Being There: Part 2 - Tours and Activities

So, you have made it to your travel destination of choice, and have your lodging and transportation all arranged.  You still probably want to see some things and do some activities.  I like to have a definite plan for what I am going to do/see, how I am going to get there, and how much all of that is going to cost, unless I am going to a beach resort somewhere, where my plan is usually:

1.      Wake Up

2.      Eat Breakfast

3.      Lay on the Beach

4.      Eat Lunch

5.      Lay on the Beach

6.      Eat Dinner

7.      Walk on the Beach

8.      Go to Sleep

9.      Repeat...

One of my first stops for info is one of the Wiki pages on the city.  I use Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org) and Wikitravel (wikitravel.org).  The Wikipedia page will usually give you more detailed information about a place, but it is not focused on travelers.  That is why I also check out the Wikitravel page, even though it usually has substantially less information, it is focused on travel, like how to get there, how to get around once there, and what places you can see while there.

I then check out the TripAdvisor (www.tripadvisor.com) page for the city as well.  I check out the reviews people have posted on the places I am considering visiting.  People are often brutally honest in these reviews, so they are a good way to avoid those tourist traps that sound like they would be fun, but are really just there to separate you from your cash.

Next, if I am going to a major city, I like to check to see if they have a City Card program.  For those who are unfamiliar, most major cities (and even some smaller ones) have cards you can buy which will get you into many of the cities attractions for free (or a reduced price), and usually also includes free transport for a certain period of time on most all public transit.  Some cards are better than others.  Do a search using your favorite search engine for "city card" and then the name of the city you are traveling to, and you should be able to find out if that city has one.  Alternatively, many City Cards are linked from the web site www.europeancitycards.com.  Make sure you do some research, though.  As I said, some city cards are better than others, and make sure you know what you are getting, and how much you would spend if you did not get the card.  For instance, it is great that a particular card gets you free into 50 museums, saving you a potential 749 euro, but if you only want to go to one museum, it is probably not worth getting the card.  The card for the Naples area, called the "artecard", makes this incredibly simple.  Their web site (www.campaniartecard.it) lets you add all the locations covered by their card, one at a time, into a sort of shopping cart, and then does the calculations for you, to let you know which of their several card options you should buy, or if you would do better to go without the card.

Another option for seeing a city is a tour.  I am not a big fan of most tours.  I do not want to walk around with several dozen strangers like a herd of cattle.  However, I have taken a few, when it made since, and have mostly enjoyed them.  Budget friendly options, in cities where they offer them, are free walking tours.  We took one in Krakow recently, and it was very good.  At the end, you simply tip the tour guide whatever you think the tour was worth, and you can never get ripped off by a substandard tour operator.  You can check them out by simply searching "free walking tour" and the city name.

Whatever you decide on doing, make sure you understand a few things about those locations.  First, what days are they open?  It is no fun to show up at a museum on the day you have allocated to visit it, to find out they are closed on Wednesdays.  Similarly, know what the hours are, and if there is a time of the day when there access rules are different.  For example, at Auschwitz (concentration camp in Poland), access is free all day, but if you come between 10 AM and 3 PM, you can only enter as part of a group tour, which costs money.  If you want to take the tour, then that is fine, but if you show up at 10:30 to find out your choices are wait several hours, or pay 30 euro each for a tour, it could put a real crimp in your visit.