A city break is an excellent opportunity to experience life in a new place, take a slice of all the best that a new city has to offer, and treat yourself a little more than you would back home. However, landing in a brand new city can be a touch disorientating and can lead to more than a few mistakes you don’t want to make. Here, we’re going to look at the major ones to keep in mind and what you can do to mitigate them.
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Avoid overpacking
You want to make sure that you have all of the essentials you need to keep going during your city break but what does that include? If it’s something you can easily buy at your destination, you might want to just pick some up there. Overpacking is going to make getting around a chore until you get to your accommodation and, most importantly, it doesn’t leave room for souvenirs.
Don’t get stuck at the airport
Make sure that you have a way to get from your airport to your hotel, B&B, or other accommodation. Trying to get a taxi or a car from the airport is likely to result in quite a long time spent waiting around. Arrange for an airport car rental and you can make sure that you’re ready to set off as soon as you land. Do a little research on your routes through the city if you’re driving yourself, too.
Not booking your places to eat in advance
If you land in a new city and hope to be able to book a table at some of the trendiest and most widely recommended culinary gems that it has to offer, then you are going to be disappointed very quickly. If you take your restaurants seriously, book them before you arrive, making sure that you have a table for each and every night, unless you’re happy with dining in or trying the fast food spots.
Only hitting up the tourist traps
Every city has them, and every person who visits that city is going to try and hit them up. This means that you can end up in lines or crowds that are much more of a hassle than you want them to be. Look for the hidden gems that sites like Atlas Obscura talk about when you’re visiting a city to see the interesting and unique spots that might be lesser known in the city.
Not giving yourself time to wander
Another reason to avoid just hitting the tourist traps only is that they can take up a lot more of your time than you want. You should give yourself time to wander, avoiding an itinerary that tries to optimize every hour. Of course, you should try to stick to the safest spots to wander, and be mindful of your surroundings at all times.
Landing in a new city doesn’t have to be intimidating. Simply keep the above tips in mind and you should be able to navigate the errors that many make.
