10 things to do every time you travel

When we travel, beside visiting the famous and popular sights, we try to discover as much as we can from a new place and to leave with many beautiful memories. Whether it’s a souvenir, food or new places discovered, we made a list with what you could to when you travel to have the best experience the city can give you.

1. Venture off the path and walk around. Even if you’re going on a city break and you only have 3 days to explore a city, you can lose one hour and walk around aimlessly. You’ll definitely discover some cool places that not all the tourists get to visit.

Barcelona

Paris

Varese, Italy

2. Take public transportation. Besides walking, the best and practical way to get around in a city is the metro. If the city doesn’t have it, you can take the bus, the tram, the cable car or even trains. It’s pretty cheap and it will get you to your destination more quickly. Buy your ticket first though, you might get a fine.

Barcelona

Varese, Italy

Zagreb, Croatia

3. Buy a souvenir. And we’re not talking about the classics, magnets and key chains. Of course that we have our own magnet, snow globe and mug collections from our travels, but lately we decided to buy things that will truly remind us of a certain place. So from Cinque Terre in Italy we bought a handmade t-shirt that we found on a street with small boutiques, from Lisbon a pretty bookmark, from Paris we bought scarfs, and from Bulgaria we always buy rose body lotion.

Cinque Terre, Italy

Rome

Pisa

4. Eat somewhere recommended to you. Everybody has this problem when they’re in a new place. “Where should we eat and avoid tourist restaurants with big prices and not so good food?” We rely a lot on reviews on Tripadvisor, Yelp or Foursquare. Or even better, go to places that our friends have been and know they had a good meal.

Istanbul

Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

Viena

5. Take a trip. If your trip involves one destination city and have some time, grab a map and look what’s around it. Small towns are real treasures and you’ll find less tourists, feeling like you have the place almost to yourself.

Plitvice National Park, Croatia

Montserrat, Spain

Tyulenovo, Bulgaria

6. Learn the language. Ok, we’re not saying that you should speak it fluently, but “Hello” or “Thank you” shouldn’t be that difficult in any given language. Before your trip you can read up on essential phrases, most people will appreciate your effort, even if you’re struggling.

7. Explore a neighborhood. Spend one day in a neighborhood, with no rush, people-watching. Relax in a café, rent a bike or go on a long walk, stopping and going as you please.

Montmartre, Paris

Navigli, Milano

Paris

8. Hit the town in the evening. Whether is a night out in a club or just a walk in the evening, the vibe of a city seems to change after the sun sets. And some of the main sights are best seen in the evening.

Barcelona

Istanbul

Paris

Rome

9. Get lost. Forget about the map and GPS and see where the street takes you. Don’t panic and enjoy the sights. You’ll definitely find something interesting to photograph.

Paris

Viena

Prague

10. Forget about the “normal” pictures. Sure, we all want to have our pictures taken in front of the popular sights, but the same pose in every one of them gets a bit boring after a while. Try to do something funny or find an interesting angle for your pictures.