Guide | 21 Savvy Travel Tips For Every City Adventure

Travel is a special time. For many, it’s hard earned time off, an escape, and a moment in our lives we remember for the rest. It’s not easy making sure all goes smoothly and one learns to answer certain questions beforehand to maximize your time away.

Here are my 21 travel tips for the savvy traveller to guide you through any and every city adventure. Discussed in this article are the following topics:

• Timing
• Safety
• Transportation
• Communication
• Local culture
• Museum tips

Having trouble deciding where to go? Check out My Travel & Planning Philosophy to help you get started.

1. Major Festivals & Events

Check the local festival and events calendars to see if there are major events coming up during your trip. Big festivals can disrupt traffic, cause prices to spike in hotels and airfare, as well as see certain places close down or restrict access. These could be major sporting events, fashion weeks, Olympics, UN meetings, etc.

2. National Holidays

National holidays often mean a big city-wide celebration. Such as in the case of Lisbon, as it turns out, Portugal Day (June 10) was a week-long celebration of nightly parades. Confirm the national holiday for your destination and what that tends to mean for the city. This could be a celebration, attraction closures, traffic disruptions and more.

3. Locals ‘Holidays’

In some places, locals tend to take holidays around the same time due to weather or public holidays. Such is the case in France and Italy where it’s common to go on vacation in August resulting in many local small businesses shut down for the month.

4. Weather

Some places experience four seasons and some have wet & dry seasons instead. Check what others say is the best time to travel for your destination and why the off-season is the off-season. In some cases, the off-season is simply due to colder weather which could mean lower hotel prices and fewer crowds.

5. Check the Headlines

Before heading out to your destination, check their local news for serious safety concerns. In case of things like a major government change event or natural disaster, give yourself the opportunity to make an informed decision.

6. Local Safety

Read some online discussions for what local safety is like. You may be headed to a place with prevalent pickpocketing or a city with areas that are less safe (for women especially). These are often areas near train stations and bus stations.

7. Pin Your Embassy

Mark down or pin on your phone map where your local consulate or embassy is located. You never know if you need assistance should you lose your passport, get sick, experience a natural disaster, etc.

8. Police Stations and Local Emergency Numbers

As a precaution, take note where the closest police station is nearest your hotel. In conjunction, memorize what the emergency number would be for your destination country (i.e. 112 European Union, 911 North America, and 999 for the UK).

9. Metro

In cities were a metro is available, try to understand how the payment system works (i.e. takes money by tap, requires a special transit system card, etc) and how the system generally functions. If the metro is well-designed, it could be an efficient and affordable way to get around.

10. Local Taxis

In some cities, local taxis are very convenient but comparatively an expensive service. In others, it might be affordable but tend to charge tourists a large premium. No matter the place, try to gain an understanding of the different ways you’ll get around and what each mean for your time and wallet.

11. Offline Maps

Download your destination map for offline mode. Even if you have an eSIM or data, you never know when you might need this. Google Maps will still pin your location even when you’re offline. In the app, select your profile icon > offline maps > hit ‘select your own map’ to download before your arrival.

12. To / From Airport and City

The most complicated part of transit is usually getting to and from the airport. Airports are often 30-60minutes at minimum outside city centres and cities often have special buses and trains to get passengers back and forth. Check how your destination city operates this so you are well-prepared when you land!

13. eSIM

If you don’t have a roaming plan, an affordable way to stay connected is to purchase a local SIM card on arrival or download an eSIM. An eSIM can be downloaded ahead of your trip from companies like MobiMatter or Airalo.

14. Basic Phrases

If you’re headed to a country where you don’t speak the main language, try to learn some basic phrases. Locals will appreciate the effort and it’s an opener for all to make an effort to communicate. Some suggested phrases to learn ahead of time:

• Hello / Good Day / Goodbye
• Sorry I don’t speak [language]. Do you speak [language]?
• Can you help me?
• I’m looking for [enter place].

15. Translate Apps

Google Translate is handy to have on hand but does require some patience and cooperation to use.

What I use constantly when traveling is Translate for photos [Get the app for Apple or Android]. This is great for scanning menus in foreign languages and translating them in an instant.

16. Money

Some cities have moved completely to a cashless system and some surprisingly, have not. In my opinion, it is safest to still keep a bit of cash on hand in case of emergencies but it’s smart to research what your destination’s general practices are in order to prepare should they rely heavily on cash.

17. Tipping Attitudes

Tipping culture varies greatly throughout the world. In some places it’s automatic and expected and in others it is not. Some cities don’t have a tipping culture but have establishments that prey on tourists to tip anyway. Do your research ahead of time to know what to expect.

18. Clothing Customs

Check out photos and videos to dress not just for weather but appropriately for your destination. In some places, it’s custom to cover certain areas (i.e. calves, knees, shoulders). In many cities, it’s smart to bring a scarf or shawl should you plan to visit religious sites.

19. Local “Culture”

Explore the city culture by checking out local events during your stay. This could be a sport, jazz clubs, comedy clubs, artisan villages, etc.

20. Free Admission Dates

Look up your museums of interest to see if they offer any complimentary entry times. This could be a certain day of a month, an evening once a week, etc. Confirm if reservations are required to secure your visit.

21. Closing Times

Plan your arrival accordingly against not just the museum closing time, but the general closing attitudes of the city. Although 6PM may be listed on a museum website, I found Paris museums begin asking patrons to make their way to the exit at least 15 minutes before the end of the day. Some even begin to evacuate rooms 30 minutes ahead of their official close.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this article and found something interesting and useful.

Safe travels!