GENERAL SIGHTSEEING STRATEGIES

Photo credit: © Warren Goldswain / Dollar Photo Club

WALK AS MUCH AS YOU CAN

Not only do you get a great view of the city, but you’ll get to be a part of the action as you mix with all the local folks out and about in their daily routines. Walking also allows you to see things at your own pace. You can stop and take photos when you want, or pick up the pace to get to the next sight.

And if there are walking tours offered in the city you’re visiting, even better! They are a great way to learn all kinds of interesting tidbits about the history, architecture, and the people of the city that you might have missed if you just hop from sight to sight. 

WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES

If you’re going to be walking then you must wear comfortable shoes. You’d think this goes without saying eh? But nope, I’ve seen women in 4-inch heels teetering along cobblestone streets. Not wearing high heels is obvious but make sure your flat shoes are good for walking in too because not all flat shoes are. Trust me I know and I’ve come to discover that a good pair of walking shoes is an invaluable investment. They can truly make or break a trip. My go-to shoes are Clark’s brand – I’ve had two pairs that have served me well for miles upon miles of walking.

USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

As much as I’d encourage you to walk, sometimes that just isn’t feasible, so the next best thing is to use public transportation if it’s available. Many of the big well-known cities have excellent transportation systems (think London Tube and Paris Métro) that you’d be crazy to forgo in favour of a car. While easy to use once you get the hang of it, it is always a good idea to research the system a little ahead of time so you can hit the ground running when you arrive. There are also some great apps that can help you plan your routes like this London Underground App that I use whenever I’m in London.

PACK A SMALL SNACK

If you tend to get a little (OK a lot!) moody and “hangry” like I do when you’re hungry it is worth taking up space in your purse for a snack. Even something as simple as a granola bar is enough to curb the hunger so you don’t give up on a great sight early because the only thing you can think about is having lunch. Plus it keeps your fellow travellers happier as you won’t turn into a raving lunatic on them and leave them wondering why in the world they ever thought travelling with you would be such a good idea.

BE SELECTIVE

You can’t see everything and you really won’t appreciate all the things you do see if you try and do it all. Try for a good mix of popular landmarks, museums, churches and cathedrals, outdoor parks and walking trails, and some lighter, perhaps not so typical things (Clue Quest Escape Room is one such fun thing).

I absolutely love a grand cathedral and will stand in awe admiring the architecture and beauty, but if I visited half a dozen of them in a day eventually even I would be ‘cathedral-ed’ out. Pick just a couple of any one type of attraction for a trip and then really, really soak those ones in.

VISITING FAMOUS LANDMARKS

Yes, go and see some of those famous landmarks! They may be “touristy” but they are popular for a reason.  

Also, don’t be afraid to be a “tourist”. I know some people don’t seem to like that term but you don’t live there so by definition isn’t that what you are – someone that is travelling and visiting for pleasure? Just enjoy and don’t worry about any traveller/tourist labels.

RESEARCH POPULAR SIGHTS

It pays to research the popular sights beforehand so you are well armed with knowledge about what the busiest times are and days they might be closed so you don’t miss anything or spend hours in line needlessly.

As an example, it is not uncommon for museums in Europe to be closed on particular weekdays. Also by doing a little research up-front, you may find that a site on your list is free during particular hours of the week and you’ll save money if you can schedule it during that time like when we saved $32 in admissions just by visiting the Canadian War Museum in the evening instead of during the day!

LOOK INTO CITY PASSES

If the landmarks on your list aren’t free, many are included in various types of city passes offered by big cities. It is worth spending a little time to see if these passes will be a good fit for your travel plans both in terms of cost and time. Popular cities with passes include London, Berlin, New York City, Paris, and Las Vegas.

VISITING MUSEUMS

Museums are another popular type of attraction to visit because there are museums for every interest. From art and history to the weird and quirky, you can’t go wrong with visiting one of the big-name museums or a small one that caters to your favourite hobby or interest. Again it is worth some research ahead of time (that seems to be the theme here eh?) so you can make the most of your visit.

FIND YOUR FAVOURITES

Find out what masterpieces and your personal favourites are at the museum that you absolutely don’t want to miss so you can plan your visit accordingly. You’ll never be able to see all of some of the big museums (like the Louvre and British Museum) in one trip unless you want to spend the whole day (or more!) at the museum.

Before you visit take a quick ‘virtual visit’ to the museum’s website for their latest exhibits, get the lay of the land, and formulate your plan of attack. Once inside, hit the things on your must-see list first so you get to them while you’re fresh. Then if time and energy allow check out some of the other exhibits. If they are really neat you’ll be glad you saw them, if they aren’t so great you’ll be glad you didn’t risk missing the other things to see them.

LEARN A LITTLE ABOUT THE ARTISTS AND HISTORY

Learn a little about art, the artists, and art history before you go. You don’t have to have a master’s degree to enjoy museums but even learning a little about a particular time period or artist is a good start and will really bring the pieces to life when you get to see them in person. And then again, some pieces you’ll enjoy simply because they are just beautiful and it won’t matter who painted/sculpted them or what technique they used.

ADD AN AUDIO GUIDE

Take advantage of free audio tours, either offered by the museum itself or ones you find online. You can also listen in as tour guides are giving their groups a lesson on a particular piece but I don’t think I’d be so bold as to follow them through the whole museum! Maybe just a tidbit or two here and there as unobtrusively as possible from the back of the group.

Some recommended free audio tours are British Museum in London, the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay in Paris, and Accademia & Michelangelo’s David in Florence – all by Rick Steves. For all of his free audio tours, click here.

HAVE FUN!

Have fun and be silly sometimes. Especially if you’re with the kiddos and they might be starting to drag. Or even if you’re not and you just want to be a little nuts. Museums don’t have to be all serious and no fun!

VISITING PLACES OF WORSHIP

Churches, cathedrals, mosques, temples, etc. are all wonderful places to visit to learn more about the history and culture of the people and they are usually architectural gems. To get the most out of visiting them here are a few tips to keep in mind.

DRESS ACCORDINGLY

Be aware of possible attire restrictions and dress accordingly. You’d hate to come all that way to find out that if you hadn’t worn that sundress with the spaghetti straps, or had brought something to cover your shoulders, you would have been allowed in. If you know you’ll need a covering for your head you can pop a scarf in your day bag to use, instead of borrowing one on-site (if they even have any to borrow).

PRE-VISIT RESEARCH

Do a little pre-visit studying. Again with research eh? It’s like I’m taking all the fun out of sightseeing! But imagine coming home only to find out there was a priceless work of art by one of the great masters and you missed it because you decided to forgo one of the little chapels that housed it? And all because you didn’t look it up ahead of time. I’d be gutted for you if that happened.

ATTEND A SERVICE

For the full experience attend a service or a choral evensong – they are free and a great experience. You won’t get to roam freely or take photos that you might wish to take but sometimes the experience is worth it.

REMEMBER RESPECT

Above all, and I think this goes without saying, we need to be respectful. There are all types of places of worship around the world and there is beauty to be found in each of them. While we may not be of that particular faith, or of any faith, we should be thoughtful and respectful visitors so as to not disturb those that are there to worship.

VISITING ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES AND RUINS

One of my favourite types of sites because they can be just so darn old! Sometimes it’s hard to fathom that there were people walking the same steps as you thousands of years ago.

Thankfully so many sites like this have been carefully preserved so we can enjoy them, especially with these few tips.

TAKE CARE

Be careful! Typically ruins mean lots of uneven surfaces and a sprained ankle could really put a damper on the whole trip.

RESEARCH

Again a little pre-trip studying about the site can really make it much more enjoyable and memorable. Sometimes a site might seem like just a pile of rocks (I’m looking at you Stonehenge!) but really there is a story behind all of them. It might not be your favourite part of history but knowing a little can make visiting these sights a lot more meaningful.

ADD A GUIDE

Definitely take the sites up on any offers of audio or written guides. This was a great feature of our recent trip to Stonehenge, as admittedly I had not done much research ahead of time (What? Not following my own tips? I’m still learning too!) so I really relied on the audio guide to tell me what the heck I was looking at.

TOP TIP

In the end, I guess you can figure out what my number one tip is – a little planning has never hurt anyone!

Many people think that planning takes all the fun out of the trip but I say planning makes the trip more fun because you don’t miss out on the things you want to see and do. If you don’t plan at all then you run the risk of following along with what others think makes for a great trip, and that might not be the things that will make you ooh and ahh, give you chills, and make you so glad you’re in that moment.

I’m not saying you can’t leave room for spontaneity too and a loose itinerary is all that’s needed, but hey, if you want an hour by hour spreadsheet I can totally get on board with that type of plan too!

With a simple plan in place you can save yourself money (know about free admission times, savings on pre-purchased tickets, or use a city pass) and save yourself time (everything is mapped out so no wasted time back-tracking). Sometimes you’ll find out about a few of the ‘secret’ and lesser-known places and they can turn out to be some of the most memorable places you ever get to see.

Are these some of the tips you use when out sightseeing? Do you have other strategies that you swear by?

We’d love to hear them. Please share in the comments.

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