories like this!